Road Test Comparison: 2011 Audi Q5 2.0T Quattro Vs. 2011 Acura RDX SH-AWD

With the recent introduction of the 2.0 liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine to Audi's Q5 compact luxury SUV lineup, it became clear to me that the 2011 Acura RDX finally had a direct competitor. For years, the RDX has sort of been the oddball in the segment by only ever offering a 2.3 liter turbocharged 4-cylinder motor.

This would make it appear that, despite comments to the contrary, it was in fact Acura who was well ahead of the luxury curve by introducing this kind of engine to a segment where V6 engines once ruled the day. It sort of makes you wonder how many of their competitors will follow suit as gas prices steadily climb, government fuel efficiency rules tighten and more people look to downsize their expenses without sacrificing luxury features.

Audi, for one, must be a believer as the new 2.0T Quattro model we test here has proven to be a runaway hit for the company. Acura has also seen tremendous sales growth over the past year with the RDX as more and more people begin to understand that a 4-cylinder compact luxury SUV can still be fun to drive.

Audi has positioned the Q5 with the 2.0 liter turbo as its entry level variant but each and every trim level gets Quattro all-wheel drive as standard. Acura offers its stellar SH-AWD system as an option so that it can undercut the Audi's base price ($35,720) by quite a substantial margin ($32,620).

At the luxury car buying level, however, price isn't the primary reason for purchasing the vehicle because if it were, these people would be shopping for a Honda CR-V or a Kia Sorento. Style, brand kudos and the hi-tech feature count all matter to luxury brand shoppers.

So which one should you choose? Now that, dear readers, turned out to be the most difficult call I ever had to make in one of these comparison tests. Read on to learn the outcome.

Exterior Styling

As they always say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. While I find the exterior lines and dimensions of the 2011 Acura RDX to be appealing in a techno-futuristic manner, the Audi just oozes class from every angle. Both are still SUVs, however, so styling isn't necessarily all that important. My dad (who owns an Audi TT) sat in the Q5 and said, "Why do all of these SUVs look the same?" Maybe I need to stop showing him all of the SUVs I drive. (Advantage: 2011 Audi Q5)

Interior Design and Utility

This is the one department where Audi rules the day even if the layout of the Q5's dashboard is nearly identical to that found in a number of their other models like the A4, Q7 and A5. But once inside this Audi SUV you are able to appreciate the ergonomic soundness of the design and experience the delicious tactility of all of the perfectly damped controls.

The RDX also has a very nice interior but I have to admit that I felt a bit like the dashboard was hovering too close to my knees no matter how far back I pushed the power seat. The RDX does, however, have more interior storage cubbies with two perfectly sized sunglass holders in each of the two front doors. The RDX's center console lidded cubby is possibly the deepest and largest such unit I have ever seen. You could lose a child in there.

The Q5 also has a sunglass holder but it wasn't big enough to accommodate my rather average sized pair of daytime eyewear. What, do Germans only wear sunglasses that are the same size as the ones worn by Mike Meyers in his classic Saturday Night Live skit "Sprockets?" Now is the time on Sprockets when we throw our sunglasses in the cupholder!

Both the 2011 Audi Q5 and 2011 Acura RDX have roomy cargo areas that are usefully square. Purely going by measurements, the 2011 Q5 offers up 29.1 cubic feet behind the second row and 57.3 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The RDX's measurements split the difference with 27.8 cubic feet behind the second row which grows to 60.6 with the second row folded flat.

You will be happy with the interior quality, design and utility on offer with both the 2011 Audi Q5 and the 2011 Acura RDX. Sure, the Q5 may have more soft touch plastics but the Acura feels more robustly assembled with more storage space for essentials like sunglasses. And the Acura is also a lot less expensive. (Advantage: Tie)

Fuel Economy

The 2011 Audi Q5 2.0T Quattro with the standard 8-speed automatic returns EPA estimates of 20 city/27 highway and I averaged a healthy 24 miles per gallon over a one week period. The 2011 Acura RDX I tested had the standard 5-speed automatic with EPA estimates of 19 city/24 highway and a 21.4 mile per gallon average over a week. Clearly the Audi's extra gears help matters on this end. (Advantage: 2011 Audi Q5 2.0T Quattro)

Value for Money

Now, it is my opinion that there are certain features that every luxury brand SUV must have like in-dash navigation, premium audio, Bluetooth, all-wheel drive, USB/iPod integration, moonroof and heated power seats. A fully loaded 2011 Audi Q5 2.0T Quattro Premium plus model equipped with all of these "essentials" runs just north of $43,000. A fully loaded RDX SH-AWD is only $37,720. That's a big price difference and the Acura also boasts a longer powertrain warranty extending to 6 years or 70,000 miles. (Advantage: 2011 Acura RDX)

Driving Experience

Both of these models are surprisingly fast and handle corners with minimal body roll which combines to make them decent fun to drive on twisty roads. That's a rare thing to find in an SUV. Both models feel similarly quick even if the Acura's 2.4 liter 260 horsepower/240 lb. feet of torque engine puts out more power than the 2.0 liter 211 horsepower/258 lb. feet of torque motor in the Audi. Credit for that belongs, no doubt, to the Q5's all-new 8-speed automatic which is an industry best.

Audi and Acura use different approaches when it comes to their all-wheel drive systems. With Quattro, the Q5 sends power to whichever axle needs it (front or rear) but the Acura's SH-AWD system goes one further by apportioning torque to whichever wheel needs it most. This means the Acura feels more stable and planted even on dry roads.

I have one nit to pick with the 2011 Audi Q5 and that is with the odd change-up in steering feel as the car accelerates from parking speeds. It is awkward and off-putting in that moment and the RDX's steering suffers from no such malady. (Advantage: 2011 Acura RDX SH-AWD)

Conclusion

No matter which of these SUVs you choose to buy, there is little doubt in my mind that you will ever regret the decision. They are relatively fun to drive, spacious, comfortable, decent value, fast and offer up better than average fuel economy.

While I would love to throw caution to the wind and buy the more stylish Q5, I can't really deny a $5,000 plus price difference between the RDX and the Audi. $5,000 is a lot of money to anyone and that doesn't even take into account the extra money you'll spend on interest charges should you be financing your luxury SUV. The 2011 Acura RDX may not be as sexy as the Q5 but it's still the smarter buy.

Sources: Audi USA
Acura