Compare the2023 Volkswagen TiguanVS 2023 Audi Q5

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Tiguan SE R-Line Black/SEL R-Line has standard Maneuver 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.

Both the Tiguan 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, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

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 Volkswagen Tiguan is safer than the Audi Q5:

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

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Tiguan for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Q5.

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

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Volkswagen vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 9 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Volkswagen 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 Volkswagen vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 15 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Volkswagen higher than Audi.

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

The Tiguan FWD’s standard fuel tank has a gallon more fuel capacity than the Q5 Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (15.3 vs. 14.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Volkswagen Tiguan, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the Q5.

The Tiguan stops much shorter than the Q5:

The Tiguan SEL R-Line’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Q5’s optional 45 series tires.

The Tiguan SEL R-Line 4Motion® handles at .83 G’s, while the Q5 45 TFSI Premium Plus pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Tiguan’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Q5 40/45 TFSI’s (37.7 feet vs. 38.7 feet). The Tiguan’s turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the Q5 55 TFSI e’s (37.7 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

The Volkswagen Tiguan may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 800 pounds less than the Audi Q5.

The Tiguan offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the Q5 can only carry 5.

The Tiguan’s cargo area provides more volume than the Q5.

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

The Tiguan SE/SEL 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.

Consumer Reports rated the Tiguan’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Q5’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Tiguan SE R-Line Black/SEL/SEL Premium R-Line has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Q5 doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Tiguan SEL Premium R-Line also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Tiguan is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q5 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Tiguan is less expensive to operate than the Q5 because typical repairs cost less on the Tiguan than the Q5, including $18 less for a water pump, $164 less for a muffler, $102 less for front brake pads, $60 less for a starter, $52 less for fuel injection, $52 less for a fuel pump, $11 less for front struts and $176 less for a timing belt/chain.