Overview & Reviews

Following a trend established by other German manufacturers, the Audi A7 represents one of the most successful entrants into the coupe-styled luxury sedan segment. It sports the typical Audi face up front, but the A7 is lower and wider and has a radically sloped roof line to give it the sportier look of a fastback coupe. The A7's styling is unusual for sure, but chances are it will grow on you once you see it in person.

As expected, stirring performance and exquisite interior refinement are featured prominently. But the sloping rear hatchback's added style and cargo flexibility do come at the cost of some rear-seat comfort. The A7 is also priced significantly higher than the A6 sedan on which it is based, and that could give buyers some pause.

Current Audi A7
The Audi A7 is a four-door hatchback sedan that is based on the A6 sedan. It essentially comes in two trim levels: Premium Plus and Prestige. Under the sleek, coupelike styling is either a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 (3.0T) with 310 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque or a turbocharged 3.0-liter diesel V6 (TDI) that makes 240 hp and 428 lb-ft. Either way, the transmission is an eight-speed automatic that sends power to all four wheels.

Standard feature highlights for the Premium Plus includes adjustable drive settings (Drive Select), a sunroof, parking sensors, keyless ignition and entry, tri-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, heated power seats, a rearview camera, a navigation system, built-in WiFi and a 10-speaker audio system with an iPod interface. The Prestige adds adaptive headlights, sportier exterior trim, a blind-spot warning system, a rear-end collision warning system, four-zone automatic climate control, ventilated front seats, a power-adjustable steering wheel and an upgraded 14-speaker Bose audio system. Optional highlights include a Sport package, adaptive cruise control, a head-up display, LED headlights and a variety of electronic driving/safety aids.

As expected, the A7's large sloping rear hatch adds quite a bit of versatility in terms of cargo capacity, but it also reduces rear headroom. The interior itself lives up to Audi's reputation for first-class accommodations and excellent materials quality. The company's penchant for technological innovation is also present, with a slick interface that allows the driver to control and input information by tracing alpha-numeric characters on a touchpad.

Regardless of engine choice, acceleration is surprisingly quick for a car this size, but not at the expense of fuel economy. Audi's Drive Select allows drivers to choose among four distinct modes (Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual) to suit their particular tastes. Unlike the A8 sedan, the A7's suspension response is not altered by Drive Select. In our testing, we found the Audi A7's ride to be firm and a bit too lively with the available 20-inch tires, which offer minimal compliance from their narrow sidewalls. We'd suggest staying with the 18-inch tires if a comfortable ride quality is a priority for you.

Used Audi A7 Models
The Audi A7 debuted for the 2012 model year with the supercharged 3.0-liter V6 as the sole engine choice. As with the current A7, all-wheel drive was standard and an eight-speed automatic was the only available transmission. Although otherwise similar to today's A7, these older versions differed slightly in that they offered a base Premium trim, had a two-passenger rear compartment and lacked the availability of the TDI engine and built-in WiFi.

User Reviews:

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  Performance and Class - 2015 Audi A7
  By John - September 18 - 5:01 pm

  Test drove nearly a dozen cars prior to selecting our new Audi A7. Wife wanted luxury and reliability and I wanted performance and fun. It wasnt until we looked at the A7 that we found the right combination. I know you may be thinking "but you bought the diesel". Well test drive the TDI and tell me it doesnt put a grin on you face with all the torque on tap and we just got 39 MPG on a 800 mile trip. I would classify the car as a GT and in this regard it excels. It comfortably seats 4 and can still put a smile on your face on a twisty canyon road. Is it going to hang with a 911......No, but you cant put all your luggage, the dog and 4 people in the 911 either. The TDI has a slight diesel rumble at idle when cold that is barely noticeable (if you have everything in the car turned off....heater, stereo, etc..) Once in gear and rolling, the car is very quiet and amazingly the TDI has an un-diesel like growl to it when you drop the hammer. The transmission is super smooth and seems to always be in the right gear for what you want the car to do. The interior and technology of the car is as cutting edge as your wallet will allow (options) but even the base model is nicely equipped and very functional. The headlights and interior lighting make nighttime driving less stressful for those that may not see as well at night as they use too. The A7 has real usable storage space, every person I have shown the lift back to has been amazed at how much storage there is (notice I didnt use the word trunk space as no trunk can compare, it closer to an SUV than a car). In conclusion, after testing every reasonable car in the midsize luxury GT class I am happy with my purchase and would recommend the vehicle to others.

