Compare the2026 Audi Q5VS 2026 Mercedes GLE

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Ergonomics

Safety

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Both the Q5 and GLE have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q5 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 GLE’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 Q5 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 GLE doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

With its standard Active Front Assist, the Audi Q5 is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Mercedes GLE, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Q5	GLE
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-23 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-24 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-22 MPH
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
Warning Issued-Brights	2.5 sec	1.8 sec
37 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-8 MPH
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.5 sec	.9 sec

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

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Q5. But it costs extra on the GLE.

The Q5’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the GLE.

The Audi Q5 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 Mercedes GLE doesn’t offer a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.

Both the Q5 and the GLE 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, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

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 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Audi Q5 is safer than the GLE:

	Q5	GLE
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Force	134 lbs.	156 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.94 in	1.34 in
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	892 lbs.	1026 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	139	232
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	669 lbs.	1116 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Warranty

The Q5’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the GLE’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Audi pays for scheduled maintenance on the Q5 for 3 years and 30,000 miles. Audi will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance (up to 1 visits). Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the GLE.

Reliability

The Audi Q5’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the GLE’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2026 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 6 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

Engine

The Q5’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 13 more horsepower (268 vs. 255) than the GLE 350’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Audi Q5 is faster than the GLE 350 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

	Q5	GLE
Zero to 60 MPH	5.8 sec	7.6 sec
Quarter Mile	14.4 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	96.4 MPH	87.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Q5
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	21 city/29 hwy
GLE
	RWD	350 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	21 city/28 hwy
	AWD	450e 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	21 city/26 hwy
		350 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	19 city/26 hwy
		3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	19 city/25 hwy
		4.0 turbo V8 Hybrid	15 city/20 hwy

Environmental Friendliness

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

Transmission

The Q5 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 GLE doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Q5’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The GLE doesn’t offer launch control.

Tires and Wheels

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the Q5 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. Run-flat tires aren’t available on some tire packages on the GLE.

Suspension and Handling

The Q5 Prestige handles at .88 G’s, while the GLE 350 4MATIC pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Q5 Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.6 seconds quicker than the GLE 350 4MATIC (26.6 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Q5’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the GLE’s (38.7 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Q5 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the GLE (8.2 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Q5 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Q5 Prestige’s minimum ground clearance is .3 inch higher than on the GLE Airmatic (9.5 vs. 9.2 inches).

Chassis

The Audi Q5 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 1550 pounds less than the Mercedes GLE.

The Q5 is 8.6 inches shorter than the GLE, making the Q5 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Q5 has .6 inches more front legroom and .9 inches more rear headroom than the GLE.

Ergonomics

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Q5 Premium Plus/Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The GLE doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Q5’s Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Park Assist Plus will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The GLE’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

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