Compare the2024 Toyota SequoiaVS 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 Sequoia 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 Toyota Sequoia 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 Sequoia has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Q7 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Sequoia’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 Sequoia 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available four-wheel drive.

The Toyota Sequoia weighs 538 to 1401 pounds more than the Audi Q7. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Sequoia 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.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Sequoia for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Q7.

There are over 4 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Sequoia’s warranty.

The battery on the Sequoia is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Sequoia’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Q7’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 27 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Toyota 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 Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Audi is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Audi is ranked 6th.

The Sequoia’s 3.4 turbo V6 hybrid produces 176 more horsepower (437 vs. 261) and 310 lbs.-ft. more torque (583 vs. 273) than the Q7 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The Sequoia’s 3.4 turbo V6 hybrid produces 102 more horsepower (437 vs. 335) and 214 lbs.-ft. more torque (583 vs. 369) than the Q7 55 TFSI’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid.

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

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

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Sequoia higher (5 out of 10) than the Audi Q7 (3 to 5). This means the Sequoia 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 Toyota Sequoia, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Q7.

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

The Toyota Sequoia’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 Sequoia 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 Sequoia Platinum/Capstone 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 Sequoia’s wheelbase is 4.1 inches longer than on the Q7 (122 inches vs. 117.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Sequoia is 2.8 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Q7.

For better maneuverability, the Sequoia’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Q7’s (40.2 feet vs. 41 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Sequoia has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Q7 (8.6 vs. 8.3 inches), allowing the Sequoia to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the Sequoia 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 Sequoia has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Q7 can only carry 7.

The Sequoia has 5.5 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear legroom, 3.3 inches more rear shoulder room, 4.5 inches more third row legroom and 13.2 inches more third row shoulder room than the Q7.

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

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

The Sequoia’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 Sequoia’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Q7’s (9120 vs. 4400 pounds).

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Sequoia uses the Vehicle 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.

The Sequoia’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 Sequoia 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.

The Sequoia Limited/TRD Pro/Platinum/Capstone has standard front air conditioned seats and the Sequoia Platinum/Capstone 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 Sequoia 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 Sequoia is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q7 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Sequoia first among large 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.