Overview & Reviews

One of the more attractive luxury crossover SUVs available, the Audi Q7 comes with all the quality and understated opulence buyers have come to expect from the respected German marque. The Q7's bloodlines are evident in its incredibly swank interior. Craftsmanship is first-rate throughout, and the big SUV is decked out with a wide array of sophisticated luxury and safety features.

The Q7 isn't without its flaws, however. The vehicle's full complement of features contributes to its ponderous curb weight, which strips some crispness from its maneuverability and makes its below-par cargo space and third-row seat room all the more disappointing. As such, there are more sensible large SUVs available, but there's certainly no arguing with its luxury credentials.

Current Audi Q7
The Audi Q7 is a luxury SUV that seats up to seven. Audi's largest crossover emphasizes performance and luxury, as its car-based unit-body construction and flurry of high-end accoutrements attest. It is available in 3.0T Premium, TDI Premium and 3.0T S line Prestige trims.

Standard features even on the base "Premium" trims are impressive, with highlights including xenon headlights, leather upholstery, heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, Audi's MMI control interface and a power liftgate. Adding optional packages or stepping up to the Prestige adds things such as an air suspension, adaptive cruise control, a panoramic sunroof, keyless ignition and entry, a navigation system, a rearview camera, a surround-sound audio system and a rear-seat entertainment system.

The 3.0T Premium is powered by a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 that produces 280 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The 3.0T S line Prestige gets a more powerful version of that engine, producing 333 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque. An alternative choice is the 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 found in the Q7 TDI. It produces 240 hp and a robust 406 lb-ft of torque, while returning a relatively frugal 22 mpg combined. All engines are mated to "Quattro" all-wheel drive and an eight-speed transmission with manual shift control.

The Audi Q7 shines on pavement. Its optional adjustable air suspension helps it navigate bumps and ruts with panache, and Audi's all-wheel-drive system keeps the wheels firmly glued to the road. The SUV is somewhat porcine, which of course hurts acceleration and fuel efficiency.

The Audi Q7's cabin manages to be both high-tech and warm at the same time. There's lots of burled wood on display, and come nighttime, the gauges light up with a pleasing red glow. The construction is arguably class-leading, while materials quality is first-rate. The navigation, climate control and audio systems are all accessed via Audi's Multi Media Interface (MMI). Once you get up to speed on the system, it's fairly easy to use. Third-row seating is strictly for the kids, making rivals from Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti more family-friendly. Both the second and third rows may be folded flat to swallow 72.5 cubic feet of cargo, which is below that of most other competing large luxury crossovers.

Used Audi Q7 Models
Audi introduced the Q7 for the 2007 model year. Initially, engine choices consisted of a 3.6-liter V6 (280 hp and 266 lb-ft) or a 4.2-liter V8 (350 hp and 325 lb-ft), both matched to a six-speed automatic transmission. Neither was an ideal choice, as the V6 was underpowered and the V8 was thirsty. For 2009, the turbodiesel-powered Q7 TDI (225 hp and 406 lb-ft) debuted, while other trims saw a shuffling of features. The following year saw a mild refresh, with updated front and rear styling and an updated MMI system.

Extensive engine lineup changes occurred for 2011, with the previous V6 and V8 engines being replaced by supercharged 3.0-liter V6s known as the 3.0T (272 hp and 295 lb-ft) and 3.0T S line (333 hp and 325 lb-ft), respectively. This year also saw an eight-speed automatic become standard on all Q7s. For the next year, the base 3.0T's output increased slightly, to 280 hp. Other than a modest bump in horsepower for the TDI (to 240 hp), things stood pat for 2013. Other than some minor equipment shuffling, these latter Q7s are similar to today's version.

User Reviews:

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  Wish I wouldve done my homework - 2007 Audi Q7
  By schwartzps - October 29 - 5:51 pm

  Like many of you I fell in love with the Q7. Ive had it a year heres my issues: electrical system went out (brains of the car), fuel gage failed, 3 tire flat tires within 1 year. Also had the same problem as someone earlier as a very small amount of liquid spilled next to the drink cups. It shorted my system to the tune of $1,000. Love the car and hate the car at the same time.

