Compare the2025 Kia Sportage PHEVVS 2025 Audi Q5

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Sportage PHEV are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q5 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

With its standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, the Kia Sportage PHEV is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Audi Q5, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

Both the Sportage PHEV and the Q5 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, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

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 Kia Sportage PHEV is safer than the Q5:

The Kia Sportage PHEV achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Q5 last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2023.

The Sportage PHEV comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Q5’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sportage PHEV 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q5. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Q5 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 3 times as many Kia dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Sportage PHEV’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 79 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 31st, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in long-term dependability. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Audi is rated below average.

The Sportage PHEV’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 60 more horsepower (261 vs. 201) and 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 236) than the Q5 40 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the Sportage PHEV running on electricity gets better mileage than the Q5 55 TFSI e running on electricity (88 city/79 hwy vs. 55 city/61 hwy MPGe).

On the EPA test cycle the Sportage PHEV running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Q5 running its gasoline engine:

The Sportage PHEV can travel with zero emissions on electricity, only, on a full charge for 34 miles. The Q5 55 TFSI e has to start its internal combustion engine after only 23 miles.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Sportage PHEV uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q5 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Sportage PHEV higher (6 out of 10) than the Audi Q5 (4 to 6). This means the Sportage PHEV produces up to 12.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Q5 every 15,000 miles.

The Sportage PHEV stops shorter than the Q5:

The Sportage PHEV’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Q5’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Sportage PHEV has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Q5.

The Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige handles at .84 G’s, while the Q5 45 TFSI Premium Plus pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Sportage PHEV’s turning circle is .1 feet tighter than the Q5 40/45 TFSI’s (38.6 feet vs. 38.7 feet). The Sportage PHEV’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Q5 55 TFSI e’s (38.6 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Sportage PHEV has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Q5 55 TFSI e (8.3 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Sportage PHEV to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Sportage PHEV’s minimum ground clearance is .1 inch higher than on the Q5 45 TFSI (8.3 vs. 8.2 inches).

The front grille of the Sportage PHEV uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Q5 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Sportage PHEV has .5 inches more front legroom and 1.5 inches more rear legroom than the Q5.

The Sportage PHEV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Q5 with its rear seat up (34.5 vs. 25.9 cubic feet). The Sportage PHEV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q5 with its rear seat folded (65.5 vs. 54.1 cubic feet).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Sportage PHEV uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Q5 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Sportage PHEV has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q5 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Sportage PHEV has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Q5.

The Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Q5 Prestige’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

The Sportage PHEV will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Sportage PHEV will retain 56.18% to 56.69% of its original price after five years, while the Q5 only retains 49.06% to 52.87%.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Sportage PHEV third among compact suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Q5 isn’t in the top three.

The Kia Sportage outsold the Audi Q5/SQ5 by almost three to one during 2024.