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  Look somewhere else - 2013 Audi A7
  By spaquelet - May 13 - 7:38 pm

  "Brand new with 95 miles on it and it broke less than 24 hours after driving it off of the lot. O2 sensor was bad and an actuator (whatever that is) needed to be moved. Start-stop is very inconsistent. Plastic modeling near side mirror had to be replaced and whole car started to shake from defrost on 4/9. Cruise control is very poor (jumpy, not smooth). Climate control also acts like Jeckel and Hyde. Overall the car is worth about $40,000. The only thing going for it is that it looks great. Needs an economy mode as the computer often chooses a gear to low for economy. Audi has offered little help!

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  First week with the 2013 audi a7 premium plus - 2013 Audi A7
  By eastender - July 23 - 6:49 pm

  Picked up our new a7 a few days ago. Car has the following options: bench rear seat for 3 passengers (new for 2013), cold weather package, side assist. Our previous car was a 2010 Audi a6 prestige. Basic bottom line - the changes Audi has made since 2010 are huge. car handles better and has improved engine/transmission performance. Inside of cabin is superbly designed . only negatives are: comes with start/stop technology - thank goodness it can be disabled with a dash switch the steering wheel adjustment handle is made of cheap lightweight plastic not suitable for a car of this price the emergency brake is automatically applied and released - what if it fails in the engaged position?

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  Best Audi so far. - 2012 Audi A7
  By rbgar95 - August 2 - 7:31 pm

  We have had the A7 for a few months now. This car is amazing, its a real head turner. With the ability to change the drive, is amazing. For me Dynamic is great, and for my wife comfort is great. The only down side to this car is the small head room in the rear. Audi has hit a real home run with this car!!!

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  A7, great new car - 2012 Audi A7
  By iowa80 - June 22 - 11:28 pm

  I was looking for a 4 door car can hold 2 golf clubs and good seats for long travel. I test drove A7 a month ago and I was so impressed with performance, handling, ride, dash board and everything. This is my first Audi I purchased and I am having so much fun driving. This car is so lively, smooth and never get boring. I still own Bentley GT and I would say A7 is as good as Bentley GT and this is more like little sister of Bentley GT. A7 has so much power, fast and fun to drive. Entertainment system and navigation system is much better than Bentley GT.

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  New A7 on the block - 2012 Audi A7
  By vintageracer - June 8 - 5:11 pm

  I am a long time Audi guy having early 80s coupe, 4000cs, 90cs, S5 turbo, 2- A8s, now a 2012 A7. The last time I talked to a dealer (8 months ago) I was salivating to buy a 2011 A8 ,but it was just too much $ for todays economy. I pulled over 3 weeks ago to look at the used s8s and then bang! I was hooked, what great lines and style the A7 car designers came up with. Its stance is agressive, swooping back with a great a** to boot (no pun intended). The A7 allows a more connected drivers experience and pulls with great torque from a supercharged 6 . If you want a more connected experience in the drivers seat, the a7 does not disappoint. Dynamic and Sport mode for optimum experience.

