The Q7 has lots of positive reviews. Many reviews have showed this car can compete with and defeat pretty much most of the competition including the Volvo XC90 and the Land Rover Discovery.
Being a person that comes from a family of 6, we actually use the practicality of these vehicles and not just use them as garage queens. The Audi Q7 has surprised me and I’m gonna tell you why!
1. The Practicality
This car is huge! But it doesn’t look it initially. It looks like something that would be the same size as an X5 or even discovery. From the outside it’s completely not intimidating to look at. I think it’s reasonably sized. People say it’s absolutely gigantic. I say that’s crazy! Have those people ever seen a land cruiser or suburban!
This car is the right size but it all surprises once you’re inside. Once you get in you’ll begin to realize the size. On the inside it’s definitely bigger than a discovery. We have a Discovery and have never had any trouble with space but this car is even more practical because you can actually store stuff behind the third row!
The Q7 despite the practicality doesn’t feel big once you’re in the drivers seat. It feels X5 size once your in the drivers seat till you look behind and realize that it’s a pretty big vehicle indeed.
There’s a full seat for everyone in the car. People say that it’s a 5+2 but that’s hugely exaggerated. A discovery isn’t that much better. I’m 6’5” and I could fit in the third row. I would get tired after an hour but if you want a bigger car then buy an Escalade or a van.
The Interior
The doors are solid apon first entry.
I reviewed both a normal interior and a Vorsprung interior.
The Vorsprung makes quite the difference but to be honest you might not really need it. You do want it though. The interior is not as nice as a Range Rover. But it’s comparable to cars in its class such as a discovery, X5 and Volvo XC90. The surprise is really the tech such as the virtual cockpit. The Audi system is quite complicated and a little bit counter intuitive. But it’s acceptable considering the ones that came in discoveries of the day. BMW I drive in the X5 is the easiest for me.
I used the tech in the next generation (2020-) Audi interiors but I think it’s not as good as it’s predecessor. The touch screen is abit strange with you having to press down on the screen. Adjusting things like climate control and all that is just that little bit more complicated. I couldn’t even figure out how to change the ambient lighting color the whole time I reviewed it. The virtual cockpit is still unrivaled in the newer cars.
The quality is where the difference is. If you talk quality then Mercedes’ is in trouble. A comparable GLE or even GLS interior isn’t on the same level as this car. I know a lot of people defend Mercedes interiors because they look nice but looks isn’t quality. The Mercedes has some dodgy materials down there and all around. The Discovery has a pretty good interior and so does the Volvo so with those it’s more about preference. It’s no Porsche Cayenne though. The Cayenne interior feels so solid like there’s lead behind there somewhere.
If it comes to interior you’re not going to be disappointed because however much people complain about the little things. At the end of the day you’ll get used to those things in two weeks or so. It’s like when they removed Touch ID on the iPhone. It’s annoying but we are all used to Face ID that it’s almost weird to see a home button. Overall the Q7 interior is excellent. You will not want to leave.
The engine
The Q7 has really good engines. The one I love the most is obviously the Sq7 V8 TDI. the sound is very nice indeed. It’s no Range Rover supercharged but it’s completely different in the way it’s sounds. It’s a very macho noise. Subtle but powerful noise. Doesn’t sound like a diesel at all. The whole car tilts when you rev it in park. It’s a great feeling. It doesn’t need to rev much. Being a diesel most of the work is done by the time the engine is at 3000rpm. And in a world with laws and speed cameras. I think it’s a fairly practical engine compared to something like a supercharged 5.0 V8 from Land Rover or an AMG V8. The fuel consumption on the SQ7 is very decent and it’s more than fast enough for the people that actually buy this car. Don’t expect to see an Sq7 at a racetrack. That’s ridiculous.
There’s more reasonable 3.0 diesels and 3.0 petrols. Also an Sq7 petrol but I haven’t reviewed that one yet. The 3.0 liter engines are realistically more than enough for the type of person that buys a Q7. There’s a 2.0l petrol in some markets. But I really don’t believe that engine can move such a car without having to work very hard. Get the diesel and save yourself a couple of MPG. Diesel is good! Good for the health of your wallet.
Exterior & drivetrain
The car has rims a mid 2000’s rapper can brag about. The rims don’t ruin the ride however. It’s design would be completely useless off-road of course. Huge front and rear overhangs and low ground clearance aren’t exactly a formula for off-roading. That however is besides the point because if you want an off-roader then buy a Land Rover defender. The cars styling is deceiving because it looks much smaller than it is. It’s only when you approach it that you realise something funky is going on. When it parks it sits on the air-suspension making it look even smaller. I like the way it tries to hide its size.
The Q7 is full of cool looking led lights and the newer ones actually do a welcome dance which is pure swagger. I’m honestly surprised that people call this car plain looking. It’s an Audi thing. Look at the old Q7, people didn’t like the design then but now it fits in with the crowd unlike the Range Rover L322 or BMW X5 of the time.this car may look plain now but it’s gonna age like a fine wine.
So is it the right choice?
Absolutely! I don’t see any reason not to buy it. It does nothing wrong. It may not be the best at everything but it is very good at everything and saying otherwise would be lying. You could say the same about the discovery but we own one. I guarantee you’ll think these reliability reports are overstatements till it actually gives you trouble. The bad reliability is not a joke, it’s not exaggerated. If you buy a discovery you have to love discoveries. The Volvo is nice but it’s no Audi Q7 still. The Q7 is more comfortable than both of those.
I’m honestly surprised you don’t see More Q7’s on the road. Maybe it’s road tax or something. Strikes the perfect balance of family car and luxury car and sporty-ish car. Brilliant!
About Author
Excuse, that I interfere, but, in my opinion, there is other way of the decision of a question.