New Q7 looks stunning

[Nemo78]

well I took the plunge and have ordered a new Q7 which will be an upgrade from my 08 reg 4.2 model.

the one thing I would say is that the options list is extremely expensive and if you were foolish enough to tick more than your fair share of options you'd be looking at a price of £90k+

What did you go for and what have you ticked...

I have ticked £9k worth of options which I'll need to whittle down by the time income to order...

Don't have to answer but would be interested to see how much movement you got on price?

[fusion1966]

What did you go for and what have you ticked...

I have ticked £9k worth of options which I'll need to whittle down by the time income to order...

Don't have to answer but would be interested to see how much movement you got on price?

I ticked about £15k worth of options and received 8% discount

Oh and I've already got a buyer for my 4.2

[Nemo78]

I ticked about £15k worth of options and received 8% discount

Oh and I've already got a buyer for my 4.2

Great stuff...go on then what's ticked. From memory for me
Tech Pack
Dynamic Pack
Bose
Ambient lighting
Parking pack Advanced
The £100 mirror option
Possibly memory seats
Debating 4th yr warranty

[fusion1966]

Great stuff...go on then what's ticked. From memory for me
Tech Pack
Dynamic Pack
Bose
Ambient lighting
Parking pack Advanced
The £100 mirror option
Possibly memory seats
Debating 4th yr warranty

Pm me your email address and I'll send you my configuration PDF document

[Q7newbie]

I totally disagree sadly. Having had the rare opportunity to drive one for 48 hrs in South Africa (officially: data analysis) , I can categorically state I detest the new Q7. Granted it has some ground-breaking tech, but alot of it lacks cohesion and daily practical application.

1. The new geat lay-out: (R, P, N, D, S) is utterly stupid. BMW's have this layout and it isn't intuitively useful. Of all things to copy from Bavaria, why that idiocy?!

2. The track pad positioning is ridiculous. Why place it IN FRONT of the gear lever? How is one to comfortably use it without dislocating their wrist or crashing the car (if not both). Beside the gear lever (on the driver side) or behind the gear lever would have made more sense.

3. The drinks holders aren't deep enough. It seems a moot point, but trust me when a drink spills over your mmi it'll matter. Little things like these matter down the line in the ownership of a car.
And why aren't they cooled/heated? It's not even an option.

4. For a car made to serve multiple purposes and families and possible long trips etc, and at a base price of £50K I'd expect such features to be available.


5. I applaud Audi for TRYING to make the new Q7 a drivers car. But in terms of the interior lady out, it fails. For the reasons stated about but also, for the poor lcd placement. It's 2 postcodes away on the dash. Positioned in a way that constantly has it dishing out more glare than a rappers shades in a nightclub. Made worse if you have a sunroof. Why not have it closer? Why not make it bigger, this making it more practical?
THE Bose and B&B systems are both amazing! It's a pity the MMI interface hasn't been given an equally amazing make over. The media interface is still good for the 1990's, the lcd/led display quality is better, but the graphics themselves still suck. Feel "dated" in a car that's not even out yet.

Then there's the absurd options list and prices!

£700 for a heated windscreen! (should standard) it's actually considered a safety feature as a cold screen can impede driving ability with mist.
Still no option for mirrors to auto-fold when car is locked. Really? For a big 2015 model luxury SUV?
£950 for LED lighting
£400 for an electrically adjustable steering column!!
£500 for a basic reversing camera! Like anyone would really give themselves the burden of reversing a big suv of this value without a camera.
We're still paying for what Audi call a"smart key". Although I'm yet to see what's smart about it when it's doing in 2015 what Hyundai and Renault keys have been doing since 2005.

I love the drive. The handling , the throttle response. They've even improved the sound insulation.

But the Subaru Outback looks are just too mediocre and "one Audi-in-10-different-sizes" for me.

The current Q7 is quite ugly. But it's a loveable kind of ugly. It's brutish, aggressive and unique. You'd not mistake it for much else. It has "presence".
This new Q7 has none of that, and isn't pretty, sexy, elegant or any other good adjective of looks!
Even with the improved suspension options, it still sorely lacks any real weather or terrain adapting abilities. It'll never be a Range Rover, we can all live with that , but at least some dedicated spec for Mud and Snow would have been useful. Those are two common and realistic things we will encounter.

I know the MQB assembly by parent company VW is partly to blame for mediocre designs coming out of Ingolstadt, but Lord help us!

In summation: the tech and interior build quality is great,but reprehensively flawed. Especially in the lay out and practical application of the tech. The weight loss has made this a great drive (compared to the current Q7).
But these achievements for me fall far short of off-setting the numerous, glaring failures of this new car. With the new Volvo XC90 looking, driving and feeling so good! And the new Range Rover Sport, having hit puberty so well too, and the fact that once you've specced this new Q7 properly, it enters Range Rover Vogue price territory. And with that fact loses even more and more of its justifications for purchase.

Many will disagree with me, but for all my loyal love for Audi, this is one I won't be owning. I think I might wait for the Q8. Or get a Range Autobiography or wait and see what the new Mercedes-Benz GL will look like. The Volvo XC90 is fab, but at 28 I feel I'm just a bit toooo young to go Swedish!

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

[L3nnox]

^ great review thanks!!

[Q7newbie]

^ great review thanks!!

Thanks!

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

[Nemo78]

Out of interest has anyone seen the alcantra seats that are on the S-Line cars?

[Nemo78]

To answer my own question for anyone who may wonder re the S-Line standard seats ImageUploadedByTapatalk1438277347.844009.jpg

They are actually better than the Alcantara seats in the SE - don't know how or why but they do look better in the darker colour and with perforations

[EssexGonzo]

Well, I've seen my first one of these in the flesh today. A quick trip down to the Palace of Bling that is my local Audi emporium to pick up some parts, have a quick look at an S6 they're got in stock and, of course, they're gearing up for the new plate deliveries on Tuesday. (For some reason they open at midnight on the 1st Sept for the plate tarts. Don't get it myself but each to their own.....)

Anyway, there were 7 Q7s on 65 plates lined up and ready for their proud new owners.

First impressions about the exterior are as others have said - a little bland, even in S-line spec on Gangsta wheels. Whereas the old Q7 made a statement (love it or loath it, and I was the latter) The new one looks like a higher up, taller-bodied estate, but not an elegant one. The design isn't quite as resolved as the XC90 IMHO. The best looking one was (Daytona?) grey with smaller wheels. It looked like a purchase of quality rather than an attempt to portray some sort of image. And because of the body type, the smaller wheels didn't look too small. Whereas some of the larger ones looked ridiculous.

However, the interior, well.....the BEST Audi interior I've seen yet. One of the dealer's staff was moving one around and let me have a look for a few minutes. Gorgeous, subtle, low-key and oozing quality. Yes, the MMI screen seems to be a long way away but the TFT in front of the driver (I didn't see it switched on) surely makes up for that. If I'd spent £50k, the interior alone would make me feel good abut it. And if I were ticking options, I'd be spending money inside not outside - I don't think you can do much about the exterior.