While the Q7 may be Audi's first-ever sport-utility, its strength and refinement suggest that Audi has been in this game for years, if not decades. As such, the Q7 represents a fresh and beautifully rendered newcomer to the luxury SUV segment. Like other Audis, the Q7 is a paragon of driving elegance and interior refinement. The Q7 is also the longest of the three, and thus is the only one to offer three-row seating. Audi also has equipped the Q7 with many luxury and convenience features not found on the Touareg and Cayenne, including a few not found on any other luxury SUV. Built upon the same solid architecture shared by the Volkswagen's impressive Touareg and Porsche's high-performance Cayenne , the Q7 is even nicer to drive than its two corporate cousins, thanks to a more compliant ride and Audi's decades of experience with all-wheel-drive systems, which Audi calls Quattro, or quattro. History
With a 118.2-inch wheelbase, the Q7 may not be the largest SUV on the road, but it is among the heaviest. Weighing nearly 5,300 pounds, the Q7 carries over 300 pounds more than the R500, yet feels downright ironclad by comparison. Although its controls have the precision you expect in an Audi, and the Q7 changes direction as well as any SUV we've ever tested, the Q7 feels like it would rather be driven through the impending obstacle than around it.
The second you enter the driver seat, there's an unmistakable heft about the Q7. The doors are heavy, the seat is firm and the controls require a heavy hand. Despite its tight turning circle, the Q7 feels a bit cumbersome around town. City drivers can feel like they're piloting a small ship to the grocery store.
A 4.2-liter V8 engine similar to the one that powers the 414-horsepower Audi RS 4 sport sedan is standard. Both use FSI direct gasoline injection technology that allows fuel to be injected directly into the combustion chamber for greater power without sacrificing fuel economy. Audi V8s have always been a little light on bottom-end torque, but come on strong as the tach needle climbs, and the double-overhead-cam 4.2 is no exception. In the Q7, the engine is rated at 325 pound-feet of torque at 3,500 rpm and 350 hp at its 6,800-rpm redline.
With all its standard and optional features, including a rear-view backup camera, blind-spot warning system, navigation, Bose audio system, and adjustable ride height, the Q7 has to be fitted with Audi's MMI (Multi-Media Interface) control system, which may not require a Ph. D to operate, but it couldn't hurt. Among the nicer options are a classy, six-passenger seating arrangement (second-row buckets instead of a bench) and a full-length, three-panel moonroof, the front section of which slides and the rearmost section of which tilts for third-row ventilation.