The Q5. Once age and mileage are allowed for, Q5s pass the MOT first time 2.6 points more often than Q3s. The best bets are Q3s registered from 2012 onwards, and Q5s registered from 2009 onwards. No years of either stand out as ones to avoid.
| Audi Q3 | Audi Q5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Passed first time, cars registered 2014 to 2021 | 83.4% | 85.7% |
| Against the average car of the same age and mileage | +5.1 points | +7.8 points |
| Years to avoid | None stand out | None stand out |
| Best years | 2012 to 2022 | 2009 to 2022 |
| Fails most often, against the average car | No area stands out | Body and structure: 1.3 times as often |
| Most common failure | Coil springs: fractured or broken | Drive shaft joints and CV boots: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt |
| MOTs in 2025 | 140,553 | 117,646 |
How often cars from each registration year passed the MOT first time, against the average car of the same age and mileage. The figure is the difference in percentage points.
Each block is a registration year: the year the car was first used. Tap or hover over one for its figures. Blank means too few MOTs that year.
Points against the average car of the same age and mileage, with each year's most common failure. Less than 1.5 points apart counts as either.
| Registered | Q3 | Q5 | Better bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Too few MOTs | +11.4Drive shaft joints and CV boots (constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt) | |
| 2010 | Too few MOTs | +12.1Drive shaft joints and CV boots (constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt) | |
| 2011 | Too few MOTs | +12.7Drive shaft joints and CV boots (constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt) | |
| 2012 | +7.8Coil springs (fractured or broken) | +13.9Drive shaft joints and CV boots (constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt) | Q5 |
| 2013 | +6.5Coil springs (fractured or broken) | +13.9Suspension pins and bushes (pin or bush excessively worn) | Q5 |
| 2014 | +5.3Coil springs (fractured or broken) | +13.4Suspension pins and bushes (pin or bush excessively worn) | Q5 |
| 2015 | +4.2Coil springs (fractured or broken) | +12.1Drive shaft joints and CV boots (constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt) | Q5 |
| 2016 | +5.4Coil springs (fractured or broken) | +9.7Drive shaft joints and CV boots (constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt) | Q5 |
| 2017 | +5.7Coil springs (fractured or broken) | +5.5Coil springs (fractured or broken) | Either |
| 2018 | +3.8Coil springs (fractured or broken) | +6.7Coil springs (fractured or broken) | Q5 |
| 2019 | +7.1Brake pads (less than 1.5 mm thick) | +6.7Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | Either |
| 2020 | +4.9Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | +5.5Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | Either |
| 2021 | +4.2Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | +3.9Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Either |
| 2022 | +3.6Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | +4.5Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | Either |
How often each passed the MOT first time against the average car of the same age and mileage, in points. Over 120,000 miles: Q3s 3.5 points above the average car of the same age and mileage, Q5s 12.0 points above.
| Q3 | Q5 | Better bet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 30k miles | +3.3 | +2.8 | Either |
| 30–60k miles | +5.5 | +6.0 | Either |
| 60–90k miles | +6.4 | +9.5 | Q5 |
| 90–120k miles | +5.6 | +12.7 | Q5 |
| 120k+ miles | +3.5 | +12.0 | Q5 |
| Q3 | Q5 | Better bet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | +5.7 | +6.5 | Either |
| Diesel | +4.9 | +9.4 | Q5 |
| Hybrid | +3.7 | +4.9 | Either |
Each fuel is compared with the average car of the same age and mileage, whatever its fuel. Rows with fewer than 500 MOTs for either car are left out.
How often each failed on every area of the test, against the average car of the same age and mileage. All registration years.
| Area | Q3: failed | Against average | Q5: failed | Against average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 7.1% | 1.1× | 4.3% | 0.6× |
| Steering | 0.2% | 0.2× | 0.3% | 0.2× |
| Brakes | 2.6% | 0.6× | 2.1% | 0.4× |
| Tyres | 5.5% | 0.9× | 4.4% | 0.7× |
| Lights & electrics | 2.8% | 0.4× | 3.6% | 0.4× |
| Visibility | 2.5% | 0.7× | 1.9% | 0.5× |
| Body & structure | 0.7% | 0.4× | 3.0% | 1.3× |
| Emissions & leaks | 1.4% | 0.7× | 2.0% | 0.8× |
The failures testers found most often on each, against the average car of the same age and mileage. Both charts use the same scale.
What testers most often noted as advisories on each: wear that passed but was close to failing. Figures in brackets are for the average car of the same age and mileage.
The Q5
For cars registered 2014 to 2021, Q5s passed the MOT first time 7.8 points above the average car of the same age and mileage and Q3s 5.1 points above: 2.6 points between them.
+5.1points against the average car of the same age and mileage
+7.8points against the average car of the same age and mileage
Going by the MOT, the Q5 is. For cars registered 2014 to 2021, 85.7% of Q5s passed first time, 7.8 points above the average car of the same age and mileage, against 83.4% of Q3s, 5.1 points above.
None stand out: every registration year is within 1.5 points of the average car of the same age and mileage, or ahead of it.
None stand out: every registration year is within 1.5 points of the average car of the same age and mileage, or ahead of it.
Over 120,000 miles: Q3s 3.5 points above the average car of the same age and mileage, Q5s 12.0 points above. So the Q5 holds up better.
Q3: coil springs (fractured or broken), on 4.3% of MOTs against 2.0% for the average car of the same age and mileage. Q5: drive shaft joints and CV boots (constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt), on 2.4% of MOTs against 1.0% for the average car of the same age and mileage.
Data. Every car MOT in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT test data: 140,553 Q3 MOTs and 117,646 Q5 MOTs. Retests are left out.
Against the average car. Each model is compared with the average car of the same age and mileage, not with each other directly, so a newer or lower-mileage model doesn't win for that alone.
Which is more reliable. The answer uses cars registered 2014 to 2021, the same years for both, as the rivals table on each model page does. Less than 1.5 points apart counts as level.