Compare the2023 Audi SQ5 SportbackVS 2023 Dodge Durango SRT

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The SQ5 Sportback’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the SQ5 Sportback and Durango SRT have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The SQ5 Sportback has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Durango SRT’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The SQ5 Sportback has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the SQ5 Sportback’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The SQ5 Sportback’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Durango SRT.

The SQ5 Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige has a standard Top View Camera System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Durango SRT only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the SQ5 Sportback and the Durango SRT 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, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Audi SQ5 Sportback is safer than the Dodge Durango SRT:

	SQ5 Sportback	Durango SRT
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	22%	34%
Neck Stress	215 lbs.	236 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	80/49 lbs.	339/364 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	187	295
Chest Compression	.7 inches	.8 inches
Neck Stress	134 lbs.	156 lbs.
Neck Compression	30 lbs.	86 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	90/55 lbs.	303/32 lbs.

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

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Audi SQ5 Sportback is safer than the Durango SRT:

	SQ5 Sportback	Durango SRT
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Restraints	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	110	119
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	0 cm	9 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Femur Force R/L	3/0 kN	5.3/2.5 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	6%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Tibia index R/L	.64/.24	1.53/.59

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 Audi SQ5 Sportback is safer than the Dodge Durango SRT:

	SQ5 Sportback	Durango SRT
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.6 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	98 lbs.	111 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	43 G’s
Hip Force	600 lbs.	714 lbs.

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

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the SQ5 Sportback its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 110 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Durango SRT is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick.”

Warranty

The SQ5 Sportback comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Durango SRT’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The SQ5 Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Durango SRT’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the SQ5 Sportback has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the engine in the Durango SRT.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the SQ5 Sportback gets better fuel mileage than the Durango SRT (19 city/24 hwy vs. 13 city/19 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the SQ5 Sportback’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the SQ5 Sportback’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi SQ5 Sportback uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Durango SRT requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi SQ5 Sportback higher (5 out of 10) than the Dodge Durango SRT (1). This means the SQ5 Sportback produces up to 39 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Durango SRT every 15,000 miles.

Tires and Wheels

The SQ5 Sportback’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Durango SRT’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the SQ5 Sportback offers optional 21-inch wheels. The Durango SRT’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the SQ5 Sportback’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the Durango SRT’s (38.7 feet vs. 41 feet).

Chassis

The Audi SQ5 Sportback may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1050 to 1400 pounds less than the Dodge Durango SRT.

The SQ5 Sportback is 1 foot, 4.2 inches shorter than the Durango SRT 392, making the SQ5 Sportback easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Audi SQ5 Sportback amounts to more than styling. The SQ5 Sportback has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .33 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Durango SRT (.38) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the SQ5 Sportback get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The front step up height for the SQ5 Sportback is 1.4 inches lower than the Durango SRT (18.3” vs. 19.7”). The SQ5 Sportback’s rear step up height is 1.7 inches lower than the Durango SRT’s (18” vs. 19.7”).

Cargo Capacity

The SQ5 Sportback has a much larger cargo volume than the Durango SRT with its rear seat up (24.7 vs. 17.2 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the SQ5 Sportback easier. The SQ5 Sportback’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29 inches, while the Durango SRT’s liftover is 31.4 inches.

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the SQ5 Sportback’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the SQ5 Sportback’s available liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Dodge. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 25% lower rating, Dodge is ranked 21st.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Durango SRT, the SQ5 Sportback offers an optional driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle and climate settings and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The SQ5 Sportback Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The SQ5 Sportback’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Durango SRT’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The SQ5 Sportback’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Durango SRT’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the SQ5 Sportback to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The SQ5 Sportback’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Durango SRT’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The SQ5 Sportback Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the SQ5 Sportback to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi SQ5 Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The SQ5 Sportback Prestige’s Park Steering Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

The Audi SQ5 Sportback outsold the Dodge Durango by 966 units during the 2022 model year.