Audi Q7

Audi Q7
Bread and butter never tasted better
$49,950

The last time an Audi Q7 occupied a spot in our long-term fleet was more than five years ago. That’s when a first-generation 2011 Audi Q7 TDI came into our lives, equipped with a torque-rich, turbocharged diesel 3.0-liter V-6.

No longer offered with a diesel engine (thanks to the Volkswagen Group’s emissions scandal), the new Q7 is available with one of two powerplants: a 252-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four or a 333-hp supercharged 3.0-liter V-6, the latter of which powers our long-term 2017 Q7. Both engines are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission driving all four wheels. Despite lacking a miserly TDI option, the Q7 posts EPA ratings of 20 mpg city and 25 mpg highway with the base four-cylinder and 19/25 mpg with the V-6. Both powertrains best our old TDI’s 17-mpg city rating and tie its 25-mpg highway figure.

Credit for the Q7’s improved fuel economy can be partially attributed to an old trick from the Lotus playbook: adding lightness. Extensive use of aluminum in the new Audi’s unibody construction results in a claimed weight savings of more than 700 pounds. Our scales recorded a more modest weight loss of 265 pounds between our 2017 long-termer and the last previous-gen, gasoline-fueled Q7 we tested. Compare our new 3.0T model with our old TDI, though, and the weight disparity more than doubles, with 602 pounds separating the two.

Audi Q7 Specifications

Although still hefty at 5085 pounds, the new Q7 is surprisingly fleet on its feet. Solid dynamics, Audi’s well-executed MMI infotainment system, and a cabin fitted with top-notch materials helped the latest Q7 quickly capture attention during our 10Best Trucks and SUVs testing, with the model taking home the top prize in the mid-size luxury SUV segment. That made a 40,000-mile shakedown a natural next step.

Our top-spec, Prestige model includes niceties such as LED headlights, a 360-degree-view monitor, navigation, a touchpad for the MMI infotainment system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, heated and cooled front seats, four-zone automatic climate control, and Audi’s 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit TFT display screen in the gauge cluster.

We added a host of items to our Graphite Gray Metallic Q7, including the $4000 Adaptive Chassis package, which brings a variable-ride-height air-spring suspension and four-wheel steering, and the $2400 Driver Assistance package consisting of adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beams, automated emergency braking, and a lane-keeping assist system.

Our Midwest home base practically necessitated the $500 Cold Weather bundle, which includes a heated steering wheel and heated rear seats, and our plans to use a significant portion of the Q7’s available 7700-pound towing capacity mandated that we check the box for the $550 Towing package and another for a seven-pin connector for trailer lights ($125). A cargo cover, floor mats, pre-wiring for a rear-seat entertainment system, and a pair of USB cables for charging our phones tacked on an additional $755.

Finally, we dropped $1500 for the admittedly superficial Titanium-Black Optic package, consisting of a blacked-out grille, window surrounds, and roof rails, as well as 21-inch 10-spoke wheels wearing Continental ContiSportContact 5 summer tires. Even on this largest-wheel option, the air-sprung Q7’s ride quality is impressively refined.

Before we swapped out the Continentals for a set of winter-ready Pirellis, we had the opportunity to test the Q7 on its stickier stock rubber. The Q7 clung to the 300-foot skidpad with an eye-widening 0.90 g of grip. Hauling this big SUV down from 70 mph required only 155 feet. To put that in perspective, our 2324-pound long-term Mazda Miata pulled 0.88 g on the skidpad and needed 158 feet of roadway for a 70-mph stop.

Less stellar were our Q7’s acceleration times. While a zero-to-60-mph time of 6.3 seconds and a quarter-mile of 14.7 seconds at 96 mph are nothing to scoff at, a similar 2017 Q7 3.0T we previously tested was quicker to 60 by 0.8 second and through the quarter-mile by 0.5, with a trap speed 3 mph higher. We’ll see whether those figures improve once our Q7 turns 40,000 miles. Our Audi’s passing performance proved commendable right out of the box, with the quick-shifting eight-speed automatic making the most of the engine’s 325 lb-ft of torque and rocketing the all-wheel-drive crossover from 30 to 50 mph in 3.0 seconds flat and from 50 to 70 mph in 4.4 seconds.

With no major long-haul trips undertaken yet, our observed fuel economy of 19 mpg is 2 mpg below the EPA’s combined figure. We expect fuel mileage to rise as this comfortable and competent seven-seat cruiser starts traveling farther afield. Source by caranddriver.com

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