Compare the2024 Audi Q5 SportbackVS 2024 Infiniti QX55

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Passenger Space
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
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 QX55 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q5 Sportback and QX55 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 QX55’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 QX55 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 QX55 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the Q5 Sportback and QX55 have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Q5 Sportback has Automatic Brake Activation (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The QX55’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Q5 Sportback and the QX55 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, 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 Sportback is safer than the Infiniti QX55:

	Q5 Sportback	QX55
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	284	384
Neck Injury Risk	22%	36%
Neck Stress	215 lbs.	439 lbs.
Neck Compression	44 lbs.	95 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	80/49 lbs.	983/651 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	187	285
Chest Compression	.7 inches	1.2 inches
Neck Injury Risk	34%	37%
Neck Stress	134 lbs.	219 lbs.
Neck Compression	30 lbs.	78 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	90/55 lbs.	452/534 lbs.

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Audi Q5 Sportback is safer than the QX55:

	Q5 Sportback	QX55
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	96	141
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.71 in	1.06 in
Shoulder Force	112 lbs.	178 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.98 in	1.73 in
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	9 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	1116 lbs.	1316 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

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 Sportback the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 98 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The QX55 has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The Q5 Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 5 years longer than the QX55’s (12 vs. 7 years).

There are over 50 percent more Audi dealers than there are Infiniti dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Q5 Sportback’s warranty.

Reliability

The Audi Q5 Sportback’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the QX55’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Q5 Sportback has a standard 150-amp alternator. The QX55’s 130-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

Fuel Economy and Range

Regenerative brakes improve the Q5 Sportback’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The QX55 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Q5 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 QX55 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi Q5 Sportback uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The QX55 requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Q5 Sportback has 2.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the QX55 (18.5 vs. 16 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 QX55 doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Q5 Sportback’s brake rotors are larger than those on the QX55:

	Q5 Sportback	QX55
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	13 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	12.1 inches

Tires and Wheels

The Q5 Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the QX55’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q5 Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige offers optional 21-inch wheels. The QX55’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The Q5 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 QX55; 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.

Passenger Space

The Q5 Sportback has 1.3 inches more front legroom and .8 inches more rear headroom than the QX55.

Towing

The Q5 Sportback has a 4400 lbs. towing capacity. The QX55 has no towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Q5 Sportback is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the QX55. 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 Infiniti. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 3% lower rating, Infiniti is ranked 9th.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Q5 Sportback and the QX55 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 QX55 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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 QX55’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 QX55 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 QX55 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Q5 Sportback to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The QX55 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Q5 Sportback’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 QX55 has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Q5 Sportback 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 QX55 Essential/Sensory.

The Q5 Sportback Prestige’s Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The QX55 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

The Q5 Sportback will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Q5 Sportback will retain 48.27% to 49.93% of its original price after five years, while the QX55 only retains 46.84% to 46.91%.

Recommendations

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

The Audi Q5 outsold the Infiniti QX55 by over 12 to one during 2022.

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