Criticising a man's driving is a little like telling him his wife's ugly and his children are dense. You just don't go there. No good can come of it. If I didn't mention something about my colleague's driving, however, we weren't going anywhere other than for a long walk up the hard shoulder with a jerry can in hand. Every minute or so he'd bury the throttle, the Audi Q7 would kick down a gear or two and the 'instant fuel economy' gauge on the dash would dip well into single figures.

Given that we were still several hundred miles distant from the Channel ports, I thought I'd better mention something. "If you lock it in sixth gear, it'll accelerate more smoothly", I offered, disingenuously suggesting that the problem was with the automatic gearbox rather than my friend's leaden right boot. The lever clicked across into the manual selection mode and we were golden. No more gratuitous 6,000rpm excursions.

As a long distance cruiser, the Q7 has few peers. We'd set the air suspension onto comfort mode, the cruise control had just kicked in and we were flying. Whole départements were dispatched with clinical efficiency as we pointed the Audi's bluff nose south. The massive front grille and blue-tinged xenon lights did a great job of intimidating the heck out of even the most stubborn French drivers. It wasn't perfect though. Everybody who drove it felt that at high speeds the headlights didn't throw the beam far enough up the road for comfort. The lights are height-adjustable if you choose the standard halogen lights but the xenon-equipped car decides where they should go for you and you're lumped with it.

"The Q7 is motoring on a majestic scale. Living high on the hog every once in a while has to be good for the soul"

This car, an S-line range-topper, was equipped fairly unusually. Yes, there was an excellent and very intuitive DVD-based satellite navigation system that performed faultlessly throughout but, somewhat surprisingly, there was nowhere to plug your iPod in. We used an iTrip transmitter instead that had to be constantly retuned as French language radio made unwelcome intrusions. Likewise there was an amazing rear parking camera that illustrated your line into a space but nothing so prosaic as heated front seats.

There are some extremely thoughtful touches to the Q7. The ability to raise the tailgate from the keyfob is one that draws jealous glances from other 4x4 owners. Likewise, the ability to raise the car on its air suspension going from autoroute bullet to almost monster truck clearance in a matter of seconds is also something it's tough to get tired of. What really impresses about the Q7 though is just how accessible all of these systems are. Yes, there are manuals in the glove box that together total over 700 pages but you'll rarely need to consult them. Unlike in a rival BMW or Mercedes, there are very few times when the control systems flummox you.

Passenger comfort levels were, by and large, good. We'd folded the rearmost pair of seats down to make way for luggage and the middle seat of the second row was also given the origami treatment. That left two berths in the back that were snug without being too pinched. Headroom and kneeroom were acceptable for adults although the electrically-adjustable front seats meant that it wasn't always possible for passengers in the rear to get their toes underneath. This makes an appreciable difference to real world comfort on a longer trip. Being able to recline the rear seats a few degrees was some compensation though.

The 4.2-litre FSI V8 engine is a thing of sheer brilliance. Drive it hard and it yowls like a NASCAR escapee but most of the time we were just interested in keeping it ticking along at 3,000rpm or so, arrowing through the night. The huge 100-litre fuel tank gives the Audi some useful range, although in the case of our test car, we were achieving around 300 miles between each ?116 top up which translates to just under 14mpg. Shared between four, these fuel bills weren't too bad. Travelling solo would definitely have seen me casting around the long term car pool for something a little less thirsty.

Despite the weight-saving aluminium parts, this behemoth still tips the scales at 2,270kg but it's worth remembering that this powerplant is effectively a detuned version of the V8 found in the RS4 and the R8, so it's got some punch to it. Leather the Q7 4.2 FSI off the line and it'll get to 60mph in a smidgeon over 7 seconds and hit a top speed of 154mph. That feels very rapid indeed with this much bulk in tow.

With a length of 5,086mm and a wheelbase of 3,002mm, the Q7 isn't the most nimble rock hopper, but it does feature variable ground clearance (from 180 to 240mm), hill descent assist and an off-road mode whereby the ESP stability control system backs off to allow for loose surfaces. There's also a trailer stabilisation system which reduces the risk of fishtailing via targeted brake intervention. The Q7 feels planted through bends without ever encouraging you to really lean on the car's cornering abilities. Perhaps we can forgive a car with this many strings to its bow for failing to play the sports card that convincingly.

There's no getting away from the fact that this is a huge and hugely profligate car. Many will not like the Q7 philosophy. That's their choice. If you need a seven seater, but want something impeccably screwed together and effortlessly capable cross country, there are few better choices. If you've earned your way out of worrying about fuel bills, I'd give this car a solid recommendation. If not, go diesel.