Audi Q5 vs Volkswagen Tiguan

Audi Q5

Audi’s mid-size premium SUV.

Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen’s compact family SUV.

First car

Second car

Pick this one if…

Audi Q5

Pick the Q5 for quattro, the 550-litre boot and the 40 TDI’s 400 Nm.

Best engine: The mid-range 2.0 TDI diesel for the best balance of economy and torque — or the 2.0 TFSI petrol.

Read the full guide

Pick this one if…

Volkswagen Tiguan

Pick the Tiguan for a roomy, practical family SUV with strong towing and a wide engine range.

Best engine: The 1.5 TSI/eTSI (150 hp) or 2.0 TDI (150 hp).

Read the full guide

Performance

EA888 45 TFSI · Petrol vs 1.5 eTSI 150 · Petrol

	Audi Q5	Volkswagen Tiguan
Power	245 hp Winner	150 hp
Torque	370 Nm Winner	250 Nm
0–100 km/h	6,3 s Winner	9,1 s
Top speed	237 km/h Winner	210 km/h
Power-to-weight	136,5 hp/t Winner	101,4 hp/t
CO₂ emissions (WLTP)	183 g/km	128 g/km Winner
Consumption (WLTP)	8,1 L/100km	5,6 L/100km Winner

Dimensions & space

	Audi Q5	Volkswagen Tiguan
Boot	550 L	652 L Winner
Boot (seats folded)	1.550 L	1.650 L Winner
Wheelbase	2,82 m Winner	2,68 m
Length	4,66 m	4,54 m
Width	1,89 m	1,84 m
Height	1,66 m	1,64 m
Seats	5	5

Powertrain & tech

	Audi Q5	Volkswagen Tiguan
Platform	MLB Evo (longitudinal, shared with the A4/A5)	MQB / MQB Evo (transverse)
Drive	All-wheel drive	Front-wheel drive · All-wheel drive
Engine family	EA888 petrol · EA288 diesel · plug-in hybrid	EA211/EA211 Evo petrol · EA888 petrol · EA288/EA288 Evo diesel · eHybrid PHEV
Fuel	Petrol · Diesel · Plug-in hybrid	Petrol · Diesel · Plug-in hybrid
Transmission	7-speed S tronic (DSG)	6-speed manual · 7-speed DSG
Euro standard	Euro 6d-TEMP (early) · Euro 6d (later)	Euro 6 (early) · Euro 6d/6e (later)
LEZ access	Euro 6 diesel allowed in the LEZ (Brussels/Antwerp/Ghent)	Euro 6 petrol/diesel allowed in the LEZ (Brussels/Antwerp/Ghent)

Reliability & watch-outs

Known issues

Audi Q5

S tronic (DSG) mechatronics are the best-known weak point
EA288 diesels: AdBlue/SCR needs attention with mainly short trips
Direct-injection petrols: carbon buildup with lots of short trips

Volkswagen Tiguan

DSG fluid service and shift quality
1.5 TSI cold-start hesitation (early)
AdBlue/DPF on 2.0 TDI (short trips)

Pros

Audi Q5

quattro standard
550-litre boot (1550 litres folded)
40 TDI has 400 Nm

Volkswagen Tiguan

Roomy cabin and high seating position
Wide, efficient engine range
Strong towing (up to 2,500 kg on 4MOTION diesels)

Cons

Audi Q5

S tronic/tiptronic only — no manual gearbox
S line suspension rides firmly on large wheels

Volkswagen Tiguan

Bigger and heavier than a T-Roc/Golf
Higher consumption on powerful 2.0 TSI/R versions

Driving experience

Audi Q5

As a model line, the Q5 steers accurately with light, consistent weighting and stays quiet at speed. Quattro gives reassuring, planted traction in all conditions. The 2.0 TDI is strong and frugal, the 2.0 TFSI is smooth, and the 55 TFSI e plug-in hybrid runs on electric for short trips. The S tronic shifts quickly. It is tuned for comfort over sharp handling.