Compare the2023 Audi SQ5 SportbackVS 2023 Rolls-Royce Cullinan

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi SQ5 Sportback are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Rolls-Royce Cullinan doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the SQ5 Sportback and the Cullinan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

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 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cullinan has not been tested, yet.

The SQ5 Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 8 years longer than the Cullinan’s (12 vs. 4 years).

There are almost 8 times as many Audi dealers as there are Rolls-Royce dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the SQ5 Sportback’s warranty.

On the EPA test cycle the SQ5 Sportback gets better mileage than the Cullinan:

Regenerative brakes improve the SQ5 Sportback’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Cullinan 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 Cullinan doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi SQ5 Sportback higher (5 out of 10) than the Rolls-Royce Cullinan (3). This means the SQ5 Sportback produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Cullinan every 15,000 miles.

For more complete vehicle control the SQ5 Sportback has Tiptronic, with the available convenience of an automatic transmission and the complete gear control of a manual transmission without the inconvenience of a clutch. Tiptronic allows the driver to eliminate unwanted shifts and maximize engine braking by down shifting while cornering. The Cullinan doesn’t offer a transmission that allows complete gear control.

The SQ5 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 Cullinan doesn’t offer launch control.

The SQ5 Sportback’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cullinan’s standard 50 series tires. The SQ5 Sportback’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Cullinan’s optional 45 series tires.

The SQ5 Sportback has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Cullinan; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

For better maneuverability, the SQ5 Sportback’s turning circle is 4.6 feet tighter than the Cullinan’s (38.7 feet vs. 43.3 feet).

The Audi SQ5 Sportback may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1950 to 2000 pounds less than the Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

The SQ5 Sportback is 2 feet, 2.3 inches shorter than the Cullinan, making the SQ5 Sportback easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

For excellent aerodynamics, the SQ5 Sportback has standard flush composite headlights. The Cullinan has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

The SQ5 Sportback has a much larger cargo volume than the Cullinan with its rear seat up (24.7 vs. 19.8 cubic feet).

The SQ5 Sportback’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Cullinan w/Executive Rear Seats doesn’t offer folding rear seats, only a ski pass-through.

The SQ5 Sportback’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The Cullinan’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

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 Cullinan doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its tailgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The SQ5 Sportback’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Cullinan’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to 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 Cullinan 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 SQ5 Sportback Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Cullinan doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Audi SQ5 Sportback outsold the Rolls-Royce Cullinan by almost 67 to one during 2022.