LOVE LETTER TO

I love Audi’s, I drive a 3.0 Quattro and smile every time I get into it.

Not the most objective start to an Audi review I’ll admit,

however I am a seasoned professional and I like to think I can

take a car and review it on its own merits. What I didn’t expect was to

hide the keys when a colleague wanted to take a look. Nor did I think

that I would lie blatantly to anyone wanting to drive it saying that the

insurance wouldn’t cover them, obviously not the case with a press

car but they had the good grace to go along with my impassable lies.

I love this car!

So yes the Q7 may now be getting a bit long in the tooth now as it

made its debut in 2006 however it is still a very imposing car. Inside,

it offers a high driving position that gives a commanding view of the

road ahead that reflects its exterior looks. Plus, there’s no denying

that the seven-seat interior is massive, even though the legroom in

the last row of seats is a little tight. That said the Q7 happily housed

6 adults in style as we made our way to the local Indian for a business

meal.

When I first drove this car I hated the bouncy suspension and I

couldn’t wait to get back into my A6. I was convinced that the Q7

must have controllable suspension but as I couldn’t see an obvious

big button or lever to pull I figured I was wrong. It was my young son

who was fiddling with the central computer when he came across the

suspension setting and transformed this bouncy tractor into a luxury

limousine. When you get the right setting you have a car that corners

well, offers loads of grip and very

little body roll. It drives along

quietly at motorway speeds and

above and the V6 diesel engine

offers impressive performance.

It is easy to forget that you are in

a big 4 x 4 with this performance

and handling.

You won’t have to be a brain

surgeon to realise that the

Audi Q7 isn’t cheap to buy, and

neither is it cheap to run. Frugal

isn’t really the right word on our

test vehicle, the 3.0-litre TDI

diesel which delivered slightly

below 40mpg fuel economy. You

could argue that that isn’t bad for

such a large car, but that doesn’t

change the fact that road tax is

hefty too. However this is true

for my A6 and the Q7 has two

extra seats and must weigh the

same as a train!

I like a good light cabin in a

car and the optional extras of a

full-length glass roof was perfect.

There are three glass panels and

two of these open. If it becomes

too bright there is a full length

screen that covers the glass at

the flick of a switch.

Interior offers good

versatility and a massive boot.

With all seats in place, the boot

has 330 litres of space. When the

Q7 is in five-seat mode, you get

775 litres of boot space, which

expands to a frankly mammoth

2,035 litres when the back seats

are folded down flat. So, no

matter what you need to carry,

you can pretty much fit anything

inside your Q7, with not even

the Land Rover Discovery 4

matching its huge boot.

I am not going to go into much

detail on its off road capabilities

for a couple of reasons. Firstly,

other than me turning it around

in a wet field I didn’t do anything

off road with it. Secondly we did

have some floods which I didn’t

drive through. The good news

is it was fine on the field and

handled the puddle well which

is probably about as much mud

action as most of these cars will

ever see.

The Audi Q7 is well built

with a durable interior and Audi

prides itself on producing tough

and dependable cars, so the Q7

is a safe bet.

It’s a big car and its bulk is

always obvious. It weighs in

at more than two tonnes and

somewhat dominates any road

it’s driving on. I have read reviews

where they have said that the downside of that is that it’s undeniably

difficult to park and to maneuver down narrow city streets or into

driveways with tight entrances. I found this to be untrue as it has

front and rear parking sensors and huge mirrors. All windows offer

great visibility and no blind spots. Or I guess I am just a really good

driver!

Have no illusions though that you are never going to get a car this

big on a small budget. The Q7 is not a cheap car, in anybody’s book.

But the entry-level 3.0-litre V6 TDI Quattro does represent good

value for money as a starting point in this upmarket class of cars,

where £40,000-plus is a drop in the water. And you do get a decent

level of standard equipment for that money, too. Plus, when it comes

to sell on the used car market, the Q7’s resale values are strong and

you should find a better deal than someone selling a rival such as the

BMW X5 or Land Rover Discovery 4.

I have been smitten by the Q7 and am negotiating a finance deal

to buy one myself and I don’t say that after all car reviews! My Q7 will

soon be on order and I can’t wait.

BY STEVE WARMAN

AUDI Q7

“ EI have been smitten by the Q7 and am negotiating a finance deal to buy one myself.”