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  Great machine, but not options - 2008 Audi Q7
  By Lesio - October 15 - 1:57 pm

  I have Q7 Premium S-line 4.2, absolutely great, fun to drive. But, it would not be so great without all features. In my opinion adaptive air suspension is a must, adaptive cruise control is fun, great help, but be careful, it provides safety, but stay alert, in critical situations you need to take over. Parking sensors is also a must with such relatively large vehicle. The line assist possible saved me already from couple of dangerous situations and side assist also, although it takes some effort to learn to look at it. A lot of features and after 5 months I am still discovering how to use them in concert effectively. Tested BMW X5 (too small) and Merc. GL550, did not like the controls

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  I think I leased a lemon! - 2007 Audi Q7
  By scrapper - September 11 - 12:44 pm

  Well, I really felt the need to read everyone elses reviews after bringing my car in to be serviced too many times! I got it brand new fresh from Germany, and love the way it looks & the way it rides, and of course all the bells & whistles but too many problems have occured! It started with the tire pressure light appearing on all the time, which took many 1 hour trips to be serviced only at Audi. Then, the fuel pump went out, took a few days to repair- parts only come from Germany you know- then a faulty back sunroof that let water in which caused me to drive a Grand Prix for a week...are you kidding me? I paid $65,000 to drive a Grand Prix? Needed new tires already, squeeking brakes,

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  Disappointed - 2008 Audi Q7
  By Stephanie - September 5 - 8:02 pm

  My husband purchased this car for me and traded in our A4 cab for it. I loved it at first. Then a month into ownership, the trunk latch broke. It wouldnt close all the way so I had to drive the hour away to the nearest dealership (twice) to get it fixed. 2 weeks ago, my MMI system stopped working and it was stuck to only play CDs. I took it in today and was told youre out of luck because you spilled something on it. Had I known this was such a common problem, I wouldnt have bought this car. Now I have to shell out the money out of pocket to replace the MMI system. After reading a bunch of reviews, it seems to be an extremely common problem.

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  Great fun machine in mountains - 2008 Audi Q7
  By balloonman - September 1 - 10:05 am

  Drove 4700 miles from Ohio to Wyoming and Montana, thru Chief Joseph highway and Beartooth pass. Typtronic tranmission was spectacular in moving through the passes, hair-pin turns and altitudes over 11000 ft. Six passengers very comfortable. Gas mileage acceptable and with hi speed western states 75mph limits a real dream to drive. Rear camera very helpful in parallel parking and in exiting parking lots. The water bottle storage in the doors was easy access and convienent. Air conditioning throughout the whole car was effictive. Access to rear seats challenging but once seated, very comfortable. Great car for a great trip.

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  Car Seat in the Center Rear - 2008 Audi Q7
  By LA Mom - August 30 - 5:44 pm

  I love the car but am so disappointed that with a Britax diplomat infant rear-facing seat (one of the smallet, most narrow on the market) installed in the center position (the safest), I can only use one of the two adjacent seats. The other is unusable because you cannot access the seat belt buckle! Even in my old A6 wagon this was not a problem. Further, with a carseat in the center location, it is impossible to move the seats forward to access the third row. You can move the carseat to the left or right but then your two rear passengers (imagine grandma and grandpa) are squished together and the one in the center has a very small seat. This is a silly problem to have in an SUV.

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  Great car but horrible service at dealership - 2017 Audi Q7
  By James Ouyang - August 16 - 5:29 pm

