Audi A7 Sportback - Reliability and safety

​​The A7 Sportback shares the same MQB Evo platform as the A8 limousine and A6 saloon, as well as several other Volkswagen Group cars. While these underpinnings are pretty well proven, this is a mechanically complex model, so big bills could quickly start to appear if things do go wrong.

Audi’s reputation for reliability isn’t perfect, either, with the brand only ever getting middling scores in our Driver Power customer satisfaction survey. The A7 didn’t appear in our most recent survey, but customers rated Audi in a pretty damning 30th place out of 32 brands in our best manufacturer rankings.

The A7 was tested by Euro NCAP in 2018 and achieved top marks for safety. Adult and child occupant protection was rated at 93 per cent and 85 per cent, respectively.

Warranty

The A7 is covered by Audi’s standard three-year, 60,000-mile warranty, which can be extended to four years or 75,000 miles, or five years and 90,000 miles for an additional cost. Given the complexity of the car and the cost of any potential repairs, this could prove to be a wise investment.

Servicing 

Audi offers the choice of a fixed inspection or flexible servicing schedule, depending on your intended mileage. Fixed inspection is aimed at those doing less than 10,000 miles a year and it includes an oil change service every year or 9,300 miles and a full inspection service every 18,600 miles or two years.

If your mileage is likely to be higher than that, you can select the flexible schedule, with the car’s computer deciding when it needs to be serviced based on usage and other parameters. The variable intervals are up to a maximum of 18,600 miles or two years.