Automotive review: Audi Q7

Have you ever cleaned out the pockets of an old pair of pants and found a couple of twenty dollar bills all crumpled up, just waiting to be spent? Sometimes you can get the same feeling by receiving an unexpected email. For instance, a few weeks ago someone from Audi USA sent an email to ask if I'd like to test drive the new Q7 SUV for a few weeks.

Does a bear shiitake in the forest?

One of my goals with my blog is that people will never know what to expect when you come here. I'll cover stuff from adoption to VOIP to the lies of VCs. This is a first: an automotive review.

I feel a kinship with Audi because it is the Apple of car manufacturers: great products, small market share, and a history marred by irrational scares ("unintended acceleration" and "Apple's going to die"). Buying some German cars shows how much you make. Buying some computers shows...well, let's not go there.  Buying an Audi or a Macintosh shows how much you know.

I'm not an automotive journalist--nor an automotive photographer as you shall see. But, I do love good engineering and design. Here are my top ten favorite features of the Q7.

1. I've owned several SUVs. They all felt tippy--seeing some flip over in news programs certainly didn't help. It's physics, right? The Q7 decouples sitting high and feeling like you're going to tip over. And it's also got permanent all-wheel drive ("Quattro"). If I were in charge of Audi's marketing, I would focus on the concept that Audi is the German car manufacturer with all-wheel drive. Very reassuring.

2. Most SUVs make one of two kinds of engine sounds: whining as in "I'm about to get a hernia" or choking as in "I'm going to asphyxiate." Not a Q7. This thing growls. I guess a 4.2 liter V8 will do that. I guarantee that no one is going to hear a Q7 and think, "Soccer mom." Very macho.

3. It has a grille/front end design that is menacing--"animalistic" is another good word to describe it. No one is going to see you in the rear view mirror and wonder if he should let you pass. This is the best external view of the Q7, and it sets the Q7 apart from it's relatives: the VW Touareg and Porsche Cayenne.  Very macho again.

4. Let's review: we are sitting high in an SUV that isn't tipping over with an engine that growls like a sports car with a grille that would scare an enforcer. To this mix, you now add the fact that it can hold six or seven people. And everyone has a real seat. Six as in husband, wife, plus four kids. Very necessary.

5. The Q7 has a key that doesn't have to be inserted into the ignition to start the engine. Nor do you have to press the alarm button in the remote to unlock it. The car senses when the key is close by and unlocks the doors. To start the engine, you push the "Engine Start" button. I know that even a Prius has this, but it's the first car I've driven with this feature, and I just loved it. I'm going to truly miss this feature when I give the Q7 back. Very thoughtful.

6. The Q7 has a relatively intuitive user interface for accessing the features of the car like ride height, tire pressure checker, radio, seat heater, etc. (I once rode a 7 series BMW for forty five minutes and couldn't figure out how to increase the volume of the radio. Admittedly, this was a while ago and apparently the UI is much better these days.) Very easy.

6a. By the way, you can integrate a Bluetooth cell phone into the sound system. Very nice.

7. When you put the Q7 in reverse, there's a camera that shows what's behind--e.g., one of your four kids. No big deal: our Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna both have this. But the Q7 shows where you'd go based on how the front wheels are turned. This makes you want to drive in reverse more. Very cool.

8. You can separately control child locking on each side of the car. So if your teenager sits on the right side and your nine-year old sits on the left side, you can child lock just the left side. This lock controls doors, windows, and rear air-conditioning controls. Very flexible.

9. There are two visors each for the driver and front passenger. This means you can block the glare in front of you and on the side of you. I must admit that there have been times when the road is switching back and forth so two visors would have been a good thing. Very thoughtful again.

10. There's a "side assist" radar system. When there is a car in or rapidly approaching your blind spot on either side, yellow LEDs in the black trapezoidal area turn on to warn you. I don't know, though, if one should break the habit of actually looking behind before switching lanes. Very useful.

11. We can fold down the third row of seats in order to increase storage space in both our minivans. However, one must manually lower or remove the headrests. The Q7's headrests automatically fold down when they make contact with the seat back in front of them. Very clever.

