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2025 Car Mileage with the Best Gas MileageHead-to-Head: Audi Q8 vs BMW X5
The BMW X5 led the charge of luxury SUVs and today we’re finding out if the Audi Q8 can take the top spot in this comfortable battle.
Luxury SUVs Square Off
While Porsche might have been the one to prove that an SUV can be sporty, it was BMW that sparked the luxury SUV battle that’s continuing to rage today. The X5 continues today as a benchmark that every brand compares itself to thanks to its excellent technology, ride comfort, and quality materials. Now, Audi is taking aim with its Q8, a near super-SUV that was co-developed in-part with Lamborghini. Will that pedigree end BMWs dominance or is the X5 too good to topple?
Audi Q8 vs BMW X5 Specs
Well despite that pedigree, the Q8 still has its work cut out for it. The BMW X5 has a lot going for it in this matchup not least of which is pricing. While the Q8 starts at around $70,000, the X5 undercuts it by starting at around $60,000. BMW also offers multiple engine choices as well as a rear-wheel-drive version, both things lacking from the Q8. The most economical non-hybrid of that bunch gets up to 23 mpg combined. Looking for something a little less rich? Check out our comparison of the best used SUVs under $30,000.
Audi uses the same 3.0-liter turbocharged engine in all three trims of the Q8 and in each it makes 335-horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. That’s equal to the base X5 engine but can’t match its hybrid and V8 options. In addition, the most expensive trim of each vehicle is within just a couple thousand dollars of one another. The Audi also gets worse fuel economy with an EPA-rated combined mpg of just 20. That continues to put the Q8 at a disadvantage but perhaps its ride quality where it can overtake the X5.
Driving & Performance
For our money, there’s no all-wheel-drive system in the world quite as sophisticated and athletic as Audi’s Quattro. Sure, there have been multiple iterations, some less desirable than others, but the one found in the Q8 is great. It’s easy to play with in harder corners and manages to keep this big SUV fairly flat in the corners even when it seems impossible. The steering and pedal feedback during harder driving segments was sincerely impressive. On the other hand, in traffic and around town, the Q8 felt unsteady. Sure, it soaked up poor road conditions just fine, but the pedal force required to get it to respond reliably was something we struggled to find.
The X5 had the upper hand in that regard. BMW has always built cars that handle well and provide consistent and reliable feedback and that’s what we experienced here. The X5 is also very big but it didn’t feel as large as it is in everyday traffic. Then, out on more technical roads, it did a fantastic job as well. No, it’s not quite as sharp or eager in the bends, but opt for the M50i and you won’t care. That big V8 lump pulls no punches and swiftly made it clear to us which of these two we’d prefer to drive every day.
Comfort & Interior
Audi has no problem taking BMW to task is with regard to interior comfort. Audi has long made some of the most ergonomically friendly and functional cabins in the car business and that’s on full display in the Q8 as well. It feels sportier and integrates the driver with the car more seamlessly than the X5 does. The physical switchgear feels fantastic to use and futuristic which is not something we can say about the BMW.
The BMW X5 feels dated despite having some things about it that we like more. For instance, the trim materials are nicer in the BMW and we like the seats more. As sporty as the Q8 feels, it’s still an SUV and so the low slung styling makes outward visibility far less functional than in the X5. Beyond that, it’s tough to say that BMW is doing anything special with the interior of this SUV. Some things like the split-hinge center console area just don’t seem as straight-forward and simple as they could be. They should get credit for the physical buttons though. As nice and fast as the dual-screen setup in the Q8 is, we still wish we could feel the buttons so that we didn’t have to look at them every time we wanted to change the climate controls.
What the X5 does considerably better without question is tackle storage concerns. The X5 has a total cargo volume of 33.9 cubic feet, it has a couple of cubes more than the Audi and that’s just in the very back. In the main cabin of the vehicle, the X5 provides numerous cubbies, storage pockets, and door pockets for drinks or other things. Audi doesn’t have as much space and it shows with only the door pockets really offering meaningful storage.
Trims & Features
BMW offers the X5 in four trim levels. At the base is the sDrive40i and the xDrive40i which share almost identical features and components save for the fact that the latter comes with all-wheel drive. Both use a 335-horsepower turbocharged inline-six engine and an eight-speed transmission.
Standard equipment includes 19-inch wheels, a 12.3-inch infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as well as 10 speakers, navigation, and adaptive suspension dampers.
Above that buyers can opt for the xDrive45e which offers similar features as the xDrive40i save for a third row option. It’s powered by a plug-in hybrid six-cylinder engine that makes 389-horsepower and can drive up to 31-miles on battery power alone.
Finally, at the top of the range is the M50i. Not to be confused with the X5 M, the M50i still features the same twin-turbocharged V8 but only makes 523-horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. Standard equipment includes 20-inch wheels, leather upholstery, M Sport performance upgrades and a 16-speaker Harman Kardon sound system. All X5s offer additional packages that can be added to any trim level and all trims come with blind-spot monitoring, forward collision mitigation, and lane-departure warning.
Audi offers the Q8 in three very simple trim levels. Starting out with the Premium, buyers will get 21-inch wheels, leather upholstery, tri-zone automatic climate control, LED headlights, an adaptive suspension, and a dual touchscreen infotainment system featuring both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
The next level up is the Audi Q8 Premium Plus and it adds quad-zone climate control, front seat ventilation, lane-keeping assist, and emergency stop assist, as well as a 17-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system.
The Q8 Prestige gets the works with an adaptive air suspension, a heads-up display, soft-close doors, a leather armrest, heated rear seats, and dynamic turn signal animations. Just like BMW, Audi offers a host of optional packages that any trim level can utilize, though in some cases, the Premier Plus and Prestige trims will carry complete optional packages for the Premium trim.
Every Q8 comes with forward collision mitigation, lane departure warning, and blind-spot monitoring.
Audi Q8 vs BMW X5: The Verdict
We think that among SUVs it’s hard to beat the sleek styling of the Q8 but beyond that single superficial facet the BMW X5 is the real gem here. It’s just far more flexible thanks to the additional drivetrain options. In addition, it costs no more than the Q8 even when we start talking about the top trims. It’s also more fuel efficient in most cases and while each brand offers the same standard warranty package, BMW offers three years of complimentary maintenance. Audi simply can’t keep up.
