Should I buy an Audi Q5 or BMW X3?

When you’re looking for a luxury SUV, you might weigh up the Audi Q5 vs BMW.

X3. While the Q5 is a midsize and the X3 a compact, they’re both excellent choices with loyal followings, loads of style and high spec features. We’ll help you choose the right one for your lifestyle with a detailed comparison of:

• Specifications – helping you to understand the Q5 vs X3 on horsepower, dimensions, engine size and fuel economy.
• Safety – a run-down of built-in features to protect you and your passengers.
• Reliability – which vehicle can you depend on most?
• Interior and infotainment – when looking beyond the basics, which of these SUVs has comfort and in-car features nailed?
• Cargo space – when you have cargo to move, which has the space to best suit you?

This is your one-stop-shop guide to choosing between the Audi Q5 and BMW X3.

When comparing the 2.0-liter versions of the vehicles, you’ll find the Audi Q5 offers some slim savings on both vehicle ticket price and miles per gallon (mpg) in the city, but there’s not a lot of difference between them. For highway driving, both report the same mpg.

Here’s how they compare:

When it comes to safety, there’s not a lot to differentiate the midsizer Q5 vs the compact X3. Both have an overall five-star National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rating. They each score the full five stars on frontal crash and side crash and drop one star on rollover, and both come with some nifty driver-assist systems, airbags and alerts. The Audi includes a birds-eye view camera for parking with confidence. It also has a traffic relief system with active lane assist and adaptive cruise control. The BMW has lane departure warning, city collision mitigation and active blind spot detection among its suite of safety features.

Reliability is a big factor to consider for all motorists both in terms of wanting reduced hassle and low maintenance costs. You want a vehicle that does what you need it to do, when you need it to, without costing you unnecessary additional expenditure. J.D. Power rates the BMW X3 80 out of 100 for reliability, considering all reported defects and malfunctions, from entertainment systems to engine. The Audi Q5 is much lower and gets a score of 63. 

When it comes to interior and infotainment, you’re comparing sleek, modern styling in two different forms. It’s not really the case that the Q5 or X3 has more to offer than the other - it just depends on personal preference. Both of these vehicles offer high-class, cutting-edge features. The BMW has:

• Intelligent voice-controlled personal assistant.
• Control certain features with the BMW app including remote engine start and door locking.
• Standard sports seats can be enhanced with durable SensaTec upholstery.
• High tech digital driver displays, with a 12.3inch screen available. The 10.3-inch infotainment display remains standard in 2022 as with older models.

The Audi offers:

• In-car touch-screen display like a smartphone.
• Optional intelligent navigation, remote vehicle services, car finder and roadside assistance.
• Three-month trial subscription to SiriusXM music and chat.
• Bang & Olufsen sound system.
• Enhanced interior options include ventilated front sports seats.

The Audi offers a versatile 40/20/40 split rear seat folding design. There’s 25.8 cubic feet of cargo volume with the seats up, and 54 cubic feet with them folded. The BMW has a larger capacity, featuring 28.7 cubic feet of cargo space with its rear seats in position and 62.7 cubic feet when they’re folded.

Whether you’ve decided you want the additional cargo space of the BMW X3 or the sleek touch screen display of the Audi Q5 is a clincher for you, you can find your dream SUV with EchoPark.