Compare the2024 Audi Q5VS 2023 Buick Envision

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

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 Envision doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q5 and Envision 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 Envision’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 Envision 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.

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

Both the Q5 and Envision have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Q5 has Automatic Brake Activation (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Envision’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Q5 and the Envision 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, 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 Buick Envision:

	Q5	Envision
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Leg Forces (l/r)	80/49 lbs.	153/386 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	187	223
Neck Compression	30 lbs.	61 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	90/55 lbs.	221/21 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 Buick Envision:

	Q5	Envision
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	60	128
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	98 lbs.	139 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	185	311
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	15 inches	15 inches
HIC	219	249
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	36 G’s

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Q5 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 98 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Envision has not been tested, yet.

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 Envision’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Q5’s corrosion warranty is 6 years and unlimited miles longer than the Envision’s (12/unlimited vs. 6/100,000).

Reliability

The Audi Q5’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the Envision’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 33 more horsepower (261 vs. 228) and 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 258) than the Envision’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Q5 55 TFSI e’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 134 more horsepower (362 vs. 228) and 111 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 258) than the Envision’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPGe
Q5
	AWD	55 TFSI e Electric Motor	60 city/61 hwy
Envision
			MPG
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/31 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/29 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the Q5 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Envision:

			MPG
Q5
	AWD	55 TFSI e 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	25 city/27 hwy
		40 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/29 hwy
Envision
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/29 hwy

The Q5 55 TFSI e can travel with zero emissions for 22 miles. The Envision 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 Envision doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Q5’s standard fuel tank has 2.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Envision AWD’s standard fuel tank (18.5 vs. 16.1 gallons).

The Q5 has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Envision. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Transmission

The Q5 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 Envision doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual 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 Envision doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Q5 40/45 TFSI	Q5 55 TFSI e	Envision
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	13.8 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	13 inches	12.4 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q5’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Envision (255/45R20 vs. 245/45R20).

Suspension and Handling

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 Envision 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 Envision doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q5’s wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer than on the Envision (111 inches vs. 109.4 inches).

Passenger Space

The Q5 has .5 inches more front legroom, 1 inch more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Envision.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Q5’s rear seats recline. The Envision’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Q5 has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Envision with its rear seat up (25.9 vs. 25.2 cubic feet). The Q5 has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Envision with its rear seat folded (54.1 vs. 52.7 cubic feet).

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

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Q5. The Envision doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

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

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Q5 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Envision. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

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

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 Envision can only close 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 Envision’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 Envision 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 Envision 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 Envision doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

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 costs extra on the Envision.

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 costs extra on the Envision.

Recommendations

The Audi Q5/SQ5 outsold the Buick Envision by over two to one during 2022.