Audi Q7

Audi Q7 flagship 4x4 offers a sporty drive, and has few problems turning heads

Auto Express Car Reviews

Rating:
Latest deal price: from £36,250 to £54,309
For : Practicality, performance, cabin quality
Against : Firm suspension, high running costs, relatively old

The huge Audi Q7 4x4 combines space, comfort and quality with real driver appeal. In the main, its attempt to be all things to all men is a success, and there's no doubt that the car is an impressive feat of engineering. The Q7 offers offers crisp handling for an SUV, together with a well made seven-seat interior plus an enormous boot. Entry level versions are the best value for money, but sporty S line models look smarter. All variants offer Audi's quattro 4x4 system, but while the car is capable off road, its sporty chassis is far better suited to the tarmac.

Our choice: 3.0 TDI quattro

Styling

There's no doubt that the Audi Q7 looks like a premium product. Dressed up in S line trim, the Audi Q7 has no problem turning heads - thanks to its big alloy wheels, brushed metal detailing and underbody protection. Despite this, we don't think it's the prettiest car in the German firm's line-up. Its heavy flanks and bulbous nose make it look bulky.

Interior

The interior is stylishly designed and lavishly equipped, but it doesn't have the modern edge of some of Audi's more recent offerings.

Driving and Performance

For such a big car, the Audi Q7 feels surprisingly sporty to drive. There's very little body roll through corners, and the steering is responsive and accurate. Over undulating roads and through tight bends the car always feels stable. The only fly in the ointment is the very firm suspension, which picks up even the smallest bumps in the tarmac. The engine range is limited to one petrol and three diesel engines, but its the entry level 3.0-litre V6 diesel that we like best, combining power and economy in equal measure. A special nod must go to the mighty 6.0-litre V12 version, which offers a staggering 0-62mph sprint of just 5.5 seconds, while still returning 25mpg.

MPG and running costs

There is no Audi Q7 in the range that is particularly cheap to run. The most frugal of the bunch is the 201bhp 3.0 TDI diesel, but that still falls short of the 40mpg mark. The 3.0-litre petrol is worse, with a combined fuel economy figure of 26.4mpg. Insurance will be costly too, as will the road tax bill when you take into account CO2 emissions that range from 189g/km to 242g/km.

Practicality

Inside, the quality of the cabin is beyond question, but the rearmost seats are difficult to access. The boot, however, is simply massive. Not even the Land Rover Discovery 4 can match the Audi's 2,040mm maximum load length. A one-piece tailgate makes stowing bulky items easy, although even with this car's air-suspension on its lowest setting, the boot floor is still 830mm off the ground! With all seven seats in place, the Audi offers a very usable 330 litres of space in the boot, but fold them flat into the floor and that figure rises to a huge 775 litres.

Safety and reliability

Audi's cars are very well engineered, and the Q7 is no exception. Uneven tyre wear can blight some vehicles, and some early cars were recalled to fix the electric motor that powered the optional powered bootlid, but other than that, problems are few and far between. Safety meanwhile is a bit of a worry, as Euro NCAP only deemed it worthy of four stars, with five being pretty standard these days. As well as the car's size and tough construction, all Q7 models offer driver, passenger and side airbags.

For an alternative review of the latest Audi Q7 visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk

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8 Comments

Two point four children

Yes, the archetypal school-run chariot for the next few years.

"For you know, young Tarquin and Chloe are growing up and need a lot of space. And those speed bumps at the school entrance are so-ooo high. And I feel so much safer in a car like this."

Yes, if you drive one of these, this really is what you sound like.

The rest of us will simply hope we don't meet you in normally sized city streets.

By FloatingVoter on 24 May, 2011, 8:33am

No, I drive one of these and this is not what I sound like.

Why would you have not wish to meet me on a normal sized city street? Don't you like courteous drivers?

I bought the car as I needed seven seats and the ability to take some luggage whilst doing so (that is most MPV's and Soft roaders discounted straight away). Of the MPV's left only the S-Max ticked all the boxes, unfortunately the Ford saleman was rude and unhelpful when I enquired about the car.

Land Rover Disco's are too agricultural for my tastes (not to mention unreliable, thirsty and slow). So that left the Q7. And your prejudices. I can live with your prejudices, but life would be a lot harder without the Q7.

By Rexel_Black on 7 July, 2011, 12:59pm

yuck

Ugly, oversized, overhyped and not particularly good off road which is why you don't see them in those parts of the world where 4x4 are necessary. Concerning reliability colleague of mine had one which was so good that it has now been replaced by an "unreliable" Discovery which in 12 months has not caused any problems.

By tr_4_triumph on 26 March, 2012, 6:45pm

fatigued...

All they have to do is put a Turret & 100mm canon on it, + some caterpillar tracks & hey presto. what an utter abomination. why would you bother?

By brendan on 31 March, 2012, 11:47pm

Audi bias

hay AE, did you realise you stall have a couple of non Audi cars in you list?

By fastpep1 on 9 April, 2012, 7:08pm

Your money

I have no concern with how people spend their own money on products which they feel suits them and their lifestyles best.

What I do have a problem with is the mentality that big is better. Now this would mean stereotypically picking on the school runs as a prime example, but look at this another way. You are more likely to injure, fatally or not someone with one of these cars which, most likely, will always be washed and never as much see a muddy field in their life, than a 'normal' car MPV if you must. BTW I thought a VW Caravelle would be a good alternative if you need space with luggage and they are hardly poverty spec either.

To top it off its a German...

By Random_abc123 on 11 April, 2012, 10:55am

No farmer or country person that I know would be seen dead in one of these monstrosities. They are grossly inefficient vanity vehicles, pure and simple, and their ownership speaks volumes about the owner. Everyone else knows that apart from the smug owners!

By misotonic on 26 April, 2012, 8:47am

Yuk

My 9 year old son wants to win Billions on the lottery....... so he can buy every Q7 in existence and have em all crushed. Out of the mouths of babes eh?

By fastpep1 on 30 April, 2012, 9:10pm

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Pictures

Audi Q7