• HOME
• 
• AUTO LISTINGS
• 
• FINANCE
• 
• NEWS
• 
• DIRECTORY
• 
• REVIEWS
• 
• FORUM
• 
• BLOG
• 

2007 Audi Q7 quattro Road Test

Hitting Jackpot on the First Strike

Whether you like it or not, sport utility vehicles are taking over the world, and whats more is that theyre here to stay. SUVs to the left, to the right, in North America, Europe and Asia, in jungles, on deserts and in your local grocers parking lot. Sport utilities up to our eyeballs. Theyre all over the place, but its not as if this is a problem; we like them, and the reason theyre filling up the landscape is that theyre replacing a lot of traditional automobiles. Instead of a limousine, the wealthy go for a Range Rover. Need something thatll gun down a sports car, but still able to tow a boat? Try a Cayenne Turbo on for size. And even for some of the more mundane kinds of automobiles, such as people-moving minivans, station wagons, or compact cars, theres an SUV or

Every luxury car company needs an SUV. Audis is the Q7. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

a crossover that fits the bill. The worlds population just cant get enough of these machines, and automakers just cant seem to crank them out fast enough. All this talk has even managed to sway Audi, a brand that has never built an SUV before, into creating one.

Late is a word that would most accurately describes the arrival of the Q7, and not just casually late or the type thats considered fashionable, but the kind of late where all the food at the partys mostly eaten

A herd of Q7s, basks in the bright, Albertan sun. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

and what isnt is now cold. Nevertheless, theres good justification for Audis tardiness; during the early days of the SUV boom, the German luxury division kept a keen eye on the marketplace and has observed an entire generation of SUVs from the very beginning. Instead of jumping into the fray from the beginning, it invested the time to observe. It was time well spent, unlike some others its had the opportunity to see that body-on-frame chassis configurations only work for traditional off-road-specified 4x4s. For most owners that heavy-duty running

It might not have the off-road gear of a Touareg, but the Q7 is certainly capable off the road. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

gear designed to take you deep into Gods country isnt necessary, and at the end of the day people want the flexibility of a tall wagon-like structure combined with sport-sedan-like performance. Such is the power of the thinking brand.

So, with mounds of information at its disposal Audi set out to create what would be the perfect modern performance sport utility vehicle - the kind of machine thats sure to make inroads within one of the markets most desirable categories. But, instead of doing things from scratch, its saved time and money by using the architecture

It might not seem as if any weight saving is going on, but there is, in the body and in the running gear. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

thats currently employed by Porsche and Volkswagen for their SUVs. Audi is quick to say that this isnt just another clone; the Q7 is significantly different than the others due in part to Audis less excruciating demands. Less? Keep in mind, that unlike the Touareg or Cayenne, which have to perform equally well both on and off the road, the Q7 isnt designed to take you up sheer rock faces on the trails around Moab, Utah, where VW introduced its off-roader. Not only is its suspension lighter, but its made of daintier aluminum, and thanks to its soft-roader duties, its the only member of the VAG SUV family not to

Would you move over if you saw this charging at you in your rear view mirror? (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

feature a transfer case.

By volume, youll find more aluminum in the Q7 than its stable mates - yes, even more than the sporty Porsche - the majority of which is in place to lighten the body. Although Audi is one of the masters of aluminum, capable of whipping up aluminum space frames for everything from a micro city car and stretch limo to ones for Bugatti and Lamborghini, it just wasnt financially viable to convert the existing unitary chassis into a space frame like the one you might find under the skin of an A8 or A2. What theyve done instead is stamp the hood, the doors and tailgate out of aluminum, changes easy to adapt, but crucial for saving weight. These modifications make a difference,

