Compare the2023 Subaru Crosstrek HybridVS 2023 Audi Q5

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Crosstrek Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q5 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Q5 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Crosstrek Hybrid has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Q5 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Crosstrek Hybrid has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Q5 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Crosstrek Hybrid’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Q5 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Crosstrek Hybrid and the Q5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid is safer than the Audi Q5:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Subaru’s powertrain warranty covers the Crosstrek Hybrid 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q5. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Q5 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 2 times as many Subaru dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Crosstrek Hybrid’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Crosstrek Hybrid’s reliability 18 points higher than the Q5.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 48 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Subaru higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 6 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Subaru higher than Audi.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 6 places higher in reliability than Audi.

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Crosstrek Hybrid lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Q5 doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

On the EPA test cycle the Crosstrek Hybrid running on electricity gets better mileage than the Q5 55 TFSI e running on electricity (99 city/80 hwy vs. 60 city/61 hwy MPGe).

On the EPA test cycle the Crosstrek Hybrid running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Q5 running its gasoline engine:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q5 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Audi Q5 (5 to 7). This means the Crosstrek Hybrid produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Q5 every 15,000 miles.

The Crosstrek Hybrid has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Q5 doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Crosstrek Hybrid stops shorter than the Q5:

The Crosstrek Hybrid’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Q5’s standard 60 series tires.

For better maneuverability, the Crosstrek Hybrid’s turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the Q5 40/45 TFSI’s (35.4 feet vs. 38.7 feet). The Crosstrek Hybrid’s turning circle is 4 feet tighter than the Q5 55 TFSI e’s (35.4 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 900 pounds less than the Audi Q5.

The Crosstrek Hybrid is 7.8 inches shorter than the Q5, making the Crosstrek Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Crosstrek Hybrid uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Q5 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Crosstrek Hybrid has .2 inches more front headroom and 2.2 inches more front legroom than the Q5.

The Crosstrek Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the Q5’s in almost every dimension:

The Crosstrek Hybrid has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Q5 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Crosstrek Hybrid’s exterior PIN entry system. The Q5 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Audi Connect CARE can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Crosstrek Hybrid has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q5 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Crosstrek Hybrid has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Q5 doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Insurance will cost less for the Crosstrek Hybrid owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Crosstrek Hybrid will cost $1445 to $3545 less than the Q5 over a five-year period.

The Crosstrek Hybrid will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Crosstrek Hybrid will retain 51.71% of its original price after five years, while the Q5 only retains 48.77% to 50.66%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid will be $14655 to $26315 less than for the Audi Q5.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid and the Audi Q5, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Subaru Crosstrek outsold the Audi Q5/SQ5 by almost three to one during the 2022 model year.