2026 Acura MDX vs. 2026 Audi Q7

Kelley Blue Book says both are three-row crossover SUVs with room for at least seven people motivated by robust engines, with the base MDX powered by a 3.5-liter V6 producing 290 horsepower and 267 lb-ft of torque connected to a 10-speed automatic and standard front-wheel drive, moving to all-wheel drive on the A-Spec trim, and the Type S Advance offering a 355-hp V6 with AWD, starting at $53,250 including destination. Car Chomper says the most significant disparity between the 2026 Acura MDX and Audi Q7 is the $10,200 difference in starting MSRP, with the MDX priced at $51,800 versus the Q7's $62,000, the MDX yielding a notable horsepower advantage at 290 hp versus the Q7's 261 hp despite the Q7 having slightly more torque at 273 lb-ft, and the MDX offering substantially more cargo capacity at 18.1 cubic feet against the Q7's 13.6, while the Q7 comes with standard all-wheel drive against the MDX's standard front-wheel drive.

Which to choose, and why

$10,200 cheaper, and more powerful

Car Chomper (opens in a new tab) says the most significant disparity between the 2026 Acura MDX and Audi Q7 is the $10,200 difference in starting MSRP, with the MDX priced at $51,800 versus the Q7's $62,000, and the MDX yielding a notable horsepower advantage at 290 hp versus the Q7's 261 hp, despite the Q7 having slightly more torque at 273 lb-ft.

More cargo room, but FWD standard

Car Chomper (opens in a new tab) says the MDX offers substantially more cargo capacity at 18.1 cubic feet against the Q7's 13.6, while the Q7 comes with standard all-wheel drive against the MDX's standard front-wheel drive.

The MDX's engine and trim lineup

Kelley Blue Book (opens in a new tab) says the base MDX is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 producing 290 horsepower and 267 lb-ft of torque connected to a 10-speed automatic and standard front-wheel drive, moving to all-wheel drive on the A-Spec trim, with the Type S Advance offering a 355-hp V6 with AWD, starting at $53,250 including destination.

Questions buyers ask

Which has more horsepower, the Acura MDX or Audi Q7?

Car Chomper (opens in a new tab) says the MDX, at 290 hp versus the Q7's 261 hp.

Does the Acura MDX come standard with all-wheel drive?

Kelley Blue Book (opens in a new tab) says no, only from the A-Spec trim up; the base and Technology trims are front-wheel drive.

Side-by-side matrix

The published fields that can change the decision.

Acura MDX: 3 records · Audi Q7: 2 records.

Decision field	Acura MDX	Audi Q7
Exact EPA records	3	2
Model / option labels	3	2
Drive layouts	All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive	All-Wheel Drive
Engines / propulsion	3.5L 6-cyl SIDI, 3L 6-cyl SIDI	2L 4-cyl SIDI, 3L 6-cyl SIDI; Mild Hybrid
Transmissions	Automatic (S10)	Automatic (S8)
Fuel types	Premium	Premium
EPA classes	Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD, Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD	Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
Combined efficiency	19–22 MPG/MPGe	20–22 MPG/MPGe
Electric range	Not listed	Not listed
Annual fuel / energy estimate	$3650–4200 per year	$3650–4000 per year

Head to head

Acura MDX vs. Audi Q7: size, power, capability and price.

Measure	Acura MDX	Audi Q7
Starting price (KBB base)	$53,250	$63,295
Top trim price (KBB base)	$77,300	$78,395
Horsepower	290-355 hp	261-335 hp
Torque	267-354 lb-ft	273-369 lb-ft
0 to 60 mph	n/a	5.5-6.7 sec
Curb weight	4,268-4,776 lb	4,949-5,137 lb
Length	198.4 in	199.6 in
Wheelbase	113.8 in	117.9 in
Cargo volume	95 cu ft	68.1 cu ft
Towing capacity	3,500-5,000 lb	4,400-7,700 lb
Seating	7 seats	7 seats
Basic warranty	4 years	4 years

Figures are ranges across each model’s trims from Kelley Blue Book records (2026 model year); prices are KBB base prices.

