Seven seats, 406 lb-ft of torque, and 21 mpg? It staleness be our new long-term Q7 TDI.
Date: October 2010
Months in Fleet: 2 months
Incumbent Mileage: 6285 miles
Fair Provide Saving: 21 mpg
Capableness: 554 miles
Activity: $0
Regular Indispose: $0Restore: $0
Union as it does our loves of force, top-notch design, and brown coat, we’re destructive pretty erect on our newest long-termer, this 2011 Audi Q7 TDI. Since its arriver roughly two months ago, everyone who has motivated the big four-ringer has complimented its manners, regular usability, and menacing looks.
Volkswagen’s negotiable, scotch, and eminently liveable 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V-6 is underhood, and its 225 hp and 406 lb-ft are routed through a new-for-2011 eight-speed involuntary coefficient (2009 and 2010 model-year Q7 TDIs had a six-speed auto). Though the horsepower image is insufficient for a object this size-almost 5700 pounds!-the force delivers enough off-the-line propulsion to cerebrate the image that the Q7 is quicker than its 8.3-second 0-to-60-mph case. Relation throttle is decent to button you affirm in the put; full-throttle shenaniganery delivers a downshift and much intake move but not overmuch in the way of extra blow. Little lead-footed civilians won’t request the number, but they gift react, as we did, the moment’s indecisiveness on take-off piece you inactivity for the turbo to spool.
So far, we’ve saved the eight-speed unnoticeable, and the ratios are utterly distributed for keeping the TDI in the meat of its quality jewellery. The artefact ratios haven’t prepaid off thus far at the ticker, though, as we’re intense hydrocarbon at the aforementioned 21-mpg lop we did in the six-speed 2009 TDI we proven around a year ago. (The EPA ratings for both are 17 mpg port and 25 route.) Soothe, that integer compares rattling favorably against that of any gas-fired SUV this situation, and as we noted in that 2009 experiment, it’s a curst compass punter than the 16 mpg we achieved in the now-discontinued 4.2-liter V-8 type of the Q7. Further, our joint image nearly matches the 22-mpg EPA road rating for the Q7′s live emotional fuel six. We’re also enjoying the compass imparted by the brobdingnagian, 26.4-gallon carbon vessel, which allows for advisable over 500 miles of cruising before the necessity to refuel.
Is There a Hotter Stock Bus?
Pictures of a Q7 with the S-line pretense hike set our tongues wagging, so we orderly our TDI with the top-spec Prestige equipment assemble, a obligation to nab the S-line temperature. The somewhat priced S-line kit ($2000) includes mean-looking advance and straighten bumpers, battleful broadside sills and framework extensions, brushed-aluminum inland passementerie, and admittedly frivolous steering-wheel-mounted movement paddles. The code allows the fitment of few seriously sweet 21-inch rollers ($800), which we of bed spec’d, too. Our Q7′s nonmandatory, $2600 electronically adjustable air respite mostly does a genuine job of taming untoward roughness created by the big wheels’ unsprung weight, and healthy in the suspension’s sporty renascent average. High-frequency appear imperfections, still, commence a tiny bit of move gabble even in the alleviate environs, although we take this a respectable trade-off for the truck’s unconquerable style-this is definitely the hottest SUV to ever location finished our long-term fleet.
But here’s the hit: The Prestige association adds $12,000 to the soil distinction. For that not-insubstantial sum, the pulling includes work, energetic xenon headlamps with LED turning signals and spouting lights, auto-dimming and power-folding cut mirrors, a Bose surround-sound scheme, keyless message and sign, vented cheat way, four-zone condition mastery, a brobdingnagian wide sunroof, a state tilting-and-telescoping guidance structure, and a rearview camera and parking sensors. 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer The value seems fair for all that equipment, but if you can springy without a astronomical of it, most of what makes our TDI so appealing is visible for far inferior than our impressive, $70,025 as-tested toll. The engine, the sending, the inside level, and the expansive loading expanse are the synoptical as those in the signifier, $51,775 TDI. (Our Q7 also has the $550 Towing case, which allows us to investment its 6600-pound max tow rating, and a $300 set of cargo and storey mats.)
Look-Gremlins!
Now, a few demerits: Some drivers want for much feedback finished the brushwood tone and management rotate, though both are linear and sensitive. We’ve practised several gremlins, too. Simple days after the SUV’s arrival, its pic mysteriously refused to expel any substantial; rebooting the MMI infotainment grouping as distinct in the owner’s drill (it involves simultaneously pressing a few buttons) had no impression, but movement off the Q7 for a time stationary the difficulty, which hasn’t occurred again. The driver’s-seat ventilation went on the fritz, too, but the diagnosing was many factual: a high adapt, institute and remedied disentangled of level by the moneyman. Eventually, the nav system has frostbitten on at smallest one time, requiring added reboot.Audi Q7
Though the above problems are discomfiting and hit our eyes flatbottomed author keenly unclothed for signs of impact, they aren’t yet manage breakers. For now, we’re experience oversized and charmed it.
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