Compare the2022 Kia TellurideVS 2021 Audi Q7

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Telluride are reminded to check the back seat when a sensor determines the back seat is occupied. The Q7 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Kia Telluride has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Q7 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Telluride’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Q7 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Telluride and the Q7 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Telluride is safer than the Audi Q7:

	Telluride	Q7
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Compression	32 lbs.	37 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	36%	44%

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Kia Telluride is safer than the Q7:

	Telluride	Q7
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	109	225
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	25 cm	30 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	4%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Tibia index R/L	.38/.35	.57/.7

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Telluride is safer than the Audi Q7:

	Telluride	Q7
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	41	187
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	93 G’s	128 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	137	337
Spine Acceleration	47 G’s	62 G’s
Hip Force	449 lbs.	888 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Telluride the rating of “Top Pick” for 2021, a rating granted to only 120 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Q7 has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The Telluride comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Q7’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Telluride 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q7. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Q7 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 3 times as many Kia dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Telluride’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Telluride’s reliability 58 points higher than the Q7.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 89 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 32nd, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 20th.

Engine

The Telluride’s 3.8 DOHC V6 produces 43 more horsepower (291 vs. 248) than the Q7 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Telluride 4x4 gets better fuel mileage than the Q7 45 TFSI (19 city/24 hwy vs. 19 city/23 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Telluride uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q7 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Telluride higher (5 out of 10) than the Audi Q7 (3 to 5). This means the Telluride produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Q7 every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Telluride stops shorter than the Q7:

	Telluride	Q7
70 to 0 MPH	162 feet	166 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	127 feet	133 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	133 feet	141 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Telluride has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Q7; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed. Some tire options on the Q7 don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

Suspension and Handling

The Telluride has a standard automatic load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Q7 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Telluride is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1 inch wider in the rear than on the Q7.

For better maneuverability, the Telluride’s turning circle is 2.2 feet tighter than the Q7’s (38.8 feet vs. 41 feet).

Chassis

The Kia Telluride may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 pounds less than the Audi Q7.

Passenger Space

The Telluride has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Q7 can only carry 7.

The Telluride has 1 inch more front headroom, 2.1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear headroom, 3.6 inches more rear legroom, 2.7 inches more rear shoulder room, 2.2 inches more third row headroom, 2.2 inches more third row legroom and 5.9 inches more third row shoulder room than the Q7.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Telluride’s middle and third row seats recline. The Q7’s third row seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Telluride’s cargo area provides more volume than the Q7.

	Telluride	Q7
Behind Third Seat	21 cubic feet	14.8 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	46 cubic feet	37.5 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	87 cubic feet	71.6 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Telluride easier. The Telluride’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.7 inches, while the Q7’s liftover is 32.5 inches.

The Telluride’s cargo area is larger than the Q7’s in every dimension:

	Telluride	Q7
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	20.4”/49.8”/83.8”	19.5”/44.7”/80.7”
Max Width	54.4”	52.5”
Min Width	43.5”	42.6”
Height	34.5”	30”

Towing

The Telluride’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Q7’s (5000 vs. 4400 pounds).

Ergonomics

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Telluride has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q7 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Telluride’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Q7’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

The Telluride EX/SX has standard front air conditioned seats and the Telluride SX offers them optionally in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Q7 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Telluride SX offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Q7 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Model Availability

The Telluride is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q7 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Telluride is less expensive to operate than the Q7 because typical repairs cost much less on the Telluride than the Q7, including $294 less for a muffler, $21 less for front brake pads, $638 less for a starter, $387 less for fuel injection, $453 less for front struts and $465 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® chose the Kia Telluride as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Audi Q7 isn't recommended.

The Telluride was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2 of the last 2 years. The Q7 has never been a Car and Driver “Top Ten” pick.

Motor Trend selected the Telluride as their 2020 Sport Utility of the Year. The Q7 has never been chosen.