Compare the2026 Audi SQ5VS 2026 BMW X5 M

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi SQ5 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 X5 M doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the SQ5 and X5 M have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The SQ5 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 X5 M’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 SQ5 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 X5 M doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The SQ5 has Car-to-X Services, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The X5 M doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure.

The Audi SQ5 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 X5 M doesn’t offer a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.

Both the SQ5 and the X5 M 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.

On the EPA test cycle the SQ5 gets better fuel mileage than the X5 M Competition (21 city/28 hwy vs. 13 city/18 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi SQ5 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The X5 M requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The SQ5 offers a standard 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 X5 M doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the SQ5 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The X5 M doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

For better maneuverability, the SQ5’s turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the X5 M’s (38.7 feet vs. 42 feet).

For greater off-road capability the SQ5 has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the X5 M (9.5 vs. 8.4 inches), allowing the SQ5 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Audi SQ5 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1050 pounds less than the BMW X5 M.

The SQ5 is 9.1 inches shorter than the X5 M, making the SQ5 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The SQ5 has .8 inches more front legroom and .6 inches more rear legroom than the X5 M.

The SQ5’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The X5 M’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

The SQ5 has a 4400 lbs. towing capacity. The X5 M has no towing capacity.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The SQ5 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The X5 M doesn’t offer headlight washers.