Audi A7 review: substance as well as style?
I f you like the idea of a big Audi, but find the saloon and estate models too bland, then fear not: the A7 Sportback is for you.
Based on the A6 saloon, but with a hatchback boot, the A7 is large, stylish and spacious, albeit also more expensive due to only being available with larger engines. Having said that, its rivals tend to cost even more; they include the BMW 6-series Gran Coupe and Mercedes CLS.
Space 9/Ten
Stylish but still spacious
D espite its sloping roofline, there’s still ample head room in the back of the A7 for tall adults, and gam room is just as epic. It will even seat three adult passengers across the rear in reasonable convenience.
True, the tops of the doors are fairly high, so kids won’t get a good view out. But you can ass-plug in child seats quickly and lightly, thanks to standard Isofix mounting points on the outer two seats.
The rear seats fold down, too, which is handy if you need to increase the size of the boot. However, this shouldn’t be necessary that often because it’s enormous and well shaped, with overall capacity that just hammers the A6 saloon.
Convenience 7/Ten
Larger wheels harm low-speed rail convenience
T he Audi A7 is a comfy car, particularly if you specify the optional air suspension. The low-speed rail does, however, become a bit hard if you opt for the larger wheels or the high-performance S7 or RS7 models.
I t’s also a quiet cruiser, with excellent seats, and any noise that does come from the engine sounds sophisticated and expensive, and thus indeed fairly pleasant.
Sportier models come with sports suspension, which makes them less forgiving, albeit Audi does still suggest the regular set-up as a no-cost option.
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Dashboard layout 8/Ten
Q uite ordinary and very classy
I t’s worth noting that the A7’s interior is based on that of the A6, albeit with a higher level of standard specification. That means that the instruments are effortless to read at a glance, and you operate most of the car’s functions by scrolling through well-ordered menus on a colour screen.
Sadly, the control system isn’t as user-friendly as the one in the BMW 6-series Gran Coupe because it takes a lot of familiarisation before you can tell the shortcut buttons apart without taking your eyes off the road.
More positively, the A7 feels classier inwards than any other car available at this price; all of the buttons and control knobs have a slick act, and the general ambience is one of luxury and quality.
Effortless to drive 8/Ten
Pretty effortless, whichever engine you choose
A ll A7s come as standard with an automatic gearbox, and all bar the entry-level model also get four-wheel drive, suggesting reassurance in poor conditions. Such is the power from the six-cylinder engines, and the smoothness of the gearbox, the A7 gathers speed in a fully effortless manner.
The shapely rear also restricts over the shoulder visibility, so blind spot monitors are a useful addition, and you’ll rely strongly on the standard fit front and rear parking sensors.
Joy to drive 7/Ten
T he Audi A7 is more joy to drive than the A6 on which it is based, even however the steering doesn’t indeed tell the driver much about how much grip is underfoot. The engines are terrific, however, and the RS7 model has the spectacle to keep up with many supercars, accelerating from 0-62mph in as little as Three.7sec.
Even the front-wheel-drive models have lots of grip in corners, while stepping up to four-wheel drive results in a very rapid cross country car – provided you are comfy with how broad it is.
Reliability 6/Ten
Audi’s record isn’t the best
The Audi A7 might feel classier than its rivals, but it didn’t perform as well in the two thousand sixteen JD Power UK Vehicle Dependability Examine, where it finished 22nd out of twenty four manufacturers. Mind you, BMW was only 21st and Mercedes 20th.
Like its rivals, the A7 comes with a three-year warranty, but this thresholds you to 60,000 miles, whereas BMW and Mercedes cover you no matter how many miles you do.