Where each one leads
Audi Q8
- Fewer Audi Q8 cars in the Netherlands carry an illogical odometer record (1.0% against 3.4%).
- NHTSA rates the 2026 Audi Q8 at 5 of 5 stars, the 2026 BMW X5 at 4.
BMW X5
- Against cars of the same age, the BMW X5 comes out better at its first MOT test (passes 10% more often than average) than the Audi Q8 (passes 5% more often than average).
- Against cars of the same year, the BMW X5 comes out better in New York safety inspections (fails 50% less often than average) than the Audi Q8 (fails 40% less often than average).
- On Canada's official test the most frugal 2026 BMW X5 uses 9.4 l/100 km, the 2026 Audi Q8 12.1.
- New BMW X5 cars registered in Europe in 2022 average 113 g/km of CO₂ on the WLTP test, against 198 for the Audi Q8 in 2022.
- Measured by the cars' own fuel meters, the diesel hybrid BMW X5 uses 9.1 l/100 km on the road, the Audi Q8 9.5.
- Measured by the cars' own fuel meters, the diesel BMW X5 uses 9.0 l/100 km on the road, the Audi Q8 9.7.
Too close to call: real-world fuel use in Europe, petrol hybrid (l/100 km).
Only measures that do not depend on how many cars were sold: pass and failure rates against cars of the same age, ratings, fuel use and CO₂. How we compare
At a glance
| Audi Q8 | BMW X5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Model years in the US safety record | 2019–2026 | 1999–2026 |
| New cars registered in Europe | 42,262 (2016–2022) | 367,747 (2010–2022) |
| Licensed in the United Kingdom | 16,000 | 106,389 |
| On the road in the Netherlands | 7,635 | 27,193 |
| In traffic in Finland | 859 | 111 |
EEA new-car registrations (CC BY 4.0) · DVLA licensed vehicles (OGL v3.0) · RDW (CC0) · Traficom (CC BY 4.0) · generations: Wikidata (CC0).
Reliability and problems
| Audi Q8 | BMW X5 | |
|---|---|---|
| UK MOT first-time pass rate | 91% | 78% |
| … against cars of the same age | +5% | +10% |
| New York safety inspections failed | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| … against cars of the same year | −40% | −50% |
| Illogical odometer records (NL) | 1.0% | 3.4% |
| US owner complaints | 203 | 3,165 |
| Most complaints about | Electrical system | Engine |
| Model year with most complaints | 2019 (110) | 2012 (271) |
| US recall campaigns | 16 | 103 |
| Manufacturer service bulletins | 5,321 | 5,465 |
| NHTSA defect investigations | — | 22 |
Complaint, recall and bulletin counts grow with the number of cars sold and are not adjusted for it. UK MOT: DVSA anonymised MOT results (OGL v3.0); New York: DMV inspections; complaints, recalls, bulletins and investigations: NHTSA (public domain); odometer: RDW (CC0).
Safety
| Audi Q8 | BMW X5 | |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA overall rating | 5★ (2026) | 4★ (2026) |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program, most recent rated model year (public domain).
Fuel, emissions and price
| Audi Q8 | BMW X5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Official combined fuel use, Canada | 12.1 l/100 km (2026) | 9.4 l/100 km (2026) |
| Real-world use in Europe, diesel hybrid | 9.5 l/100 km | 9.1 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, petrol hybrid | 12.4 l/100 km | 12.4 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, diesel | 9.7 l/100 km | 9.0 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, petrol | — | 14.8 l/100 km |
| Official CO₂ of new cars in Europe | 198 g/km | 113 g/km |
| Average power of new cars in Europe | 223 kW (299 hp) | 220 kW (295 hp) |
| Average mass in running order | 2,287 kg | 2,389 kg |
| Dutch list price when new (median) | €134,093 | €111,371 |
| Average odometer in Finland | 35,000 km | 218,000 km |
Canada: NRCan Fuel Consumption Ratings, most frugal version of the latest year (OGL Canada). Europe: EEA monitoring of new-car CO₂ and on-board fuel meters (OBFCM), CC BY 4.0. Price: RDW catalogue price (CC0). Finland: Traficom (CC BY 4.0).