Compare the2023 Audi Q5VS 2023 Subaru Forester

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages

Safety

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

Both the Q5 and Forester have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q5 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 Forester’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 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 Forester 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.

The Q5 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 Forester 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.

The Q5 has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Forester’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Q5 has standard rear cross-path warning, helping the driver avoid collisions. Subaru charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Forester and its not available on the Base.

Both the Q5 and the Forester 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 and rearview cameras.

The Audi Q5 weighs 459 to 1165 pounds more than the Subaru Forester. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Audi Q5 is safer than the Subaru Forester:

	Q5	Forester
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	22%	23%
Neck Stress	215 lbs.	326 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	80/49 lbs.	248/368 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	187	293
Chest Compression	.7 inches	.7 inches
Neck Stress	134 lbs.	213 lbs.
Neck Compression	30 lbs.	103 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	90/55 lbs.	105/93 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 is safer than the Subaru Forester:

	Q5	Forester
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	60	66
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.6 inches
Abdominal Force	98 lbs.	122 lbs.
Hip Force	279 lbs.	389 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	185	246
Spine Acceleration	53 G’s	56 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	15 inches	16 inches
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	40 G’s
Hip Force	600 lbs.	673 lbs.

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

Warranty

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

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

Reliability

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

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 1 place higher in reliability than Subaru.

Engine

The Q5 40 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 19 more horsepower (201 vs. 182) and 60 lbs.-ft. more torque (236 vs. 176) than the Forester’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Q5 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 79 more horsepower (261 vs. 182) and 97 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 176) than the Forester’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Q5 55 TFSI e’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 180 more horsepower (362 vs. 182) and 193 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 176) than the Forester’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Q5 55 TFSI e is faster than the Subaru Forester:

	Q5	Forester
Zero to 60 MPH	4.5 sec	8.5 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	12.2 sec	23.7 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	4.9 sec	9 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	3 sec	4.3 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	3.9 sec	5.9 sec
Quarter Mile	13.2 sec	16.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	104 MPH	86 MPH
Top Speed	128 MPH	127 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Q5 running on electricity gets better mileage than the Forester:

			MPGe
Q5
	AWD	55 TFSI e Electric Motor	60 city/61 hwy
Forester
			MPG
	AWD	2.5 DOHC flat-4	26 city/33 hwy
		Wilderness 2.5 DOHC flat-4	25 city/28 hwy

The Q5 55 TFSI e can travel with zero emissions for 22 miles. The Forester can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

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

The Q5’s standard fuel tank has 1.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Forester (18.5 vs. 16.6 gallons).

Transmission

The Q5’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 Forester doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Q5 45 TFSI	Q5 55 TFSI e	Forester Base	Forester
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	13.8 inches	11.6 inches	12.4 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	13 inches	11.2 inches	11.2 inches

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

The Q5 stops much shorter than the Forester:

	Q5	Forester
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	181 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q5 has larger standard tires than the Forester (235/60R18 vs. 225/60R17). The Q5’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Forester (255/45R20 vs. 225/60R17).

The Q5’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Forester Sport/Limited/Touring’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q5 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Forester. The Q5’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Forester Sport/Limited/Touring.

Suspension and Handling

The Q5 offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Forester’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Q5 55 TFSI e has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Q5’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Forester doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q5’s wheelbase is 5.9 inches longer than on the Forester (111 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Q5 is 2.1 inches wider in the front and 1.6 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Forester.

The Q5 55 TFSI e Premium Plus handles at .83 G’s, while the Forester Wilderness pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Q5 45 TFSI Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Forester Touring (27.2 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

Cargo Capacity

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Q5’s available liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Forester doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

The Q5’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Forester’s (4400 vs. 1500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The Q5 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Forester 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.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Subaru. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 13% lower rating, Subaru is ranked 16th.

Ergonomics

The Q5 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 Forester doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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

The Q5’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 Forester’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. With the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Q5 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Forester can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Q5’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 Forester’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Q5 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Forester 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 Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Forester doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Q5 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Forester doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Q5’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Q5 (except Premium) keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Forester doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Q5 has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Forester Wilderness/Limited/Touring.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi Q5 offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Forester doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

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

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q5 is less expensive to operate than the Forester because it costs $54 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Q5 than the Forester, including $73 less for fuel injection.

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