Audi Q7 review
The Audi Q7 is a luxurious, high-tech, and incredibly comfortable seven-seat SUV that offers a premium experience with huge practicality for families.
Author: Charlie Harvey
22nd Dec 2025 – 8 mins read
When Audi launched the Q7 back in 2005, it was the brand's first proper go at a large SUV, and it made a big impression. The second-generation model, which arrived in 2015, took everything that was good about the original and made it even better. It’s lighter, more stylish, more practical, and packed with an incredible amount of technology. This is a car that sets the standard for the large, premium SUV class. It’s a brilliant all-rounder, offering a beautifully crafted and hugely spacious interior with seven seats as standard. It’s also surprisingly agile for such a big car and wonderfully comfortable, especially with the optional air suspension. With powerful and smooth diesel engines, it’s a fantastic long-distance cruiser. It might be an expensive car to buy and run, but if you’re looking for the ultimate large family SUV that combines luxury, tech, and practicality, the Audi Q7 is one of the very best you can get.
Pros
- A hugely practical and spacious seven-seat interior
- Incredibly comfortable and refined, especially on long journeys
- Powerful and smooth V6 diesel engines
Cons
- The interior design, while high-quality, is starting to feel its age
- Optional extras can be very expensive
- It's a costly car to buy and run
Interior
Dashboard & tech
The interior of the Audi Q7 is a masterclass in build quality and user-friendliness. While the design might not be the most exciting to look at, its usability is second to none. The materials used are all top-notch, with plush plastics and swathes of leather or Alcantara giving it a genuinely premium feel.
A real highlight is Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, a 12.3-inch digital screen that replaces traditional dials and is standard on all models. It’s brilliant to use and can be configured to show you exactly what you want. The main MMI infotainment system is also fantastic, operated by a simple touchpad that makes it easy to control when you’re driving. It’s a beautifully made, tech-filled cabin that feels a cut above most rivals.
Comfort
If comfort is your top priority, the Audi Q7 is a fantastic choice. It’s an incredibly refined and relaxing car to travel in, especially on the motorway where it feels quiet and composed. The standard suspension is comfortable, but models fitted with the optional adaptive air suspension are sublime, gliding over bumps and potholes with ease.
The driving position is excellent, with a commanding view of the road ahead, and the seats are supportive even on the longest of journeys. It’s a car designed to transport a family in ultimate comfort, and it absolutely nails that brief.
Quality
Audi is famous for its exceptional build quality, and the Q7 is a perfect example of why. Everything you see and touch in the cabin feels incredibly solid and well-engineered. The switches click with a satisfying precision, and the whole interior feels like it has been built to last a lifetime. Some owners have reported minor interior rattles, so it’s worth listening out for these on a test drive, but generally, the Q7 has a solid reliability record and feels like a truly premium product.
Practicality & boot space
Interior space
Audi hasn’t forgotten that the main point of a large SUV is practicality. The Q7 is a huge car, and that translates into a vast amount of interior space. All models (except the e-tron hybrid) come with seven seats as standard. There’s plenty of room in the front and middle rows for tall adults to get comfortable. The middle row can even slide back and forth to adjust legroom.
As with most seven-seaters, the two rearmost seats are best for children or for adults on shorter journeys, as space is a bit tight. However, having that flexibility is a huge bonus for families.
Boot space
With all seven seats in use, the boot offers 295 litres of space, which is enough for a couple of suitcases or some shopping bags. Most of the time, you’ll probably have the third row of seats folded flat, which opens up a huge 770-litre boot. This is a massive, practical space that will swallow everything a family can throw at it.
If you need to carry even bigger items, folding all the rear seats down creates a van-like 1,955 litres of space. The seats can be folded down individually at the push of a button, and the standard electric tailgate is another handy feature that makes life a little bit easier.
Driving
Driving experience
Audi managed to make the second-generation Q7 a lot lighter than the original, and it really shows in the way it drives. For such a big, heavy car, it’s surprisingly agile. The steering is sharp, there’s not much body roll in the corners, and it feels incredibly secure and composed on the road.
All models come with Audi’s famous quattro four-wheel-drive system, which provides fantastic grip and confidence in all weather conditions. While you’re unlikely to take your expensive Q7 on a serious off-road adventure, it’s reassuring to know it’s capable. It’s a car that manages to feel both sporty and comfortable, which is a remarkable achievement.
Performance
The Q7 range is powered exclusively by a fantastic 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine, which is available in two different power outputs. The entry-level version, badged 45 TDI, produces 228bhp and is more than powerful enough for most, getting from 0-60mph in just 7.1 seconds.
The more powerful 50 TDI version has 282bhp and is even quicker, managing the 0-60mph sprint in just over six seconds. Both engines are incredibly smooth and refined, and they provide effortless performance, making the Q7 a brilliant car for long-distance towing and cruising. All models come with a slick eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Running costs
Fuel economy & CO2 emissions
Let’s be honest, a large, heavy, seven-seat SUV with a powerful V6 engine is never going to be cheap to run. However, the Q7 is surprisingly efficient for what it is. Both diesel engines can officially return around 41.5mpg, which is a respectable figure. You’re more likely to see that on a long motorway run than on short trips around town.
High CO2 emissions mean road tax can be expensive, particularly for cars registered between April 2017 and March 2020, which are subject to a premium rate in their first few years. Insurance groups are also high, as you’d expect for a premium car.
Value for money
The Audi Q7 is an expensive car, with prices starting from over £53,000 when new. The options list is also long and pricey. However, you do get a huge amount of car for your money, with generous standard equipment, seven seats, and a genuinely premium feel.
Like most big luxury cars, the Q7 loses its value quite quickly from new. This is fantastic news for used car buyers, as it means you can pick up a nearly-new example for a significant saving. A used Q7 represents a huge amount of luxury and practicality for the money.
Reliability & Warranty
The Audi Q7 has a solid reputation for reliability, though it’s not without fault. Some owners have reported minor issues, so a thorough check and a full service history are essential when buying a used one. From new, all Audis come with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty.
Safety
Safety features
The Audi Q7 is an incredibly safe car. It was awarded the maximum five-star rating when it was crash-tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP, with very high scores for protecting both adult and child occupants.
All models come with a very generous level of standard safety equipment, including an adjustable speed limiter and autonomous emergency braking. Optional extras when new included clever features like a self-parking system and adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, which can essentially drive the car for you in slow-moving traffic.
Trims & Engines
Trim levels
The Q7 range is simple, with two main trim levels to choose from.
S line: The 'entry-level' S line model is anything but basic. It comes with 20-inch alloy wheels, Audi's Virtual Cockpit, a premium MMI navigation system, leather and Alcantara sports seats, and stylish S line body styling.
Black Edition: This popular trim adds a host of black styling details, including a black grille, black window surrounds, and black roof rails. It also gets larger 22-inch alloy wheels and a flat-bottomed steering wheel for a sportier look and feel.
Vorsprung: At the top of the range, the Vorsprung model is packed with every conceivable feature, including matrix LED headlights, a head-up display, and a panoramic sunroof.
Engines
The engine range is focused on a single, brilliant diesel engine offered in two states of tune.
45 TDI: A 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine producing 228bhp. It offers smooth, effortless performance and is the more economical choice.50 TDI: A more powerful version of the 3.0-litre V6 diesel, producing 282bhp. It's noticeably quicker and makes the big Q7 feel very fast.SQ7: A high-performance version is also available, with either a V8 diesel (on pre-2020 models) or a V8 petrol, for incredible supercar-like performance.