Compare the2025 Audi new Q5VS 2026 BMW X1

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi new Q5 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X1 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the new Q5 and X1 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 X1’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 X1 doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

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 BMW X1 has not been tested.

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 X1 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 BMW X1 doesn’t offer a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.

Both the new Q5 and the X1 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, 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.

The Audi new Q5 weighs 454 to 494 pounds more than the BMW X1. 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 X1:

	new Q5	X1
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	81	107
Head Peak Forces	no contact	48 G’s
Neck Compression	-22 lbs.	67 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Force	134 lbs.	245 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.94 in	1.1 in
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	139	173
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	201 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Force	223 lbs.	245 lbs.
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	669 lbs.	959 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The Audi new Q5 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The X1 has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.

Reliability

The Audi new Q5’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the X1’s engines use 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 BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 1 place higher in reliability than BMW.

Engine

The new Q5’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 27 more horsepower (268 vs. 241) than the X1 xDrive28i’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

The new Q5 has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the X1 (17.2 vs. 14.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the new Q5 has larger standard tires than the X1 (235/55R19 vs. 225/55R18). The new Q5’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the X1 (255/45R20 vs. 245/45R19).

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 X1 doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

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 X1 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the new Q5’s wheelbase is 4.9 inches longer than on the X1 (110.9 inches vs. 106 inches).

Passenger Space

The new Q5 has .5 inches more front legroom, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear legroom and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the X1.

Cargo Capacity

The new Q5 has a much larger cargo volume than the X1 with its rear seat up (27.6 vs. 25.7 cubic feet).

Towing

The new Q5’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the X1’s (4400 vs. 3500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The engine in the new Q5 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the X1. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

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. Comfort Access standard on the X1 doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

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 X1 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The X1’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The new Q5 Premium Plus/Prestige’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

The new Q5’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The X1 doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the new Q5 has standard extendable sun visors. The X1 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the new Q5 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The X1 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Both the new Q5 and the X1 have standard heated front seats. 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 X1.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the new Q5 keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The X1 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

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. BMW charges extra for Homelink® on the X1.

Recommendations

The Audi Q5/SQ5 outsold the BMW X1 by over two to one during 2024.

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