Compare the2026 Audi Q7VS 2026 Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon

Both the Q7 and E-Class All-Terrain Wagon have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q7 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 E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’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.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Audi Q7 achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has not been tested.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Q7 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 E-Class All-Terrain Wagon doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Q7’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon.

The Audi Q7’s rear backup camera has a standard washer for maintaining a clear view under various conditions. In contrast, the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon does not offer a rear camera washer, meaning its effectiveness relies on manual cleaning by the user when necessary.

Both the Q7 and the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Audi Q7 achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2026 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated moderate overlap front crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, pedestrian crash prevention testing, and vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention testing. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2026.

The Q7’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Audi pays for scheduled maintenance on the Q7 for 3 years and 30,000 miles. Audi will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2026 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 6 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The Q7 has 5.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon (22.5 vs. 17.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Q7 55 TFSI’s brake rotors are larger than those on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon:

The Q7 stops shorter than the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon:

For better traction, the Q7 has larger standard tires than the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon (255/55R19 vs. 225/45R19). The Q7’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon (285/45R20 vs. 255/40R20).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q7 offers optional 21-inch wheels. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q7’s wheelbase is 1.3 inches longer than on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon (117.9 inches vs. 116.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Q7 is 2 inches wider in the front and 1.9 inches wider in the rear than on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon.

For greater off-road capability the Q7 has a 2.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon (8.3 vs. 5.8 inches), allowing the Q7 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Q7 w/Air Suspension’s minimum ground clearance is 3.9 inches higher than on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon (9.7 vs. 5.8 inches).

The Q7 has standard seating for 7 passengers; the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon can only carry 5.

The Q7 has 2.4 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more front legroom, 1.7 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 2.7 inches more rear legroom and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Q7’s middle row seats recline. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Q7’s cargo area provides more volume than the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon.

Maximum trailer towing in the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is limited to 4600 pounds. The Q7 offers up to a 7716 lbs. towing capacity.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Q7 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. Heated windshield washer nozzles cost extra on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon.

Laser headlights, optional on the Q7 Prestige, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’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 Q7 Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the Q7 has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

A manual rear sunshade and rear side window sunshades are standard in the Q7 Premium Plus/Prestige to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Audi Q7, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Audi Q7/SQ7 outsold the Mercedes E-Class by 35% during 2025.