Compare the2023 Audi Q5 SportbackVS 2023 Honda Passport

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

Safety

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The Q5 Sportback’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Passport doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q5 Sportback and Passport have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q5 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 Passport’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 Q5 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 Passport 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 Q5 Sportback’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Passport doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Q5 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 Passport 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 Q5 Sportback and the Passport 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 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Audi Q5 Sportback is safer than the Honda Passport:

	Q5 Sportback	Passport
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	22%	28%
Leg Forces (l/r)	80/49 lbs.	46/243 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	187	216
Neck Injury Risk	34%	35%
Neck Compression	30 lbs.	69 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	90/55 lbs.	478/436 lbs.

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

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 Q5 Sportback is safer than the Honda Passport:

	Q5 Sportback	Passport
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	60	109
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.6 inches
Abdominal Force	98 lbs.	101 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	185	233
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	15 inches	15 inches
HIC	219	406
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	45 G’s
Hip Force	600 lbs.	838 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 Q5 Sportback its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Passport is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick.”

Warranty

The Q5 Sportback comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Passport’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Q5 Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Passport’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

The Audi Q5 Sportback’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Passport’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Q5 Sportback’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Passport’s camshafts. If the Passport’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

Engine

The Q5 Sportback’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 11 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 262) than the Passport’s 3.5 SOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Q5 Sportback gets better fuel mileage than the Passport (22 city/29 hwy vs. 19 city/24 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the Q5 Sportback’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Passport doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi Q5 Sportback higher (5 out of 10) than the Honda Passport (3). This means the Q5 Sportback produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Passport every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Q5 Sportback offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Passport doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Q5 Sportback’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Passport doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Q5 Sportback’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Passport:

	Q5 Sportback	Passport
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	12.6 inches

The Q5 Sportback’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Passport are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

The Q5 Sportback’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Passport TrailSport’s standard 60 series tires. The Q5 Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Passport EX-L/Elite’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q5 Sportback has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Passport TrailSport. The Q5 Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Passport EX-L/Elite.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Q5 Sportback’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Passport AWD’s (38.7 feet vs. 39.3 feet).

Chassis

The Q5 Sportback is 5.2 inches shorter than the Passport, making the Q5 Sportback easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Q5 Sportback has .7 inches more front headroom and .1 inches more front legroom than the Passport.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Q5 Sportback easier. The Q5 Sportback’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29 inches, while the Passport’s liftover is 32 inches.

Servicing Ease

The Q5 Sportback uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Passport uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The engine in the Q5 Sportback is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Passport. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Honda. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 30% lower rating, Honda is ranked 25th.

Ergonomics

The Q5 Sportback Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed 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 Passport doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Q5 Sportback’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Passport’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the Q5 Sportback and the Passport have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Q5 Sportback is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Passport prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Q5 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 Passport’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Q5 Sportback’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Passport’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Q5 Sportback to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Passport doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Q5 Sportback Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Passport doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Q5 Sportback’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Passport’s power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

The Q5 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 Passport doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi Q5 Sportback and the Honda Passport, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Audi Q5 outsold the Honda Passport by 52% during 2022.

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