Compare the2024 Audi Q5VS 2024 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

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

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 Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q5 and Highlander Hybrid 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 Highlander Hybrid’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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Q5. But it costs extra on the Highlander Hybrid.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Q5’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Q5 has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Assist with Automatic Brake Activation, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Only the Highlander Hybrid Limited/Platinum offers Parking Support Brake.

Both the Q5 and the Highlander Hybrid 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

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 Toyota Highlander Hybrid:

	Q5	Highlander Hybrid
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	284	292
Neck Injury Risk	22%	38.2%
Neck Stress	215 lbs.	347 lbs.
Neck Compression	44 lbs.	55 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	80/49 lbs.	321/243 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	187	328
Neck Stress	134 lbs.	179 lbs.
Neck Compression	30 lbs.	90 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	90/55 lbs.	545/323 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 Toyota Highlander Hybrid:

	Q5	Highlander Hybrid
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	279 lbs.	300 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	15 inches	15 inches
HIC	219	366
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	41 G’s
Hip Force	600 lbs.	664 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 Highlander Hybrid’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 Highlander Hybrid’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

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

Engine

The Q5 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 18 more horsepower (261 vs. 243) than the Highlander Hybrid’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The Q5 55 TFSI e’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 119 more horsepower (362 vs. 243) than the Highlander Hybrid’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPGe
Q5
	AWD	55 TFSI e Electric Motor	60 city/61 hwy
Highlander Hybrid
			MPG
	FWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	36 city/35 hwy
	AWD	LE 2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	35 city/35 hwy
		2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	35 city/34 hwy

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

Both the Q5 and Highlander Hybrid have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The Q5 has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Q5’s standard fuel tank has 1.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Highlander Hybrid (18.5 vs. 17.1 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 Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Q5 55 TFSI e’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Highlander Hybrid:

	Q5 55 TFSI e	Highlander Hybrid
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.3 inches

The Q5 stops much shorter than the Highlander Hybrid:

	Q5	Highlander Hybrid
60 to 0 MPH	130 feet	141 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	144 feet	153 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q5’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Highlander Hybrid (255/45R20 vs. 235/65R18).

The Q5’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Highlander Hybrid LE/XLE’s standard 65 series tires. The Q5’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Highlander Hybrid Limited/Platinum’s 55 series tires.

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 Highlander Hybrid’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 Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Q5 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Q5 45 TFSI Prestige handles at .79 G’s, while the Highlander Hybrid Platinum AWD pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Q5 45 TFSI Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Highlander Hybrid Platinum AWD (27.2 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Q5 45 TFSI has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Highlander Hybrid (8.2 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Q5 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Audi Q5 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 250 pounds less than the Toyota Highlander Hybrid.

The Q5 is 10.6 inches shorter than the Highlander Hybrid, making the Q5 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The front step up height for the Q5 is .7 inches lower than the Highlander Hybrid (18.3” vs. 19”). The Q5’s rear step up height is 1.2 inches lower than the Highlander Hybrid’s (18” vs. 19.2”).

Cargo Capacity

The Q5 has a much larger cargo volume than the Highlander Hybrid with its rear seat up (25.9 vs. 16 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Q5 easier. The Q5’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29 inches, while the Highlander Hybrid’s liftover is 31.2 inches.

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Q5’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The Q5’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Highlander Hybrid’s (4400 vs. 3500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The Q5 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Highlander Hybrid 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 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Highlander Hybrid. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Toyota. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 17% lower rating, Toyota is ranked 20th.

Ergonomics

The Q5’s optional easy entry system raises the steering wheel when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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 Highlander Hybrid’s standard 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 Highlander Hybrid 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 Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Q5’s standard rear view mirror and optional side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Highlander Hybrid offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Q5 has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Highlander Hybrid Limited/Platinum.

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 Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer an automated parking system.