Compared: 2023 BMW X5 vs. 2023 Audi Q7

BMW | Audi

Article QuickTakes:

• Price
• Features
• Fuel economy

The 2023 BMW X5 and 2023 Audi Q7 appear at first glance to have only small degrees of difference—they’re both midsize, luxury SUVs with loads of high-end appointments and high-powered engine options, after all.

But up close, the 2023 X5 distinguishes itself, offering more powertrain options (including an incredibly overpowered, 617-hp version of the X5 M), a plug-in hybrid setup, and more cargo room than the Q7. The Audi counters with greater passenger space and a distinctly elegant approach to luxury, though a 500-hp version called the SQ7 may split the performance difference for some shoppers. In general, though, the Audi speaks where the BMW shouts.

BMW

2023 BMW X5 vs. 2023 Audi Q7: Price

The X5 starts with the sDrive40i at about $62,500, with BMW’s M TwinPower, 335-hp, turbocharged, 3.0L inline-six and rear-wheel drive (the all-wheel-drive xDrive40i commands a premium of more than $2,000). The M TwinPower turbocharged 4.4L V8 is found in the X5 M50i at around $86,500, and the X5 M at about $110,000, with 523 hp and 600 hp, respectively. The xDrive45e plug-in hybrid is available for about $66,500 with a turbocharged, 3.0L inline-six paired with an eDrive electric motor for a combined 389 hp.

The Q7’s more concise lineup features three trims: Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige. The Premium costs about $59,000 to start, with a 261-hp, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine, and a 12-volt hybrid system. Premium Plus starts around $64,000 with the four-cylinder engine; a 335-hp, turbocharged V6 with a 48-volt hybrid system is available for nearly $6,000 more on Premium and about $5,000 more on Premium Plus. The V6 is standard on the top-line Prestige model, which starts around $75,000. At about $91,000, the SQ7 caps the lineup with its twin-turbocharged V8. Every Q7 trim comes with quattro all-wheel drive.

BMW

2023 BMW X5 vs. 2023 Audi Q7: Features

For X5 models, the M Sport designation (around $3,000) adds 20-inch wheels, a head-up display, and an M steering wheel, among other features. The Premium Package, which costs about $1,300, includes wireless charging and remote engine start, while the Executive Package (ranging from about $2,700 to about $3,300) adds a panoramic LED sunroof and glass control surfaces to the Premium Package. The M50i’s $2,600 Dynamic Handling Package tightens the steering. The big one is the X5 M’s $9,300 Competition Package, boosting horsepower to 617, and adding an M Sport exhaust, unique interior surface options, and more.

All 2023 Q7 models have a $750 Towing Package, enabling a towing capacity of 4,400 lbs. on four-cylinder models and 7,700 lbs. with the V6 and above. The $2,000 Convenience Package gives Premium and Premium Plus trims wireless charging, a heated steering wheel, and a top-view camera system. Premium Plus has a Black Optic appearance package for $1,750, and Prestige loads up with the $1,500 All-Wheel Steering Package and the Luxury Package, which costs $6,850 and includes upgraded front seats, as well as unique, high-end interior materials. SQ7s start in Premium Plus configuration, though another $5,000 or so buys the Prestige trim with such niceties as a head-up display, soft-closing doors, and ventilated front seats. Unlike the BMW, there’s no track-tuned version of the SQ7, though.

Audi

2023 BMW X5 vs. 2023 Audi Q7: Fuel Economy

Unsurprisingly, the V8-equipped X5 models suffer in efficiency: the X5 M and X5 M Competition rate at 15 mpg combined city and highway, while the M50i rates 18 mpg. The Q7 bests that in both four-cylinder trim (21 combined) and with the V6 (20 combined), while the SQ7 is estimated at 17 mpg combined

Interestingly the X5’s inline-six outpaces both Q7 engines, returning 23 mpg combined with rear-wheel drive and 23 mpg with all-wheel drive. The obvious economy play would seem to be the xDrive45e plug-in hybrid: While we’re yet to have mpg or MPGe figures from the Environmental Protection Agency, BMW claims the 45e has a 31-mile all-electric range and an overall range of 400 miles.