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:

• 

  Its relatively new but we love everything, almost - 2017 Audi Q7
  By Mike Jacopetti - July 1 - 1:28 am

  This is a very high quality vehicle. Overall it is excellent, but there are some areas that need to be considered based on your needs. More on that later. The ride, handling, and quietness is far superior to the 2010 Lexus RX350 that we traded on this. I also find the seats to be significantly more comfortable. After an hour in the RX350 I was already adjusting the seat due to discomfort. Not with the Audi. The virtual cockpit and all the driver assist features (adaptive cruise control, side assist, pre-sense, etc.) LED adaptive headlights are fantastic and have worked flawlessly. This does not drive OR ride like an SUV. You easily forget you are driving a large SUV. For those actually looking for a seven passenger vehicle, there are several things to consider. We just had our third grandchild, so the ability to put three car seats across the 2nd row was a must. The car seats barely fit in the RX350; making it very difficult to fasten the seat belt on the high back booster. Not a problem with the Q7 since there is approximately three additional inches between the arm rests. HOWEVER, we also wanted a seven passenger SUV so we could take their mom and dad, if necessary. Only way to do that was to put two of the forward facing seats in the third row. Grandkids loved it but difficult to connect belts, etc. Plus it was necessary to put the rear facing infant car seat in middle position of second row , in order to fold and flip the outer seats for access to the 3rd row. If that car seat is too wide, you are unable to flip / fold the outer seats. Measure carefully before you buy if you have similar needs. Cargo capacity with the third row seat backs in the up positions is significantly inadequate. For those planning to vacation with seven, this is not the vehicle, unless you dont mind buying one of those roof top carriers that make you look like the Griswalds. I really was not thrilled with the fact that the Q7 only comes with Run on Flat tires. There are very few manufacturers that make the 20" tires (Goodyear) that our Prestige has so you have to wonder how many tire shops within a 50 mile radius would have a replacement tire in the event of a tire failure. I read horror stories about ROF tires, but ride quality, noise, and handling are not an issue in the Q7. Due to all the technology there will be a very steep learning curve.

• 

  Q7 redesign is missing simple options - 2017 Audi Q7
  By happy-go-lucky - June 16 - 1:00 pm

  I just bought the 2017 Q7. Its disturbing that the skimped on some of the features found on lesser vehicles. Heres my bucket list of the features that this car should have came with: 1. Remote start from key fob. 2. Convex overhead mirror (to watch the kiddos in the back) 3. Wireless charging the cockpit (they missed it, even with all the technology), vents in the 3rd row (this is standard on all 3rd row vehicles. this is a huge mistake.) 4. Drivers key pad for vehicle entry (Ford may be the only company doing this). 5. Sunglass holder (pretty simple option). 6. Basic Tire Pressure monitoring system (they have some formula with the sensors to tell you if the tire pressure changes. Just use a standard TPMS valve). Im happy with the car, but at this price point the car should have these basic features. I would also have to agree with the comment about the run flats. Run flats are a huge disadvantage all around. I havent got into the maintenance phase yet, but Ill update my post at that time.

