Compare the2026 Cadillac Escalade IQVS 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Cadillac Escalade IQ has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help 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 Q6 e-tron doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Escalade IQ 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 Q6 e-tron doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Escalade IQ 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 Q6 e-tron doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive is standard on the Escalade IQ. But it costs extra on the Q6 e-tron.

A passive infrared night vision system standard on the Escalade IQ Premium 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 Q6 e-tron doesn’t offer a night vision system.

To deliver safety and visibility under dusty conditions the Cadillac Escalade IQ’s backup monitor has a standard rear washer to keep the view clear. A camera washer system costs extra on the Audi Q6 e-tron.

Both the Escalade IQ and the Q6 e-tron 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, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Cadillac Escalade IQ weighs 3703 to 4138 pounds more than the Audi Q6 e-tron. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

Cadillac’s powertrain warranty covers the Escalade IQ 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q6 e-tron. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Q6 e-tron ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 84 percent more Cadillac dealers than there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Escalade IQ’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 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 69 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Cadillac higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 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 vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac above average in long-term dependability. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Audi is rated below average.

Engine

The Escalade IQ has more powerful engines than the Q6 e-tron:

	Horsepower	Torque
Escalade IQ electric motors	750 HP	785 lbs.-ft.
Q6 e-tron electric motor	322 HP
Q6 e-tron Premium Quattro electric motors	456 HP	631 lbs.-ft.
SQ6 e-tron Premium electric motors	509 HP	631 lbs.-ft.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Escalade IQ can travel longer on a full charge than the Q6 e-tron on a full charge:

			Miles
Escalade IQ
	AWD	Electric Motors	460 miles
Q6 e-tron
	RWD	Electric Motor	321 miles
		19" Wheels Electric Motor	310 miles
		20" Wheels Electric Motor	298 miles
	AWD	19" Wheels Electric Motors	307 miles
		20" Wheels Electric Motors	295 miles
		SQ6 e-tron Premium Electric Motors	275 miles

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Escalade IQ’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Q6 e-tron:

	Escalade IQ	Q6 e-tron
Front Rotors	14 inches	13.8 inches
Rear Rotors	14 inches	13.8 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Escalade IQ has larger tires than the Q6 e-tron (275/50R24 vs. 235/60R19). The Escalade IQ’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Q6 e-tron (275/50R24 vs. 255/50R20).

The Escalade IQ’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Q6 e-tron Ultra’s standard 65 series front and 60 series rear tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Escalade IQ has standard 24-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Q6 e-tron Ultra. The Q6 e-tron’s largest wheels are only 21-inches.

The Cadillac Escalade IQ’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Audi Q6 e-tron only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Escalade IQ 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 Q6 e-tron doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

The front and rear suspension of the Escalade IQ uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the Q6 e-tron, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Escalade IQ’s wheelbase is 22.5 inches longer than on the Q6 e-tron (136.2 inches vs. 113.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Escalade IQ is 3.1 inches wider in the front and 3.9 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Q6 e-tron.

Chassis

The design of the Cadillac Escalade IQ amounts to more than styling. The Escalade IQ has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .321 Cd. That is lower than the Q6 e-tron (.32 to .33) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Escalade IQ get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the Escalade IQ uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Q6 e-tron doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Escalade IQ uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Q6 e-tron doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Escalade IQ has standard seating for 7 passengers; the Q6 e-tron can only carry 5.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Escalade IQ’s middle row seats recline. The Q6 e-tron’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Escalade IQ’s cargo area provides more volume than the Q6 e-tron.

	Escalade IQ	Q6 e-tron
Third Seat Folded	69.1 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	30.2 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	119.1 cubic feet	60.2 cubic feet

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the Escalade IQ’s second and third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Q6 e-tron doesn’t offer automatic folding second row seats.

Towing

The Escalade IQ’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Q6 e-tron’s (7500 vs. 4409 pounds).

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Escalade IQ 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 Q6 e-tron doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Q6 e-tron, the Escalade IQ Premium has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Escalade IQ Premium’s 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 Q6 e-tron doesn’t offer a power rear door.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Escalade IQ has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q6 e-tron only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Escalade IQ has standard front air conditioned seats and offers them optionally in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Q6 e-tron doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The Escalade IQ has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Q6 e-tron.

Both the Escalade IQ and the Q6 e-tron offer available massaging front seats. The Escalade IQ also offers optional massaging second row seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging rear seats aren’t available in the Q6 e-tron.

The Escalade IQ is equipped with both FM and AM stereo radios, offering access to more content and better coverage than the Q6 e-tron, which solely provides FM radio. With AM radio, you can enjoy a wider variety of stations featuring news, talk shows, sports commentary, native language programing, automated traffic guidance, and emergency broadcasts. AM waves travel further and penetrate buildings and obstacles more effectively than FM signals, especially at night. Having both FM and AM stereo radios the Escalade IQ offers a more comprehensive listening experience compared to only FM in the Q6 e-tron.

HD Radio boasts several benefits over conventional radio: superior sound quality with clearer and consistent FM broadcasts, CD-quality audio, and Multicast Channels offering up to four streams from a single station, adding programming choices. Cars like the Escalade IQ equipped with available HD Radio provide an improved in-car entertainment experience. The Q6 e-tron, devoid of this technology, foregoes these benefits. Selecting the Cadillac Escalade IQ empowers drivers to enjoy a more immersive and enjoyable listening experience while on the go.

The Cadillac Escalade IQ stands out above the Audi Q6 e-tron by offering not one, but two Qi-compatible phone chargers in the front seat. This convenience helps travelers with multiple devices to keep powered up on-the-go. Wireless charging eliminates lost or cluttered charging cables and two of them provide more flexibility. The Escalade IQ Premium also offers an optional two-device Qi charging system for the second row seat and the Q6 e-tron doesn’t.

The Escalade IQ 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 Q6 e-tron doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Escalade IQ’s Enhanced Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Auto Parking will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Q6 e-tron’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Recommendations

The Cadillac Escalade outsold the Audi Q6 by almost 22 to one during 2024.

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