Audi Q7 (2015 - present)
Vast on the outside and big enough for seven seats inside, the Audi Q7 is lavish, well made, and easy to drive
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
Weaknesses
Audi Q7 Estate Special Edition (2012-2014) 3.0 tdi 245 quattro s line sport ed 5dr tip auto
Finance price £364 per month
Cash price £20,200
Following the success of the first-generation model, the Audi Q7 is now in its second generation. It's enormous and well made, as well as sumptously decorated on the inside.
It's pitched directly at premium off-roaders such as the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class, Porsche Cayenne, Land Rover Discovery, Volvo XC90 and Range Rover. It’s a seven-seater, so it could be ideal if you’re looking for a luxurious people carrier with the desirable image of an upmarket SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) - but be prepared to pay for the privilege, as the entry-level costs from around £47,000.
From the outside, the Q7 is instantly recognisable as an Audi with a large, imposing front grille and intricately detailed headlights with LED daytime running lights. It’s a bit plainer and less sculpted along the sides and at the back, but it’s a smart looking car and disguises its size remarkably well in the metal.
Inside is where the Q7 plays its trump card. It has a beautifully built interior: the dashboard is made from high-quality materials and everything looks and feels very expensive. Plus, there’s plenty of space for all of the family - there’s even a decent 295 litres of boot space available with all seven seats in place, so it makes for a great choice if you need a large car to carry the family around in.
There are two diesel engines to choose from. The 3.0-litre TDI diesel engine has two power outputs, 215bhp and 268bhp, both of which are smooth, quiet and surprisingly economical for such a large car. This engine also forms the basis of a plug-in hybrid version called the Q7 e-tron, which is the most economical Q7 you can get: in theory it can achieve 166.2mpg and emits just 48g/km of CO2 because it’s a plug-in hybrid, so you can charge up the battery to boost efficiency. Meanwhile, at the other end of the scale is the SQ7, which is powered by a 4.0-litre TDI diesel producing 435PS.
On the move, the Q7 is no race car (unless you opt for the SQ7, which has a startling 4.9-second 0-62mph time), but it’s very smooth and corners well for a car of its size, with minimal bodyroll. If you pay a little extra for the optional air suspension, the Q7 glides over rough surfaces and is exceptionally comfortable, too. The Q7 also makes for a great car for towing: the powerful diesel engines have plenty of torque, which means it’s strong enough to pull large caravans and trailers. The standard eight-speed automatic gearbox has very smooth shifts, too.
The Q7 is a very safe car, scoring a maximum five stars in Euro NCAP crash safety tests. In addition to a well-specified list of standard safety kit, there’s also a long list of optional extras that you can specify to make it even safer, including driving assistance systems such as blind-spot monitoring and a system that keeps you in your lane on the motorway.
The Q7 sits in a very prestige (and, as a result, quite expensive) area of the car market, with some seriously premium rivals. The Q7 does have the advantage over some of those rivals by virtue of its seven seats – a third row is an option in the X5 – but all the cars at this level offer high-quality comfort, smooth highway motoring, safety and some degree of off-roading ability. The Q7 vies with the XC90 for the title of Best Interior, while the e-tron offers economy and (theoretical) low running costs. If you’re looking to do some serious, regular off-roading, the Discovery or Range Rover are better bets, but the Q7’s quattro system will enable the soft-roading capabilities that some buyers will occasionally need.
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Key facts
Warranty: 3 years / 60,000 miles | Boot size: 295 litres / rear row down: 770 litres |
Width: 1968mm | Length: 5052mm |
Height: 1741mm | Tax: £145 - £180 |
Best Audi Q7 Deals
Best Audi Q7 for...
- March 2015: The current Audi Q7 arrives in Britain
- August 2015: Lower-powered 3.0 TDI 218PS engine added to the range
- May 2016: Q7 e-tron goes on sale in UK
- August 2016: First UK deliveries of the SQ7
- October 2017: Black Edition and Vorsprung trims added to line-up
Understanding Audi Q7 car names
- Q7
- Engine
- 3.0 TDI 272PS
- Driven wheels
- Quattro
- Trim level
- S Line
- Engine
- The size of the engine is given in litres (here it's 3.0) and the letters TDI indicate that this is a diesel engine. The engine's horsepower (expressed in PS) is the final number.