12. I doubt that Audi planned it this way, but the color of the wheels is approximately the color of brake dust. I know: "Guy, you should be so lucky that that's your biggest problem," but I hate dusty looking wheels. Very unplanned.

I said this is would be a top ten list, and I have also not mentioned any negatives. So here are two:

-1. As far as I can tell, you can't get a factory-installed DVD player for the back seat passengers. The first thing my son asked when he got in the Q7 was whether it had a DVD player. This is a serious omission for drivers with kids. Very unfortunate.

5/1/06–Audi told me that there will be a DVD option by the third quarter of 2006.

-2. I have come to love the XM satellite radio in our Odyssey. (It's like having an iPod in the sky except the RIAA won't sue you for using it.) The Q7 has Sirius. For where I live, I guess XM reception is much better than Sirius. To wit, the second question my son asked was, "Our Odyssey has satellite radio too--why doesn't it cut out all the time like this?" Very nothing--I guess it depends on satellite coverage where you live.

Basic price and specs

• Q7 4.2: Premium $59,900 starting price. (This is the one with all the cool stuff.)
• 350 horsepower, six-speed transmission, Quattro all-wheel drive.
• Seats six with second row center console or seven without.
• Curb weight: 5,467 pounds
• Fuel tank capacity: 26.4 gallons

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Comments

[MyAudi]

Q7 is the Best!

[norberth]

"Keep in mind that Audi shares platforms with VW, so some Audis are just badge-engineered mass-market cars" - true. Which means that Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini would fit the same classification criteria considering that these brands are designed by and share components with VW. No?

[salaheddine benhlal]

je veu savoir le dernier cri en audi q7 et comment vous contacter pour comander la voiture en urgence svp.

[Rasheed]

Guy,

Great review! I've been wanting to test-drive one of these babies. My wife's been wanting an SUV for her and my daughter to run around in but I'm hesitant to get her one.

Got her a 2006 Passat and I must say, I'm VERY impressed with Volkswagen this year!

You can see the similarity in the A6 with the Passat so I've been left wondering if I should have just gotten her an A6.

Audi ceratainly has my vote as well, for attention to detail as well. I'm planning on getting an A8 next year....can't wait.

Rasheed Ali

[Brad Wheeler]

Guy - Thanks for taking time to write your reviews of the Q7. I test drove one yesterday after 5 years in BMW X5, and I'm leaning towards buying one as I also recognized many of the things you say here. I may go for the smaller engine for some small improvement in milage. I think this is exactly what your blog should be....whatever YOU want top write about and let the wise reader assimilate the information accordingly. Thanks again.

[automotive]

This machine is very beautiful!

[morris hoodye]

I would buy one, if it was a hybrid+flex fuel or
hybrid+E85.

By entering the suv market late, audi should have taken the lead by offering a more fuel efficent option.

[Matt]

Audi Q7 EPA fuel economy estimates (city/highway): 14/19 mpg

Unconscionable!

We rain bombs down on Iraq because of cars like the Q7.

If a car doesn't get at least 45 miles a gallon, it's not worth blogging about.

[Gerry Aubin]

Very nicely laid out articles, I found your blog very informative...

http://www.carchromerimsblogs.com

[Jason Teller]

Nice write-up from the self-professed non automotive journalist. The Q7 is a great vehicle and I was quite interested in your "layman" viewpoint. And the 10-best format looked very familiar :-)

http://www.audiworld.com/news/06/iwantana8/

[Jim Lafave]

http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/05/automotive_revi.html

I just ordered a Q7 here in MA and agree with Guy's views from my *cough* less than two week test drive. I also had the opportunity to get additional details at an Audi tech night. We have been very happy with our current VW experience and recognized Audi in the same vein.

Audi is probably more like Apple than I had first thought prior to going through all this research and test driving, etc.

- They generate a great deal of buzz surrounding their products
- Both pay close attention to detail
- Both don't option you to death. Much of what others charge extra for is already there by default
- The finished product is something you simply can't help gush over
- Other people notice what you have and ask about it
- You raise your expectations in other areas of your life when you look at other products (tvs, stereos, speakers, kitchen appliances, etc., etc.)

