Mazda CX-70 vs Audi Q5

What's the difference?

For mine, the CX-70 is the pick of Mazda's premium SUV range, and if you can survive without a third row of seats, it's significantly cheaper than its CX-90 twin, too.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The third-generation Audi Q5 in TDI quattro form is a competent if unremarkable all-rounder that would tick most boxes for private or commercial use. Whether it’s the best buy of the 21 brands and 34 models that compete in Australia’s congested ‘Medium SUVs over $60K’ segment, only a customer can decide after weighing up its many alternatives.

Yes, the Mazda premium SUV range can look a little same-same, but Mazda insists there are critical differences.

That said, if you can immediately spot the difference between the CX-70 and CX-90 without taking a peek inside, you're doing better than me, given it is the same exact dimensions as Mazda's three-row flagship.

Sure, Mazda talks about things like this design being a “passion pursuer” that serves up "dignified performance” – all of which sounds utterly ridiculous – but the less marketing-speak version is that it looks like a shapely large SUV that ditches the boxy dimensions of a proper 4WD for a more sleek and swooping profile.

Inside, it's a plush and premium-feeling space, with lovely cabin materials, plenty of tech, and plenty of space.

The Q5 TDI quattro rides on a 2823mm wheelbase and is 4717mm long, 1900mm wide and 1662mm tall with an 11.9-metre turning circle, so it’s a comfortable fit for metropolitan car parks. It has sophisticated five-link suspension, four-wheel disc brakes and electric power-assisted steering.

The third-generation Q5 features fresh styling with its prominent grille treatment the most noticeable feature. Overall, the standard S line exterior has an athletic look, which is optimised by our example’s larger 20-inch wheel option which nicely fills the wheel arches.

The interior has an open and airy feel, enhanced by the contrasting dark grey/pearl beige upholstery and panoramic sunroof options.

There are lots of soft-touch surfaces, exposed stitching and satin chrome highlights, plus (unfortunately) piano black surfaces on the dash and console which shine like mirrors when clean but can quickly turn opaque with unsightly fingerprints during everyday use.

Good design can be seen in the prominent ledge created by the dash inlay at the base of the central touchscreen, as you can comfortably rest the base of your palm on it to steady your index finger when using the touchscreen while driving, which is much easier and less distracting than trying to do this without such support.

The CX-70 measures a substantial 5120mm long, 1994mm wide, and 1745mm tall, and it rides on a 3120mm wheelbase.

It will tow 2.5 tonnes no matter which engine you choose, and the expansive boot will swallow between 589 litres and 2015 litres, depending on how you configure the backseat.

All of that space translates to a hugely airy backseat experience, with the second row able to be fixed in a position that either prioritises leg room or boot space.

With the former, you've got tons of space in the second row. I'm 175cm, and my knee and leg room was ample, with only the intrusive tunnel that runs down the middle-centre of the cabin eating into leg room for the middle passenger.

There are also air vents and temp controls, twin USB charge ports, seat heating in the window seats and swathes of very nice materials.

The boot is massive, too. I can't even reach the back of the rear seats when I lean into it, and Mazda says it will swallow smaller surfboard or SUPs without needing to resort to roof racks.

Under-floor storage adds a bit more security for precious items, too.

The Q5 TDI quattro weighs almost two tonnes (1955kg kerb weight) which when deducted from its 2595kg GVM rating leaves 640kg of load capacity, which for either work or play is ample for up to five adults plus luggage of which up to 75kg can be carried on the roof.

It’s also rated to tow up to 2000kg of braked trailer but Audi does not publish a maximum legal weight for the car and trailer combined (not unusual in this vehicle segment), so we can’t confirm if it can carry its full in-car load capacity when towing its maximum trailer weight.

The expansive ‘Digital Stage’ multimedia screen spans about two-thirds of the dashboard’s width, above a decent sized glove box and another compartment to the right of the driver’s knee for small items.

Driver and front passenger also have access to a bottle-holder and bin in each door plus there’s a 12V socket, two USB-C ports and a wireless phone-charging pad in the centre console, which also provides two cupholders and a storage box with padded lid that doubles as a comfortable elbow rest.

