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2025 Subaru Impreza Review2025 BMW X3 vs 2025 Audi Q5
The Audi Q5 and BMW X3 are the most popular luxury SUVs. But with so many options, which one is the better buy? We compare interior, safety, and more.
Luxury SUVs Go Head-to-Head
The X3 is BMW’s bread-and-butter SUV. Comfortably shorter than an X5 and considerably larger than the X1 and X2, it’s as close to the Goldilocks zone of mid-size SUV sizes as it gets. But its rival from Audi, the Q5, is very much the X3’s equal. Both are mid-size premium SUVs with very solid features and great comfort. Both are German, and both start at a similar price point. But they’re the two big dogs in the segment, and you can only take home one. So what’ll it be?
Specs
As for drivetrains, the Audi comes out swinging with unique engine configurations and power figures across the Q5 40, 45, and 55. The Q5 40s two-liter turbo engine makes 201 horsepower and sprints to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds while bringing a combined 26 MPGs.
The Q5 45 tunes this same engine up to 261 horsepower, and the result is a 5.7-second zero to 60 sprint. You only lose one MPG combined for that privilege, making the middle drivetrain all the more tempting.
Things get more interesting when the Q5 55 e-quattro enters the fray. It uses a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that adds a 17.9 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and an electric motor to bump power figures to 362 horses. It also bumps the zero to 60 time to five seconds flat, and its fuel economy is 50 MPGe. You’ll also get up to 23 miles of all-electric range. When equipped with a tow hook, towing capacity is estimated at around 4,400 lbs.
Though it’s not quite the same model, the Q5-based SQ5 puts a three-liter V6 with 349 horses under the hood to the tune of 21 MPGs combined. Audi does build a three-row Q5 e-tron battery-EV, but it’s restricted to the Chinese market. The nearest equivalent would be the e-tron variants of the Q4 and Q6, depending on your needs.
The X3, on the other hand, has the benefit of a fresh new generation to get creative with the powertrains. In theme with the times, fourth-gen X3 drivetrains, will offer the choice of a mild hybrid, or plug-in hybrid paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The X3 30 xDrive comes in only one flavor, a two-liter four-cylinder engine with a twin-scroll turbocharger and all-wheel-drive with 255 horsepower and a combined fuel economy of 29 MPG. This configuration tows 400 lbs less than the Q5 but makes up for it with respectable fuel economy and a respectable zero to 60 time of six seconds flat.
For the performance-minded, the X3 M50 xDrive brings a single-scroll turbo three-liter straight-six engine. With 393 horsepower, 27 MPG combined, and a 4.4-second zero to 60 sprint, the Beamer is .3 seconds faster from a launch than an SQ6 while being considerably more efficient. Unlike the Q5 e-tron, we will at least get an all-electric iX3 soon.
Driving and Performance
Either way you slice it, the Audi and BMW sides of this rivalry are competent driving machines as far as mid-sized crossovers go. Even the non-sporty, family-friendly X3 has the option of adaptive dampers in the suspension with an especially sporty and corner-carving adaptation for the M50 trim. Similar rules apply to the Q5, with its standard multi-link suspension at all four corners with an optional adaptive air suspension.
Once again, the mild hybrid nature of the X3 comes in clutch by offering a small degree of energy regeneration functionality in its four-wheel ABS system. Though its 0.9 kWh battery is puny, the added acceleration brought by the X3’s electric motors is bound to be a real thrill in corners and on straightaways. The electromechanical limited-slip differential is sure to be a real treat as well. The SQ6 offers a similar sporty suspension and big brake kit, but the extra functionality of the BMW’s re-gen braking is an element of refinement that’s also a point of distinction. The advantage goes to the X3, but by a hair yet again.
Comfort and Interior
The unique “Goldilocks zone” of the mid-size premium crossover form factor leads well to taking liberties with interior space. Both seat five, but the BMW’s 36.4 inches of rear legroom is defeated by the Q5’s 38 inches. As for storage space, the Audi has 25.85 cubic feet to work with if the rear seats are extended. With the rear seats stowed, that jumps to 54.06 cubic feet. The X3 bests this with 31.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats extended and 67.1 cubic feet when they’re stowed away.
In the seat upholstery department, the X3 is well-covered with four shades of Veganza vegan leather. For $1,500 extra, you can upgrade to plush Merino genuine leather in Black on Atlas Grey or Amber on Atlas Grey.
Meanwhile, the Q5 offers real leather as standard in no less than three different colors. In short, both have excellent interior features with impressive space and comfortable seats. But the BMW once again manages to be that little bit more practical. The option of cruelty-free vegan leather is sure to excite those who care about such things too.
Tech and Features
Mercifully, the X3 is remarkably straightforward in its trim lineup. You get the base X3 30 xDrive, which starts at $49,950 and offers an optional M Sport package. The M Sport pack nets an M-Division branded steering wheel, 19-inch Bicolor wheels, and exclusive exterior trim pieces. The sportier X3 M50 xDrive starts at $64,700 and gets the straight-six drivetrain and its own lineup of six flashy wheel options. You also get the M-Division treatment with trim-specific interior pieces.
The revamped interior features a 14.9-inch high-fidelity center infotainment screen flanked by a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. If you’re not a fan of sparse buttons and lots of screen navigation, this isn’t the interior for you. That’s why the lower trims in the Q5 range, which don’t feature a digital gauge cluster, might be of some interest to these people.
Meanwhile, The entry-level Q5 Premium trim runs $45,400 to start and includes adaptive cruise control, a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, and LED headlights with DRLs for the money. The Premium Plus trim at $51,100 adds a 10.25 Audi Virtual Cockpit Plus 11.9-inch digital gauge cluster, a panoramic sunroof, a top-view camera for parking assistance, and a Bang & Olufsen premium audio unit with 3D sound.
The Audi Q5 Prestige trim starts at $54,700. This trim level adds a clever heads-up display, computer-aided parking assist, heated rear seats, and an animated sequence for the LED tail lights for the best-kitted Q5 in the range.
On the PHEV side, the Audi Q5 gets its own set of Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige Trims at $58,500, $63,300, and $66,700, respectively. Regardless of trim, each Q5 uses a 14.5-inch center touchscreen with all the mobile phone connectivity you could ask for. There’s even an optional 10.9-inch passenger-side front display for that extra kick of luxury.
Both the Audi Q5 and the BMW X3 are powerhouses in driver assistant features. The Q5’s traffic sign recognition, lane assist, traffic jam assist, and adaptive cruise control are all matched by equivalents in the X3.
As for warranties, Audi offers a four-year, 50,000-mile warranty for basic and powertrain that’s matched by BMW’s on both fronts.
The level of features are so similar, it’s hard to pick between them. That leaves factors outside of sheer tech and features to be the determining factor in which one we think is superior.
The Verdict
The added functionality of a mild hybrid drivetrain, better interior space, competitive features, and the option of vegan leather give the X3 advantage over the Q5 in most respects. It’s a tough choice, and you’re going to be satisfied regardless of which one you choose. But even so, we’re comfortable giving one of the slimmest margins in quite some time to team BMW.
Omitting the fancy performance models or EV equivalents, the X3 and Q5 are very similar. But one thing’s clear, the recent comprehensive model revamp on the part of the X3s paid real dividends. At the very least, it’s made a bit more impact from one generation to the next than the Q5, which refreshed in 2024.