• 

  best Euro SUV on market - 2013 Audi Q7
  By SCVolunteer - June 16 - 12:21 am

  Bought Q7 TDI 3.0 used in 2014 with 25k miles. Exterior styling is very Euro-slique. LED headlight design is very eye-catching and bright. Crisp ride with almost no vibration or wind noise but a little harsh. I traded out tires for Pirelli scorpions and dropped recommended psi and that has helped. Still rides less cushy than Tahoe or Yukon and especially our Escalade which we traded. The interior is scandanavian like minimalist with easy buttons but lacks a factory DVD player option and any rear factory monitors for entertainment and rear seat climate control that is worth a darn. Thats a fail for Volkswagen/audi in my opinion since the Tahoe, Suburban and Escalade have a movie theatre quality rear entertainment system and rear heated and colled seats now. What you get with Audi is impeccable materials. Fit and finish is exceptional. Eveything in cabin is tied down, no rattles like US SUVs. Also, they use REAL leather in seats, not "pleather" like US brands. That means the seats actually last and wear over time and dont crack and lose tanning like our Cadillac did. Rear luggage space with 6 people is inadequate. Third row seats only big enough for 7 year old. Cant get two pieces of luggage behind 3rd row seats. Had to buy $800 roof rack. All that said here are the pros...acceleration with turbo diesel is nasty! Once it revs up it just goes like a stabbed rat. 0-60 in close to 5.5! At 75-80 highway it sips fuel. We have seen actual Mpg of 36 and close to 550 miles between fill ups. This engine is superior to any US diesel even in the Fords! I know they may have "fudged" on emission reports but I have to say (california tree huggers) worth it!! We have 100k on vehicle now and maintenance has been a problem. It has developed bladder control issues like all my prior Germans and leaks oil all over garage. Dealership said they could replace gasket between engine and trans to fix for a meer $7k. Ill get a drip pan...tnx. It also chews up tires like a 5th grader goes through tennis shoes. The Quattro does not allow a slip like other US AWDs and it takes 2mm of tread off every tight turn. It also consumes brakes like a teenage boy goes through food. Two complete sets of brakes (dealer will not turn rotors?!) in 3 years at $2200 a pop!!! No bueno...volkswagen needs to abandon Bosch and talk to Raybestos or Brembo. Overall amazing engine and impeccable attention to detail with interior finish, but add 10% to sticker price for post warranty and all maintenance. Its a pricey ride. Update on Q7: the car has now crossed 120k miles. We have had more engine problems and it has been back to dealer twice. We are considering buy-back with VW/Bosch class action for the emissions fraud. We love the gas mileage with the 3.0T diesel and the interior and exterior are holding up very well with little signs of wear. But the vehicle maintenance and reliability is starting to become a problem. Unfortunately, it seems to be following the tradition of my other German autos after 100k where they start to break frequently and the out of warranty repair bills become astronomical. Seeing at least $1100 per visit or more with $120/hour labor charges. We have friends with identical vehicle and they are at the same conclusion. Disappointed with overall experience of ownership with this vehicle, hoped it would hold up better than BMWs. VW needs to work with dealers to drop labor charges and high ownership maintenance costs and build them with more reliable parts.

• 

  Switched to Audi from BMW - 2017 Audi Q7
  By Kevin Powers - February 8 - 12:53 pm

  My wife and I have owned primarily BMW products for the last 25 years until my wife leased a VW Tiguan three years ago. I drove it from time to time and was impressed so when it was time to replace a 2012 X5 I looked at the redesigned Q7. The ride, handling, and performance is as good or better than the X5 and the fit and finish is far superior. It has a little more room inside while not seeming to be larger on the outside. The ride is a little less harsh and more quiet than the X5. Handling install responsive and the turning radius is excellent. It is a joy to drive. It is also easier to fit multiple sets of golf clubs horizontally in the cargo area. I have had the car for about a month and so far no problems. Everything works well. The 2017 redesign is a great improvement over the previous model. Cant say enough good things about this vehicle.

