Compare the2025 Audi new Q5VS 2026 Kia Sportage

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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Both the new Q5 and Sportage have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The new Q5 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 Sportage’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 new Q5 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Sportage doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

With its standard Active Front Assist, the Audi new Q5 is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Kia Sportage, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	new Q5	Sportage
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-23 MPH
Warning Issued-Brights	2.5 sec	1.7 sec
37 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-21 MPH
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.5 sec	1.2 sec

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Audi new Q5 achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Kia Sportage has not been tested.

The new Q5 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 Sportage 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the new Q5. But it costs extra on the Sportage.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The new Q5 has Car-to-X Services, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The Sportage doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure.

The Audi new Q5 offers an optional Top View Camera System and it also offers an optional rear camera washer to make backing always safe, regardless of road dirt or grime, while the Kia Sportage doesn’t offer a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.

The new Q5 has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Sportage’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the new Q5 has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Assist and Automatic Brake Activation automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Kia charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning on the Sportage.

Both the new Q5 and the Sportage have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Audi new Q5 weighs 417 to 848 pounds more than the Kia Sportage. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 Audi new Q5 is safer than the Sportage:

	new Q5	Sportage
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	81	121
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	1.06 in	1.1 in
Shoulder Force	134 lbs.	223 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.94 in	1.34 in
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.83 in	1.1 in
Shoulder Force	223 lbs.	245 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.3 in	1.38 in
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Warranty

The new Q5’s corrosion warranty is 7 years and unlimited miles longer than the Sportage’s (12/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

Reliability

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

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 2 places higher in reliability than Kia.

Engine

The new Q5’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 81 more horsepower (268 vs. 187) and 117 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 178) than the Sportage’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the new Q5 gets better fuel mileage than the Sportage X-Pro Prestige (22 city/30 hwy vs. 23 city/26 hwy).

The new Q5 has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Sportage (17.2 vs. 14.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

The new Q5 offers an available 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 Sportage doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The new Q5’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 Sportage doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	new Q5	Sportage
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	11.8 inches

The new Q5’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Sportage are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the new Q5’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Sportage (255/45R20 vs. 235/65R17).

The new Q5’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sportage LX/X-Pro Prestige’s standard 65 series tires. The new Q5’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Sportage SX Prestige/X-Line’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the new Q5 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Sportage LX/X-Pro Prestige. The new Q5’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the Sportage SX Prestige/X-Line.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the new Q5 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Sportage doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The new Q5 offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Sportage’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The new Q5 Prestige has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The new Q5’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Sportage doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the new Q5’s wheelbase is 2.4 inches longer than on the Sportage (110.9 inches vs. 108.5 inches).

Passenger Space

The new Q5 has .2 inches more front shoulder room and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Sportage.

Cargo Capacity

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the new Q5. The Sportage doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The new Q5’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Sportage’s (4400 vs. 2500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The new Q5 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Sportage uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The engine in the new Q5 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Sportage. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The new Q5 Premium Plus/Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction, infotainment 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 Sportage doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The new Q5’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Sportage’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. With the Sportage EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line/X-Pro’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the new Q5 the driver can close all of them at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Sportage can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The new Q5’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. Smart Key standard on the Sportage doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The new Q5’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Sportage’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The new Q5 Premium Plus/Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Sportage doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the new Q5 Premium Plus/Prestige has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Sportage doesn’t offer cornering lights. The new Q5 Premium Plus/Prestige also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the new Q5 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Sportage doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The new Q5’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Kia charges extra for heated mirrors on the Sportage.

The new Q5’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Sportage offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Audi new Q5 has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors costs extra on the Sportage and aren't offered on the LX/EX.

The new Q5 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Sportage. The new Q5 Prestige also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Sportage.

The new Q5 has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Sportage EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line/X-Pro.

The Audi new Q5 has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Kia charges extra for Homelink® on the Sportage.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi new Q5 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Sportage EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line/X-Pro offers wireless charging.

The new Q5’s Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Sportage doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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