2018 Audi Q7

The 2018 Audi Q7 can be had in three trims namely Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige. There are two engine options a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine also known as 2.0T and a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine also known as 3.0T. The Premium and Premium Plus trim comes standard with the 2.0T engine while the Prestige trim offers the 3.0T engine as standard. The 3.0T engine is available as an option on the first two trims.

The Premium 2.0T trim starts at $49,900 while the Premium 3.0T starts at $56,400. The Premium trim is the base trim in the Audi Q7 lineup but comes well-stacked with comfort, convenience, and safety features. Moving a trim higher is Premium Plus trim which starts at $50,900 and adds a premium sound system, driver-assist features, and a few more. Sitting at the top of the trim table is the Prestige 3.0T that starts at $62,400 and comes loaded with high-end features and bigger wheels. 

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Since the Audi Q7 is well equipped right from the base Premium trim we suggest picking it with the 3.0T engine. Majorly this trim misses out on navigation and heating function for all five seats and steering wheel. Both of these can be added as a part of the optional package as per need. Thus keeping the price under sixty grand even if you add the optional packages the Premium trim is the most VFM option here.

“The Audi Q7 is  astrong performer in the three-row luxury crossover class thanks to the power and torque of its supercharged 3.0-liter V6” – Edmunds

2018 Audi Q7 Engine and Transmission 

The 2018 Audi Q7 is offered with two engine options. The base one is a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine also known as 2.0T and it puts out 252 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. The other engine is the meaty 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine also known as 3.0T and it puts out 333 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque. Both the engines are mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox that is coupled to Audi's Quattro AWD.

The turbo-four offers a decent level of performance and is good for puttering around town and point A to point B commute. But get all the seats occupied with luggage and you have to work this engine to keep pace with the traffic. The supercharged V6 is the one to looks for as it is a blast to drive and fun to launch from stop signals. 

The Acura MDX is the only SUV that is aggressively priced but gets a naturally aspirated V6 engine while the other SUVs get some form of turbocharging or supercharging. The supercharged V6 powered Q7 puts out the highest power figures while the turbo-six-powered X5 puts out the best torque figures.

2018 Audi Q7 Acceleration

The 2018 Audi Q7 powered by the supercharged V6 engine can dash from 0-60 mph in 5.4 seconds and cover the quarter-mile in 14.1 seconds. On the flip side, the turbo-four powered Q7 took 7 seconds to go from 0-60 mph and 15.4 seconds to cover the quarter-mile.

The punchy supercharged V6 engine of the Audi Q7 helps it remain the quickest SUV in both the 0-60 mph and quarter-mile run that too despite the fact that the Q7 is the heaviest SUV weighing close to 5,000 pounds.

2018 Audi Q7 Ride and Handling

The ride and handling game of the Audi Q7has always been commendable. The steering of the Q7 is well-weighted and offers perfect feedback to the driver. The steering wheel gets feather-light at parking speeds while it weighs up sufficiently at highway speeds to ensure good control. For an even sharper response, you can opt for Audi's four-wheel steering that offers even more precise handling with an even smaller turning radius around the corner.

The ride quality of the Audi Q7 remains plush even in the base form while the models equipped with the air suspension help the Q7 simply glide over rough patches and uneven round surfaces. Even with the air suspension, the Q7 doesn't lose its composure although in the comfort mode it does entails some body roll but put it in the dynamic mode and things sharpen up pretty quick.

2018 Audi Q7 Braking

The 2018 Audi Q7 took 155 feet to stop from 70-0 mph. The Q7 gets 14.8-inch rotors at the front and 13.8-inch rotors at the rear that helps the 4,938 pounds SUV stop with no fuss. Even for such a heavy SUV, the brake offers sufficient bite with little to no nose-dive under panic braking.

Among the rivals, none can beat the 70-0 mph stopping distance of the Audi Q7 even though all the rivals weigh much less than it. 

