Compare the2024 Audi SQ7VS 2024 BMW X7

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Audi SQ7 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW X7 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi SQ7 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X7 doesn’t offer height-adjustable front seat belts.

Both the SQ7 and X7 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The SQ7 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 X7’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.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the SQ7 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 X7 doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the SQ7 and the X7 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, 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 and rear cross-path warning.

The SQ7’s 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid produces 125 more horsepower (500 vs. 375) and 170 lbs.-ft. more torque (568 vs. 398) than the X7 xDrive40i’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid. The SQ7’s 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid produces 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (568 vs. 553) than the X7 M60i’s standard 4.4 turbo V8 hybrid.

For better stopping power the SQ7’s brake rotors are larger than those on the X7:

For better traction, the SQ7 has larger tires than the X7 (285/40R21 vs. 275/40R22).

The SQ7’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the X7’s standard 45 series tires.

The SQ7 offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. BMW doesn’t offer an active suspension on the X7.

The SQ7 is 4 inches shorter than the X7, making the SQ7 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The SQ7 has 1.9 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more rear legroom, .4 inches more rear shoulder room and 1.2 inches more third row shoulder room than the X7.

The front step up height for the SQ7 is 1.4 inches lower than the X7 (18.6” vs. 20”). The SQ7’s rear step up height is 1.8 inches lower than the X7’s (18.7” vs. 20.5”).

The SQ7’s cargo area provides more volume than the X7.

The SQ7’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The X7’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

Maximum trailer towing in the BMW X7 is limited to 7500 pounds. The SQ7 offers up to a 7700 lbs. towing capacity.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the SQ7 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The X7 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Laser headlights, optional on the SQ7 Prestige, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the X7’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 SQ7 Prestige offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The X7 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the SQ7 has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The X7 doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

A manual rear sunshade and rear side window sunshades are optional in the SQ7 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The X7 doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

Insurance will cost less for the SQ7 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the SQ7 will cost $555 less than the X7 over a five-year period.