The luxury Sports Utility Vehicle is a ubiquitous vehicle class, thanks to its emphasis on comfort, versatility, and capability. The grand proportions and spacious interiors make for great family haulers and plush mile munchers. With the ever-increasing popularity and insatiable demand for luxurious SUVs, most vehicle manufacturers offer at least one example to cash in on this gold mine of a vehicle segment. Since 2006, German automaker Audi has been at the forefront of luxury SUV production with the Audi Q7. This SUV has consistently been the gold standard for other luxury SUV makers to follow, thanks to its commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology, uncompromising comfort, and unrivaled performance. Here are 10 reasons why the Audi Q7 just might be the best luxury SUV currently on sale.
1 Clean Yet Attractive And Contemporary Styling
Audi has occasionally been criticized for playing it a bit too safe with the styling of the Q7. However, it can be agreed that the styling is minimalist and soft-spoken, keeping to the less is more ethos. The sleek front LED matrix headlights flanking the iconic center grille fan out into prominent side profile lines that flow across the belt line of this SUV and merge at the exquisitely chiseled rear end with aggressively styled LED taillights. This design language has proven to be a surefire success ever since the launch of the Q7 nameplate in 2006, even through three major styling overhauls. The Q7 has always epitomized class and elegance, with a graceful silhouette designed to stand the test of time and prove that simplicity is indeed the ultimate form of sophistication.
2 A Myriad Of Advanced Techn Features On Offer
One thing the folks at Ingolstadt are renowned for is cutting-edge tech, and the Q7 is always decked out with the coolest bells and whistles. Upon entry, the cabin greets you with a triple-screen layout, consisting of Audi's renowned Virtual Cockpit digital gauge display which relays essential readouts to the driver and doubles as a secondary display for navigation and multimedia information. A center-mounted 10.1-inch touch display handles the primary infotainment function, with Android Auto/Apple CarPlay integration and 4G LTE Wi-Fi connectivity, and an 8.6-inch screen placed right below for HVAC adjustment. The Q7 also has you covered with a variety of sonorous and immersive audio system setups, including a delightfully thunderous 23-speaker Bang & Olufsen system with 1920 watts of punch, for those road trip karaoke sessions.
3 The Interior Is Exceptionally Comfortable And Spacious
The cabin of the Audi Q7 is a refined place to spend time in. Focus is placed on ergonomics and comfort, and this results in a cabin that is extremely accommodating, with generous headroom for the driver and front passenger with highly-adjustable seats to attain the best possible driving and seating positions. Occupants in the second row are also guaranteed to have a good time, with equally plush seats and copious amounts of head, knee, and legroom. Even the third-row seats are engineered to be highly congenial, which most rival luxury SUVs fail to deliver. Cargo stowage is also one area that the Q7 shines, with a voluminous trunk area with expands even further with the third-row seats folded.
4 Impressive Handling Characteristics With Usability In All Conditions
Luxury SUVs aren't known for stellar performance in the handling department, but the Audi Q7 might just be an exception to that school of thought. The Q7 goes beyond the smooth and supple ride expected of a vehicle in this class to deliver lively and engaging handling characteristics through turns and corners, even beating out rivals such as the BMW X5, Range Rover Sport, and the Volvo XC90. With optional adjustable air suspension and four-wheel steering for added nimbleness, this SUV is a quintessential case of Jekyll and Hyde: calm and composed when needed, but equally able to throw it down and have a hoot. All Q7s also come standard with Audi's renowned Quattro all-wheel-drive system, which equates to all-weather and all-terrain versatility.
5 Great Selection Of Engine Options
The Audi Q7 can be had with a variety of powerplants, depending on your use cases and preferences. Fancy an SUV with the fuel economy of a midsize sedan? Well, you'll be happy to hear that the Q7 comes standard with a 12-volt hybrid-assisted turbocharged four-banger with a respectable output of 261 horsepower at the crank, and 273 pound-feet of twisting force. This trim returns a respectable 19 MPG in the city and 25 MPG on the highway, which is laudable for an SUV of this size. For those seeking a bit more oomph, there's also a 3.0 liter V-6 - also turbocharged with a 48-volt hybrid system, cranking out 335 horses with 369 pound-feet of torque. The V-6 however takes a hit on fuel economy, with 17 MPG in the city, 21 on the highway, and 18 MPG combined. Still not enough grunt?
6 There's An Even Sportier Audi Q7 - The SQ7
With a base MSRP of $91,900, the Audi SQ7 gets all the goodies that make the regular Q7, but with performance capability turned all the way up to 11. Thrust is provided by a visceral-sounding V-8 mill putting out 500 horsepower and an astounding 568 pound-feet of torque, which propels this behemoth from a dead stop to 62 MPH in just 3.5 seconds. The SQ7 also features even more aggressive styling, with blacked-out accents, optional 22-inch wheels, and menacing quad-exhaust tips. The suspension is also tweaked even further to deliver exceptional handling for an SUV, with its genuine capability to tackle hairpins and bends without feeling like it rides on stilts.
7 Exceptional Build Quality And Commendable Reliability
The interior of the Audi Q7 features a culmination of the finest high-quality materials, with meticulous attention to detail. Every surface you come in contact with consists of premium brushed metal, soft-touch plastics, or supple leather upholstery. The general build quality is extremely robust, with no squeaks or rattles whatsoever. Trim gaps and alignment as well as leather stitching are remarkably consistent and immaculate. The exterior body panels have even gaps throughout, with excellent factory paint quality. Mechanically, the powertrain and drivetrain components have been proven to be well-engineered and deliver satisfactory longevity with manufacturer-recommended maintenance procedures.
8 The Audi Q7 Can Be Had In A Variety Of Flavors
With a wide range of trims and options, there is a Q7 for every price range. The base model Premium 45 trim carries an MSRP $59,200 at the time of writing this. It comes with a delightful four-cylinder engine (more on that in a bit), with a great selection of desirable standard features. Stepping up to the Premium Plus trim rewards you with even more amenities such as ambient lighting, wireless charging for mobile devices, and an upgraded audio system. An additional Executive package throws in ventilated and heated front seats, quad-zone climate control, and adaptive cruise control, among others. Buyers who want to go all out can splurge for the range-topping Prestige 55 trim, which bumps the price up to $75,595 and checks all the options boxes such as leather upholstery, semi-autonomous self-driving, and even more.
9 No Compromises On Road Safety
It goes without saying that a luxury SUV with a focus on family hauling should prioritize safety features and technology for optimal protection in case of road mishaps. The Audi Q7 does just that, with a myriad of standard safety features such as automated emergency braking with forward-collision alert, lane-departure warning, and lane-keep assist. Adaptive cruise control with semi-autonomous driving is also available as a cost option. The Q7 also exhibits exceptional crash test ratings, with superior scores from notable independent testing bodies such as IIHS and NHTSA.
10 Audi Once Sold The Q7 With A V-12 Diesel!
Diesel. V-12. It's not often that you see these two adjectives in the same sentence. As absurd as this sounds, the Q7 featured an utterly ridiculous 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged 12-cylinder oil burner with an output of 500 horsepower and an insane restricted 738 pound-feet of torque, since going any further would have caused issues for the durability of the ZF-sourced six-speed transmission. All this power and torque propelled the Q7 V-12 TDI to the 62 MPH mark from a standstill in a mind-numbing 5.5 seconds, on to an incredible 112 MPH time of just 15.7. This Q7 is also known to be the only passenger car to feature a 12-cylinder diesel engine.