Compare the2024 Nissan PathfinderVS 2024 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 Pathfinder 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 Nissan Pathfinder 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 Pathfinder Platinum has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Q7 doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The Pathfinder’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 Pathfinder and the Q7 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, 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 Nissan Pathfinder is safer than the Audi Q7:

	Pathfinder	Q7
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches

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 Nissan Pathfinder is safer than the Q7:

	Pathfinder	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	.54/.36	.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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Nissan Pathfinder is safer than the Audi Q7:

	Pathfinder	Q7
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	84	187
Hip Force	244 lbs.	350 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	88	337
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	62 G’s
Hip Force	461 lbs.	888 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	234	290
Spine Acceleration	37 G’s	40 G’s
Hip Force	466 lbs.	557 lbs.

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

Warranty

Nissan’s powertrain warranty covers the Pathfinder 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.

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

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 41 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 Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 27 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Nissan higher than Audi.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 2 places higher in reliability than Audi.

Engine

The Pathfinder’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 23 more horsepower (284 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 Pathfinder gets better mileage than the Q7:

			MPG
Pathfinder
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	21 city/27 hwy
		Platinum 3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/25 hwy
Q7
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	19 city/25 hwy
		3.0 turbo V6 Hybrid	19 city/24 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Nissan Pathfinder uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended on Pathfinder Rock Creek for maximum performance). The Q7 55 TFSI requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Pathfinder 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 nine-speed automatic is standard on the Nissan Pathfinder, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Q7.

Tires and Wheels

The Pathfinder has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Q7 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Pathfinder 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

For better maneuverability, the Pathfinder’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the Q7’s (38.7 feet vs. 41 feet).

Chassis

The Nissan Pathfinder may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 500 pounds less than the Audi Q7.

Passenger Space

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

The Pathfinder has 2.4 inches more front headroom, 2.6 inches more front legroom, 1.3 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear headroom, 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.9 inches more third row headroom and 9 inches more third row shoulder room than the Q7.

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

Cargo Capacity

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

	Pathfinder	Q7
Behind Third Seat	16.6 cubic feet	14.2 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	45 cubic feet	35.7 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	80.5 cubic feet	69.6 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Pathfinder easier. The Pathfinder’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.5 inches, while the Q7’s liftover is 32.5 inches.

The Pathfinder 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.

Towing

The Pathfinder’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Q7’s (3500 vs. 0 pounds).

Ergonomics

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Pathfinder 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 Pathfinder Platinum 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 Pathfinder 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 Pathfinder owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Pathfinder will cost $900 to $3930 less than the Q7 over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Nissan Pathfinder will be $24109 to $25316 less than for the Audi Q7.

Recommendations

The Nissan Pathfinder outsold the Audi Q7/SQ7 by over two to one during 2023.