Compare the2026 Audi Q7VS 2026 Mercedes GLS

Both the Q7 and GLS 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 GLS’ 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 GLS 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 GLS doesn’t offer a night vision system.

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

Both the Q7 and the GLS 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, 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 GLS has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2026.

The Q7’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the GLS’ (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 GLS.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Q7’s reliability 12 points higher than the GLS.

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.

On the EPA test cycle the Q7 gets better mileage than the GLS:

The Q7 stops shorter than the GLS:

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the Q7 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The GLS doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The Q7 Prestige handles at .85 G’s, while the GLS 580 pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Q7 Premium Plus executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the GLS 580 (26.4 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 27.2 seconds @ .66 average G’s).

The Audi Q7 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 1150 pounds less than the Mercedes GLS.

The Q7 is 5.3 inches shorter than the GLS 450, making the Q7 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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 GLS’ 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 GLS doesn’t offer headlight washers.

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 GLS doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

The Q7 55 TFSI Prestige’s Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Park Assist Plus will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The GLS’ automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q7 is less expensive to operate than the GLS because typical repairs cost much less on the Q7 than the GLS, including $441 less for a water pump, $42 less for front brake pads, $95 less for a fuel pump and $667 less for a power steering pump.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Audi Q7, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Mercedes GLS isn't recommended.