Testing Driving the Audi Q7

I’ll be honest with you, I don’t really “get” the Audi Q7. I’ve had the keys to a white, 3.6 Premium model for several days and several hundred miles. I’ll try to make sense of this vehicle as we go along.

Firstly, the Q7 is big and it looks very imposing. Driving around Massachusetts, a lot of drivers dove right out of the way as I approached, but that snout ain’t pretty. I find the side view to quite appealing: nice clean lines.

The interior is pretty much Audi’s A6 dash. The MMI interface is perhaps the lesser evil of such interfaces, but taking delivery of this car late at night led to some early frustrations. Now that I’ve got the hang of things, I like the setup but other than a few trick customizations that can be performed via MMI, I’m not really sold on it. Also because of the “base” configuration of my car the Navigation, Information, Telephone and Name buttons didn’t do anything except subconsciously chastise me for not trying harder and earning more money to afford such luxuries.

The berber-like carpet leaves something to be desired. Yes it is easily broomed out, but I can see where it has been joined together and sometimes the joints aren’t so well executed.

Seats are comfortable, at least the first two rows, but the third row is really just for the munchkins. If you’re much taller than 5’4” then you’re simply not going to fit. Other than the carpet seams, fit and finish is well executed. An odd rattle was heard from the back and a few plastic bits had already fallen off my 9k mile example.

My wife found it impossible to reach the rear tailgate when it was raised. Yes there is a power option, but since this vehicle will have a large number of female buyers, shouldn't they have made this standard? If you get the air suspension, the Q7 can also be lowered for easier loading of the cargo bay.

So, the Q7 looks like a brute and it acts like one too. My particular model was equipped with 19” wheels and a reasonable ride given the large rolling stock. I won’t call it smooth, but a price must be paid for such stylishness. Acceleration from the 280hp V6 mill is “adequate” but as I’ll mention later on is that enough for you hard earned cash?

What really gets me, however, is the price. The Q7 does start at a friendly, for the class, $40k but if you simply left it at that I feel you’d be left wanting more. Like leather for example. The delivered price on the V6 premium is 46,675. But if you simply stopped there, many buttons on the MMI would be useless: no Bluetooth or navigation. You’ve got to get the panoramic roof. What about the air suspension, adaptive cruise, Audi side assist? Well, folks it just keeps going on and on. You can play around with pricing, but if you’re even the slightest gadget geek, you’re going to really lighten your wallet to get the Q7 to turn into a real Q-Ship.

So, what’s the price of success? A nicely optioned V8 model stickers for around $64k. Gulp. That’s a lot of cabbage. As you drive away from the dealer, you’ll still have to worry about rear seat DVD. No factory option yet, although word is that it will be available.

What you will have is a brute of an Audi munching fuel at 16/20 or 14/19 (V6/V8) miles per gallon is city/highway. The Q7 does have a large 26 gallon tank, so even with those low numbers you’ll have a decent cruising range.

Is it worth it? I guess I’ll say that it depends. I can't get over the feeling that Audi engineers were laughing as the developed the Q7. Obviously, there is market for such a vehicle, but a nimble Audi sedan it is not. If you can get your mind the price tag and mileage and want something different, then the Q7 might be your beast. Don't forget that Audi has done away with free maintenance. BMW and Land Rover are some of the last brands to offer this perk. Getting back to the Q7: I think that there are some better choices for you. The BMW X5 comes to mind, Mercedes GL also has seven seats available.

No matter what vehicle you end up with, before signing on the dotted line I highly recommend taking home your choice for an overnight trial. Most dealerships will do this once they see you are serious. If they balk, I’d just take that as a sign that the deal was not meant to be.