Compare the2024 Audi Q5 SportbackVS 2023 BMW X6

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi Q5 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 BMW X6 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Q5 Sportback and X6 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 X6’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.

Both the Q5 Sportback and X6 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 X6’s Cross Traffic Warning doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Q5 Sportback and the X6 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 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 X6 has not been tested, yet.

The Audi Q5 Sportback’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the X6’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

On the EPA test cycle the Q5 Sportback gets better mileage than the X6:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi Q5 Sportback uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The X6 requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi Q5 Sportback higher (5 out of 10) than the BMW X6 (3). This means the Q5 Sportback produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X6 every 15,000 miles.

The Q5 Sportback 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 X6 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better maneuverability, the Q5 Sportback’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the X6’s (38.7 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

The Audi Q5 Sportback may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 700 to 950 pounds less than the BMW X6.

The Q5 Sportback is 10.2 inches shorter than the X6, making the Q5 Sportback easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Audi Q5 Sportback amounts to more than styling. The Q5 Sportback has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .34 Cd. That is lower than the X6 (.34 to .35). A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Q5 Sportback get better fuel mileage.

The Q5 Sportback has .5 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more rear headroom and 2.3 inches more rear legroom than the X6.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Q5 Sportback’s rear seats recline. The X6’s rear seats don’t recline.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Q5 Sportback has a standard rear wiper. The X6 doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

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 X6 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

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 costs extra on the X6.

Insurance will cost less for the Q5 Sportback owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Q5 Sportback will cost $3565 to $6185 less than the X6 over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q5 Sportback is less expensive to operate than the X6 because it costs $136 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Q5 Sportback than the X6, including $482 less for a water pump, $777 less for a muffler, $89 less for front brake pads, $201 less for a fuel pump, $61 less for front struts, $38 less for a timing belt/chain and $1837 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Audi Q5 Sportback will be $16751 to $29378 less than for the BMW X6.

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

The Audi Q5 outsold the BMW X6 by almost five to one during 2022.