Compare the2023 Audi Q7VS 2023 Mazda CX-9

Safety
Warranty
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
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 Mazda CX-9 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 CX-9 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q7 and CX-9 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 CX-9’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 CX-9 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.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Q7’s standard Hill Descent Assist allows you to creep down safely. The CX-9 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Assist.

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 CX-9 doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the Q7 and the CX-9 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, 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 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 Mazda CX-9:

	Q7	CX-9
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	99	212
Neck Injury Risk	25%	26%
Neck Stress	186 lbs.	309 lbs.
Neck Compression	37 lbs.	51 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	61/46 lbs.	107/424 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	102	337
Neck Stress	118 lbs.	183 lbs.
Neck Compression	38 lbs.	165 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	46/29 lbs.	376/375 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 Mazda CX-9:

	Q7	CX-9
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	15 inches

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

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 CX-9’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Q7’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the CX-9’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Engine

The Q7 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 11 more horsepower (261 vs. 250) than the CX-9’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The Q7 55 TFSI’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid produces 85 more horsepower (335 vs. 250) and 49 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 320) than the CX-9’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Q7 55 TFSI 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid is faster than the Mazda CX-9:

	Q7	CX-9
Zero to 30 MPH	3 sec	3.1 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7 sec	7.9 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.8 sec	5.7 sec
Quarter Mile	15.4 sec	16.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97 MPH	88 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

Regenerative brakes improve the Q7 55 TFSI’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The CX-9 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Q7’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The CX-9 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Q7 has 3 gallons more fuel capacity than the CX-9 (22.5 vs. 19.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Audi Q7, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the CX-9.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Q7’s brake rotors are larger than those on the CX-9:

	Q7	CX-9
Front Rotors	14.8 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	12.8 inches

The Q7’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the CX-9 are solid, not vented.

The Q7 stops much shorter than the CX-9:

	Q7	CX-9
70 to 0 MPH	160 feet	183 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	130 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	141 feet	143 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q7’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the CX-9 (285/45R20 vs. 255/60R18).

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 CX-9 Touring’s standard 60 series tires. The Q7 Prestige’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the CX-9 Touring Plus/Carbon Edition/Grand Touring/Signature’s 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 CX-9 Touring. The Q7 Prestige’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the CX-9 Touring Plus/Carbon Edition/Grand Touring/Signature.

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 CX-9 doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Q7 offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The CX-9’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q7’s wheelbase is 2.6 inches longer than on the CX-9 (117.9 inches vs. 115.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Q7 is .8 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than on the CX-9.

The Q7 Prestige handles at .86 G’s, while the CX-9 Signature pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Q7 Premium Plus executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the CX-9 Touring (26.4 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Q7 w/Air Suspension has a greater minimum ground clearance than the CX-9 (9.7 vs. 8.8 inches), allowing the Q7 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Q7 has .6 inches more front headroom, .7 inches more front legroom, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom, .4 inches more rear shoulder room and .5 inches more third row headroom than the CX-9.

Cargo Capacity

The Q7’s cargo area provides more volume than the CX-9.

	Q7	CX-9
Behind Third Seat	14.8 cubic feet	14.4 cubic feet

Pressing a button automatically lowers or raises the Q7’s third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The CX-9 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Q7. The CX-9 doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Q7’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the CX-9’s (4400 vs. 3500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Mazda CX-9 is only 3500 pounds. The Q7 offers up to a 7700 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The Q7 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The CX-9 uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The engine in the Q7 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the CX-9. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Mazda. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 9% lower rating, Mazda is ranked 11th.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat in the CX-9 Touring Plus/Carbon Edition/Grand Touring/Signature, 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 standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The CX-9 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The power windows standard on both the Q7 and the CX-9 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Q7 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The CX-9 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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 CX-9 can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Q7’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The CX-9’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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 CX-9’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

Consumer Reports rated the Q7’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the CX-9’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

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 CX-9 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 CX-9 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 CX-9 doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

When the Q7 is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The CX-9’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Q7’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The CX-9 has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

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 CX-9.

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 CX-9 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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 CX-9 is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

The Q7 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Q7 will retain 47.36% to 48.47% of its original price after five years, while the CX-9 only retains 42.92% to 44.59%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q7 is less expensive to operate than the CX-9 because typical repairs cost much less on the Q7 than the CX-9, including $709 less for a water pump, $108 less for a fuel pump and $148 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi Q7 and the Mazda CX-9, based on reliability, safety and performance.