Compare the2023 Audi Q7VS 2023 Nissan Pathfinder

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
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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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 Pathfinder doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q7 and Pathfinder 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 Pathfinder’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 Pathfinder 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Q7. But it costs extra on the Pathfinder.

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 Pathfinder doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the Q7 and the Pathfinder have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear 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 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 Nissan Pathfinder:

	Q7	Pathfinder
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	99	150
Neck Injury Risk	25%	31%
Neck Stress	186 lbs.	348 lbs.
Neck Compression	37 lbs.	53 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	61/46 lbs.	156/136 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	102	312
Neck Injury Risk	44%	45.1%
Neck Stress	118 lbs.	216 lbs.
Neck Compression	38 lbs.	93 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	46/29 lbs.	236/309 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 flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Audi Q7 is safer than the Nissan Pathfinder:

	Q7	Pathfinder
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.8 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	128 lbs.	138 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 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 Pathfinder’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 Pathfinder’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Q7’s reliability 51 points higher than the Pathfinder.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 9 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

Engine

The Q7 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 14 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 259) than the Pathfinder’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6. The Q7 45 TFSI’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 3 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 270) than the Pathfinder Rock Creek’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6. The Q7 55 TFSI’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid produces 40 more horsepower (335 vs. 295) and 99 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 270) than the Pathfinder Rock Creek’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Q7 45 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder Hybrid gets better fuel mileage than the Pathfinder Rock Creek 3.5 DOHC V6 (19 city/25 hwy vs. 20 city/23 hwy).

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

The Q7 has 4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Pathfinder (22.5 vs. 18.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Q7 has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Pathfinder. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Q7	Pathfinder
Front Rotors	14.8 inches	13.8 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	13 inches

The Q7 stops much shorter than the Pathfinder:

	Q7	Pathfinder
70 to 0 MPH	160 feet	179 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	130 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q7’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Pathfinder (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 Pathfinder’s standard 60 series tires. The Q7 Prestige’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Pathfinder’s optional 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 Pathfinder. The Q7 Prestige’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Pathfinder.

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 Pathfinder 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 Pathfinder’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q7’s wheelbase is 3.7 inches longer than on the Pathfinder (117.9 inches vs. 114.2 inches).

The Q7 Prestige handles at .86 G’s, while the Pathfinder SL 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 2 seconds quicker than the Pathfinder Platinum (26.4 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Q7 has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Pathfinder (8.3 vs. 7.1 inches), allowing the Q7 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Q7 w/Air Suspension’s minimum ground clearance is 2 inches higher than on the Pathfinder Rock Creek (9.7 vs. 7.7 inches).

Passenger Space

The Q7 has 3.3 inches more rear legroom and 1.2 inches more third row legroom than the Pathfinder.

The front step up height for the Q7 is 1.2 inches lower than the Pathfinder (18.6” vs. 19.8”). The Q7’s rear step up height is 1.1 inches lower than the Pathfinder’s (18.7” vs. 19.8”).

Cargo Capacity

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

Towing

The Q7’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Pathfinder’s (4400 vs. 3500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Nissan Pathfinder is only 6000 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 Pathfinder 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 Pathfinder. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Nissan. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 16% lower rating, Nissan is ranked 18th.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Pathfinder Platinum, 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.

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 Pathfinder can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Q7’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Pathfinder’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

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

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 Pathfinder 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 Pathfinder 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 Pathfinder doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

The Q7’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Nissan only offers heated mirrors on the Pathfinder SV/Rock Creek/SL/Platinum.

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 Pathfinder offers 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 Pathfinder.

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 Pathfinder doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

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 Pathfinder only retains 43.77% to 45.89%.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Audi Q7, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Nissan Pathfinder isn't recommended.