The 2018 Audi Q7 as per EPA estimates will return 19 mpg in the city, 25 mpg on the highway, and 21 mpg combined. Surprisingly, the 2018 Audi Q7 powered by the smaller and less powerful turbo-four engine returns the same mileage. The Audi Q7 gets a 22.5-gallon fuel tank which is large enough to offer a decent range and requires less frequent stops. That said, all the Audi Q7's require premium gas to run on. 

In this comparison, the Volvo XC90 returns the best 20 mpg in the city and 27 mpg combined which is 1 mpg more in the city and 2 mpg more on the highway compared to the Audi Q7. The BMW X5 offers similar mileage on the highway but returns 1 mpg less in the city compared to the Q7.

“The 2017 Q7's modern and luxurious interior is a great place to spend time. It's attractive without being gimmicky, and everything is thoughtfully designed, placed and executed.” – Edmunds

2018 Audi Q7 Seating and Comfort

The cabin of the 2018 Audi Q7 is neat and minimalistic. The design of the dash has been well thought of with an ergonomics layout of all the functions and control. The fit and finish level of the cabin and controls are class-apart and if you have been to high-end luxury vehicles, you might be surprised by the quality found on this under seventy grand Audi Q7. The ingress and egress in the first two rows are very easy although getting in and out of the third row requires slight athleticism.

Being an SUV the front visibility is also great while the 360-degree camera offered on the top end Prestige trim makes it, even more, easier to pilot this big SUV from tight spaces. Moving to the seats, they offer a sufficient amount of comfort and support with no complaint whatsoever. The second-row seats are also as comfortable and spacious as the first-row seats although the third-row seats are best suited for occasional rides for adults or kids altogether. 

In this comparison, the BMW X5 is the only SUV that offers seating for five while the rest of the SUVs offer seating for seven. Among the seven-seater SUVs, the Audi Q7 offers the best legroom in the first two rows while the Acura MDX offers the best head and shoulder room in the first two rows. Coming to the third row, the Volvo XC90 is the most spacious among all the SUVs even though it shares a similar wheelbase as the Q7 and is smaller in length compared to it.

Interior Features:

• Three-zone climate control
• Leather upholstery
• Heated front seats
• Power-adjustable front seats
• Available heated rear seats
• Available power-folding third-row seats
• Available auto-dimming inside rearview mirror

2018 Audi Q7 Infotainment System

The 2018 Audi Q7 gets a 7.0-inch infotainment display that runs on Audi's MMI system. Moving to the higher trims the screen size increases to 8.3-inch. Whichever trim you go for the MMI controller that is standard makes it very easy to use the infotainment while standard features include a 10 speaker sound system, Bluetooth, AM/FM/CD player, HD Radio, etc. Higher trims offer the Bose 3D sound system or the more premium Bang and Olufsen sound system. 

Features like navigation and a 12.3-inch digital cockpit are also available on the higher trims that take the overall experience inside the cabin to the next level. Adding the Navigation Plus package apart from navigation also gets you Apple CarPlay connectivity but it commands a steep premium of three grands.

2018 Audi Q7  Cargo Capacity

The 2018 Audi Q7 offers 14.8 cubic feet of cargo space with all the seats up while folding the third-row seats increases the cargo space to 37.5 cubic feet. That said, with both the rear seats folded the Audi Q7 offers 71.6 cubic feet of cargo space.

The loading lip of the cargo is at medium level but if your Q7 comes equipped with the optional air suspension then you can decrease the ride height to easily haul in heavier luggage.

In this comparison, without doubt, we can say that the Acura MDX offers the best cargo space behind the third, second, and first row. While the Q7 remains behind it followed by the Volvo XC90.

" Up front, the Q7's prominent Singleframe grille portrays strength and premium appeal, while edgier fascia treatments, bolder front/rear lighting elements and sporty-looking twin tailpipes in back bring it all together. "-KelleyBlueBook

2018 Audi Q7 Dimensions and Weight

Re-designed just last year the 2018 Audi Q7 receives no major changes to its exterior. The front fascia features a large Audi grille with a chunky chrome surround. Flanking from the sides are rectangular LED headlights and at the bottom are the angular foglight housing. The bonnet has subtle yet elegant creases that aren't very loud but does lend it an aggressive and streamlined look from the front.

