Audi Q7 vs Ford Everest

What's the difference?

Overall, changes to the Q7 aren’t quite revolutionary, but that’s okay because it was already a fantastic large SUV.

The fact Audi has kept the price around the same mark and introduced a cheaper entry-grade should be welcome news for prospective buyers.

But even the existing variants are capable and impressive family haulers… and now they’re just that little bit better.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

To answer the question we posed at the beginning, the Everest Tremor is very much a worthy addition to the range, but it succeeds in being an attention-grabber too. While the new Prado will certainly garner plenty of would-be buyers, and Ford will do well to keep its #1 spot in the large SUV sales race in 2025, the Everest Tremor keeps the Blue Oval in contention.

It succeeds by expanding the breadth of the Everest line-up, its more serious off-road elements - new suspension, bash plates, etc - elevate it beyond what the Sport and Trend can offer buyers. So it creates an opportunity to find new buyers to attract to the Ford showroom and draw at least some attention away from the Prado.

The phrase ‘evolution not revolution’ is applicable here, cliche as it is, with the Q7 having been given a Botox-style lift at the front end.

The standard matrix LED headlights have a higher lighting signature than before, with the lighting elements leading into the lines down the shoulder of the SUV.

The grille now features a hexagonal honeycomb insert, the vertical line styling is now a thing of the past and the functional side vents are a little more aggro.

Overall, it’s a sharper look that brings the Q7 up to date with Audi’s current design language, down to the more angular wheel choices.

At the rear, the new tail-lights are ‘joined’ via a chrome strip spanning the rear, and the lower bumper (with real exhaust exits) has had a refresh.

Audi’s new CI badging (or ‘corporate identity’, pretty sexy stuff) is also present, which includes a new typeface for the ‘Q7’ badge at the rear, which is no longer italicised and is separate from the red ‘S line’ rhombus.

The four rings badge is also flatter and is white with black outlines, rather than a three-dimensional chrome badge.

Inside, the changes are more than skin-deep. In fact, the skin is the same, you’d be hard pressed to notice anything different about the Q7’s interior between pre- and post-facelift without diving into the electronics.

Ford wanted to make sure the Tremor stood out from the Platinum, Sport and Trend models, with a tougher, more purposeful look. So they made a number of small but significant design changes.

For starters, the new suspension, wheel and tyre combination adds 29mm of ride height, so it sits taller. The Tremor also gets a unique front end, with what Ford calls an ‘off-road grille’, that includes integrated auxiliary lights into each side.

The 17-inch alloys are unique to the Tremor, too, which further differentiates the looks. There’s also unique ‘Tremor’ badging in orange and black Ford badging at the rear.

But it isn’t just about style, there’s genuine functionality to the design, with the steel bash plate underneath and recovery hooks to get you out of trouble if you need it (or help someone else out).

The Tremor is only available in four colours, and notably only 'Arctic White' is included in the price, with 'Shadow Black', 'Meteor Grey' and the unique-to-Tremor 'Command Grey' adding $700 to the price.

Inside there’s unique Tremor seats, with 'Medium Dark Grey Urban' stitching and 'Precision Grey' inserts, plus all-weather floor mats. They’re subtle elements, but they do really make the Tremor feel unique in the Everest line-up.

Audi has changed the layout and added new apps in the main 10.1-inch multimedia touchscreen, though fortunately it still has shortcuts to all the Big Dogs in terms of functions: media, navigation, phone, etc.

On top of that, everything is still in big, easy-to-see (and press) blocky buttons on the main screen.

The 8.6-inch screen below also still has climate controls readily available, and there are still physical buttons for a bunch of functions including drive modes.

The wide 12.3-inch driver display also remains familiar, though now has a higher resolution and more functionality in terms of on-road help and safety - which we’ll come to later in this review.

Aside from the tech, ‘spacious’ is an understatement when it comes to the big Audi’s cabin. In the front seats especially, the Q7’s central tunnel and dashboard are easy to reach without feeling like an enclosure as they wrap around the front passengers.

However, if I had to level one criticism at the usefulness of the Q7’s front row, it would be that despite there being physically plenty of room, storage is at a premium. 

For something this big, there aren’t many places to put items that aren’t your phone or a drink. 

There are door card holders for bigger bottles, some space for small items, and the cupholders of course, but the space under the central armrest including the phone charger is stingy.

Fortunately, the second row is not lacking space and is modular in its adjustability. Occupants can move seats, adjust their angle, and even sort out the middle seat separately. 

Depending on how high up the variant chain you go, separate climate controls for the middle row and the panoramic sunroof help create a comfortable and roomy feeling.

The second row can also be tucked up behind the front row for easier access to the third row, which (if the second row is slid forward a tad) is just spacious enough for an average adult to be relatively comfortable for a short trip. 

The third row seats are able to be folded or raised with switches that are accessible from the side doors or the (electric) tailgate, where there’s also a switch to lower or raise the rear suspension by 55mm to aid loading.

