Compare the2023 Ford ExpeditionVS 2023 Audi Q7

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 Expedition 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 middle row seatbelts optional on the Expedition inflate when a collision is detected, helping to spread crash forces over a much larger area of the body and limiting head and neck movement. This can help prevent spinal and internal injuries. The Q7 doesn’t offer inflatable seatbelts.

The Expedition’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 Expedition 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 Ford Expedition is safer than the Audi Q7:

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 flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Ford Expedition is safer than the Audi Q7:

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

Ford’s powertrain warranty covers the Expedition 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q7. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Q7 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 10 times as many Ford dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Expedition’s warranty.

The Expedition has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Q7 doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 72 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is rated below average.

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

The Expedition has more powerful engines than the Q7:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Ford Expedition uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Q7 55 TFSI requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Expedition has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Q7 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Ford Expedition, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Q7.

For better traction, the Expedition has larger standard tires than the Q7 (265/70R18 vs. 255/55R19).

The Ford Expedition’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 Expedition 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 Expedition offers an optional 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.

The Expedition’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Q7 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Expedition’s wheelbase is 4.6 inches longer than on the Q7 (122.5 inches vs. 117.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Expedition is 1.5 inches wider in the front and .6 inches wider in the rear than on the Q7.

For greater off-road capability the Expedition has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Q7 (9.8 vs. 8.3 inches), allowing the Expedition to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Expedition Timberline’s minimum ground clearance is .9 inch higher than on the Q7 w/Air Suspension (10.6 vs. 9.7 inches).

The front grille of the Expedition uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Q7 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Expedition Timberline/Limited/King Ranch/Platinum uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Q7 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

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

The Expedition has 2.1 inches more front headroom, 2.2 inches more front legroom, 5.4 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 2.7 inches more rear legroom, 6.3 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.4 inches more third row headroom, 6.9 inches more third row legroom and 14.8 inches more third row shoulder room than the Q7.

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

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

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

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

The Expedition’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Q7’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The Expedition’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Q7’s (6000 vs. 4400 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Audi Q7 is only 7700 pounds. The Expedition offers up to a 9300 lbs. towing capacity.

The Expedition 4x4 with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Expedition can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Q7 can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Expedition uses the AdvanceTrac® 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 Expedition’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.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Expedition’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Q7 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Audi Connect CARE can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Expedition has a standard rear variable 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.

The Expedition (except STX) offers an optional 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 Expedition 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 Expedition owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Expedition will cost $1955 to $4410 less than the Q7 over a five-year period.

The Expedition will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Expedition will retain 49.75% to 51.3% of its original price after five years, while the Q7 only retains 47.36% to 48.47%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Expedition is less expensive to operate than the Q7 because typical repairs cost much less on the Expedition than the Q7, including $191 less for a water pump, $544 less for a muffler, $118 less for front brake pads, $838 less for a starter, $632 less for fuel injection, $101 less for a fuel pump, $542 less for front struts and $714 less for a timing belt/chain.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Ford Expedition will be $2539 to $10136 less than for the Audi Q7.

The Ford Expedition/Expedition Max outsold the Audi Q7/SQ7 by over three to one during 2022.