Compare the2025 Cadillac EscaladeVS 2024 Audi SQ7

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
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 Escalade are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The SQ7 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Cadillac Escalade 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 SQ7 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Escalade has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The SQ7 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Escalade’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 SQ7 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Escalade and the SQ7 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and night vision systems.

The Cadillac Escalade weighs 516 to 723 pounds more than the Audi SQ7. 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 Cadillac Escalade is safer than the Audi SQ7:

	Escalade	SQ7
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	23%	25%
	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.

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 Cadillac Escalade is safer than the Audi SQ7:

	Escalade	SQ7
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	25	187
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	111 lbs.	128 lbs.
Hip Force	118 lbs.	350 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	88	337
Spine Acceleration	24 G’s	62 G’s
Hip Force	248 lbs.	888 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	239	290
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	40 G’s

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

Warranty

Cadillac’s powertrain warranty covers the Escalade 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Audi covers the SQ7. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the SQ7 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 85 percent more Cadillac dealers than there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Escalade’s warranty.

Reliability

The Escalade 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 run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The SQ7 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 rated the Escalade second among large premium suvs in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The SQ7 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 28 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Cadillac higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 79 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Cadillac higher than Audi.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Cadillac 3 places higher in reliability than Audi.

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Escalade’s fuel efficiency. The SQ7 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Cadillac Escalade uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The SQ7 requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Escalade has 1.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the SQ7 (24 vs. 22.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Escalade 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 SQ7 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Cadillac Escalade, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the SQ7.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Escalade	SQ7
Front Rotors	16.1 inches	15.8 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Escalade has standard 22-inch wheels. Only 21-inch wheels are available on the SQ7. The Escalade offers optional 24-inch wheels.

The Cadillac Escalade’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Audi SQ7 only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Escalade 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 SQ7 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Escalade has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the SQ7; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Escalade’s wheelbase is 3 inches longer than on the SQ7 (120.9 inches vs. 117.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Escalade is 2.3 inches wider in the front and 1.5 inches wider in the rear than on the SQ7.

For better maneuverability, the Escalade’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the SQ7’s (39.5 feet vs. 41 feet). The Escalade with 24” wheels’ turning circle is .4 feet tighter than the SQ7’s (40.6 feet vs. 41 feet).

Chassis

The front grille of the Escalade uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The SQ7 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Escalade (except Luxury) offers available computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The SQ7 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Escalade offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the SQ7 can only carry 7.

The Escalade has 2.4 inches more front headroom, 2.8 inches more front legroom, 6 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom, 3 inches more rear legroom, 5.7 inches more rear shoulder room, 2.3 inches more third row headroom, 5.7 inches more third row legroom and 13.3 inches more third row shoulder room than the SQ7.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Escalade	SQ7
Behind Third Seat	25.5 cubic feet	14.2 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	72.9 cubic feet	35.7 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	120.5 cubic feet	69.6 cubic feet

The Escalade’s cargo area is larger than the SQ7’s in almost every dimension:

	Escalade	SQ7
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	24”/54”/89.5”	19.5”/44.7”/80.7”
Max Width	49.5”	52.5”
Min Width	49.4”	42.6”
Height	36.5”	30”

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the Escalade’s second and third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The SQ7 doesn’t offer automatic folding second row seats.

Towing

The Escalade’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the SQ7’s (7900 vs. 0 pounds).

The Escalade 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 Escalade can be unhitched and driven around locally. The SQ7 can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Escalade uses the StabiliTrak® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The SQ7 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Cadillac service is better than Audi. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac fifth in service department satisfaction. With a 29% lower rating, Audi is ranked 18th.

Ergonomics

The Escalade’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 SQ7 does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Escalade’s available power side swing out doors make it much easier to load and unload kids and cargo. One touch opens the door, before you even get to the sport utility. The SQ7 doesn’t offer a power rear door.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Escalade has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the SQ7 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The SQ7’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Escalade’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

The Escalade Premium/Platinum/Sport has standard front air conditioned seats and the Escalade Platinum offers them optionally in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The SQ7 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

Both the Escalade and the SQ7 offer available massaging front seats. The Escalade Platinum 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 SQ7.

Both the Cadillac Escalade and the Audi SQ7 have a standard Qi wireeless phone charging system in the front seat. To easily keep personal devices charged in the second row seat, without cables tangling and wearing out, the Escalade Platinum also offers an optional wireless charging system with chargers for two devices.

The Escalade 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 SQ7 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Model Availability

The Escalade is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The SQ7 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Escalade owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Escalade will cost $4640 to $5995 less than the SQ7 over a five-year period.

Recommendations

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its December 2020 issue and they ranked the Cadillac Escalade Sport 4WD higher than the Audi SQ7 Premium Plus.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Escalade second among large premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The SQ7 isn’t in the top three.

The Cadillac Escalade outsold the Audi Q7/SQ7 by 44% during 2023.