Compare the2023 Audi Q7VS 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Audi Q7 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Chevrolet Tahoe doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Q7’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Tahoe doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q7 and Tahoe 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 Tahoe’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 Tahoe 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.

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

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 Tahoe doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Q7 has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Tahoe’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Q7 has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Tahoe.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Q7 uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Tahoe uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Q7 and the Tahoe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, rearview cameras and available 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 Audi Q7 is safer than the Chevrolet Tahoe:

	Q7	Tahoe
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	102	233
Neck Injury Risk	44%	47%
Neck Stress	118 lbs.	272 lbs.
Neck Compression	38 lbs.	66 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	46/29 lbs.	333/811 lbs.

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

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Audi Q7 is safer than the Chevrolet Tahoe:

	Q7	Tahoe
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
Hip Force	557 lbs.	764 lbs.

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Q7, with its four-star roll-over rating, is 5.5% to 6.2% less likely to roll over than the Tahoe, which received a three-star rating.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its standard front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Q7 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 220 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Tahoe has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

The Q7 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Tahoe’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Q7’s corrosion warranty is 6 years and unlimited miles longer than the Tahoe’s (12/unlimited vs. 6/100,000).

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the Q7 have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of some of the engines in the Tahoe.

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 43 points higher than the Tahoe.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 3 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

As tested in Consumer Reports the Q7 55 TFSI 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid is faster than the Chevrolet Tahoe 5.3 V8:

	Q7	Tahoe
Zero to 60 MPH	7 sec	7.8 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.8 sec	4.9 sec
Quarter Mile	15.4 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97 MPH	91 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Q7
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	19 city/25 hwy
		3.0 turbo V6 Hybrid	18 city/22 hwy
Tahoe
	RWD	5.3 OHV V8	15 city/20 hwy
		6.2 OHV V8	14 city/20 hwy
	AWD	5.3 OHV V8	15 city/20 hwy
		6.2 OHV V8	14 city/18 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Q7 55 TFSI’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Tahoe doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Q7	Tahoe
Front Rotors	14.8 inches	13.5 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	13.6 inches

The Q7 stops much shorter than the Tahoe:

	Q7	Tahoe
70 to 0 MPH	160 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	134 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	141 feet	153 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q7’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Tahoe (285/45R20 vs. 275/50R22).

The Q7’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Tahoe’s standard 65 series tires. The Q7 Prestige’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Tahoe’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q7 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Tahoe.

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 Tahoe doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Q7 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Tahoe doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Q7 Prestige handles at .86 G’s, while the Tahoe Z71 4x4 pulls only .63 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Q7 Premium Plus executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 3 seconds quicker than the Tahoe LT 4x4 (26.4 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 29.4 seconds @ .54 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Q7 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Tahoe (8.3 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Q7 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Audi Q7 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 700 to 800 pounds less than the Chevrolet Tahoe.

The Q7 is 11.4 inches shorter than the Tahoe, making the Q7 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Q7 is 7.3 inches shorter in height than the Tahoe, making the Q7 much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction lowers the Q7’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Tahoe uses body-on-frame design instead.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Q7 easier. The Q7’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 32.5 inches, while the Tahoe’s liftover is 37 inches.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Chevrolet. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 13% lower rating, Chevrolet is ranked 16th.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Tahoe LT/RST/Z71/Premier/High Country, the Q7 Prestige offers an optional passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Q7’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Tahoe’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the Q7 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Tahoe can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Q7 has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Tahoe doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

Laser headlights, optional on the Q7 Prestige, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the Tahoe’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

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 offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Tahoe doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the Q7 has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The Tahoe doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

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 Tahoe doesn’t offer a rear or rear side window sunshades.

The Q7 Prestige offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Tahoe.

The Q7 55 TFSI Prestige’s Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Park Assist Plus will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Tahoe Premier/High Country’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Economic Advantages

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 Tahoe is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q7 is less expensive to operate than the Tahoe because it costs $200 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Q7 than the Tahoe, including $136 less for a water pump, $111 less for a muffler and $186 less for a fuel pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Audi Q7, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Chevrolet Tahoe isn't recommended.

The Q7 was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” for 3 of the last 6 years. The Tahoe has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.