Move to the sides, and you will witness the European design elegance with a neat shoulder and beltline running through the side panel. Although seeing the Q7 from the side view you might confuse it for a wagon. The sharp C-pillar along with the protruding rear overhang is the main culprit for this confusion. At the rear, there is nothing much to talk about except for the LED taillights of the Q7 that look great at night. At the bottom, you get a silver skid plate and exhaust tip at the sides.

Length and wheelbase wise the Q7 is second to none but when it comes to width and height the Volvo XC90 is the clear winner here. The Q7 is 1.6-inches less wide and 1.4-inches short than the XC90 while the XC90 measures 4.7-inches small and has a 0.4-inch smaller wheelbase compared to the Q7.

Exterior Features:

• Panoramic sunroof
• Front and rear parking sensors
• All-LED exterior lights
• Power-folding side mirrors
• Available 20-inch alloy wheels
• Available adaptive air-suspension
• Available power closing doors

The 2018 Audi Q7 packs in a host of advanced safety and driver-assist features as standard while the higher trims get to the extent of offering a night-vision camera for an even safer night drive. The result of all this is that the Q7 passed the crash test with flying colors. The NHTSA gave the 2018 Q7 a perfect score of five in the overall safety ratings while the IIHS gave the 2018 Q7 the highest rating of 'Good' in all six parameters.

Safety Features:

• Adaptive cruise control w/ stop-and-go capability
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Active lane keep assist
• Front and rear parking sensor w/ rearview camera
• Active collision avoidance
• Traffic sign recognition
• Available night vision camera w/ pedestrian and animal detection
• Available blind-spot monitoring
• Available 360-degree camera system

2018 Audi Q7 vs 2018 Acura MDX

The Acura MDX is priced more than ten grand cheaper than the Q7 but it comes with a lethargic naturally aspirated V6 engine which is no match to Audi's supercharged V6 engine. The MDX is slower in both the 0-60 mph and quarter-mile runs and also took longer to stop from 70-0 mph. Powered by a naturally aspirated engine the MDX won't impress you with its gas mileage as in the city it returns the same figures as the Q7 while on the highway only it gets 2 mpg more than the Q7.

Being dimensionally smaller than the Q7 there is no doubt the MDX has lesser cabin space in all three rows compared to the Q7. But you will be surprised to note that the MDX offers better cargo capacity than the Q7 even though it is smaller in length and wheelbase compared to the Q7. Thus the Q7 is a far superior offering to the MDX without a doubt.

2018 Audi Q7 vs 2018 Volvo XC90

The 2018 Volvo XC90 even when powered by a turbo-four engine gives a tough fight to the supercharged V6 powered Q7. The turbo-four engine of the XC90 provides it with good drivability but when it comes to acceleration figures it is left far behind by the Q7. Although the advantage of having a smaller engine comes in the form of better gas mileage in both the city and highway for the Volvo.

The cabin of both the cars is the epitome of luxury and opulence but the Volvo XC90 with an almost similar wheelbase as the Q7 offers better cabin space than the latter. But the XC90 is shorter in length compared to the Q7 which gives the Q7 an edge of having a bigger boot than the XC90. So if you are interested in any of these cars we would suggest looking at the cabin space and overall practicality to decide which one to go for.

The 2018 Audi Q7 is the perfect example of German luxury and opulence. The Q7 powered by the meat supercharged V6 is a fun-to-drive family hauler. The amount of features offered in the Q7 is second to none and can even put the SUV in the higher segment to shame. The fit and finish level of the cabin along with the comfort inside the cabin is unmatched although the third-row seat space is a pinch. A few cons which we can think about the Q7 is its cramped third row and weak base turbo-four engine otherwise this SUV is the perfect example of what a mid-size luxury SUV should be like.