Holden Acadia vs Audi Q5
What's the difference?

Holden Acadia

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2020 price

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Audi Q5

$82,500 - $100,400

2026 price

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Land Rover Discovery Sport

Mercedes-Benz EQ-Class

Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Mercedes-Benz G63

Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLS

Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Mitsubishi Outlander

Mitsubishi Pajero

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

Summary

2020 Holden Acadia

2026 Audi Q5

By Laura Berry

By Emily Agar

Safety Rating

Engine Type

V6, 3.6L

Turbo 4, 2.0L

Fuel Type

Unleaded Petrol

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

8.9L/100km (combined)

5.7L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Truck-like looks
Advanced safety tech
Good value

Interior glow-up is gorgeous
Comfortable ride with well-tuned suspension
Strong standard tech and safety features

Dislikes

2000kg braked towing capacity
Engine needs to rev hard to make grunt
Wireless charging not standard on LT

Still manages to remind you its a base-grade
Rear seat & boot space on smaller side
Steering assist tends to overcorrect

2020 Holden Acadia Summary

If the Acadia had an accent it would be a southern drawl because this big seven-seat SUV is built in Tennessee, USA, and wears a GMC badge when it’s at home.

In Australia of course it wears a Holden one and comes straight from the factory in right-hand drive. So how does it suit Aussie conditions? Does it even know the importance of a sausage on a piece of bread bought outside a hardware store on a Saturday?

All this and more was learnt when the entry grade LT front-wheel drive came to live with my family.

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2026 Audi Q5 Summary

Audi’s latest Q5 Sportback brings mild-hybrid power, updated underpinnings, more technology and a genuinely impressive interior glow-up.

It’s clearly aimed at buyers drawn to a more athletic take on the mid-size SUV, where style plays a bigger role than outright practicality. We're testing the base petrol spec to see how it sits alongside the BMW X4 xDrive20i, Genesis GV70 2.5T and Mercedes-Benz GLC300 Coupe.

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Deep dive comparison

2020 Holden Acadia 2026 Audi Q5

Verdict

The Holden Acadia is a proper seven-seater SUV in that it will fit adults in the third row without turning your friends into enemies. It’s also practical and well fitted out with storage places and utilities such as USB ports.

I was particularly impressed with the advanced safety equipment on-board even at this entry LT level. Yes, it’s a V6 petrol and it’s not the most fuel-efficient SUV, but our time with it showed that with cylinder deactivation and the stop-start system it might not be as thirsty as you’d think.

Verdict

The updated Audi Q5 Sportback TFSI is a strong example of a luxury base-grade SUV, ticking most of the boxes in styling, comfort and features. It may not always outperform its rivals on paper, but it delivers where it counts, offering a refined, practical and engaging package that will satisfy.

Holden Acadia vs Audi Q5 What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Holden Acadia vs Audi Q5
What's the difference?