• 

  Best Vehicle I Have Owned - 2017 Audi Q7
  By Brian - February 2 - 9:17 am

  I replaced a 2011 Q7 S-Line with 100,000 miles with the new 2017. I had some apprehension buying another Q7 mainly due to the user face to the navigation/entertainment (MMI) system along with the very poor keyless entry system on my 2011. The 2011 was frustrating on a good day, basically a great car destroyed by bad programming but the engine/transmission combination was awesome. So I test drove the 2017 with my list of frustrations and likes from my 2011 vehicle and was very happy to see that most all of my concerns had been fixed or greatly improved upon in the 2017. So I factory ordered another Q7, with everything but the driver assistance package and the Bang & Olufsen sound system. I drive 120+ miles everyday so I am very focused on driver comfort, safety features and ease of use on all features. This car excels in all areas. It is extremely quiet and there is no road noise from the tires. Engine responsiveness is still exceptional. Gas mileage is surprisingly good as I am averaging around 25MPG and I have hit 28+MPG on a few tanks of highway driving. I liked the 2011 as it got about 20MPG and combined with the 26 gallon fuel tank it had great range. The range has improved on the 2017 by 50-70 miles despite the smaller (22.5 gallon) fuel tank. User interface to the entertainment/navigation system is much easier and more configurable and does not require you to take your eyes of the road to find the correct button. The heads up indication of speed, cruise control speed setting and navigational turns is excellent, not sure I can ever do without this in the future! Also, the ability to utilize the map on the drivers dash display is very nice to have. Keyless entry actually works, the old system had so many time delays built into it for some unknown "personal safety" logic that it was basically useless and typically resulted in me cussing out some unknown Audi programming or product management team somewhere unknown.... Seating comfort with the luxury package is excellent and highly configurable. So far my only three complaints or observations are: 1.) On the navigation system display on the 3.0 mile scaling screen it displays random temperature numbers and the cloudy/rainy symbol in 1-4 locations across the map. Does not seem to happen at any other scaling setting. 2.) The tilt steering does not go down close enough to my legs for my own personal taste, seems to stop in too high (straight) of a setting. 3.) On an overcast or partially sunny day it seems like the auto fan setting wants to stay in too high of a setting and basically makes you feel cold and also creates more noise than necessary. Overall the vehicle is excellent and I enjoy my daily drive.

• 

  Comfortable Luxury but know what youre buying - 2017 Audi Q7
  By TxAggie - August 25 - 11:08 am

  Based on just 200 miles of driving this is a very comfortable car with great technology. I have the Prestige trim as many of the features I wanted were standard. I has the heads up display which is great except for one small fault. The plastic frame around the lens in the dash is smooth. At some angles sunlight will create a bit of glare around the edges of the display. They are low enough not to be in the line of sight but I would have expected the engineers to realize this and make the frame out of a material that reduces glare. The vehicle also comes with run flat tires and does not have a spare although it comes with a jack with no place to stow it so it isnt in the way. It has a can similar to something like fix-a-flat. Reviews on the mileage expected on the tires is not encouraging and a quick search for replacement tires (21") on shows two manufacturers (Goodyear & Continental) with a price per tire near $500. The interior is very nice. The one drawback is the lack of storage bins. There are only two small bins. The one under the arm rest will hold a pair of sunglasses but leaves only a little room for anything else. The CD player is located in the glove box so if you want to play a CD you have to load it before you start driving. The virtual cockpit allows you to do many things without taking your hands off the steering wheel. Functions like the radio and phone can be selected and controlled on the steering wheel so you dont have to look to the side to make a call or change the radio station. The blind spot warning lights are on the side mirrors cover and are easier to see than just a small emblem on the mirror. The speed limit for most streets is displayed on the instrument panel and the heads up display. You can set a reminder that will cause the posted speed limit to flash if you exceed it more than the amount you set. A very nice reminder in residential areas. It also lets you know if you are in a school zone although it will still flash as if you are speeding even when school is not in session. My wife has a very hard time pulling straight into a parking spot. The parking assist will display your position in the parking spot so if you are at an angle or taking up two spots you can see it before you exit the car. This is a great car (a little pricey) if you know the small shortcomings.

• 

  Run Flats??? WTF did you ruin a fantastic car?? - 2017 Audi Q7
  By Jim Jezowski - August 12 - 4:22 am

  I was considering it, and it was my top choice until I found out they only come with Run Flats. After my experience with Run Flats on a Toyota, I will NEVER AGAIN own a car on Run Flats. They ride poorly, have no milage warranty, last half as long as other tires, and are EXPENSIVE to replace. Sorry Audi, I LOVE My A5 Cabrio, but will now buy someone elses car just because of the Run Flats.

