Compare the2025 Audi Q5 SportbackVS 2025 Alfa Romeo Stelvio

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 Stelvio doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q5 Sportback and Stelvio 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 Stelvio’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 Stelvio 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 Q5 Sportback 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 Stelvio doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Q5 Sportback 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 Stelvio 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.

Both the Q5 Sportback and Stelvio 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 Stelvio’s Rear Cross-Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Q5 Sportback and the Stelvio 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 rear cross-path warning.

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

There are over 2 times as many Audi dealers as there are Alfa Romeo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Q5 Sportback’s warranty.

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

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Q5 Sportback’s reliability 16 points higher than the Stelvio.

On the EPA test cycle the Q5 Sportback gets better fuel mileage than the Stelvio (23 city/28 hwy vs. 22 city/28 hwy).

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

The Q5 Sportback has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Stelvio (18.5 vs. 16.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 Stelvio doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual 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 Stelvio doesn’t offer launch control.

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

The Q5 Sportback has 4.3 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front shoulder room, 6.1 inches more rear legroom and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Stelvio.

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

The Q5 Sportback has a much larger cargo volume than the Stelvio with its rear seat up (24.7 vs. 18.5 cubic feet).

The Q5 Sportback’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Stelvio’s (4400 vs. 3000 pounds).

The Q5 Sportback Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Stelvio doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

If the windows are left open on the Q5 Sportback 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 Stelvio can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Q5 Sportback’s standard Audi Advanced Key allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless-Enter-n-Go standard on the Stelvio doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The Q5 Sportback’s LED headlights produce a white, bright light using less electricity than the Stelvio’s xenon high intensity discharge (HID) headlights. HID headlights can be slow to reach full brightness or power cycle, causing issues when flashing them to signal other vehicles; LED headlights light instantly. LED lights also last about three to four times as long.

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 Stelvio 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 Stelvio doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Q5 Sportback with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Stelvio’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Q5 Sportback (except Premium) keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Stelvio doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

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

Consumer Reports® recommends the Audi Q5 Sportback, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio isn't recommended.

The Audi Q5 outsold the Alfa Romeo Stelvio by almost 14 to one during 2023.