[Jack Yan]

Kuru, the Q7 does indeed share a platform with the Porsche Cayenne (remember there are many connections between the Porsches and the VW board, and Porsche has taken a share of VW), though you are right to question the inclusion of the Volvo XC90—that car has nothing in common with the Audi Q7 other than the concept, perhaps.

[Naveen Bachwani]

Great post. Great blog! Keep blogging, Guy...

[Patrick]

Guy, if I were you, I would buy this vehicle just to spite the naysayers. You do a ton of good in the world, and don't need to be criticized for test driving a car.

But then again, it's an awesome car - you don't need an excuse to buy it!

*************************

That's very funny. Thanks for the support.

The Audi, honestly, is too small. With four kids, we need six seats as a baseline. The Audi can go to seven, but then where do we put the hockey equipment? This is a challenge I never anticipated having been raised in Honolulu! :-)

Guy

[Simon]

Are there really still people out there who believe that SUVs are safer than regular cars?

http://www.gladwell.com/2004/2004_01_12_a_suv.html

[Brian]

Reinis: any safety advantage you gain in preservation of momentum in the initial crash you immediately lose in secondary impacts. Add to that the fact that the roofs of SUVs are inherintly more likely to collapse, and the added inertia makes tipping more likely makes me much more secure in a well made car than a truck on the highway.

The Audi is heavier than the Durango due to its more complex AWD system and extra equipment. The Durango saves weight by being technically and functionally fairly simple.

[Darius]

The comments were as much fun to read as your review, Guy!

My 2001 Audi Allroad has 135k miles on it and was one of the first in California, purchased in the fall of 2000. It's still in great shape, is reliable, comfortable, and quiet. It's a 6-speed, and the original clutch lasted for 115k miles.

This is my first Audi, and it's turned me into a fan. It's just amazing how well it's held up after all these miles!

Maybe I'll let you test drive it sometime. :-)

[Solo]

Guy, you're a good Guy, but SUVs are eeeeeevil! The mac was designed to be a "bicycle for the mind" remember, not a roadhogging, gas guzzling ugly eyesore.

[Kuru]

Guillaume,

"The Q7 was made from the common plateform shared with the cayenne from porsche, the touareg from VW and the XC90 from volvo."

What do you mean? Volvo belongs to Ford and Porsche is an independent company.

[Nicola Mattina]

Shame! You censor comments!

************************
Nicola,

What are you talking about? Which comment did I censor?

Guy

[Lorin Rivers]

I really, really like VW/Audi. I will never, ever, ever, ever (see where I'm going here?) buy another one. I MIGHT consider a lease, if it had a truly excellent escape clause. The quality is unacceptable...

[Duncan]

I'd like to see one of those hydrogen powered cars. Wasn't it Gov Schwarzenegger who said he was going to set up all those gas stations with hydrogen?

I liked the cool reversing feature.

[Reinis Ikass]

Hi!

A friend of mine is shopping for a SUV too. Just this morning he tested a Q7.
Qualities he liked:
1) VERY spacious!
2) Very good build quality - and he is a Lexus owner. ;)
3) 3.0 litre turbo diesel in sports mode has a very good torque. Though, until you reach 60 miles per hour. Then the acceleration is much slower. It's okay on highway, but on narrow roads, when you have to quickly overtake others, it might be a problem.
4) Relatively cheap, compared to Porsche Cayenne and Land Rover Range Rover.
5) And as Guy already mentioned - it feels like sports car.

The downside is that it look just plain ugly! Personally I have never been an Audi fan - these cars are too dull for me. I am a fan of Alfa Romeo design and performance! ;)

As to SUV's being a menace to others in case of an accident - that's the whole point of buying a SUV - not to put yourself or, what's even more important - your family in danger!

I don't find this kind of sneaky advertising very appealing - can we discuss the ethics of giving bloggers gifts so they talk about your product?

************************

What gift? Audi didn't give me the car. As far as I know, none of the car magazines keep the cars they review. When magazines review hardware and software, they don't buy the stuff either.

Guy

[Blaidd]

Although simply having the key in the car to start is seems like cool idea, there have been a couple of articles posted out on some of the tech sites showing that it might not be worth the added convience.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/05/03/gone-in-20-minutes-using-laptops-to-steal-cars/

It's just something to be aware of when purchasing these new cars.