The 2025 Audi Q5 enters manufacturing quickly – for a market launch early subsequent 12 months – and we’ve simply gotten our first have a look at it. Now, whereas Audi’s lineup instantly competes with BMW’s, the fashions don’t fairly meet on the badges; the Q7, for instance, extra instantly competes with the X5 however nonetheless affords a 3rd row. The Audi Q5, subsequently, most intently competes with the BMW X3. As luck ought to have it, the 2025 BMW X3 can even be the primary of a brand new era. Right here’s how the 2025 Audi Q5 compares to the 2025 BMW X3.
Exterior Comparability
At first look, you would possibly assume the 2025 Audi Q5 adopts an evolutionary fairly than revolutionary design. You’ll be mistaken, as a result of the previous (as in, 2024) mannequin seemed historical, regardless of a redesign in 2017. The brand new one appears extra just like the newer Audi fashions you might be pondering of – i.e., the Audi Q8 and even the RS6. The brand new Q5 will get narrower headlights, extra angular air intakes, and a little bit of a hood bulge. Each the BMW and Audi get funky designs on their grilles and modernized lighting signatures.
Across the again, the brand new Audi exhibits off a really Porsche-like gentle bar that stretches the size of the rear hatch. Rear deflectors are built-in horizontally on the Q5, and vertically on the X3. Notably, the X3 (in non-M guise) lacks exhaust ideas fully, whereas the Audi touts twin ideas. Albeit, they’re most likely only for present. Regardless, the brand new Q5 appears many years newer than its predecessor.
Inside
Inside, the 2025 Audi Q5 will get fairly a bit fancier. The most important addition is a newly out there passenger-side display. New gauges, an even bigger central display, and a totally redesigned middle console freshen issues up, and the automaker lastly dispels with bodily local weather controls – sadly. Total, it’s a significantly extra fashionable and splendid place to spend time than the previous automotive.
The 2025 BMW X3 will get a a lot cleaner and less complicated format. There’s general much less happening from a design standpoint, regardless of the 2 SUVs having minimal bodily switchgear. The X3 additionally options trim on the door panels, which the Audi doesn’t. We just like the look of the Audi steering wheel a little bit extra – the usual two-spoke design on the bottom X3 isn’t as sporty.
Efficiency
Each the 2025 X3 and 2025 Audi Q5 come customary with 2.0-liter four-pots. The Q5 makes do with a 201-horsepower variant (at the least in Europe; that mannequin gained’t make it to the States). In comparison with the bottom X3’s 205-horsepower (additionally unavailable within the US), it ought to really feel related. Each fashions include all-wheel drive as customary; BMW counting on RWD-biased xDrive and Audi using Quattro.
For North America, the bottom Audi Q5 launches with 268 horsepower. It’s nonetheless shut between the 2, with the bottom X3 growing 255 horsepower. Prime trim fashions each depend on six-cylinder engines, and the Audi can have a slight drawback. Particularly when you think about BMW’s entrant is the mighty B58 engine, now growing 393 horsepower. We count on the BMW to be a extra dynamic driver general.
Expertise
Each SUVs include the connectivity stuff you count on. So, telephone connectivity, navigation, voice instructions, app integration, the works. The 2 even share structure, with Audi’s latest software program constructed upon Android Automotive OS. For the reason that two will seemingly share many options, the variations will actually come right down to ease of use and UI. BMW’s iDrive system is fairly well-received, critically. Nobody has had intensive hands-on testing with the Audi system, but – so we’ll have to attend and see.
What do you assume? Does Audi’s bread-and-butter SUV measure as much as the BMW X3? Which might you place in your storage?
