Compare the2025 Audi SQ5VS 2024 Tesla Model X

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The SQ5’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Model X doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The SQ5 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 Model X 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The SQ5 has a standard Maneuver Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Model X doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the SQ5’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Model X doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The SQ5 Premium Plus/Prestige has a standard Top View Camera System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model X only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the SQ5’s standard Rear Cross-Traffic Assist uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Automatic Brake Activation automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The Model X doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The SQ5 has a standard Audi Connect CARE, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model X doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the SQ5 and the Model X 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 and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Audi SQ5 is safer than the Tesla Model X:

	SQ5	Model X
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	22%	26%
Leg Forces (l/r)	80/49 lbs.	138/94 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	187	228
Neck Stress	134 lbs.	135 lbs.
Neck Compression	30 lbs.	52 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	90/55 lbs.	156/119 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 SQ5 is safer than the Tesla Model X:

	SQ5	Model X
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	60	101
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	98 lbs.	157 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	219	274
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	600 lbs.	625 lbs.

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

Warranty

There are over 58 percent more Audi dealers than there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the SQ5’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Audi vehicles are better in initial quality than Tesla vehicles. With 24 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Audi higher than Tesla.

Brakes and Stopping

The SQ5 stops much shorter than the Model X:

	SQ5	Model X
70 to 0 MPH	148 feet	172 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	112 feet	113 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The SQ5 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 Model X; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

The SQ5 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Model X’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The SQ5 Prestige handles at .93 G’s, while the Model X pulls only .86 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The SQ5 Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Model X (25.7 seconds @ .73 average G’s vs. 26.7 seconds @ .7 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the SQ5’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the Model X’s (38.7 feet vs. 40.3 feet).

For greater off-road capability the SQ5 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Model X (8.2 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the SQ5 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Audi SQ5 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 900 to 1100 pounds less than the Tesla Model X.

The SQ5 is 1 foot, 2.8 inches shorter than the Model X, making the SQ5 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Cargo Capacity

The SQ5 has a much larger cargo volume than the Model X with its rear seat up (25.9 vs. 15 cubic feet).

The SQ5’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Model X 6-Passenger doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the SQ5’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Model X doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the SQ5’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Model X doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

While the Model X w/22” wheels can only tow 3500, any SQ5 can tow a minimum of 4400 pounds.

Servicing Ease

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the SQ5 to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes and vehicle inspections based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model X.

Ergonomics

The SQ5’s entire steering wheel hub sounds the horn, facilitating hitting the horn in an emergency. The Model X has a small, single button on the steering wheel spoke that can be hard to find quickly in an emergency.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Model X, the SQ5 offers an optional driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle and climate settings and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The SQ5 Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Model X doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The SQ5’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Model X’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the SQ5 has a standard rear wiper. The Model X 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 SQ5 Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Model X doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The SQ5’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model X doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the SQ5 has standard extendable sun visors. The Model X doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The SQ5’s sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The Model X’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the SQ5 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Model X doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The SQ5 has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Model X doesn’t offer a middle row seat center armrest.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the SQ5 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the SQ5 will cost $9895 to $10980 less than the Model X over a five-year period.

The SQ5 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the SQ5 will retain 50.33% to 53.67% of its original price after five years, while the Model X only retains 38.31% to 39.81%.

Recommendations

The Audi Q5/SQ5 outsold the Tesla Model X by over three to one during 2023.

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