On that, the Q7 has a claimed luggage capacity of roughly 295L with all seats up, 780L with the third row folded down and 1908L with the second row lowered.

Obviously there’s no change to the space inside the Tremor compared to the rest of the Everest range, so it is still a spacious seven-seat SUV. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a major development when it comes to the space offered by Ford in its large SUV.

Namely, the launch of the new Prado and the revelation that the new hybrid system compromises the packaging in the rear of the seven-seat models, meaning the third-row seats can’t fold down into the floor and a raised riser drawer has been added.

While Toyota claims the Prado has 906L of space with the third row folded down, that’s a statistical advantage only due to the nature of the packaging.

By contrast, the Everest doesn’t have a draw and instead it’s a flat, deep floor with the third row folded down flush with the floor.

So while the Everest boot measures 898L, in practical, real-world terms the Ford is better and more usable. 

As a kicker, with the third-row seats up, the Everest claims 259L compared to the Prado’s 182L, so all around the Everest is a more practical choice for those who need to carry a lot.

As for the rest of the interior, the new seats look good and offer nice space and support up front, while the second row is good for a couple of adults or three smaller kids and the third row is what you’d expect in an SUV - tight but usable for shorter trips.

The multimedia system is unchanged, too, so it’s the same easy to use 'Ford SYNC' set-up with a tablet-style touchscreen.

One notable new feature for the Tremor is a 400W inverter with a household outlet in the second row, which is handy for road trips or camping.

The Everest Tremor is priced from $76,590 (plus on-road costs), making it just over $4500 cheaper than the Platinum but almost $2000 more expensive than the equivalent Sport.

That lines it up to compete against the Toyota Prado GXL ($79,990 + ORCs), GWM Tank 500 Hybrid Ultra ($73,990 drive-away) and the Isuzu MU-X ($74,400 + ORCs).

For that price, Ford has made some notable upgrades to enhance the Everest’s off-road ability, to give the Tremor more appeal to those who really enjoy off-road driving rather than just family buyers who want a seven-seater for the school run.

It starts with the standard 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine (unlike the 2.0-litre Ranger Tremor), along with a revised suspension package that includes Bilstein dampers and new springs, a steel bash plate as well as new General Grabber all-terrain tyres on 17-inch alloy wheels.

There are other design changes, too, but we’ll detail them in a moment in the section below.

Worth noting there are four option packs to choose from. The 'Rough Terrain Pack' costs $3500 and adds a Rough Terrain bar as well as extended underbody protection and an auxiliary switch bank.

The 'Premium Tremor Seat Pack' adds $1100 and brings a 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat, eight-way power adjustable front passenger seat as well as heated and ventilated front seats.

The $1900 'Towing Pack' adds a tow bar, integrated trailer brake controller and blind-spot monitoring with trailer coverage.

Finally, the 'Touring Pack' costs $2500 and adds a 360-degree camera view, tow car, integrated trailer brake control and 'Pro Trailer Backup Assist'.

The four drivetrain options for the Q7 line-up are split between the two ‘grades’, with the 45 TFSI and TDI powering the 'entry-level' cars and the 50 TDI and 55 TFSI as the feature-packed variants.

The most affordable option is the 45 TFSI, which runs a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine making 185kW and 370Nm.

Like all variants in the Q7 range, the 45 TFSI engine powers all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. Audi claims the 45 TFSI will hit 100km/h in 7.3 seconds, if that’s your thing when it comes to three-row SUVs.

The rest of the line-up is powered by different versions of the brand’s 3.0-litre V6, all turbocharged, and all with 48-volt ‘mild hybrid’ (MHEV) tech aiming to increase efficiency.

The 45 TDI is, of course, a turbo-diesel 3.0-litre V6 that makes 170kW and 500Nm, also sending power and torque to all four wheels via the same style transmission. Audi says this one knocks over 100km/h in 7.1 seconds.

Similarly, but with more power and torque, the 50 TDI is also powered by a turbo-diesel unit as the name suggests. This one puts out 210kW and 600Nm, making it likely the best choice for towing and such even though all V6 variants boast a 3500kg braked towing capacity. The 50 TDI’s figure to hit 100km/h is a claimed 5.9 seconds.

Finally, the 55 TFSI makes 250kW and 500Nm, and boasts a 5.9-second claimed 0-100km/h time.

The Everest Tremor is only offered with the 184kW/600Nm 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel, a complete reversal from the Ranger Tremor, which was only available with Ford’s 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel.

The V6 is paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission and comes standard with Ford’s permanent 4WD system, which features a rear diff lock for more challenging off-road adventures.

Ford said it made this decision to provide Everest Tremor buyers with more grunt, befitting its place at the top of the range, and provide the full 3500kg towing capacity. Although, in this day-and-age, the extra choice would have been nice, as the 2.0-litre engine is an impressive unit for its size.

As you might expect, diesel versions of the Audi Q7 are claimed to use less fuel than their petrol counterparts, so let’s start with those. 

