Compare the2026 Lincoln Navigator LVS 2026 Audi SQ7

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 Navigator L 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 Navigator L’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 Navigator L and the SQ7 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, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The Lincoln Navigator L weighs 733 pounds more than the Audi SQ7. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Navigator L 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 55 percent more Lincoln dealers than there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Navigator L’s warranty.

The Navigator L 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’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lincoln vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 63 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Lincoln 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 Lincoln vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 52 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Lincoln higher than Audi.

On the EPA test cycle the Navigator L gets better fuel mileage than the SQ7 (15 city/22 hwy vs. 14 city/20 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Lincoln Navigator L 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 Navigator L has 5.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the SQ7 (27.8 vs. 22.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Navigator L 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.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Lincoln Navigator L higher (5 out of 10) than the Audi SQ7 (2). This means the Navigator L produces up to 20.8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the SQ7 every 15,000 miles.

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

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Navigator L has standard 22-inch wheels. Smaller 21-inch wheels are standard on the SQ7. The Navigator L Black Label’s optional 24-inch wheels are larger than the 22-inch wheels optional on the SQ7.

The Lincoln Navigator L’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 Navigator L has a standard 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 SQ7; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Navigator L’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The SQ7 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Navigator L’s wheelbase is 13.5 inches longer than on the SQ7 (131.5 inches vs. 118 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Navigator L is 2.6 inches wider in the front and 2.3 inches wider in the rear than on the SQ7.

The Navigator L uses 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.

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

The Navigator L has 2.2 inches more front legroom, 5.8 inches more front shoulder room, 3.2 inches more rear legroom, 6.6 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.5 inches more third row headroom, 14.3 inches more third row legroom and 14.8 inches more third row shoulder room than the SQ7.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Navigator L’s middle and third row seats recline. The SQ7’s third row seats don’t recline.

Flexibility is maximized at the game, campground or a drive-in theatre in the Navigator L when its optional tailgating rear seats are deployed, allowing people to sit facing out of the tailgate. (Do not use while vehicle is in motion.) The SQ7 doesn’t offer tailgating seats.

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

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

The Navigator L’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the tailgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The SQ7’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

Maximum trailer towing in the Audi SQ7 is limited to 7719 pounds. The Navigator L offers up to a 8700 lbs. towing capacity.

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

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Navigator L uses the AdvanceTrac® 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.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Navigator L’s exterior PIN entry system. The SQ7 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Audi Connect CARE can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Navigator L 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 Navigator L’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 Navigator L has standard heated front, second and third row seats (third row heated seats on Black Label), which keep the driver and passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Audi doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the SQ7.

The Navigator L 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 SQ7 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

Both the Navigator L and the SQ7 offer available massaging front seats. The Navigator L Black Label also has standard 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.

The Navigator L’s standard oscillating air vents move back and forth and distribute air evenly inside the vehicle, making everyone more comfortable. The SQ7 doesn’t offer oscillating vents.

Both the Lincoln Navigator L and the Audi SQ7 have a standard Qi wireless 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 Navigator L Black Label also has a standard wireless charging system in the second row seat. The SQ7 does not.

The Navigator L 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.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Navigator as the 2018 North American Truck of the Year. The SQ7 has never been chosen.

The Lincoln Navigator outsold the Audi Q7/SQ7 by 74% during 2024.