Compare the2027 Chevrolet Equinox VS 2025 Audi Q5

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 Equinox are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q5 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

With its standard Enhanced Automatic Emergency Braking, the Chevrolet Equinox is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Audi Q5, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Equinox	Q5
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	-22 MPH	-22 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-8 MPH
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-1 MPH
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-13 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-2 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-2 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	No Slowing
37 MPH Brights	-23 MPH	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Brights	2.4 sec	No Warning
37 MPH Low beams	-22 MPH	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.3 sec	No Warning

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Chevrolet Equinox achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Audi Q5 has not been tested.

Both the Equinox and the Q5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all-wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Equinox is much safer than the Q5:

	Equinox	Q5
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	ACCEPTABLE	POOR

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4189-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Chevrolet Equinox is safer than the Q5:

	Equinox	Q5
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	80	96
Neck Compression	45 lbs.	89 lbs.
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	848 lbs.	1116 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	320	346
Neck Compression	67 lbs.	89 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	1.57 in	1.73 in
Torso Max Deflection	1.3 in	1.54 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	11 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	736 lbs.	1249 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Chevrolet’s powertrain warranty covers the Equinox 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q5. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Q5 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 9 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Equinox’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Equinox has a standard 760-amp battery. The Q5’s 420-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in initial quality. With 91 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 104 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Audi is rated below average.

On the EPA test cycle the Equinox gets better mileage than the Q5 running its gasoline engine:

			MPG
Equinox
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/29 hwy
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/29 hwy
Q5
	AWD	55 TFSI e 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	25 city/27 hwy
		40 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/29 hwy
		45 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/28 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Equinox uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q5 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Equinox has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Q5 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Equinox higher (6 out of 10) than the Audi Q5 (4 to 6). This means the Equinox produces up to 12.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Q5 every 15,000 miles.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Chevrolet Equinox, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the Q5.

The Equinox stops much shorter than the Q5:

	Equinox	Q5
60 to 0 MPH	126 feet	136 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	144 feet	Consumer Reports

The Equinox has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Q5 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For better maneuverability, the Equinox’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the Q5 40/45 TFSI’s (37.1 feet vs. 38.7 feet). The Equinox’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the Q5 55 TFSI e’s (37.1 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Equinox LT/ACTIV has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Q5 55 TFSI e (8.1 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Equinox to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Chevrolet Equinox may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 to 1000 pounds less than the Audi Q5.

The front grille of the Equinox uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Q5 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Equinox uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Q5 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Equinox has .4 inches more front headroom and 1.9 inches more rear legroom than the Q5.

The Equinox has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Q5 with its rear seat up (29.8 vs. 25.9 cubic feet). The Equinox has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q5 with its rear seat folded (63.5 vs. 54.1 cubic feet).

The Equinox’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Q5 does not have an oil pressure gauge.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Equinox has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q5 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Compared to traditional radio, the Chevrolet Equinox’s standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks. Satellite radio costs extra on the Q5.

The Equinox is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q5 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Chevrolet Equinox outsold the Audi Q5/SQ5 by over seven to one during 2025.