The Acura MDX starts $10,045 lower: $53,250 against $63,295 before options and fees.
On peak horsepower, the Acura MDX leads: 355 hp against 335 hp.
On peak torque, the Audi Q7 leads: 369 lb-ft against 354 lb-ft.
The Acura MDX is lighter, comparing lightest trims: 4,268 lb against 4,949 lb.
On length, the Audi Q7 leads: 199.6 in against 198.4 in.
On wheelbase, the Audi Q7 leads: 117.9 in against 113.8 in.
On cargo volume, the Acura MDX leads: 95 cu ft against 68.1 cu ft.
On maximum towing capacity, the Audi Q7 leads: 7,700 lb against 5,000 lb.
Both list the same seating capacity: 7 seats.
Both list the same basic warranty: 4 years.

Background on each vehicle

What public sources say about the Acura MDX and the Audi Q7.

2026 Acura MDX

The Acura MDX is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV with three-row seating produced by the Japanese automaker Honda under its luxury Acura division since 2000. The alphanumeric moniker stands for "Multi-Dimensional" luxury. It has ranked as the second-best selling mid-size luxury SUV after the Lexus RX in the U.S.

Safety: Fourth generation (YD8/9/YE1; 2022) Skipping the 2021 model year, the fourth-generation MDX was revealed as a prototype on October 14, 2020, virtually revealed on December 8, went into bulk production on January 12, 2021, for the 2022 model year, and went on sale on February 2, with the Type-S trim released on December 23.
Awards: North American Car of the Year Utility Finalist for 2019. Car and Driver magazine's Best Luxury SUV in 2001. Motor Trend magazine's SUV of the Year Contender in 2017.

Source: Acura MDX (Wikipedia)

Recent recalls (3 campaigns across the latest model years)

May 2026, Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic… Consequence: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
June 2025, Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Pedals And Linkages. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles… Consequence: A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
January 2025, Back Over Prevention:Software. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2025 Acura MDX vehicles. The touchscreen in the center console may go blank, resulting in the rearview camera image not displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of… Consequence: A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

Owners filed 105 complaints with NHTSA for the 2025 Acura MDX, most often about engine (63), electrical system (48), unknown or other (26).

2026 Audi Q7

The Audi Q7 is a 2- and 3-row E-segment SUV made by the German manufacturer Audi, unveiled in September 2005 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Production of the Q7 began in November 2005 at the Volkswagen Bratislava Plant in Bratislava, Slovakia. The Q7 was the first SUV sold by Audi and went on sale in 2006.

Safety: Despite its multiple airbags and safety electronics, such as Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), the Q7 scored four stars out of five () in the Euro NCAP crash test for adult occupant protection. According to Audi, this was caused by a design error, and has since been fixed in cars manufactured after the test which should allegedly lead to five stars.

Source: Audi Q7 (Wikipedia)

NHTSA rated the 2025 Audi Q7 overall 5 of 5 stars, front crash 4 of 5 stars, side crash 5 of 5 stars, rollover 4 of 5 stars.

Recent recalls (4 campaigns across the latest model years)

December 2025, Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2026 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may prevent the rearview camera image from displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply… Consequence: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
November 2025, Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 Audi RS Q8, Audi Q8, Audi Q7, and Audi SQ8 vehicles. The driver and front passenger seat belt buckles may be missing a rivet that secures the buckle to the seat belt… Consequence: A seat belt that is missing a rivet may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
April 2024, Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2023 Audi S5 Cabriolet, A4 Allroad, Q5 Sportback, A3 Sedan, S5 Sportback, SQ7, TT Coupe, TT Roadster, RS5 Sportback, 2024 A8, E-Tron Quattro, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, Q8, RSQ8, 2023-2024 Q3, Q5, and Q7… Consequence: A deactivated front passenger air bag will not deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Owners filed 16 complaints with NHTSA for the 2025 Audi Q7, most often about unknown or other (5), electrical system (4), forward collision avoidance (4).

Open both dossiers

Resolve the exact engine, drive and EPA ID.

01 · 2026Acura MDX3 configurations →02 · 2026Audi Q72 configurations →

Comparison answer desk

13 answers for this exact pairing.

Q01Which is more efficient: the 2026 Acura MDX or the 2026 Audi Q7?

Efficiency

The 2026 Audi Q7 lists the higher combined-efficiency midpoint in this snapshot (21 vs. the 2026 Acura MDX's 20.5 MPG/MPGe).