2007 Audi Q7 3.6 Premium

When I first heard that Audi was going to joining the fray with an SUV, I was a little disappointed. Audi has never been a "me-too" company, and leaping in at such a late date seemed like capitulation. I was wrong. Audi has been laying in the weeds, and the 2007 Audi Q7 3.6 Premium is a ferocious swipe at the competition. The 2007 Audi Q7 3.6 Premium carries a base price of $45,900 ($58,220 as tested) with a 4 year/50,000 mile warranty and an EPA estimate of 16 mpg city/20 mpg highway. Watch out, here comes the Q7.

First Glance

Some SUV designers try to camouflage the size of their vehicles. Audi designers have chosen to celebrate Q7's dimensions with a look that emphasizes mass. Q7's front end wears a truck-like interpretation of the corporate nose, with a big inverted trapezoidal grille, the Audi linked rings logo proudly displayed in chrome at center. The hood is shockingly tall and wide, the wrap-around Bi-Xenon headlights distinctively feral and predatory. A high, yet fairly level beltline runs down the car from the hood to the tail, the roofline arching down to meet it at the rear. The tailgate is equally assertive, with a smallish window increasing the feeling of height and mass. Q7 is definitely a member of the Audi family. The overall design is elegant and sophisticated, athletic and powerful, a force to be reckoned with. I like it.

Q7 is longer, wider and taller than corporate relatives Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg, which ride on similar platforms. At 200.2" long, it is a foot longer than the Porsche or VW; it has a 6" longer wheelbase (118.2"), is 3" wider (78.1") and slightly taller (68.4") than the other German SUVs.

Fit and finish are stellar. Every piece of trim is solidly attached. Every inch of paint is deep and rich. My test vehicle wore a special paint, Garnet Red Pearl ($750), which caught the sunlight beautifully to stunning effect. I don't know if I'd choose such a pricey hue (I'm cheaper than I am vain), but it sure looked good.

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In the Driver's Seat

In addition to the Premium trim level, my test vehicle was loaded down with $7,650 worth of interior options. That's right, almost eight grand worth of toys and luxuries. Was I a happy driver? Of course I was. Here's a brief rundown: $2,800 for the Infotainment Package (nav system, Bluetooth and satellite radio); $2,400 for the Technology Package (Parking assist with rear view camera, side assist, advanced key and voice recognition); $1,850 for a panorama sunroof; $1,200 for the Convenience Package (power tailgate, Homelink, adaptive lighting, auto-dimming power folding mirrors, driver's seat memory); and $1,000 for Premium Cricket Leather -- I'm doing my best not to picture the horrors of the Bavarian cricket farms at harvest time.

Add that load of options on to an already lovely interior, and you get truly fantastic levels of luxury and comfort in the Q7. That Audi attention to detail shines through throughout the cabin. Real wood trim adorns the doors and center console. Shiny aluminum bezels surround the instruments, panels and vents. High quality tactile materials abound everywhere you look and touch. Nice.

Q7's driving position is upright, comfortable and easily adjustable. You need to sit up a little higher than normal to see over that big hood, and a tilt/telescope adjustable steering wheel certainly helps.

More than anything else, a solid feel permeates the entire Q7, from the feel of the door handles to the direct, positive operation of every knob and control. Q7 isn't plush; it doesn't coddle you; it is firm, supportive and stolid.

On the Road

Q7 is definitely an Audi. Audi's famous quattro all-wheel drive system imparts great road feel, and enhances handling by delivering power to the wheels that need it. That means that your vehicle can remain in better control during cornering, with more predictable performance and less likelihood of wheel slip. It takes a sophisticated suspension system to make this work -- after all, if all four wheels aren't on the ground, you can't deliver the power where it's needed. Q7 features four-wheel independent suspension (wishbone front, multi-link rear) with four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with electronic brake force distribution, stability control and an off-road mode with hill descent control. Speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering gives direct, sharp control over direction.

Under the hood, the Q7 has a 3.6 liter double-overhead cam V6 that delivers 280 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque through its six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. With Q7's portly 5049 lb curb weight, that means better than adequate acceleration (Audi reports 0 -- 62 mph times at 8.2 seconds) -- if you want more quickness, there's the Q7 4.2 Premium, with a 4.2 liter V8 (350 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque) that can get to 62 mpg in 7.0 seconds flat. Of course, it's only rated to deliver 14 mpg city/19 mpg highway, and starts at a base price of $59,900. You don't get something for nothing in the SUV world.

Journey's End

If you're considering a Q7, I commend you on your good taste. Audi has done a great job of delivering a vehicle that measures up to the competition without slavishly imitating. I love the way the Q7 drives, though I would definitely drive the V8-powered edition before I committed to the V6. Shave off a few of the options, and a well-equipped V8 could come in cheaper than a loaded V6. Shave even harder, and a base level V6 (still very nicely equipped) starts at $39,900. That may be the bargain in the bunch.

You've got to compare Q7 to the other German SUVs out there -- the Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg, the BMW X5 and the Mercedes-Benz M-Class. There's hardly a bad choice in the group. Don't overlook the Acura MDX, a very exciting SUV. You might also want to expand your search a little -- if you don't need a third row, you could check out the Acura RDX, Lexus RX350 and RX400h, or the Infiniti FX35 and FX45 (my personal favorite). The Mazda CX-9 is a surprising newcomer to the field, with assertive styling and delightful driving dynamics.

I liked the way I felt behind the wheel of the Q7. I haven't seen a lot of them on the road yet, so it felt exclusive and that made me feel smart. There's something very masculine about the size and muscularity of the Q7 that made me feel a little tough. Knowing that the pricetag on my test vehicle was close to sixty grand, I felt rich, too. Smart, tough and rich -- a very good combo in my book. If it can deliver those feelings in the right combination, Q7 might just be worth the price.