The 0217 Audi Q7 comes in three trim levels: Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige. All three trims come standard with Audi's Quattro AWD system. The Prestige trim gets the V6 engine as standard and is optional on the lower trims. The 2017 Audi Q7 is available for a price of $49,000 and goes up to $55,500 for the top trim. The standard equipment list for the Audi Q7 consists of a panoramic sunroof, heated mirrors, power liftgate, heated front seats, driver modes, interior ambient lighting, ventilated front seats, 50/50 split-folding third-row seats, and alloy wheels. Some of the features on higher trims are available as stand-alone options on the lower trims. There are a few optional packages on offer as well.

We Recommend

The 2017 Audi Q7 Premium Plus with the 2.0L is the car we recommend. Over the 3.0L engine, this one is more fuel-efficient and sufficient for most activities. The Premium Plus also adds in some desirable interior features and creature comforts that are not available on the Premium trim. The Premium Plus trim is also better equipped in safety features over the Premium trim and that is a major advantage. Among the optional packages, we recommend the Driver Assistance Package for better driver assistance systems included.

"The 2017 Audi Q7 is one of the best-handling utility vehicles on the market; and the four-wheel steering and active suspension systems help make the most of it." -  TheCarConnection

2017 Audi Q7 Engine and Transmission

The 2017 Audi Q7 adds an all-new turbocharged 2.0L I-4 engine to its lineup apart from the V6 engine. This 2.0L I-4 engine outputs 252 hp @ 5000 rpm and has a torque output of 273 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm. The other superior supercharged 3.0L V6 engine makes 333 hp @ 5,500 rpm and 325 lb-ft @ 2900 rpm. Both these engines come mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission and come with AWD as standard. The V6 is standard on the Prestige trim and optional on the other trim levels. 

The Audi Q7 is cheaper and more affordable than the GLS and the X5. It makes similar power to that of the XC90 and the GLS class. The BMW X5 has a more powerful engine with a higher output of around 50 hp and 50 lb-ft more. The GLS comes with a 9-speed automatic whereas the remaining cars get an 8-speed automatic. In terms of the torque output, the GLS has the highest torque output at 455 lb-ft. However, the peak torque is much readily available on the BMW X5. This provides the BMW will better performance numbers as well.

2017 Audi Q7 Acceleration

The 2017 Audi Q7 powered by the 2.0L I-4 engine has impressive performance numbers. The car has a 0-60 mph time of 6.6 seconds, with the quarter-mile coming up in 14.9 seconds. The top speed is rated at 140 mph. With the 3.0L V6, this 0-60 mph time reduces to 5.7 seconds, and the quarter-mile is quicker at 14.3 seconds. It has a top speed of 155 mph. 

The car comes with five driving modes, which all implement a different response system based on the driving character in play. On the Dynamic mode, the suspension, the steering, the engine, and the transmission all get heightened responses and quicker systems to allow for better and faster runs.

The Audi is not at all a light car, but it has a good performance time even if it's the slowest of the lot. The BMW is the quickest, thanks to its earlier peak torque, the lower weight, and a more powerful engine. The Volvo takes the second spot with a time of 6.4 seconds. The GLS follows close, behind by only 0.1 of a second. In the quarter-mile run, however, the Volvo takes the lead due to its gearing and wider mid-range. The X5 has the most top speed at 143 mph, whereas the Audi has a top speed of 1140 mph. 

2017 Audi Q7 Handling and Steering

The 2017 Audi Q7 handles like a charm. It has one of the most precise and on-the-dime steering systems among midsize SUVs. For a car of this proportions, the Q7 offers an extremely satisfying experience behind the wheels. The wagon-like body gives the car better aerodynamics which helps the car remain stable at higher speeds. Around turns, the car does not lose ground, and one can carry higher speeds into corners without worrying about body roll and slippage. 

The handling of the Audi Q7 is like a point-and-shoot affair. The lighter chassis, the enhanced suspension, and the four-wheel steering all help the Q7 deliver extremely enjoyable driving no matter what condition. The adaptive air suspension is a must and improves everything by a mile. The handling is sporty and very communicative and inspires a load of confidence in the driver.

2017 Audi Q7 Braking

The 2017 Audi Q7 has a braking distance of 140 feet from 60-0 mph. For a car that weighs 4600 odd lbs, this stopping power is very good. The car gets a 14.8-inch front brake rotor and a 13.8-inches rear brake rotor. The car employs ventilated brake systems.

The Volvo XC90 gets the smallest brakes among the four, with the front brake rotor size of 13.2 inches and a rear brake rotor of size 12.1 inches. The Audi gets the largest brakes. In terms of stopping distance, the GLS despite its heavyweight of 5335 lbs has a stopping power of 115 feet. The X5 stops the last at 129 feet.

