The SQ5’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.
Both the SQ5 and Durango SRT 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 Durango SRT’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.
In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the SQ5 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.
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 Durango SRT doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.
With its standard Active Front Assist, the Audi SQ5 is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Dodge Durango SRT, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:
|
|
SQ5 |
Durango SRT |
| Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
POOR |
|
|
Crossing Child - DAY |
|
| 12 MPH |
AVOIDED |
No Slowing |
| 25 MPH |
AVOIDED |
No Slowing |
|
|
Crossing Adult - NIGHT |
|
| 12 MPH Brights |
AVOIDED |
No Slowing |
| 12 MPH Low beams |
AVOIDED |
No Slowing |
| 25 MPH Brights |
AVOIDED |
No Slowing |
| 25 MPH Low beams |
AVOIDED |
No Slowing |
|
|
Parallel Adult - NIGHT |
|
| 25 MPH Brights |
AVOIDED |
No Slowing |
| 25 MPH Low beams |
AVOIDED |
No Slowing |
| 37 MPH Brights |
AVOIDED |
No Slowing |
| Warning Issued-Brights |
2.5 sec |
No Warning |
| 37 MPH Low beams |
AVOIDED |
No Slowing |
| Warning Issued-Low beams |
1.5 sec |
No Warning |
In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Audi SQ5 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 Dodge Durango SRT has not been tested.
The SQ5 has standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.
Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The SQ5 has standard Maneuver Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.
When descending a steep, off-road slope, the SQ5’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.
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 Durango SRT doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure.
The SQ5’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 Durango SRT.
The SQ5 offers an optional Top View Camera System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Durango SRT only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.
Both the SQ5 and Durango SRT have rear cross-traffic warning, but the SQ5 has Rear Cross-Traffic Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Durango SRT’s Rear Cross Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.
The SQ5’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.
Both the SQ5 and the Durango SRT 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, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.
A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Audi SQ5 is safer than the Durango SRT:
|
|
SQ5 |
Durango SRT |
| Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
MARGINAL |
| Restraints |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
| Head Neck Evaluation |
GOOD |
GOOD |
| Peak Head Forces |
0 G’s |
0 G’s |
| Steering Column Movement Rearward |
4 cm |
9 cm |
| Chest Evaluation |
GOOD |
GOOD |
| Hip & Thigh Evaluation |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
| Femur Force R/L |
.4/.1 kN |
5.3/2.5 kN |
| Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L |
0%/0% |
6%/0% |
| Lower Leg Evaluation |
GOOD |
POOR |
| Tibia index R/L |
.22/.27 |
1.53/.59 |
| Tibia forces R/L |
1.3/1.4 kN |
1.9/1.4 kN |
The Audi SQ5 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 Durango SRT is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.