2025 Audi Q5 vs 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport was designed to project a sportier image within the Range Rover family. Its tall stance was complemented by a shorter wheelbase and a chopped top, giving it a more athletic appearance compared to the traditional Range Rover. The large front air intakes and fake vents on the hood and fenders added to its sporty look, although from certain angles, the Sport appeared a bit too tall and narrow, lacking the wide, planted look of some other luxury SUVs. The lineup included SE, Dynamic SE, Autobiography, and SV Edition Two trims, with the Dynamic SE offering a Stealth appearance package. The SV Edition 2, the highest-performance model, featured unique elements like 23-inch carbon-fiber wheels and a carbon-fiber hood. Inside, the minimalist aesthetic was highlighted by red leather upholstery and sport seats with light-up “SV” inserts, although the high console and dash created a somewhat cramped feel.

The 2025 Audi Q5 embraced a tough SUV look with a large, textured grille, prominent side air intakes, and high-mounted headlights. Despite the new styling elements, the design felt more evolutionary than revolutionary, resembling a facelift rather than a complete redesign. The Q5 was available in Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige trims, with LED Headlights Plus and programmable OLED taillights on higher trims. The Q5 also offered standard and Sportback body styles, with the latter sacrificing cargo space for a sleeker profile. The SQ5 performance variant featured matte chrome trim, larger air intakes, and quad exhaust tips. Inside, the design was detailed but somewhat discordant, with a mix of silver and black trim contrasting with lighter upholstery colors. The SQ5 offered a red interior with Alcantara trim, but the seats lacked adequate bolstering for enthusiastic driving.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered multiple powertrain options, all paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard four-wheel drive. The base SE model featured a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine producing 355 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. The Dynamic SE offered a higher output of 395 hp and 406 lb-ft, along with a plug-in hybrid powertrain rated at 454 hp and 487 lb-ft. The Autobiography trim could be equipped with a plug-in hybrid powertrain producing 543 hp and 590 lb-ft or a BMW-sourced twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 with 523 hp and 553 lb-ft. The SV Edition Two used the same V8 but with 626 hp, making it the most powerful Range Rover model. It could accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and had a top speed of 180 mph. The Range Rover Sport excelled in both on-road performance and off-road capability, with features like sport-tuned air suspension, four-wheel steering, and brake-based torque vectoring enhancing its agility.

The 2025 Audi Q5 featured a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive. The base model's 2.0-liter turbo-four engine produced 268 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, while the SQ5's 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 delivered 362 hp and 406 lb-ft. The Q5's performance was competitive within its segment, with a manufacturer-estimated zero to 60 mph time of 5.8 seconds for the standard model and 4.6 seconds for the SQ5. However, the dual-clutch transmission exhibited turbo lag and rough shifts, detracting from the driving experience. The Q5's suspension offered capable handling, with air suspension available on higher trims. While the Q5 and SQ5 handled well, they lacked the sporty feel expected from performance-oriented models. The Q5 also included Off-Road and Off-Road Plus driving modes, but it was more suited to dirt roads than technical trails.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport was positioned between the Range Rover Velar and the full-size Range Rover in terms of dimensions. It offered more room than the Velar but remained a midsize SUV with two rows of seats. Front-seat occupants found similar headroom to other midsize luxury SUVs, but the Acura MDX and Audi Q7 offered more legroom. The sloping roof didn't significantly impact rear-seat headroom, and reclining rear seats were standard. The Range Rover Sport provided 31.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row and 53 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. It had a maximum towing capacity of 7,716 pounds for turbo-six and V8 models, making it competitive within its segment.

The 2025 Audi Q5 maintained similar exterior dimensions and interior space to the 2024 model. It offered adequate headroom and legroom, with a sliding and reclining second-row bench seat. The Q5 provided 27.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row and 56.9 cubic feet with the seats folded, offering more space than some rivals but less than others. A power tailgate and heated front seats were standard, with additional features available on higher trims. The Q5's towing capacity was 4,400 pounds, surpassing some competitors but falling short of others.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport featured a 13.7-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.1-inch touchscreen for infotainment. Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa integration were standard. The minimalist design had functional drawbacks, as many controls were relegated to the touchscreen. The Pivi Pro infotainment system was responsive, with natural-language voice recognition. The SV Edition 2 test car included "Body and Soul Seats" with embedded transducers for a unique audio experience, although it felt somewhat gimmicky.

The 2025 Audi Q5 came with an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.5-inch central touchscreen, with a 10.9-inch passenger screen on the Prestige trim. Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a cooled wireless charging pad were standard. The MMI infotainment system, based on Android Automotive OS, was user-friendly, with a built-in voice assistant for some functions. The digital instrument cluster had less functionality than previous versions, but an available head-up display provided additional information. The Q5 also featured digital key connectivity and a built-in toll transponder.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport included standard driver-assist features such as automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a driver attention monitor. A 360-degree camera system and digital rearview mirror aided parking, although the parking sensors were overly sensitive. Safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were not available at the time of publication.

The 2025 Audi Q5 offered standard driver-assist features like adaptive cruise control, active front assist, lane departure warning, parking sensors, automatic high beams, blind spot monitoring, and traffic sign recognition. Premium Plus models added a 360-degree camera system and adaptive cruise assist. Safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were not available, but Audi aimed to match the previous generation's five-star NHTSA rating.