  This is the first time we purchased an Audi - we were sold by the excellent interior and a new, understated style that comes with the 2017 model. Let me start off by stating that we did not regret buying the car. Weve since taken it for two long distance road trips and we throughly enjoyed this new car: generous space, elegant and comfy cockpit. The building quality is superb. There are some minor issues which are not uncommon for a new model: there was a high-pitch noise coming out of the side mirror at 40MPH+; some of the features do not work consistently (e.g. easy seat entry - the steering column is supposed to retract when the car is switched off); the Nav is not as easy to use as those offered by other manufactures (we had a Lexus RX before whose Nav, despite from 8 years ago, was extremely well designed and easy to use). Having said that, the dealership I bought the car from - at Bridgewater NJ - is HORRIBLE. The only time they are responsive was at the time of sale. Once the car leaves the lot, you just wont hear from them. I contacted them couple of times for the issues stated above and for the key code they forgot to give to me - which I need for Audi Connect. Never heard from them. I finally drove up to their office, at which point they claimed they fired the service rep who apparently has been stonewalling all their customers. Well, how I wish that was the only bad apple! I had to make another trip to the dealership after I heard nothing from them for many weeks only to be told that they have assigned my case to another rep who conveniently was not in that day. After another few weeks without hearing anything from the "new" rep - all the while I was calling their office and even asking Audi US office to help - I had to drive up to the dealership again. This time I asked for the sale manager and told him that I wanted an answer from him directly. This guy, their sale manager, PROMISED to my face, that he would definitely get back to me within a week, "before next Friday"... Well, Fridays have come and gone and its been more than a month yet not a single word from anyone at that dealership. Granted, those issues (e.g. missing key code) are mostly annoyance, not exactly life threatening. But you expect certain service when you buy a $60,000+ car and want to have some trust in the dealership that they will take care of certain problems when needed. Its a shame because honestly we like the car, but the poor customer service has put a huge dent in our enthusiasm and adds a significant doubt as to how long we should hold on to this car.

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  A Piece of Junk! - 2007 Audi Q7
  By N. Keenan - August 13 - 8:20 am

  Bought the top of the line model fully loaded and a year later it has proven to be a piece of junk! Brakes squealing since 5k and Audi is telling us "it is normal and acceptable - just due to the design". Even gave us a fancy printed brochure justifying the squealing! Motor in rear wiper already needed replacement, recall on trunk software, and MMI mysteriously stops working from time to time. Told we will need to replace tires "soon" despite only having 15.8k mi on car and have only owned it one year. Audi has produced a fine looking car but the quality stops there! Do not buy one!

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  Better Than Even the Best Reviews - 2017 Audi Q7
  By HonestJohn - August 8 - 4:24 am

  If you are interested in this vehicle you likely have read the many terrific reviews from Motorweek, Car and Driver, and even Consumer Reports. I certainly did. I was able to get the vehicle at a small discount which was lucky as some dealers are now asking above sticker or loading on even more packs. The car is a joy to drive and while some have compared the "Virtual Cockpit" to a video game, I find it helpful and very effective at communicating information, which is what a dash should do. The placement of controls is excellent, and they are well organized by function. The volume control for all uses (voice, phone, audio) is delightfully located on the console where ones hand naturally falls. The shifter takes a while to get used to, but Audi seems to have anticipated a learning curve. When I first owned it I tried to put it in reverse without stepping on the brake pedal. The dash lit up to inform me I needed to do so. There are a few issues. First, interior storage for the driver is simply unavailable. The console holds virtually nothing and there is not even a sunglass holder. The absences of cubbies is a disappointment, but certainly not a deal breaker. I have had two minor problems. First, one day the alarm system went off every time I tried to lock the vehicle. The dealer (only a mile away, happily) was able to remedy this in less than an hour. Second, the steering wheel is no longer centered after only 2,500 miles. That, too, will be corrected by the dealer. Overall, its a terrific vehicle as far as I am concerned, despite minor issues.

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  Finally! No More Minivan! - 2008 Audi Q7
  By Brent - July 21 - 3:00 pm

  OK. Here we go. How do we make the case to not lease our fourth minivan in over ten years? Currently three children 10, 7 and 5. Get the whole family in the van and go visit the Q7. You wont regret it I promise. I know we need all that space and cupholders, but still just go check it out...you deserve it! Maybe, just maybe, the kids can sacrifice a little for mom and dad. Afterall, this vehicle has everything you need to survive as a family of five and it performs, looks and rides like no minivan Ive ever owned in the the last ten years. I drive a BMW 5 series so this is for my wife. But, this vehicle alone has made me consider an Audi for myself.