- Driven wheels
- The Q7 is four-wheel drive and Audi's system is known as Quattro.
- Trim level
- The amount of standard equipment that is fitted to the Q7 depends on its trim level. SE is the least expensive version, with S Line next, then Black Edition and Vorsprung cars topping the range.
Audi Q7 Engines
Engines: 3.0 TDI 218PS, 3.0 TDI 272PS, 3.0 TDI 373PS, 4.0 TDI 435PS
Three diesel engines are available in the Q7 range – a 3.0-litre TDI producing 218hp and 272hp, a version with an electric engine that boosts power to 373hp, plus a 4.0 TDI with 435hp. All engines are very smooth and quiet on the move, with the 4.0 TDI offering a more throaty sound when accelerating.
The 218hp 3.0 TDI is the more economical engine, with 48.7mpg but it’s also a little slower than the higher-powered version. This is most noticeable at speed when you put your foot down, and it can feel a little strained. It’s also a little more vocal than the 272hp version.
The more powerful 272hp 3.0 TDI is more expensive, but the engine is much better suited to the Q7’s size, especially if you regularly drive around with the car fully laden: it has more power and more torque to get you moving and keep you going at speed. It’s also slightly quieter, which contributes to more relaxed car journeys.
The plug-in hybrid Q7 e-tron has more power, better performance (0-62mph in 6.2 seconds) and better fuel economy of 156.9mpg – but that’s theoretical and unlikely to be matched in the real world, unless most of your driving can be achieved using electric power only (the batteries give the car a 34-mile range). One advantage it has over the BMW X5 40e and Volvo XC90 T8 – which are also plug-in hybrids – is that the e-tron combines its electric motor with a diesel engine, rather than a petrol one, so real-world economy should be better.
And if it's performance you're after, the SQ7 is something of a beast, thanks to its 4.0-litre diesel, producing 435hp. Fuel economy, compared to the other variants, is reduced considerably, to 39.2mpg and 190g/km of CO2 will mean a pretty hefty first-year VED bill.
Fuel | Fuel economy | Power | Acceleration (0-62mph) | Top speed | |
3.0 TDI 218PS | Diesel | 48.7mpg | 218hp | 7.3s | 134mph |
3.0 TDI 272PS | Diesel | 44.1-47.1mpg | 272hp | 6.5s | 145mph |
3.0 TDI e-tron | Diesel-electric hybrid | 156.9mpg | 373hp | 6.2s | 143mph |
4.0 TDI 435PS | Diesel | 37.2-39.2mpg | 435hp | 4.9s | 155mph |
Audi Q7 Trims
SE, S line, Black Edition, Vorsprung
The Q7 model range is easy to navigate thanks to a choice of just four trim levels.
Kicking things off is the Q7 SE. All models get a minimalist dashboard design with a pop-up screen in the dashboard and a touchpad and rotary controller for the MMI multimedia system down by the gearlever. SE models come with rear parking sensors, cruise control with a speed limiter and an automatic braking system at low speeds. There’s also satellite navigation and a DAB radio.
S line adds larger alloy wheels, a slightly sporty-looking bodykit and bright LED headlights on the outside, while there’s a sports steering wheel and sports seats with ‘S line’ embossed on the headrests. S line also comes with Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, which is a 12.3-inch TFT screen in place of the instrument dials that displays the sat-nav map, multimedia functions and the dials - you can configure them however you like.
Next is the Black Edition, which has larger 21-inch wheels and a styling pack with elements such as black surrounds for the grille, frame, front bumper styling accents and door mirrors, while there are black inlays in the cabin, along with an upholstery upgrade, a full-length glass roof and ambient lighting pack.
Top of the range is the Vorsprung, which adds 22-inch wheels, running boards, a black styling pack, sports seats, additional leather trim in the cabin, heated rear seats, head-up display, 3D speaker system, wireless phone charging, Matrix LED headlights, a Driving Assistance Tour Pack (including adaptive cruise control, active lane assist and traffic jam assist) and a Parking Assistance Pack.
Audi Q7 Reliability and warranty
The Q7 doesn’t appear in the 2017 Driver Power survey – it doesn’t sell in large enough numbers for its owners to make enough of an impression – so it's difficult to definitively say how reliable it is.
