Compare the2023 Lincoln NavigatorVS 2023 Audi Q7

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
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 Navigator 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 Lincoln Navigator 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 middle row seatbelts optional on the Navigator Reserve/Black Label 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 Navigator’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 Navigator 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

The Lincoln Navigator weighs 603 to 1071 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 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Lincoln Navigator is safer than the Audi Q7:

	Navigator	Q7
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Leg Forces (l/r)	23/39 lbs.	61/46 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	35%	44%

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 Lincoln Navigator is safer than the Audi Q7:

	Navigator	Q7
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	23	187
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	108 lbs.	128 lbs.
Hip Force	180 lbs.	350 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	61	337
Spine Acceleration	27 G’s	62 G’s
Hip Force	434 lbs.	888 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	134	290

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

Warranty

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Navigator 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.

There are over 2 times as many Lincoln dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Navigator’s warranty.

Reliability

The Navigator 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 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 Lincoln vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lincoln 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 Lincoln vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lincoln above average in long-term dependability. With 12 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Audi is rated below average.

Engine

The Navigator’s 3.5 turbo V6 produces 179 more horsepower (440 vs. 261) and 237 lbs.-ft. more torque (510 vs. 273) than the Q7 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The Navigator’s 3.5 turbo V6 produces 105 more horsepower (440 vs. 335) and 141 lbs.-ft. more torque (510 vs. 369) than the Q7 55 TFSI’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid.

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

	Navigator	Q7
Zero to 30 MPH	2.4 sec	3 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.2 sec	7 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.5 sec	4.8 sec
Quarter Mile	14.7 sec	15.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	98 MPH	97 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

The Navigator has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Q7 (23.6 vs. 22.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Navigator 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.

Transmission

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

Tires and Wheels

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

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

The Lincoln Navigator’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 Navigator 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 Navigator’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 Navigator’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 Navigator is 1.5 inches wider in the front and .6 inches wider in the rear than on the Q7.

For better maneuverability, the Navigator’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Q7’s (40 feet vs. 41 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Navigator has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Q7 (9.6 vs. 8.3 inches), allowing the Navigator to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The front grille of the Navigator 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 Navigator 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.

Passenger Space

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

The Navigator has 1.9 inches more front headroom, 2.2 inches more front legroom, 5.7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 2.3 inches more rear legroom, 6.6 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 Navigator’s middle and third row seats recline. The Q7’s third row seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Navigator	Q7
Behind Third Seat	19.3 cubic feet	14.8 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	57.5 cubic feet	37.5 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	103.3 cubic feet	69.6 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Navigator easier. The Navigator’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29 inches, while the Q7’s liftover is 32.5 inches.

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

	Navigator	Q7
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	24”/48”/86.8”	19.5”/44.7”/80.7”
Max Width	51.5”	52.5”
Min Width	51”	42.6”
Height	37”	30”

The Navigator 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 button automatically lowers the Navigator’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 Navigator’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.

Towing

The Navigator’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Q7’s (6200 vs. 4400 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Audi Q7 is only 7700 pounds. The Navigator offers up to a 8700 lbs. towing capacity.

The Navigator 4WD 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 Navigator can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Q7 can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Navigator 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.

Ergonomics

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Navigator’s 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 Navigator 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.

Consumer Reports rated the Navigator’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 Navigator has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Q7 doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Standard air conditioned seats in the front and second seat rows keep the Navigator’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Q7 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Navigator 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.

Both the Navigator and the Q7 offer available massaging front seats. The Navigator also offers optional massaging second row seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging second row seats aren’t available in the Q7.

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

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

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Navigator is less expensive to operate than the Q7 because typical repairs cost much less on the Navigator than the Q7, including $103 less for a water pump, $515 less for a muffler, $118 less for front brake pads, $867 less for a starter, $547 less for fuel injection, $82 less for a fuel pump, $442 less for front struts and $501 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Navigator as the 2018 North American Truck of the Year. The Q7 has never been chosen.