Compare the2025 Audi new SQ5VS 2025 BMW X6 M

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi new SQ5 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X6 M doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the new SQ5 and X6 M have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The new SQ5 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The X6 M’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The new SQ5 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The X6 M doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The new SQ5 has Car-to-X Services, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The X6 M doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure.

The Audi new SQ5 offers an optional Top View Camera System and it also offers an optional rear camera washer to make backing always safe, regardless of road dirt or grime, while the BMW X6 M doesn’t offer a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.

Both the new SQ5 and X6 M have rear cross-traffic warning, but the new SQ5 has Rear Cross-Traffic Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The X6 M’s Cross Traffic Warning doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the new SQ5 and the X6 M have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 1 place higher in reliability than BMW.

On the EPA test cycle the new SQ5 gets better fuel mileage than the X6 M (19 city/26 hwy vs. 13 city/18 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi new SQ5 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The X6 M requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The new SQ5 offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The X6 M doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the new SQ5 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The X6 M doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

For better maneuverability, the new SQ5’s turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the X6 M’s (38.7 feet vs. 42 feet).

The Audi new SQ5 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1000 pounds less than the BMW X6 M.

The new SQ5 is 9.1 inches shorter than the X6 M, making the new SQ5 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The new SQ5 has .2 inches more front legroom, .3 inches more rear headroom and 2.3 inches more rear legroom than the X6 M.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the new SQ5’s rear seats recline. The X6 M’s rear seats don’t recline.

The new SQ5’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The X6 M’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

The new SQ5 has a 4400 lbs. towing capacity. The X6 M has no towing capacity.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The new SQ5 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The X6 M doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Audi Q5/SQ5 outsold the BMW X6 by over six to one during 2024.