The 2017 Audi Q7 equipped with the turbocharged 2.0L I-4 engine returns 20 mpg in the city, 25 mpg on the highway, and 22 mpg combined. The 3.0L V6 powered Audi Q7 returns 19 mpg in the city, 25 mpg on the highway, and 21 mpg combined. Both the engines have improved fuel economies over the last year's models thanks to the changes in the chassis which has made it lighter than before. The car has a fuel capacity of 22.5 gallons, which gives it a range of 495 miles combined.

The Volvo XC90 is the most fuel-efficient car of the lot with a combined return of 23 mpg. The Q7 is the second most efficient, with the BMW returning a decent efficiency of 21 mpg combined. The GLS is the least efficient, with a combined return of 19 mpg. This loss of mileage is due to the GLS's weight. The XC90 has the lowest fuel capacity of 18.8 gallons. The GLS offers the most tank capacity of 26.4 gallons. In terms of range, the GLS offers the most city range at 501 miles. The GLS also offers the most highway range at 580 miles. 

"Roomy, modern, well-built, and luxurious, the cabin of the 2017 Audi Q7 is a great place to be, wherever you're sitting." - TheCarConnection

2017 Audi Q7 Seating and Comfort

The 2017 Audi Q7 packs in a much refined and more luxurious interior than before. However, this increased luxury has not at all come with a cost to the car's functionality and usability. The interior on the Q7 sees a lot of similarities with the A8's interior. The arrangement of controls and buttons is very clean and uncluttered. The controls have a premium touch to them and are robust to use. The dash is just premium, with glossy wooden inserts and a silver line running all across the end to end. The material quality is top-notch, with high levels of fit and finish seen all around the interior, as expected in any flagship Audi. The ambient lighting enhances the overall experience. Overall, the interior design and layout are very composed, with no feature seemingly out of place and a design that is not too much in your face type.

In terms of seating, the Audi Q7 is a very spacious 7-seater. The front seats provide excellent comfort from every direction but lack lateral support. The second row gets a ton of headroom and legroom, with a lot of adjustability on offer. The third row however lacks the kind of space the other two rows offer and has a tight space overall, with low headroom as well. Getting in and out of the Q7 is not a problem at all, thanks to the large doors that open wide. Getting in the third row also is not a problem, thanks to the easy foldable mechanism on the second row. The visibility all-round of the car is excellent, but there is a blindspot at the D-pillar area.

Against the competition, the Audi Q7 is quite spacious. The Q7 offers the most legroom in the front row and the second row, and the most shoulder room in all three rows. The GLS has the most front headroom and the most second-row headroom on offer, at 41.2 inches and 40 inches respectively. In the third row, the Mercedes-Benz has the most legroom and headroom making it the better choice than the other two. The BMW X5 seats only 5 people. The longer wheelbase on the GLS allows for more interior space and more cargo space as well.

Some interior features on the Q7 are:

• Three-zone climate control
• Leather Upholstery
• Driver-seat memory settings
• Heated steering wheel
• Power door close
• Heated rear seats

2017 Audi Q7 Infotainment

The 2017 Audi Q7 comes standard with Audi's MMI infotainment system. This system has a sharp display and is very appealing with the host of functions it can perform. The system is super user-friendly and it's easy to get used to as well. The car comes standard with a 7-inch touchscreen, HD radio, satellite radio, two USB ports, CD player, Bluetooth connectivity, and a 10-speaker sound system.

Some other features are:

• Voice controls
• Handwriting recognition controller pad
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot
• 19-speaker Bose surround sound system
• Emergency telematics

2017 Audi Q7 Cargo space

The 2017 Audi Q7 gets a standard cargo space of 14.8 cu-ft. This is lower than most rivals, and low by segment standards as well. Second-row cargo space is low as well, at 37.5 cu-ft. The maximum cargo space on offer on the Q7 stands at 71.6 cu-ft.

However, this is an increase over the earlier model thanks to the lower cargo floor and better suspension packing. Also, accessing the full cargo storage is not at all, as it requires a multiple-step procedure for the same.

The rivals offer much better cargo space in comparison with the Q7. Among the three-seaters in this comparison, the GLS has the most on offer at 16 cu-ft. The Mercedes also offers the most cargo space at 93.8 cu-ft. The Volvo has a maximum space of offer of  87.5 cu-ft. The BMW offers a maximum cargo capacity of 65.5 cu-ft, which is the lowest among these four; but is excellent as a five-seater. The GLS and the XC90 benefit over the Q7 with a lower loading lip as well.