The rear bench seat offers adequate space for tall adults, given I’m 186cm and when seated behind the driver’s seat set in my position I have about 40mm of knee clearance and about the same dimension in head clearance, even with the optional sunroof.

It’s less comfortable in the centre seat obviously, with feet either side of the transmission tunnel and knees together between the front seat backrests. Shoulder room is tight for three adults, which is tolerable for short trips but a maximum of two would be ideal for longer treks.

Rear passengers get a bottle-holder in each door plus elastic net pockets on both front seat backrests. The rear centre seat backrest also folds forward to reveal two cupholders and the rear of the centre console has adjustable air vents and a pair of USB-C ports, plus third-zone climate control adjustment.

The fully carpeted rear luggage area is equipped with another 12V socket plus tidy bag, first-aid kit and four load-anchorage points. The rear section of the load floor is hinged, which when opened reveals a large underfloor storage compartment.

With the rear seat upright, this luggage area offers more than half a cubic metre of load volume. And with the seat folded flat this expands to almost 1.5 cubic metres, with a large flat floor suitable for carrying everything from a mountain bike to flat-pack furniture.

Our test vehicle is the Q5 TDI quattro which comes standard with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, seven-speed automatic and all-wheel drive for a list price of $87,600.

That’s around the same spend as a Lexus NX 350H F Sport +Ep1 Hybrid AWD ($87,900) or Mazda CX-60 P50E Azami PHEV ($87,050). The NX and CX-60 are also the strongest-selling model ranges in the ‘Medium SUVs above $60K’ market segment where the Q5 competes.

The Q5 TDI quattro’s standard equipment includes 19-inch alloys with 235/60 R18 tyres but no spare (repair kit only), sporty 'S line' appearance package, matrix LED headlights with configurable signatures, LED tail-lights with dynamic indicators, an electric tailgate with gesture control (wave your foot under the rear bumper to open), heated/auto-dimming exterior mirrors and more.

The interior has power-adjustable and heated leather-appointed seating, three-zone climate control, a leather-rimmed steering wheel with paddle-shifters and multifunction controls, colour ambient lighting, matt brushed aluminium inlays, 360-degree camera view, speed sign recognition, eight-speaker audio system, inductive phone charger with adaptive cooling, combined 11.9-inch OLED driver instrument display and 14.5-inch OLED colour multimedia screen with wireless Apple/Android connectivity and more.

Our test vehicle is enhanced with numerous options including Navarra Blue metallic paint ($2000) plus the ‘Premium Package’ comprising head-up display, Bang & Olufsen 3D premium sound system, colour interior ambient lighting with dynamic interaction light, USB interfaces with higher charging capacity and acoustic glazing for the front door windows ($5400).

It’s also equipped with the ‘Style Package’ that bundles 20-inch Audi Sport alloy wheels (wearing 255/45 R20 tyres on our example) with a black exterior package and privacy glass ($4900).

On top of these extras there’s an optional panoramic sunroof with tinted glass and electric tilting/opening/retractable sunshade ($3500) plus 'natural brown walnut trunk' dash inlays ($600) and a pearl beige upholstery package which is a no-cost option (NCO).

So, when you add the combined cost of all these goodies ($16,400) our test vehicle’s list price crosses into six-figure territory at $104,000.

You can have one of two engines in the CX-70, with the cheapest being a 3.3-litre, six-cylinder turbo-petrol, producing 254kW and 500Nm. There's also a 3.3-litre, six-cylinder turbo-diesel, making 187kW and 550Nm. Both are equipped with a 48-volt mild hybrid system to marginally reduce fuel use.

All models are AWD, and pair with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine meets tough Euro 6 emission standards using AdBlue and produces 150kW of power between 3800-4200rpm, with 400Nm of torque on tap between 1750-3250rpm.

It’s paired with Audi’s latest hybrid diesel-electric technology which can add up to 18kW of power and 230Nm of torque to these figures, while also allowing short periods of pure electric driving for low-speed manoeuvring and parking.

