It’s alright when you might not have the budget of an oligarch, but it is feasible to drive the same kind of a car. That is how Audi sells its latest Q7, a great seven-seater SUV that crams much more technology than any other of its models.
The Audi Q7 diesel engine is ideally matched to an eight-speed automatic (non-manual) gearbox and Quattro four-wheel drive, while opponents include the BMW X5, Land Rover Discovery and Volvo XC90.
On the open wide road the Q7 is a breeze to ride, all thanks to its smooth and easy shifting eight-speed automatic gearbox. We are yet to try the entrance-level 218bhp diesel engine, but the more costly 272bhp version offers effortless acceleration, making it very easy to overtake slow-moving traffic.
Where the car actually struggles is in narrow lanes or hectic town centers, where its sheer size can make it feel somewhat intimidating. Visibility over your shoulder is restricted too, so you only have to rely on the proximity sensors when parking the car.
Audi does have one trick up its sleeve that should make the Q7 quite easier to drive, and that is an optional system of four-wheel steering, which gives a smaller turning at low speeds and improved stability when traveling swiftly.
In reality though, it is difficult to gauge how much effort you desire to put in, particularly at low speed, creating it all too easy to take a tighter line than intended. Just stick with the standard steering set-up – it’s economical and far more intuitive.
The current Audi Q7 is too new to have been included in the survey of JD Power customer satisfaction, but Audi as a producer only managed a middling result in 2014, finishing on 12th of 26 brands.
It’s also worth observing that Audi’s warranty last for mainly three years or 60,000 miles – whichever comes sooner – whereas Mercedes and BMW both declare three-year, unlimited-mileage warranties. The other note of caution we would sound here is that Audi’s score in the Warranty Direct Reliability Index, which is formed on actual warranty claims, is pretty low.
In EU tests the Q7 in top-spec, strong 3.0-litre diesel engine guise administered 47.9mpg, while the lower-powered version of the same engine accomplished 52.3mpg – that is better than any other big, active seven-seater diesel 4×4, involving the new Volvo XC90 (48.7mpg) and the decent two-wheel-drive version of the BMW X5 25d (50.4mpg). Don’t, however, hope such high figures in regular driving. Our test resulted in economy of around 35mpg over a long route that included villages, towns, A-roads and motorways.
The Q7 is an expensive car to purchase or lease, although emissions of CO2 are competitive. It is definitely worth noting though that CAP, which supervises residual values and running costs, anticipates that a Volvo XC90 will be slightly cheaper to run, chiefly because it costs really less to buy in the first place.
A plug-in diesel-electric hybrid will be introduced the line-up later in the year to take on quite similar models from BMW and Volvo in the fight to secure the most company car parking spaces.
In a nutshell, the Audi Q7 is a large, spacious and luxurious seven-seater SUV with a marvelous engine and solid safety credentials. Although, add some optional extras and it starts to look very expensive, particularly when compared with the class favorite, the Volvo XC90.”