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  My Wife Calls it "The Spaceship", I call it Heaven - 2016 Audi A7
  By Anthony - October 19 - 4:57 am

  I recently leased a white over black A7 Prestige with the Driver Assist, B&O, 19" Sport, and Comfort Seating packages along with a few other options. I also had the windows tinted, which in Florida is a big help. The car looks fantastic without being overly showy - I wanted something that didnt advertise its price too loudly. The car is very fast but in a very subtle way... I find myself doing 100 feeling like I would doing 60 in a lesser car. Exceptionally quiet and smooth riding. A far as comfort, the heated/cooled seats work very quickly and the massage function on the Comfort Seating Package is ridiculously great. I find myself using it almost 100% of the time. The seats themselves offer as many adjustments as I could imagine and are very comfortable and supportive when cornering quickly. The B&O stereo is outstanding, although I miss a graphic equalizer. The AC is somehow 10x better than my last BMW, both faster and stronger. Where I was running the old AC at 63-65 degrees, Im at 69-72 with this car. The 4G hotspot works well and saves my cell phones data plan. The only negatives I can think of are that Apple CarPlay still doesnt support apps I consider necessary like Waze and the SiriusXM app. Also driving with all the tech options activated it can be a bit overwhelming (hence my wifes nickname). If you want to just drive the car I suggest the following: Put down the LCD screen using the button on the dash, it will pop up only when needed (this also looks cool). Turn off all the driver assist functions and the HUD and youre basically driving a really fast, super quiet car that happens to be massaging you while making love to your eardrums. I find myself driving for hours sometimes at night just to enjoy the car. Highly recommended.

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  Awesome Audi A7 - 2016 Audi A7
  By Steven Quickstad - March 15 - 8:37 pm

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  My Third Childhood... - 2016 Audi A7
  By jerry forberg - March 30 - 10:53 pm

  I traded a 2013 Lexus ES350 for the A7. The Lexus was the best car Ive ever owned, comfort-wise, overall performance, etc.. But the ES is a smooth sedan, without much punch. The Audi, in comparison, is that redhead in high school you wished youd asked to the prom, just to see what might happen after the prom! It is fun, and that sums it up. Its over priced; for the money one can choose from an array of fine rides, BMW, Mercedes, maybe a Jag, any of which could get your blood flowing. But this a vehicle you wont see too many of on the street. It truly stands out with great styling. Ive had no less than four strangers tell me what a fine looking auto the A7 is. Audi is famous for beautiful interiors and this car has one. The interfaces, voice or touch, are superior to the Lexus, in my opinion, very nice for a non-techie such as myself. The media interface alone is marvelous. At first I wasnt sure about the feature where the engine shuts off at red lights (on or off, your choice), but have come to appreciate the option, especially since premium fuel is strongly recommended, the main negative thus far. The restart is nearly seamless and I expect well see this in many more cars in the future. Overall, this is the most fun, best driving vehicle I have ever owned.

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  Happy in Virginia - 2016 Audi A7
  By Thom - February 14 - 3:15 pm

  I owned a 2011 Porsche Panamera that burned up in interstate 95 on the way to vacation. Prior to the fire I was looking at the Audi line of cars. After quite a bit of research I decided on a Audi A7 due to its versatility and great interior. I didnt go back to Porsche because of their lack of concern when my car caught fire!! I was planning on buying off of the local dealer but they told me it would take 90-120 days to order the A7 configured the way I wanted it. I got on the net and connected with Lauren Whitcraft at Rick Case Audi in the Atlanta area. She located a dealer who had a car that was being built in Germany and traded one of their vehicles. In a little over three weeks she notified my car was ready to go. I must add that we did the deal over the phone in thirty minutes from the time I called initially. I flew to Atlanta on a morning flight and she picked me up at the airport. After I hit the road I drive from Atlanta to Richmond in a constant rain. My new Audi A7 impressed me the entire trip averaging 37.5 mph. I have owned a ton of cars and this one is a keeper. On a recent trip I averaged 42.6 mph(diesel). My wife keeps telling how much she like the A7 and just smile and go "yes I do. I really with I could complain about something but I cant. I am looking forward to taking a long trip some day soon. In closing I can tell you this puppy is pretty darn fast too. It midrange acceleration does not seem to bog down until I loose my nerve....Did I say I love my A7? I cant wait until the 2016 Q7 comes out so we can fly to Atlanta and replace my wifes vehicle.