"The 2017 Audi Q7 gets a rakish new sport-wagon look, a finely detailed, tech-savvy interior, and serious chassis advancements underneath—including a dramatic weight loss, available rear-wheel steering, and a plug-in hybrid version." -The Car Connection

2017 Audi Q7 Dimensions and Weight

The 2017 Audi Q7 finally gets the exterior redesign we've all been waiting for. Compared to last year, the car now gets a very wagon-like body profile and looks less like a sporty SUV. The overall dimensions are similar, with minute changes here and there. The car now looks more in line with today's design, and also sits more among Audi's new design language. At the front, the Q7 flaunts slim LED headlights and a hexagonal grille that takes up the entire central portion at the front. The foglights sit encapsulated between two chrome slits and are not easy to notice at first glance. Along the side, a line runs from the front to the rear taillight. The wheel arches are quite circular and house 20-inch alloy wheels.

The roofline dips down towards the rear and seamlessly merges with the tail. The rear of the car is simple, but stylish at the same time, with the rectangular LED lights and a sculpted boot door. The twin exhaust setup adds a sporty nature to the car. Overall, the Audi Q7 has a very prominent and imposing stance that is sure to stand out in the crowd, especially with those mean-looking LED headlamps with arrow-shaped LED DRLs. In terms of dimensions, the Audi Q7 weighs 4696 lbs, is nearly 200 inches long, and has a width and height of 77.5 inches and 68.5 inches respectively.

The Mercedes weighs the most at 5335 lbs and is the longest car in this comparison, at 202 inches. The Volvo is wider than the lot, with a width that's nearly 3 inches more than the rivals, at 79.1 inches. The GLS is also the tallest of all at 72.8 inches. In terms of ground clearance, all the cars have sufficient clearance to go over the most difficult potholes and undulations with ease. The GLS has the most wheelbase at 121 inches. The Audi and the XC90 have similar wheelbase, whereas the BMW has the lowest at 115.5 inches.

Some exterior features on the Audi Q7 are:

• Xenon headlights LED taillights
• Panoramic sunroof
• Power tailgate
• Power-folding heated mirrors
• 20-inch wheels
• Roof rails

The 2017 Audi Q7 gets a very high safety rating from the IIHS, with a rating of 'Good' in most tests, and scores 'Marginal' in the headlamps test. The car also gets the Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS, for its strong chassis and great safety features and scores. The Audi Q7 is built on the Volkswagen Group's MLB Evo platform, a modern modular platform that is used for most high-end cars under the Volkswagen banner. To aid in better safety, the car's chassis has also received a few changes that make it lighter and rigid, and strong than before. Standard features on the Q7 include front and rear parking sensors, airbags, traction control, stability control, automatic braking, and forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection.

Some other safety features offered include:

• Blindspot Monitoring system
• Surround-view camera system
• Lane departure intervention
• Adaptive cruise control
• Traffic sign recognition
• Ventilated Front Disc / Solid Rear Disc Brakes

2017 Audi Q7 vs 2017 Mercedes Benz GLS Class

The 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS class is the most fierce competitor of the Audi Q7. It packs in a spacious third row, with refined and powerful engines on offer, and has a very composed and smooth ride quality. The GLS also offers an AMG version for performance-SUV enthusiasts. The  Q7, however, is more fuel-efficient with either of the powertrains, but the GLS has a better range on offer. In the interior, both the cars are similarly specced with advanced features, and the in-house developed infotainment systems.

The seats in the GLS are more comfortable and have better cushioning as well. The GLS has not received a safety rating from the NHTSA or the IHS, whereas the Q7 has the highest ratings from the IIHS. The Q7 also suffers from lower reliability than the GLS. However, the Q7 is much more affordable and also has lower annual maintenance costs.

2017 Audi Q7 vs 2017 BMW X5

The 2017 BMW X5 is similar to the Audi Q7, and both offer ample interior space and intense performance among mid-size SUVs. The BMW has a 3.0L engine as standard, against the 2.0L engine on the Audi. The BMW X5 also comes in the M sports variant that offers more power and much more responsive steering and handling. Even the standard X5 features a firmer ride quality compared to the plush and composed ride quality on the Q7. The X5 only seats 5 people whereas the Q7 can accommodate up to seven passengers.

The 2017 Q7 interiors are much more premium than what is seen on the X5, and the X5 cannot match the Q7 in that aspect. The X5 does have better overall quality. The Q7 is for comfort, the X5 is for sportiness. The Q7 is around $5,000 cheaper than the X5. Also, the X5 benefits with the higher reliability ratings and a well-established name and reputation in the market.

The 2017 Audi Q7 is Audi's biggest crossover SUV, and is now made better with the design changes and more offerings is a complete luxury package. It is now more efficient than before and has improved ride quality as well. The car comes well-equipped in terms of safety and has slightly improved cargo space as well. It has huge proportions for a midsize and also carries a look that is sure to stand out in the crowd. The Q7 does lack in a few places, but this SUV is surely worth the money.