Compare the2026 Audi SQ7VS 2026 Lincoln Navigator

The SQ7’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Navigator doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the SQ7 and Navigator have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The SQ7 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 Navigator’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 SQ7 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 Lincoln Navigator has not been tested.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The SQ7 has Car-to-X Services, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The Navigator doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the SQ7 Prestige 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 Navigator doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Audi SQ7’s rear backup camera has a standard washer for maintaining a clear view under various conditions. In contrast, the Lincoln Navigator does not offer a rear camera washer, meaning its effectiveness relies on manual cleaning by the user when necessary.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the SQ7 uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Navigator uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the SQ7 and the Navigator 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 Audi SQ7 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 Navigator has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2026.

The SQ7’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Navigator’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Audi pays for scheduled maintenance on the SQ7 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. Lincoln doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Navigator. (Lincoln offers free maintenance on some Navigator models.)

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2026 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 7 places higher in reliability than Lincoln.

The SQ7’s 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid produces 60 more horsepower (500 vs. 440) and 58 lbs.-ft. more torque (568 vs. 510) than the Navigator’s 3.5 turbo V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Audi SQ7 is faster than the Lincoln Navigator:

Regenerative brakes improve the SQ7’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Navigator doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The SQ7 has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Navigator. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

For better stopping power the SQ7’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Navigator:

The SQ7 stops shorter than the Navigator:

For better traction, the SQ7 has larger tires than the Navigator (285/40R21 vs. 275/50R22).

The SQ7’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Navigator’s 50 series tires. The SQ7’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Navigator Black Label’s optional 40 series tires.

The SQ7 offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Navigator doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The front and rear suspension of the SQ7 uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the Navigator, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The SQ7 offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Lincoln doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Navigator.

The SQ7 has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The SQ7’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Navigator doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The SQ7 Premium Plus handles at .91 G’s, while the Navigator Black Label pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The SQ7 Premium Plus executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.1 seconds quicker than the Navigator Black Label (25.2 seconds @ .76 average G’s vs. 27.3 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the SQ7’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Navigator’s (41 feet vs. 41.7 feet).

The Audi SQ7 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 to 750 pounds less than the Lincoln Navigator.

The SQ7 is 10.4 inches shorter than the Navigator, making the SQ7 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The SQ7 is 9.5 inches shorter in height than the Navigator, making the SQ7 much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction lowers the SQ7’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Navigator doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

The SQ7 has 1.6 inches more front headroom and .9 inches more rear headroom than the Navigator.

The front step up height for the SQ7 is 2.4 inches lower than the Navigator (18.6” vs. 21”). The SQ7’s rear step up height is 4.3 inches lower than the Navigator’s (18.7” vs. 23”).

The SQ7’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The Navigator’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

The SQ7’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Navigator’s (7719 vs. 6200 pounds).

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Navigator, the SQ7 Prestige has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The SQ7 Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Navigator doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the SQ7 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Navigator doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Laser headlights, standard on the SQ7 Prestige, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the Navigator’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 SQ7 Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Navigator doesn’t offer headlight washers.

When the SQ7 is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Navigator’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The SQ7 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 Navigator doesn’t offer an automated parking system.