2019 Cadillac XT5 vs. 2019 Audi Q7

For enhanced safety, the front shoulder belts of the Cadillac XT5 are height-adjustable, and the rear seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Audi Q7 doesn’t offer comfort guides on its rear seat belts.

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 XT5 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.

Both the XT5 and the Q7 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, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Cadillac XT5 is safer than the Audi Q7:

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 Cadillac XT5 is safer than the Q7:

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 XT5 is safer than the Audi Q7:

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

Cadillac’s powertrain warranty covers the XT5 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q7. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Q7 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 3 times as many Cadillac dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the XT5’s warranty.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the XT5 has a standard 155-amp alternator. The Q7’s standard 120-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2018 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac 12th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 15 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 25th, below the industry average.

The XT5’s 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 62 more horsepower (310 vs. 248) than the Q7 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4 cyl.

An engine control system that can shut down half of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the XT5’s fuel efficiency. The Q7 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Cadillac XT5 uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q7 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The XT5 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.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Cadillac XT5 higher (6 out of 10) than the Audi Q7 (3). This means the XT5 produces up to 23.4 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Q7 every 15,000 miles.

The XT5 stops much shorter than the Q7:

The Cadillac XT5’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 XT5 offers an optional 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 models of the Q7 don’t even offer run-flats.

For better maneuverability, the XT5’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Q7’s (38.7 feet vs. 40.7 feet). The XT5 w/20” wheels’ turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the Q7’s (39 feet vs. 40.7 feet).

The Cadillac XT5 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 750 pounds less than the Audi Q7.

The XT5 is 10.1 inches shorter than the Q7, making the XT5 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The XT5’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 XT5 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 XT5’s optional Automatic Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Q7 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The XT5 is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q7 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the XT5 is less expensive to operate than the Q7 because typical repairs cost much less on the XT5 than the Q7, including $47 less for a muffler, $62 less for front brake pads, $602 less for a starter, $328 less for fuel injection, $100 less for a fuel pump, $560 less for front struts and $366 less for a timing belt/chain.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Cadillac XT5 will be $2908 to $6183 less than for the Audi Q7.

The Cadillac XT5 outsold the Audi Q7 by 62% during 2018.