New BMW X5 vs Audi Q7 comparison

The first monsoon showers have lashed the western ghats and moisture-laden clouds clinging to the hills make for a dramatic view from the windscreen of the new BMW X5. In the mirrors are the bright, unmistakeable daylight-running lights of an Audi Q7, its battleship-like proportions almost filling the side glasses – a reflection of the immense road presence the Q7 still commands. It’s no wonder then that for the better part of a decade, Ingolstadt’s full-fat SUV has been the chariot of choice for the country’s Who’s Who. We’d tested the new X5 just a few days ago, were very impressed by it and obviously had to find out how it stacked up against the country’s best-selling luxury SUV. So, on an overcast mid-summer afternoon, we got both the cars together and spent the day comparing and contrasting them. We drove through infuriating Mumbai traffic, entertaining hilly roads and, since both these SUVs feature full-time 4WD, we kicked up some dirt too.

Bold and brutish

Size wise, the new X5’s extra 29mm length and 5mm width still remain significantly shy of the Audi’s measurements. However, the X5’s redesigned nose with the widened kidney grille tricks you into believing it’s wider than it actually is. More importantly, the revised styling makes it look more expensive, upping its street-cred. Snaking through the city, our sparkling-brown X5 with the swanky 20-inch wheels turned a fair number of heads. It’s clearly the fresher of the two.

At over five metres in length and almost two metres across, the Q7 doesn’t need to rely on visual tricks to flaunt its XL proportions. On our roads, it’s the Shaq of cars and just as intimidating on tarmac; parked shoulder to shoulder with the Bimmer, it looks a size larger. But take size out of the equation and you realise that the Q7 has begun showing its age, especially next to the chiselled X5. The big Audi last went under the knife about four years ago and the changes were minor. With the new Q7 almost ready, this one is almost at the end of its life cycle.

Internal affairs

Four years ago, the Audi’s cabin would have made you feel extra special. Yes, the quality of materials and surfaces is superb, but the design clearly looks a generation older than the new X5’s. Space and comfort have been the Q7’s traditional strengths and it still holds its own in this newer company. The large armchair-like seats in the front and especially in the second row are very comfortable and the spacious cabin reassures you that your money has been well-spent. The third row is quite a squeeze for adults and not particularly useable for anything but short hops. These seats can be folded into the floor to create a flat loading area and a cavernous 765-litre boot. It’s very practical too with plenty of cubbyholes and thoughtful features like the net in the boot to tie luggage down. If only the middle’s floor had been flat, it’d have been almost perfect to seat three abreast. We also noticed the massive sunroof needlessly soaking up the summer heat when parked – its translucent shade acts as a greenhouse.

No such snag in the BMW. It too has a big panoramic sunroof, but the opaque cover keeps the heat out. The dashboard too, fashioned from quality materials, feels a lot more modern than the Q7’s. You’ll also like being surrounded by the latest tech bits such as the huge 10.2-inch crisp HD screen and the scratchpad on the top surface of the iDrive selector. Also impressive is what BMW calls interactive navigation, which shows you an accurate 3D rendering of the buildings around you – a bit like Google Earth. The comfortable front seats offer proper bolstering and are similar to the Q7’s in size. But just like the older X5, the rear seats are short on thigh support, especially in comparison with the Q7. At 5’10, I’m not exactly too tall, but the seat squab still feels a size too small and hence the second row is nowhere as comfy as the Audi’s. Since knee room here is great, BMW should have focussed on improving the support from the seat. But the worst bit here is the really cramped last row that is practically useless for adults.

Torque of the town

As part of its last facelift, the Q7 ditched the six-speed auto and found itself a much more willing accomplice in the current eight-speed unit. On the outskirts of Mumbai, the added cogs kept the 3.0-litre V6 spinning in the meat of its powerband, making full use of the 56kgm of torque. The trick to effortlessly gather pace is to avoid mashing down the throttle, upshift early and surf on the big wave of torque rather than trying to milk the top end. You wouldn’t really miss paddle shifters either as the ’box isn’t particularly sporty or as quick, and its smooth shifts are more suited for a relaxed driving style. This new gearbox also gives the Audi longer legs on the motorways, letting this big bruiser cruise effortlessly at serious three-digit speeds – great for munching miles. Despite its size and weight, the Q7 feels very light and easy to drive in the city. Also, if you engage Dynamic mode, it’ll surprise you with its agility. In town, you’d expect the Audi to be a nightmare to manoeuvre, but it’s surprisingly easy. The turning circle is also practical enough and the driving position affords good visibility. But threading a Q7 through small gaps or parking it in anything but large spaces is tricky. It is hard to judge where metal stops and approaching objects begin. The reverse camera and the big mirrors help though. The ride is quite impressive and keeps you comfortable on most surfaces. Most owners won’t take this big Audi off-road, but we put it through some of the rough stuff and the suspension simply soaked up the bumps, leaving the passengers undisturbed.

The X5 is clearly the more thrilling of the two. After a stint in the Q7, the X5 feels like a sportscar over the same stretch of road. The optional 20-inch wheels and low-profile Pirelli rubber claw into the tarmac, and the X5 can be hurtled into corners with abandon, safe in the knowledge that the big BMW will exit with the poise of a ballet dancer. However, the ride is just too harsh in comparison to the Q7 and, for all practical purposes, it’s best to stick with the stock wheels and tyres. The BMW’s 3.0-litre aluminium turbo straight-six is also a gem in the way it responds – it plastered a grin on my face every time I flexed my right foot. At full tilt, the motor packs enough punch to shove you back in the seat, and in the right mode, pulls strongly all the way to a dizzy undiesel-like 5500rpm! There’s a broad spread of power throughout the range and peak torque of 57.1kgm is developed at a low 1500rpm, so response from low revs is superb too. Add to this a willing eight-speed ’box and the X5 reinforces its place as one of the best driver’s SUVs; only the Cayenne is better. If only it were a little quieter while cruising. In town, the BMW feels compact in comparison, and in Sport, the steering feels a tad heavy at parking speeds. But its narrower width helps it squeeze into gaps that the Q7 would struggle to fit into.

Winding down

After a day with the cars, it was clear that the Q7 still remains a good choice for the chauffeur-driven. Its business-class seats are larger and more comfortable, especially in the second row, and the last row is more useable too. In its top trim, it’s quite well-equipped and the versatile air suspension rides comfortably over our roads without creating much of a fuss. And then, of course, its sheer size. Few other cars say “I’ve arrived” louder than this Goliath of an SUV. But you can’t get away from the fact that this current-generation car is in its twilight years. The once-inspiring interiors don’t feel as modern as the BMW’s and it lacks the technical wizardry found in the X5 too. And from behind the wheel, the Q7 just can’t excite you the way the X5 does. In fact, the new X5 will even excite your bank manager. At Rs 70.9 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the locally assembled X5 is fantastically priced and, for the same feature set, is even cheaper than the Q7 by around Rs 2 lakh.

There’s no doubt that the new X5 has taken the game forward and laid down new segment benchmarks in many areas. It may not have the big, spacious interiors of the Q7, and a bit more support on the rear seats would have made it almost perfect. But its gem of an engine, quick gearbox and superb handling urge you to look past that. The quality of equipment too is top-class. Just remember to stick with the stock rims and tyres, and don’t try and squeeze your mother-in-law in the third row. 

Aditya Bengali