Compare the2022 Audi Q7VS 2021 Mercedes GLE

Both the Q7 and GLE have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q7 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The GLE’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Q7 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The GLE doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Q7 offers an optional backup collision prevention system that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The GLE doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Q7. But it costs extra on the GLE.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Q7 Prestige helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The GLE doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Q7’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the GLE.

Both the Q7 and the GLE have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The Q7’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the GLE’s (12 vs. 5 years).

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 Q7’s reliability 24 points higher than the GLE.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 6 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

On the EPA test cycle the Q7 gets better mileage than the GLE:

For better stopping power the Q7’s brake rotors are larger than those on the GLE:

The Q7’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the GLE 350 are solid, not vented.

The Q7 stops much shorter than the GLE:

For better traction, the Q7’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the GLE (285/45R20 vs. 275/45R21).

The Q7 Prestige’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the GLE 580’s optional 40 series tires.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the Q7 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The GLE doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The Q7 Prestige handles at .86 G’s, while the GLE 450 pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Q7 Premium Plus executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.8 seconds quicker than the GLE 350 4MATIC (26.4 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Q7 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the GLE (8.3 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Q7 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Q7 w/Air Suspension’s minimum ground clearance is .5 inch higher than on the GLE Airmatic (9.7 vs. 9.2 inches).

The Q7 has 1.4 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front shoulder room and .2 inches more rear shoulder room than the GLE.

The front step up height for the Q7 is 1.4 inches lower than the GLE (18.6” vs. 20”). The Q7’s rear step up height is 1.3 inches lower than the GLE’s (18.7” vs. 20”).

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

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Q7 Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The GLE doesn’t offer headlight washers.

A manual rear sunshade and rear side window sunshades are optional in the Q7 (except Premium) to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The GLE doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

Insurance will cost less for the Q7 owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Q7 with a number “5” insurance rate while the GLE is rated higher at a number “8” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q7 is less expensive to operate than the GLE because typical repairs cost much less on the Q7 than the GLE, including $495 less for a water pump, $62 less for front brake pads, $95 less for a fuel pump and $633 less for a power steering pump.

Car and Driver performed a comparison test in its August 2019 issue and they ranked the Audi Q7 Prestige higher than the Mercedes GLE 450.

The Q7 was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” for 3 of the last 5 years. The GLE has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.