The seven-speed torque converter automatic offers the choice of sequential manual gear-changing using the steering wheel paddle-shifters, along with selectable drive modes to optimise Audi’s iconic ‘quattro’ all-wheel drive technology.

Petrol-powered cars will sip 8.1L/100km on the combined cycle, while the diesel drops that to 5.4 litres.

Both models get a 74-litre tank, meaning a theoretical driving range of around 900kms in the petrol, and almost 1400kms in the diesel.

Audi claims official combined average consumption of 5.9-6.8L/100km and the dash display was claiming 6.5 at the completion of our 364km test, which comprised our usual mix of suburban, city and highway driving with up to five adult occupants and light luggage.

Our own figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, was 9.1L/100km which is still within the usual 2.3L/100km discrepancy between official and real-world figures. So, based on our test figure, you could expect a realistic driving range of around 700km from its 65-litre diesel tank.

Interestingly, the CX-70 has been tagged as the expected smallest seller of Mazda's premium SUV range, but I reckon it just might be the pick of the bunch.

Every one of the CX-0 models (60, 70, 80 and 90) all get slightly different suspension tunes, and while you can find harsh edges in the other models, the CX-70 feels utterly composed and refined, at least on the smooth-ish roads of our launch test route.

Perhaps most surprising, though, is the CX-70's ability to hold its own on a properly twisting road. We expected lots of weight transfer and the high-pitched sounds of tyres screaming out in pain, but instead found Mazda's massive SUV served up grip, composure, and very little in the way of sea-swell-style body roll.

The two big six-cylinder engines also feel perfectly suited to a vehicle in this space. There's tons of power whenever you need it, and solid levels of refinement in terms of engine noise or diesel rattles.

For mine, the petrol engine is the pick though, feeing just a little smoother than the diesel option. The latter can feel a bit jerky at slower speeds, whether that's the power delivery or the gearbox, and it doesn't seem to happen with the petrol engine.

The biggest caveat, though, is that we haven't driven the CX-70 in its natural environment, the city and suburbs, so while it largely shone on flowing country roads, how it performs on roads like the ones near your place remains a bit of a mystery.

There’s a comfortable and spacious driving position as you’d expect, with ample seat and steering wheel adjustments combined with a large left footrest to enhance support.

It exhibits solid build quality and good driving dynamics, from its nicely weighted steering to its supple ride quality that optimises the Q5’s sprung weight to flatten the bumps.

Acceleration from the turbo-diesel engine comes in a smooth surge that benefits from the extra input of the electric hybrid system, which combined can deliver more than 600Nm of torque. However, at times we detected a slight delay in response when accelerating hard from standing starts or low speeds.

The automatic transmission shifts sweetly between its seven ratios and the all-wheel drive transmission delivers reassuring traction.

We also trialled the different drive modes, with ‘Dynamic’ providing the most energetic response, particularly when using the paddles in manual-shift mode. However, we spent most of our test in the ‘Balanced’ default setting, as it provides the best compromise between ride comfort and performance for everyday use.

Comes with a fresh five-star ANCAP rating (tested 2025) and comprehensive passive and active safety features including nine airbags, AEB, active front assist, blind-spot monitoring, exit warning, rear cross-traffic alert, front park assist, speed sign recognition, a 360-degree camera view including kerb view function and more. The rear seat has ISOFIX child seat anchorages for the two outer seating positions and top tethers for all three.

Servicing is not particularly cheap in the CX-70, and the service intervals, at least in the diesel, feel a little short, too.

Buy that one, and you’ll be visiting the dealership every 12 months or 10,000kms, and the first five years of ownership will cost you $3298.

Petrol cars require servicing every 12 months or 15,000kms, and five years will set you back $3436.

The CX-70 is also covered by Mazda's five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

The standard warranty is five years/unlimited km, which is shorter than rivals like Kia's EV5 with seven years. Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first. Audi offers an upfront five-year service plan that covers the first five scheduled services up to five years/75,000km for $3520, or an average of $704 per service. This plan includes five years of roadside assistance.