The 2025 Audi Q5 Is More Expensive Because Of Content, Not Tariffs

The 2025 Audi Q5 is almost at dealer showrooms, and when it arrives, repeat customers may notice they’re paying more than they did for the previous generation. With a starting price of $52,200 plus $1,295 destination, the new luxury SUV is $6,800 more than its 2024 equivalent, but the automaker says the price increase is due to more content and added power, rather than any outside governmental interference. Still, the price jump makes the new Q5 more expensive than either of its rivals, the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC 300.

No More Wimpy Turbo-Four Base Powerplant

Possibly the most obvious reason the 2025 Q5 is pricier than its predecessor is found under the hood. For 2024, Audi’s small SUV offered a base “40 TFSI” turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four that made a paltry 201 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, hardly enough for its 4,000-pound-plus curb weight. That engine is gone for 2025 (along with its $45,300 starting price), meaning the new Q5 is better compared to the old 45 TFSI powertrain, which made 261 hp and 278 lb-ft and cost $48,200 to start. The 2025 Q5 is still $4,000 more expensive than this more powerful trim, but it does get 7 additional horses and 17 additional torques to compensate for the hike, totaling 268 hp and 295 lb-ft.

Although it’s a couple grand more expensive to start than its rivals, the X3 and GLC-Class, the Audi does offer more power than both – and in the case of the Mercedes, standard all-wheel drive. Audi quotes a 5.8-second sprint to 60 miles per hour for the Q5, fractionally quicker than the 6.0-second X3 and GLC. It’s also possible that the tech-savvy interior of the new Audi will win over crossover shoppers. The Q5’s 11.9-inch instrument display and 14.5-inch center display are competitive with those of the other Germans, but neither can match its optional 10.9-inch passenger display.

Tariffs Won’t Affect Audi Customers Until May At The Earliest

Carscoops reached out to Audi to ask if the higher base price of the 2025 Q5 was a reaction to tariffs on all imported vehicles into the United States. The automaker underscored that it would not pass along those costs to consumers through the end of May and would evaluate the situation as it evolves. That gives would-be Q5 shoppers a scant few weeks to make their purchase, as the late-availability 2025 model arrives the same month.

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The tariffs may have a greater impact on the sportier Audi SQ5, which starts at $64,800 before destination. With 362 hp and 406 lb-ft on board, the SQ5 can’t match the more expensive Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 for power, and the 393-hp, $64,700 BMW X3 M50 blows them both out of the water in grunt and price. Making matters worse for Audi, the Bimmer and Benz are both assembled in the US, while the SQ5 and its less powerful sibling are imported from Mexico. But at least for now, Ingolstadt promises the tariffs won’t affect customers in the immediate future.

Source: Carscoops