Which is better; the 2021 Audi SQ5 Sportback or the 2022 BMW X3 M40i?
Driving.ca has put Clayton Seams and Brian Harper in charge of determining which of these amazing SUVs is king.
They may have similarities under the hoods but inside the cockpit you’ll find the largest differences between the two. The BMW is the more expensive of the two by some $4,000 and inside it feels every penny of that and more. Our tester had the $7,900 “Premium Package Enhanced,” which among other things includes side sunshades, adjustable rear seats and metal-look buttons. It also wears a striking $3,000 optional red/black leather interior and $850 carbon fibre interior trim.
The result is an interior that looks noticeably richer than the Audi’s. The touch surfaces on the door tops, dashboard, and lower door cards look and feel more premium. The Audi also has genuine carbon fibre trim and while it looks excellent, the rest of the interior is let down by plastic cheap for an $80,000 cabin. It’s also just harder for an interior to look expensive when it’s spec’d in ho-hum all black. Audi offers four interior combinations and three of them are all-black. You can spec red seats, but the Audi would greatly benefit from a pop of colour inside.
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