However, Audi doesn’t exactly cover itself in glory in the table of most reliable manufacturers, coming in 18th in the list of 27 carmakers.
The Audi three-year/60,000-mile warranty is the similar to the ones offered by the other German premium manufacturers and should cover buyers for any problems in the initial few years after purchase.
Used Audi Q7
The oldest models are approaching three years old and used examples look as if they’re retaining their value pretty well, reflecting the level of demand for this flagship premium SUV. Bargains might not be easy to find, therefore.
Early cars are still retaining around 70% of their original price, even after two or two-and-a half years, with mileages ranging from around 19,000 to 42,000 (not that they make a huge difference to asking prices).
Audi Q7 Prices
Audi Q7 Black Edition
45 tdi quattro black edition 5dr tiptronic
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 40.4mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £53,001
You could save up to: £11639
45 tdi quattro black edition 5dr tiptronic [c+s]
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 40.4mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £55,009
You could save up to: £11926
50 tdi quattro black edition 5dr tiptronic
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 41.5mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £55,661
You could save up to: £12019
50 tdi quattro black edition 5dr tiptronic [c+s]
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 41.5mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £57,669
You could save up to: £12306
55 tfsi quattro black edition 5dr tiptronic
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £54,523
You could save up to: £11857
55 tfsi quattro black edition 5dr tiptronic [c+s]
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £56,531
You could save up to: £12144
Audi Q7 S Line
45 tdi quattro s line 5dr tiptronic
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 40.4mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £49,019
You could save up to: £11071
45 tdi quattro s line 5dr tiptronic [c+s pack]
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 40.4mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £51,028
You could save up to: £11357
50 tdi quattro s line 5dr tiptronic
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 41.5mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £51,679
You could save up to: £11451
50 tdi quattro s line 5dr tiptronic [c+s pack]
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 41.5mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £53,687
You could save up to: £11738
55 tfsi e quattro s line 5dr tiptronic
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol/plugin elec hybrid
- Economy
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £57,565
You could save up to: £10270
55 tfsi e quattro s line 5dr tiptronic [c+s pack]
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol/plugin elec hybrid
- Economy
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £59,573
You could save up to: £10557
55 tfsi quattro s line 5dr tiptronic
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £50,542
You could save up to: £11288
55 tfsi quattro s line 5dr tiptronic [c+s pack]
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £52,550
You could save up to: £11575
Audi Q7 SQ7
sq7 tdi quattro 5dr tiptronic
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 37.7mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £65,664
You could save up to: £11116
sq7 tdi quattro 5dr tiptronic [c+s pack]
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 37.7mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £67,672
You could save up to: £11403
Audi Q7 SQ7 Vorsprung
sq7 tdi quattro vorsprung 5dr tiptronic
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 37.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £82,814
You could save up to: £13566
Audi Q7 Sport
45 tdi quattro sport 5dr tiptronic
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 40.4mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £46,263
You could save up to: £10677
45 tdi quattro sport 5dr tiptronic [c+s pack]
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 40.4mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £48,271
You could save up to: £10964
50 tdi quattro sport 5dr tiptronic
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 41.5mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £48,923
You could save up to: £11057
50 tdi quattro sport 5dr tiptronic [c+s pack]
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 41.5mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £50,931
You could save up to: £11344
55 tfsi e quattro sport 5dr tiptronic
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol/plugin elec hybrid
- Economy
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £54,809
You could save up to: £9876
55 tfsi e quattro sport 5dr tiptronic [c+s pack]
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol/plugin elec hybrid
- Economy
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £56,817
You could save up to: £10163
55 tfsi quattro sport 5dr tiptronic
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £47,786
You could save up to: £10894
55 tfsi quattro sport 5dr tiptronic [c+s pack]
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £49,794
You could save up to: £11181
Audi Q7 Vorsprung
45 tdi quattro vorsprung 5dr tiptronic
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 39.8mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £68,682
You could save up to: £13833
50 tdi quattro vorsprung 5dr tiptronic
- Doors 5
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 40.9mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £71,342
You could save up to: £14213
55 tfsi quattro vorsprung 5dr tiptronic
- Doors 5
- Fuel petrol
- Economy
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £69,879
You could save up to: £14051