Compare the2023 Kia TellurideVS 2023 Audi Q7

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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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 Telluride are reminded to check the back seat when a sensor determines the back seat is occupied. The Q7 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Kia Telluride has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps 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 Telluride’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 Telluride and the Q7 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear 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 Kia Telluride is safer than the Audi Q7:

	Telluride	Q7
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Compression	32 lbs.	37 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	36%	44%

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

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Kia Telluride is safer than the Q7:

	Telluride	Q7
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	109	225
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	25 cm	30 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	4%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Tibia index R/L	.38/.35	.57/.7

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, results indicate that the Kia Telluride is safer than the Audi Q7:

	Telluride	Q7
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	41	187
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	93 lbs.	128 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	137	337
Spine Acceleration	47 G’s	62 G’s
Hip Force	449 lbs.	888 lbs.

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Telluride its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Q7 last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

Warranty

The Telluride comes with a full 5-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 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Telluride 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q7. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Q7 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 3 times as many Kia dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Telluride’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Telluride second among upper midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Q7 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 83 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 31st, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 87 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 25th.

Engine

The Telluride’s 3.8 DOHC V6 produces 30 more horsepower (291 vs. 261) than the Q7 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Telluride
	FWD	3.8 DOHC V6	20 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.8 DOHC V6	18 city/24 hwy
Q7
	AWD	3.0 turbo V6 Hybrid	18 city/22 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Telluride uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q7 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Brakes and Stopping

The Telluride stops shorter than the Q7:

	Telluride	Q7
70 to 0 MPH	162 feet	166 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	121 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	133 feet	141 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Telluride has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire 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.

Suspension and Handling

The Telluride has a standard automatic 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 better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Telluride is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1 inch wider in the rear than on the Q7.

For better maneuverability, the Telluride’s turning circle is 2.2 feet tighter than the Q7’s (38.8 feet vs. 41 feet).

Chassis

The Kia Telluride may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 pounds less than the Audi Q7.

The design of the Kia Telluride amounts to more than styling. The Telluride has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .34 Cd. That is lower than the Q7 (.36). A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Telluride get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The Telluride has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Q7 can only carry 7.

The Telluride has 1 inch more front headroom, 2.1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear headroom, 3.6 inches more rear legroom, 2.7 inches more rear shoulder room, 2.2 inches more third row headroom, 2.2 inches more third row legroom and 5.9 inches more third row shoulder room than the Q7.

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

Cargo Capacity

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

	Telluride	Q7
Behind Third Seat	21 cubic feet	14.8 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	46 cubic feet	37.5 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	87 cubic feet	69.6 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Telluride easier. The Telluride’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.7 inches, while the Q7’s liftover is 32.5 inches.

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

	Telluride	Q7
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	20.4”/49.8”/83.8”	19.5”/44.7”/80.7”
Max Width	54.4”	52.5”
Min Width	43.5”	42.6”
Height	34.5”	30”

Towing

The Telluride’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Q7’s (5000 vs. 4400 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Telluride uses the Electronic Stability 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.

Ergonomics

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

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Telluride’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Q7’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

The Telluride EX/SX has standard front air conditioned seats and the Telluride SX Prestige also has them in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Q7 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Telluride SX Pro/SX Prestige 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.

Model Availability

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

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Telluride owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Telluride will cost $2430 to $5180 less than the Q7 over a five-year period.

The Telluride will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Telluride will retain 54.84% to 55.57% 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 Telluride is less expensive to operate than the Q7 because typical repairs cost much less on the Telluride than the Q7, including $294 less for a muffler, $21 less for front brake pads, $638 less for a starter, $387 less for fuel injection, $453 less for front struts and $465 less for a timing belt/chain.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Telluride will be $26046 to $29039 less than for the Audi Q7.

Recommendations

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Kia Telluride as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Telluride second among upper midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Q7 isn’t in the top three.

The Telluride was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2023 and 3 more times in the last 4 years. The Q7 hasn’t been picked since 2019, and the Q7 has only been chosen 3 times.

Motor Trend selected the Telluride as their 2020 Sport Utility of the Year. The Q7 has never been chosen.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Telluride as the 2020 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Q7 has never been chosen.

The Kia Telluride outsold the Audi Q7/SQ7 by over five to one during 2022.

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