Compare the2024 Hyundai Tucson HybridVS 2023 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 Tucson Hybrid 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Tucson Hybrid Limited has standard Reverse Collision-Avoidance Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Q5 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Tucson Hybrid’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Q5 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Tucson Hybrid and the Q5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, 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 and available around view monitors.

The Tucson Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Q5’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Tucson Hybrid 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q5. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Q5 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Tucson Hybrid for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Q5.

There are almost 3 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Tucson Hybrid’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Tucson Hybrid’s reliability 41 points higher than the Q5.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai above average in initial quality. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 84 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 25th.

The Tucson Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 25 more horsepower (226 vs. 201) and 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 236) than the Q5 40 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q5 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid higher (7 out of 10) than the Audi Q5 (5 to 7). This means the Tucson Hybrid produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Q5 every 15,000 miles.

The Tucson Hybrid stops shorter than the Q5:

The Tucson Hybrid Limited handles at .84 G’s, while the Q5 45 TFSI Premium Plus pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Tucson Hybrid’s turning circle is .1 feet tighter than the Q5 40/45 TFSI’s (38.6 feet vs. 38.7 feet). The Tucson Hybrid’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Q5 55 TFSI e’s (38.6 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Tucson Hybrid has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Q5 55 TFSI e (8.3 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Tucson Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Tucson Hybrid’s minimum ground clearance is .1 inch higher than on the Q5 45 TFSI (8.3 vs. 8.2 inches).

The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 800 pounds less than the Audi Q5.

The design of the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid amounts to more than styling. The Tucson Hybrid has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .33 Cd. That is lower than the Q5 (.33 to .34) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Tucson Hybrid get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the Tucson Hybrid 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 Tucson Hybrid has .5 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more rear headroom and 3.3 inches more rear legroom than the Q5.

The Tucson Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Q5 with its rear seat up (38.7 vs. 25.8 cubic feet). The Tucson Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q5 with its rear seat folded (74.5 vs. 54 cubic feet).

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Tucson Hybrid uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Q5 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Tucson Hybrid has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Q5 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Tucson Hybrid 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.

Consumer Reports rated the Tucson Hybrid’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Q5’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Tucson Hybrid Limited’s Remote Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Park Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Q5 Prestige’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid and the Audi Q5, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Hyundai Tucson outsold the Audi Q5/SQ5 by almost three to one during 2022.