Compare the2023 Infiniti QX80VS 2023 Audi Q7

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Infiniti QX80 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Audi Q7 doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

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 QX80 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q7 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Infiniti QX80 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help 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 QX80 has standard Active Head Restraints (AHR), which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the AHR system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Q7 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the QX80 and the Q7 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

The Infiniti QX80 weighs 619 to 1301 pounds more than the Audi Q7. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Infiniti QX80 is safer than the Audi Q7:

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

The QX80 comes with a full 4-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 10,000 miles sooner.

Infiniti’s powertrain warranty covers the QX80 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q7. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Q7 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Infiniti pays for scheduled maintenance on the QX80 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Infiniti will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Q7.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Infiniti vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 35 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Infiniti higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Infiniti vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 4 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Infiniti higher than Audi.

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

The QX80’s 5.6 DOHC V8 produces 139 more horsepower (400 vs. 261) and 140 lbs.-ft. more torque (413 vs. 273) than the Q7 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The QX80’s 5.6 DOHC V8 produces 65 more horsepower (400 vs. 335) and 44 lbs.-ft. more torque (413 vs. 369) than the Q7 55 TFSI’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Infiniti QX80 is faster than the Q7 55 TFSI 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Infiniti QX80 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Q7 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The QX80 has 3.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Q7 (26 vs. 22.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better traction, the QX80 has larger tires than the Q7 (275/60R20 vs. 255/55R19).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the QX80 Luxe has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the Q7.

The Infiniti QX80’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Audi Q7 only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The QX80 has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Q7 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The QX80 has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare 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.

The rear suspension of the QX80 uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the Q7, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The QX80 Sensory has a standard automatic rear 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 a smoother ride and more stable handling, the QX80’s wheelbase is 3.2 inches longer than on the Q7 (121.1 inches vs. 117.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the QX80 is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than on the Q7.

For greater off-road capability the QX80 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Q7 (9.2 vs. 8.3 inches), allowing the QX80 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The QX80 offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the Q7 can only carry 7.

The QX80 has 4.3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 2.2 inches more rear legroom, 5 inches more rear shoulder room, .9 inches more third row headroom and 11.1 inches more third row shoulder room than the Q7.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the QX80’s middle and third row seats recline. The Q7’s third row seats don’t recline.

The QX80’s cargo area provides more volume than the Q7.

The QX80’s cargo area is larger than the Q7’s in almost every dimension:

The QX80 has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Q7 doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the QX80 Sensory’s second and third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Q7 doesn’t offer automatic folding second row seats.

The QX80’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Q7’s (8500 vs. 4400 pounds).

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the QX80 uses the Vehicle Dynamic Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Q7 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The QX80’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Q7 does not have an oil pressure gauge.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the QX80 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 QX80’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Q7’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the QX80 Sensory has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Q7 doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The QX80 has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Q7.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Infiniti QX80 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Q7.

The QX80 Sensory has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, 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.

The QX80 is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q7 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the QX80 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the QX80 will cost $745 less than the Q7 over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the QX80 is less expensive to operate than the Q7 because typical repairs cost much less on the QX80 than the Q7, including $81 less for a water pump, $499 less for a muffler, $86 less for front brake pads, $573 less for a starter, $449 less for fuel injection, $10 less for a fuel pump, $511 less for front struts and $146 less for a timing belt/chain.