Compare the2024 Audi SQ8VS 2024 BMW X5

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi SQ8 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW X5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi SQ8 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 X5 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the SQ8 and X5 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The SQ8 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 X5’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 SQ8. But it costs extra on the X5.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The SQ8 has Car-to-X Services, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The X5 doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the SQ8 Prestige helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The X5 doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the SQ8 and the X5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

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 “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the SQ8 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 131 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The X5 is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

The SQ8’s 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid produces 125 more horsepower (500 vs. 375) and 170 lbs.-ft. more torque (568 vs. 398) than the X5 s/xDrive40i’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid. The SQ8’s 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid produces 17 more horsepower (500 vs. 483) and 52 lbs.-ft. more torque (568 vs. 516) than the X5 xDrive50e’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid. The SQ8’s 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid produces 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (568 vs. 553) than the X5 M60i xDrive’s standard 4.4 turbo V8 hybrid.

For better stopping power the SQ8’s brake rotors are larger than those on the X5:

For better traction, the SQ8 has larger standard tires than the X5 (285/40R22 vs. 265/50R19). The SQ8’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the X5 (295/35R23 vs. 275/40R21).

The SQ8’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the X5’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the SQ8 has standard 22-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the X5. The SQ8’s optional 23-inch wheels are larger than the 22-inch wheels optional on the X5.

The front and rear suspension of the SQ8 uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the X5, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The SQ8 has 1.8 inches more front legroom, 2.8 inches more rear legroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the X5.

The SQ8’s cargo area is larger than the X5’s in almost every dimension:

The SQ8’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The X5’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.

The SQ8’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the X5’s (7700 vs. 5952 pounds).

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the SQ8 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The X5 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 SQ8 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The X5 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

A manual rear sunshade and power rear side window sunshades are optional in the SQ8 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The X5 doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

The SQ8 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 X5.