Audi Q5 vs BMW X3: a German mid-size SUV face-off

If we took two snapshots of every car in a brand’s model range – one 18 months ago, another today – few will have as many fresh faces as Audi’s current family photo. The range overhaul is comprehensive; the A5 (formerly known as A4), the A6 and its new electric sibling, the A6 e-tron, the Q6 e-tron, plus their varying bodystyles, have arrived in just over a year, and there’s a new Q3 coming.

In addition to all of those changes, the firm has introduced a brand-new version of its best-selling car globally, the Q5. Almost 300,000 were sold worldwide in 2024, and now there’s a Mk3 model taking over. 

We’ve lined it up against its strongest rival from a familiar foe. BMW and Audi go head-to-head in so many classes, and the X3 is our current pick of the premium mid-size SUVs, having overcome our previous favourite, the Lexus NX, at the start of this year. 

While we’ll be considering the ranges as a whole, there’s special focus on diesel for this encounter. For those outside of the company-car sphere, diesel’s torquey power and strong fuel economy are a match made in heaven for SUVs. But whose match is more heavenly?

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Audi Q5

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The Q5 in our pictures is the limited-run Launch Edition, which is no longer available to order. We’ve therefore used prices and specifications for S line trim, which has a similar amount of equipment. 

Audi predicts that it will account for 55 per cent of Q5 SUV sales and 50 per cent of sales for the coupé-styled Q5 Sportback. With the 2.0 TDI quattro powertrain, it starts from £54,910, while the air suspension fitted to the Launch Edition is available on the S line as a £1,725 option.

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Tester’s note

A new feature of recent Audis is a touch-sensitive panel mounted on the door, which controls functions for the lights, door locking, electric-seat memory and the adjustment of the door mirrors. It looks tidy, and groups plenty of functions in one place, but it does have an annoying ergonomic oversight in the Q5. 

My road-test colleagues and I found that it’s positioned right where you would naturally want to grab the door to pull it shut; look at the passenger- side door and there’s no touch panel, but a grab handle instead.

The Q5 is the latest Audi to benefit from the brand’s OLED rear lighting technology. Combined with the multi-LED array up front, it lets users personalise their car from among a range of patterns; I like the animated tail-lamp design that sees its 266 individual OLED segments gently twinkling. A special high-level brake light can also project icons onto the rear window, warning people behind when the driver is opening a door. However, this layout also means that braking at night creates a big, red glare in the rear window.

BMW X3

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It’s clear that Audi had BMW in its sights when it priced up the Q5, because the Q5 TDI quattro S line’s closest equivalent in the X3 range, the xDrive20d M Sport, costs £54,540. The X3 comes as standard with 19-inch wheels, unlike the 20-inch items that are standard on the Audi. 

The test car in our pictures has optional 20-inch rims fitted, which cost an extra £1,125. Base xLine models come with 18-inch wheels, but the starting price for this version is lower, at £51,605.

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Tester’s note

If you don’t think the X3 is quite imposing enough, buyers can make it look a little more distinctive at night, too. The ‘Iconic Glow’ feature, which is standard on the M50 model and optional on the rest of the range, illuminates the borders of the kidney grilles which mainly serves to highlight just how large those vents really are. Even when the lights are not turned on, I’m not sold on the design of the X3’s grilles  – the mix of angled lines looks a bit fussy to my eyes. 

As well as that roomy boot, it’s also possible to carry even more by adding a tow bar. An electrically retractable one, which can be extended at the touch of a button in the boot, is a £1,025 option. 

When it comes to powertrains, the diesel is the one to have if you want to haul big weights. Officially, it can handle a braked trailer weighing up to 2.5 tonnes; that’s 100kg more than the petrol engine can manage, while the plug-in hybrid model has a lower towing limit of 2,000kg.

Head-to-head

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On the road

Each car has its strengths and weaknesses when it comes to ride and handling. The Audi’s steering feel and weight are more natural, but the BMW is a bit more agile and composed on an undulating road. The Audi is a little less susceptible to side-to-side movements over bumps, but its air suspension is more crashy over potholes. Overall, the X3 is the one we prefer to drive. The BMW’s powertrain is slicker, too.

Tech highlights

Viewed on a spec sheet, these cars are incredibly closely matched. Both have 2.0-litre diesel engines with 48-volt mild-hybrid tech, with identical torque figures of 400Nm, but the Audi has a bit more power – 201bhp versus 194bhp. They weigh within 10 kilos of each other, too, and are both a touch over 4.7 metres long. The touchscreen display sizes are similar: 14.5 inches on the Q5 and 14.9 inches on the X3.

Price and running

The X3 was the more frugal car in our hands, averaging 46.8mpg, but at a steady 70mph cruise it was capable of mid-fifties mpg. The Audi wasn’t as economical on the motorway, which is reflected in its 43.2mpg test result. But the Q5 has a larger fuel tank, which means based on our test figures, both have identical real-world ranges – drivers would need to stop long before they’d covered those 618 miles, though.

Practicality

As biggish SUVs, neither car is outstandingly spacious for rear-seat passengers when it comes to knee room. Headroom is fairly generous in both, and the seats are really comfortable – we found that the Audi’s had a touch more under-thigh support than the BMW’s bench. At 570 litres, the X3’s boot beats the Q5’s by 50 litres, and when the seats fold down, it has 1,700 litres – 227 litres more than in the Audi.

Safety

The Audi received a maximum five-star Euro NCAP rating when it was tested this year. For all its standard driver-assist systems, it’s a shame that Audi sees fit to only equip the top-spec Edition 1 with blind-spot warning tech – especially when we believe it’s one of the most useful modern pieces of safety tech. You’ll have to pay £2,960 for two option packs to add blind-spot tech to the X3, but at least it’s available.

Ownership

BMW finished eighth out of 31 manufacturers in our 2025 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, while Audi was ranked 19th. Both cars get three years’ roadside assistance as standard, plus a three-year warranty – although BMW’s package has no mileage limit, while Audi’s cover stops at 60,000 miles. If you’re part of the small minority of drivers who cover more than 20,000 miles per year, that’s worth bearing in mind.

Verdict

Winner: BMW X3 xDrive20d M Sport

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With the arrival of the new Q5, there was a very strong chance that the X3’s time at the top of the premium compact SUV class was going to be short lived. However, it still has enough talent to hold off its latest rival. 

There’s not much to split the pair when it comes to technology and interior space, but the BMW holds a narrow edge in each area over its fellow German competitor, and the same goes for the way the two models drive and the powertrains that they use.

Runner-up: Audi Q5 2.0 TDI S line quattro

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Viewed in isolation, the Q5 is a very strong contender in the premium SUV class, but compared side-by-side with the X3 it just falls a tiny bit short in several key areas. Still, it’s comfortable, performs strongly, is fairly frugal and the in-car tech works well. 

While it doesn’t have any glaring flaws, we can’t help but think that the Q5 doesn’t feel particularly revolutionary. The X3 has moved on a generation from its predecessor, while the Q5 doesn’t feel like it’s made such a big step.

Prices and specs

What we would choose

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Audi Q5

The £2,195 Sound and Vision Pack adds a Bang & Olufsen audio system, faster USB charge ports, a head-up display and ambient lighting that  provides dynamic features such as scrolling indicators across the top of the dash. But it’s pricey.

BMW X3

The £1,685 Technology pack is the one feature we’d get, mainly because it adds adaptive cruise control with steering assist, plus a surround view to make parking easier in tight spots. The price includes a head-up display.

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