Eighteen thousand one hundred dollars. That is what Audi charges to move you from a Q5 into the new Q7 — before destination, taxes and a single option box. The 2026 Q5 starts at $52,800. The all-new 2027 Q7 opens at $70,900. That is a used car worth of daylight between them, and something has to justify it.
So what do you actually give up by staying in the Q5? Surprisingly little. Five seats, a 2.0-liter turbo four with 268 horsepower, a seven-speed dual-clutch “automatic” and quattro all-wheel drive. It reaches 60 mph in 5.8 seconds and tows up to 4,400 pounds — more than enough for family duty. Better still, even the loaded Prestige at $60,700 sits $10,200 below the cheapest new Q7.
And what does the surcharge buy? More than extra sheet metal. The Q7 arrives with three rows and seven seats — or six, if you spend $450 swapping the middle bench for two captain’s chairs. Under the hood there is a new twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 with 429 horsepower. Sixty mph falls in 4.8 seconds, towing climbs to 7,700 pounds, and the load bay swells to 78.1 cubic feet. Different league, different job description.
And yet nobody has to hand over $18,100 right now. Audi still sells the outgoing 2026 Q7 from $62,000. Yes, it is softer — engines of 261 and 335 horsepower — and its cargo hold tops out at 68.1 cubic feet. But the gap to a base Q5 shrinks to $9,200. Exactly half.
So the fork in the road is simple. Five seats and a two-ton trailer are enough? The Q5 answers every question and saves you two thirds of the premium. Third row in weekly use, bulky luggage, a heavy trailer? The new Q7 earns its money. And if the truth sits somewhere in the middle, the outgoing Q7 stays the most underrated bet of the three.
Audi previously sent the electric A2 e-tron out for road testing.
