Both the new Q5 and GLE 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 GLE’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 GLE 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 Mercedes GLE, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:
|
|
new Q5 |
GLE |
| 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 |
-23 MPH |
|
|
Parallel Adult - NIGHT |
|
| 25 MPH Brights |
AVOIDED |
-24 MPH |
| 25 MPH Low beams |
AVOIDED |
-22 MPH |
| 37 MPH Brights |
AVOIDED |
AVOIDED |
| Warning Issued-Brights |
2.5 sec |
1.8 sec |
| 37 MPH Low beams |
AVOIDED |
-8 MPH |
| Warning Issued-Low beams |
1.5 sec |
.9 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 Mercedes GLE has not been tested.
To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the new Q5. But it costs extra on the GLE.
The new Q5’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the GLE.
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 Mercedes GLE doesn’t offer a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.
Both the new Q5 and the GLE 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, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, 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 Audi new Q5 is safer than the GLE:
|
|
new Q5 |
GLE |
| Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
GOOD |
| Structure |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
| Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
| Torso |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
| Shoulder Force |
134 lbs. |
156 lbs. |
| Torso Max Deflection |
.94 in |
1.34 in |
| Pelvis |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
| Pelvis Force |
892 lbs. |
1026 lbs. |
| Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
|
Passenger Injury Measures |
|
| Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
| Head Injury Criterion |
139 |
232 |
| Torso |
GOOD |
GOOD |
| Pelvis |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
| Pelvis Force |
669 lbs. |
1116 lbs. |
| Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |