The Audi Q5 is near-enough all things to all buyers.
It's easy to drive and easy to use, with the upmarket image and quality you'd expect from a car bearing the four-ring badge. At this end of the market, however, there's loads of talented rivals to tempt you away from the Q5.
Here are our favourite Audi Q5 rivals. Most are available to buy as great-value nearly new and used cars from Motorpoint.
BMW X3
The BMW X3 is the Q5's traditional rival from its Bavarian competitor. Compared to the Audi, the X3 feels sportier on the road – keener to turn into corners and more resistant to roll during direction changes. It's firmer as a result but manages to retain just enough compliance that it's not tiring to drive. Quality is superb, both in the materials used and the robustness of their construction, and the BMW basically matches the Audi beat-for-beat on the equipment list. We like the X3's diesel engines for their low-down grunt and impressive refinement.
Shop used BMW X3 cars or read our BMW X3 review
Mercedes GLC
Moving over to Stuttgart, the Mercedes GLC is another traditional Q5 rival. This adapts the brand's premium driving and user experience to the enduringly popular family SUV segment, and is one of its most successful models as a result. It's not quite as sporty as either of its premium German competitors, instead feeling heavier and more upright like a traditional off-roader. Quality is as high as you'd expect with plenty of leather, wood and aluminium-effect trim to set the ambience, and a full suite of on-board tech to keep you entertained on the move.
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Volvo XC60
The traditional German trio benchmark each other very closely, which means they end up feeling similar from behind the wheel. The Volvo XC60 doesn't reinvent the genre – it's still a premium, spacious family SUV – but it takes a more sophisticated, left-field approach. Inside, you'll find it's done away with most of the buttons and replaced them with a portrait-orientated touchscreen. Just as there's minimum fuss on the dashboard, there's a minimum amount of fuss behind the wheel, with light, easy controls and a calming, comfortable setup.
Browse used Volvo XC60 cars or read our Volvo XC60 review
Range Rover Velar
If you have a little more budget to play with, consider the Range Rover Velar. This is a big five-seater with loads of cargo room and luxurious trimmings throughout. Performance and efficiency fall a little behind the class average – possibly due to all the cowhide Range Rover's draped over the cabin – but it still has the effortless driving experience you'd expect, plus a cosseting ride that feels in its element over Britain's lumpy roads. Its off-road ability is impressive too, with grippy four-wheel drive and clever off-road tech.
Search used Land Rover and Range Rover cars or read our Range Rover Velar review
Tesla Model Y
The Tesla Model Y pushed its way to the top of the worldwide best-seller charts in 2023 and 2024 thanks to its excellent range and rapid performance. These are qualities you'll find in any Tesla, but translating them to a spacious five-seat SUV was always going to be a recipe for success. The brand has recently launched a wide-ranging 'Juniper' update to address the so-so ride comfort and refinement of the outgoing car, but the older model is more widely available on the used market and substantially more affordable.
Shop used Tesla Model Y cars or read our Tesla Model Y review
Porsche Macan
Like the Range Rover above, the Porsche Macan is a car you'll probably have to expand your budget for if you were shopping cars similar to a Q5. That said, it's worth it because no other company puts the 'sport' in sport utility vehicle like Porsche does. On the road, the Macan is poised, agile and predictable and, if you pick one of the more powerful engines, impressively rapid too. Quality is immaculate, without so much as a whisper from cabin trim pieces as the suspension effortlessly copes with lumps and bumps.
Genesis GV70
It's a shame the Genesis GV70 isn't as well-known as other models on this list – this luxury car from the Hyundai/Kia family gets an awful lot right. It's priced competitively against the German competitors and comes with a five-year warranty – two more than the industry standard. Under the heavily sculpted bodywork, there's a choice of petrol and diesel power, as well as a fully electric model with nearly 500hp and more than 280 miles of range. It's the cabin that'll seal the deal, however, with opulent materials and an elegant, luxurious design.
Mazda CX-60
The Mazda CX-60 is a beefed-up, more muscular SUV than the comparatively graceful CX-5. Its bluff front end conceals a choice of either a punchy-yet-frugal plug-in hybrid or a torquey straight-six diesel engine – the latter being a great choice for towing or higher-mileage drivers. Material quality and its interior design are pretty much neck-and-neck with the Q5, and you might even find you prefer the Mazda's layout as its driver's dials are a bit easier to read at a glance than the Audi's flashy Virtual Cockpit screen.
Check out used Mazda cars or read our Mazda CX-60 review
Lexus NX
Another left-field choice to tempt you away from the more traditional Germans, the Lexus NX packs the brand's legendary build quality into a popular premium SUV format. The NX uses a similar full-hybrid setup as the Toyota RAV4, which means silent electric running when just pootling through traffic, backed up by an efficient 2.5-litre petrol engine as speeds rise. It's the sheer usability that wins the day for the NX, however, with plenty of easy-to-use physical controls on the dashboard, and a totally fuss-free driving experience.
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Alfa Romeo Stelvio
There's a lot of talent in this group of premium family SUVs, but not exactly a lot of flair. For that, you'll want to try out the Alfa Romeo Stelvio. It's based on the same sporty rear-wheel-drive platform as the smaller Giulia saloon, giving it impressively light-footed handling considering its size. Ride comfort and practicality fall a little short of the Q5, but there's still enough space for most families of four. Material quality is also a tiny fraction less impressive than the Audi, but the Stelvio's cabin design is a little more dramatic to make up for it.
Shop used Alfa Romeo Stelvio cars or read our Alfa Romeo Stelvio review
Big savings on premium SUVs
Search a massive choice of nearly new and used SUVs for sale at Motorpoint. For more options, see our picks for the best luxury SUVs on sale.
