Price
Winner: 2018 Audi Q7
The starting MSRP of the midsize 2018 Audi Q7 is about $20,000 less than the starting price of the full-size 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS. For $49,900, buyers get the base Q7 with a four-cylinder engine. Even the Q7 grades that come with the upgraded V6 engine are cheaper, with starting prices between $56,400 and $65,400.
The 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS starts at $69,550, with its highest grade coming in at $125,300.
Reliability
Winner: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS
Neither the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS or the 2018 Audi Q7 have received reliability scores from U.S. News. However, the 2017 models are almost identical, mechanically. The 2017 Audi Q7 received a 2.5 out of five, which is below average. The 2017 Mercedes GLS received a four out of five, which is above average.
Seat Comfort
Winner: 2018 Audi Q7
The 2018 Audi Q7 and 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS both seat seven. The Audi has standard leather upholstery, while the Mercedes has standard imitation leather seats. Both have first- and second-row seats that are comfortable for adults, though their third rows are best for children if you’re on a long road trip. The Q7 has five full sets of LATCH connections to the GLS’ two.
Cargo Space
Winner: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS
The cargo space of the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS, 16 cubic feet, is typical for its class. The 2018 Audi Q7 offers only 14.8 cubic feet of cargo space, which is below average. With the rear seats folded, the GLS’ cargo space expands to 49.4 cubic feet. The Q7 offers significantly less when similarly configured – just 37.5 cubic feet of storage space.
A power liftgate and power-folding seats are standard in both models.
Interior Quality
Winner: 2018 Audi Q7
The 2018 Audi Q7 just barely nudges out the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS in this category. The Q7 scores points with its high-end cabin that’s filled with first-rate, attractive materials.
Like the Q7, the GLS is filled with high-quality materials, although the Q7’s are presented in a more eye-catching manner.
Interior Features
Winner: 2018 Audi Q7
The 2018 Audi Q7 has more desirable standard features than the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS, and for significantly less money, helping it take the win in this category. The GLS catches up with the Q7 and many of its other rivals when you consider optional features, but those quickly add to its price.
The Audi Q7 comes standard with a 7-inch display, Audi's MMI infotainment system, a 10-speaker audio system, Bluetooth, dual USB ports, HD Radio, satellite radio, tri-zone automatic climate control, a panoramic sunroof, a proximity key, push-button start, front and rear parking sensors, a rearview camera, and forward collision warning with automatic braking.
The Mercedes-Benz GLS comes standard with power-folding third row seats, remote start, a sunroof, Bluetooth, a rearview camera, two USB ports, HD Radio, a power liftgate, active brake assist, driver drowsiness monitoring, crosswind assist, and power-folding mirrors.
Acceleration
Winner: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS
The 2018 Audi Q7 comes with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine under the hood that puts out 252 horsepower, which is sufficient for most driving situations. The optional 3.0-liter V6 is peppier, but not nearly as quick as the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS’ top-tier power plants.
The base 3.0-liter V6 in the GLS450 has over 100 horsepower more than the entry-level Audi engine. Opt for the GLS550, and you’ll have access to 449 horsepower coming from the SUV’s beefy 4.7-liter V8. The AMG GLS63 gets its power from a 5.5-liter V8 powertrain that makes a whopping 577 horsepower.
The top grade of the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS, the AMG GLS63, will throw you back in your seat as you get from zero to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds – as fast as some sports cars.
Fuel Economy
Winner: 2018 Audi Q7
Having more reserved engine acceleration has amounted to better fuel economy for Audi’s Q7. The base four-cylinder engine gets 21 combined mpg, as does the six-cylinder.
The three engines offered under the hood of the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS achieve worse ratings. The base 3.0-liter six-cylinder in the GLS450 achieves 17 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway. The GLS550’s 4.7-liter V8 gets 14 mpg in the city and 19 on the highway. The biggest engine, the 5.5-liter V8 that’s in the AMG GLS63, makes just 13/18 mpg city/highway.
Ride and Handling
Winner: 2017 Audi Q7
The 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS and the 2018 Audi Q7 both offer smooth rides for their occupants. Despite their size, both vehicles are composed through the corners, absorb the road’s imperfections, and have little body lean.
The 2018 Audi Q7 is more agile than the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS, giving it the nod in this category. Both all-wheel-drive vehicles take to the road well in all conditions and benefit from a drive mode selector.
Safety
Winner: 2018 Audi Q7
The 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS has not yet been tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), so the winner in this category had to be chosen by examining the number of safety features available and their ease of use.
Unlike the Audi Q7, the GLS doesn’t come standard with adaptive cruise control or lane keep assist. However, the GLS offers driver drowsiness monitoring and crosswind assist – two features you won’t find in the Q7.
Audi’s model has a 360-degree camera system and a night vision camera with pedestrian and animal detection. The GLS just has a rearview camera.
The GLS’ safety technology isn’t as intuitive as the Q7’s, pushing the Audi to the top in this category.
Towing
Winner: 2018 Audi Q7
The 2018 Audi Q7 bests the towing capacity of the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS by 200 pounds. The Q7 can handle up to 7,700 pounds, compared with the GLS’ 7,500-pound capacity. Both vehicles can tow more than many other 3-row SUVs.
Off-Roading
Winner: 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS
Despite its luxury looks, the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS is a capable off-roader. The all-wheel-drive SUV has a number of drive modes, including Off-Road, which assists it in tricky conditions. The GLS earns the win in this category based on its optional Off-Road Engineering package. With this add-on, buyers get a low-range gearbox, a center differential lock, and an extended air suspension that allows for additional ground clearance.
While the 2018 Q7 is capable off-road, Audi does not offer additional packages giving buyers the ability to increase their Quattro all-wheel-drive SUV’s capability.
The Winner Is …
2018 Audi Q7
The 2018 Audi Q7 pairs a low starting price with a beautiful interior, tons of features, and agile handling, proving it to be the better SUV in this head-to-head contest.
However, if you’re looking for a more reliable off-roader and don’t care about fuel economy, the Mercedes-Benz GLS may be the vehicle you’ll want to take a closer look at.
More Shopping Tools From U.S. News & World Report
Learn more about the Audi Q7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS by checking out their reviews. See how the Q7 and GLS stack up against other 3-row luxury SUVs in our rankings.
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Q7 vs. GLS: Which 3-Row German SUV Is Right for You?
The midsize Audi Q7 and the full-size Mercedes-Benz GLS (which replaced the GL a few years ago) are two of the highest-rated and most popular luxury SUVs. They are frequently cross-shopped by customers looking to buy a three-row SUV that pairs performance with practicality.
This slideshow dives deep into the vehicles, taking a close look at how they match up in the many categories and subcategories U.S. News evaluates to give them their overall scores. The best vehicle to buy will win the most categories, but might not come out on top in all of them.
When new reviews and data become available, U.S. News updates its website to reflect those changes. Therefore, the scores mentioned in this slideshow may not match the scores in our reviews.