The 45 TDI boasts a claimed 7.0L/100km consumption figure, while the 50 TDI is a little higher at 7.1 litres. Both have 75-litre fuel tanks, and should therefore theoretically get more than 1000km out of a fill.

On to the petrol models, the four-cylinder TFSI 45 has a claimed 9.3L/100km efficiency figure and the V6 TFSI 55's number is 9.0L/100km.

Given the nature of the driving and groups sharing cars during the launch event, we’ll wait until we’re next in a Q7 for a longer time before doing our own efficiency test.

Ford claims the Everest Tremor uses 9.5L/100km of diesel, but thanks to our largely off-road first drive we couldn’t give that a real-world evaluation.

The Everest is fitted with an 80-litre fuel tank, which means a theoretical driving range of more than 840km, which is what you need for a serious off-road adventure.

Aside from the mild-hybrid now standard on the Q7’s V6 models, there’s not a whole lot to report on in terms of new tricks or surprises from behind the wheel.

But that’s okay, because it means the Q7 remains a supremely comfortable and capable large SUV.

Our test route consisted of plenty of rural driving, with a combination of surfaces that would in some family haulers see the suspension and maybe even steering show cracks in their ability - but the Q7 remains composed.

Given its weight and size, it can feel a little hefty around sharper corners, but the Q7 in these variants (i.e, not its performance-focused SQ7 sibling) isn’t built to be hustled like that.

It feels like the kind of air-suspended loungeroom-on-wheels that would be at home barreling down the autobahn at 180km/h and being completely undramatic about it.

Still, this model shares some moving parts underneath with the likes of the extremely capable Porsche Cayenne, and while the Q7 isn’t quite a giant hot hatch, the sound foundations shine through dynamically.

Of course, when it comes to powertrains, there isn’t really a wrong answer, each engine fits a purpose.

If you’ll ever need to tow (and you can at up to 3500kg braked), the low-down steady urge of the 50 TDI is probably your best bet, but even the 45 TDI is a solid choice for long-range motoring.

The petrol models will better suit those in city situations, and while they never feel truly urgent, the 55 TFSI isn’t without some impressive push for something of this size.

Given its off-road focus, Ford prioritised unsealed roads for our first experience with the Everest Tremor and we tackled some genuinely rugged terrain outside of Melbourne.

In addition to the new Bilstein suspension, new springs and new tyres, the Everest Tremor adds the 'Rock Crawl' mode to its array of seven drive modes.

It must be noted, though, that all the examples we drove on the launch were fitted with the Rough Terrain Pack, so had the extended underbody protection, which certainly helped at various times.

Having said that, the Everest Tremor acquitted itself with ease across a variety of terrain. In '4 Low' the Tremor was capable of navigating across rocks, through mud and water, and then through some extremely deep ruts.

In fact, the non-Tremor Everests Ford had on the launch were directed to avoid some of the obstacles as they would likely have struggled to conquer them. However, it must be said, that despite the extra ride height, the extended underbody protection was heavily relied on as we often found the belly of the Tremor scraping on the deeper ruts.

While Ford was keen to focus on its off-road capability, CarsGuide was able to spend an extended period driving the Tremor around Melbourne city and suburbs. Despite its size and off-road prowess, it has very nice on-road manners and felt comfortable and easy to live with in the urban environment.

In terms of safety equipment the Everest Tremor comes fitted with all the usual active elements you should expect, including 'Forward Collision Alert', 'Pre-collision Assist', lane keeping assist, cross-traffic alert and 'Reverse Brake Assist'.

Importantly, in case you can’t avoid an accident, the Everest is equipped with nine airbags, including full-length curtain airbags that extend to the third row.

As for its safety rating, ANCAP awarded the Everest a maximum five stars but did so based on the physical crash testing of the Ranger ute.

ANCAP accepted Ford technical information that demonstrates both models should, theoretically, provide the same crash performance despite the obvious differences.

However, it should also be noted that this five-star rating was awarded in 2022, prior to the latest crash testing protocols being introduced by ANCAP in 2023, so there is no clarity over how the Everest would perform to these more stringent standards; although that’s an ANCAP issue, not a Ford one.

But, just for the record, the new Prado has achieved five stars with the latest ANCAP ratings, but unless ANCAP re-tests the Everest, we can’t say with certainty how the two models compare, beyond saying they have the same ratings.

Audi’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty is pretty standard for a premium brand, but five years of free roadside assist and the ability to add a package to extend the warranty both add a little extra to the deal.

For the Q7, a five-year servicing plan is $3820, while the $4370 'Audi Advantage' plan adds two years to the warranty, two more services, and two more years' roadside assist.

Ford is offering a ‘Pre-Paid Service Plan’ to cover the first five years or 75,000km worth of servicing across the Everest line-up (as well as Ranger).

This costs $1516, which averages out to just over $300 per year, but it’s worth noting that pre-paying locks in that price. Which is important, because Ford has been increasing the prices since it introduced this deal in 2022.