Bright xenon headlamps, LED cornering lights give the Q7 a modern look. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

but, to the unobservant, the effort seems somewhat futile: kilo for kilo the Q7 is still as heavy as the off-road-ready Touareg (or a V8 Porsche Cayenne, for that matter). Why? Well, the Q7 is a giant; it dwarfs the aforementioned vehicles, not to mention BMWs X5 and Volvos XC90.
If you happen to spot the Q7 from the front, or any quarter angle, the first thing that youll notice is how distinctive it looks. Its buff shape, and clever looking lights make it a handsome looking machine, particularly when it rides on its split five-spoke 20-inch alloy wheels. But as you move around, something else strikes you about the Q7 - this thing looks huge, rather, it is huge at nearly 5,086 mm (200.2 inches) in length. At this size, Audis sporting approach,

Audi hasnt lost its touch, even when the cabins way up in the sky. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

which is part sports coupe and part Avant, get lost within the sheer visual bulk of the machine. Nevertheless, the Q7 is a clean looking crossover, with the body organized into two distinctive segments above and below that character line, giving it a chiseled look. I have a feeling its going to take time to adjust to the look of this SUV, but things could be worse. It could be a Cayenne.

While Im undecided about the Q7s styling, Audi never fails to get me railed up over the details, of which the Q7 has plenty. Check out the tailgate, which, aside from lifting and closing by itself, has the entire LED brakelight assembly integrated into its amorphous shape. More importantly is the fact that when the tailgate is open, theres an additional set of low-mounted taillights which offer the same brake, signal and reverse

Clever second and third row seating provides plenty of room for people, cargo, or any combination of the two. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

light functions for all to see. Clever, no? The Q7 also happens to be the first Audi with turn signals integrated into the side-view mirrors, removing the quarter panel indicator lights. The new Audi is also available with a full-length panoramic sunroof with two panes that open - the one overhead the driver slides, while the one over the third row tilts.

Without any reservations, the Q7s interior is by far the finest in its class, with all of the usual high quality plastics, glossy wood, lashings of matte-finish aluminum and glove-soft leather expected in any top-line Audi. You sit up high over the road, but the driving position is perfect, facing a dash and console thats heavily inspired by modern driver-focused design; its like being in an A6 with a balcony view of the world around. All Q7s feature a similar flowing look to the A6, with teardrop-style

Parking camera helps to place the big Q7 in the tiniest of spaces. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

gauge surrounds and the MMI system surrounding the gearshift gate. Bar the base model, Q7 buyers get rugged, loop carpet, color-coordinated in earthy tones, plus big, one-liter bottle holders in the doors, and on vehicles with the third row, a neat, collapsible cargo bay cover that can be stored in a cubby under the floor.

For using a pre-existing platform not designed for three rows, the Q7 is a pretty commodious vehicle, although those who have creaky knees, bad backs or are just tall in general should avoid the third row. Anyone under 57" will be comfortable, even for extended driving periods, but if youre taller you risk subjecting yourself to claustrophobia, or rubbing into the roof liner. Entry to the third row comes through a fairly complex second row seating mechanism, which is mounted on rails. Pull a handle at the seats bottom and it tilts and slides, allowing an access route thats somewhat similar to a coupe. The

FSI is now available with eight cylinders. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

only problem is that with limited space, and a climb into a cabin, I found myself both knocking my head and scraping my knees as I clambered on board. Nevertheless, even with all three rows of seats firmly in place, you can still stow aboard some luggage, which cant be done in, say, a Volvo XC90 when the third row is in use. Both the second and third row of seats fold flat into the floor, which turns the Q7 into a 88.7 cu-ft cargo hauler. If it werent for the padded pillars and supple roof liner, you could hear an echo inside of the thing.

Page:  1  2

AUTOMOBILE REVIEWS BY MAKE

Acura  Audi   Bentley   BMW   Buick   Cadillac   Chevrolet   Chrysler   Daewoo   Dodge   Eagle   Ferrari   Ford   Geo   GMC   Honda   Hummer   Hyundai   Infiniti   Isuzu   Jaguar   Jeep   Kia   Lamborghini   Lexus   Lincoln   Lotus   Maserati   Mazda   Mercedes-Benz   Mercury   MINI   Mitsubishi   Nissan   Oldsmobile   Plymouth   Pontiac   Porsche   Saab   Saturn   Scion   Subaru   Suzuki   Toyota   Volkswagen   Volvo