• 

  UPDATED 2017 Q7 Leaks Water Front Passenger Side - 2017 Audi Q7
  By Ken E. - May 18 - 2:21 am

  12/11/16: My car was returned from service for this issue after 14 days in the shop. The mechanics comments on my receipt follow: "Took vehicle thru car wash with A/C on. Found water coming from the bottom of the dash. Removed wiper cowl cover and air intake ducting. No damage to seals or evidence of leaking. Ran vehicle thru car wash again using borascope to watch inside housing intake. Found when foam from car wash hits it is sucked into the vent box. Removed housing from another vehicle and found it did the same thing. Contacted product support. Was advised this condition is "normal" and vehicle needs to be in recirculation mode or A/C OFF while going through a car wash!" So according to Audi those of us living in the south should turn off our A/C or put it in recirculation mode to go through a car wash? This is my 20th new automobile. I have never had to do any such thing with any other brand. Ill be trading back to Lincoln next year. I miss my MKT. This is my first Audi. I have always purchased Lincolns, but they discontinued the MKT. I traded my 2011 MKT on a new 2017 Audi Q7 equipped nicely with $66,000 worth of bells and whistles. I should have kept the MKT! I first noticed the car leaking when my wife and I drove it through a car wash and water dripped onto her feet. We returned to the dealer in Jacksonville. After many hours they reported they could not "replicate" the problem. They said they blew out all the drains, etc. and hopefully our problem was solved. 10 days go by and I visit the car wash again. Drip, drip, drip into the passenger cabin with about a cup of water during a 2 minute trip through the automated car wash! I filed a written complaint with the dealer and management. The service writer called me (not a peep from anyone in management). He had the car picked up at my home (117 miles from the dealership). It has been there 7 days now and the last report I received on Thursday (today is Sunday) is that they were going to drive it through a car wash! No kidding? It has not rained since I purchased the car. We are about to take it on a 1500 mile trip to see the grandkids. I am extremely worried the car will flood if we run into rain! This is supposed to be a LUXURY automobile! The electronics are flaky for the radio, and the navigation system is a throw back to the system I had in my Lincoln in 2006! No touch screen! A stupid knob to turn to enter data one character at a time! The MMI system works sometimes, other times it doesnt seem to connect unless I turn off the car, and restart it. The entertainment system has crashed and rebooted several times without explanation. As I stated earlier, this is my first Audi. It will also be my last. Poor dealer service and response, a leaky brand new luxury automobile, and no response whatsoever from management. Do yourself a favor and find another vehicle.

• 

  full of tech - 2017 Audi Q7
  By spud - April 29 - 10:48 pm

  a very nice car, perhaps a little overwhelming in the technology it offers. Drives well, smooth low speed manners, very nice handling (within the limits of a short test drive). Feels like a hell of a lot of vehicle, though I would be somewhat concerned about maintenance costs when out of warranty - theres a hell of a lot of mechanical and electrical equipment in the car.

• 

  Can be improved... but still great overall - 2017 Audi Q7
  By JL - April 26 - 4:29 am

  Recently made a switch from 13 BMW X5 50i to a 17 Q7 Prem Plus. Great car with lots of updates in tech and safety. Comfortable and quiet. While the engine has the punch in dynamic mode, it lacks in auto mode due to the tranny not shifting when needed. Going up a hill or trying to pass a vehicle requires a brick foot. Granted, I came from a turbo-charged V8 but expected more from the tranny which probably would make up the difference. The auto-start/stop isnt great when stopping - as if I am slamming on the brake b/c the engine shuts off before the car comes to a complete stop. The middle-rear seat cushion does not appear to be fixed in place as it shifts slightly - probably bringing it in to have it checked out. The tire jack tools have no where to be stored and sits in the trunk. One would think a small storage compartment can be built in somewhere for it. As some others have mentioned, when the phone is plugged in to USB for Carplay, you can no longer use the blue tooth function and have to go through the Carplay menu to make calls. I have not been able to hit the manufacturers gas mileage of 19 city/25 highway/21 combined. So far locally I am getting 15 mpg or less and 20 mpg on highways. This is less than my V8 X5 which was consistent 17/21 mpg. For the pros, lighting for the vehicle is great inside and out. Drive is very smooth and quiet; curious to see if that changes when the run-flats are worn in. It would seem Ive been more critical than happy so far... I am just starting to get comfortable with the changes and hopefully it will get better over time. Overall, I am happy with the vehicle. Lets hope it is reliable and will last and retain good re-sale value.