Back in the day, as the new old-timers like to say, the sport-utility vehicle was nothing more than a pickup-truck spin-off — and proud of its heritage.
It was rugged, rough riding and purpose-built for ranchers, sportsmen and anyone else who had a reason to drive places where no car could take them. The term “luxury sport-utility” would have been considered an oxymoron.
But that’s before families fell in love with them and began their transition from work truck, to family car to, yes, luxury vehicle. Today, we have a gang of high-end SUVs that will match the most upscale sedans gimmick for gimmick and gadget for gadget.
One such vehicle is the Audi Q7. The German manufacturer was late to join the elite group, but when it came to market in 2006 the Q7 arrived with halogen (or optional Xenon) headlights blazing and all eight cylinders firing.
Long story short, it’s handsome, powerful (350 horsepower), supremely comfortable, lavishly appointed, drives almost like a car and is capable of serious off-road duty. It’s also quite heavy, quite thirsty and quite expensive. The EPA rates the 5,269-pound vehicle at 14 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the open road, but in the real world figure on subtracting at least 2 mpg from those figures. You should also know that its $58,600 base price can balloon to about $70,000.
A few months after the arrival of the V-8 model, Audi introduced a second Q7 model, this one powered by a 280-horsepower V-6 engine. I recently spent a week with the 2008 Audi Q7 3.6 Premium. It can be described in the same terms as its assembly-line mate, but its $48,350 base price is nearly 20 percent less than its V-8 counterpart. However, as you will soon see, that’s before you get into the options.
Although 280 horsepower is a long way from 350, the technologically advanced, direct-fuel-injection V-6 is plenty powerful for family use. Acceleration is more than adequate for quick starts and passing, and the Q7 will cruise easily at speeds that can get you in trouble. According to Audi, when fitted with the right optional equipment, the V-6 Q7 can even tow a maximum of 6,000 pounds.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t do a whole lot to ease the Q7’s thirst. The EPA rates it at 16 mpg city/20 mpg highway, but I didn’t do that well. In a week of mostly suburban and highway driving with no cargo, I could not get more than 18 miles per gallon of premium unleaded on the open road and about 14 around town.
If fuel consumption is a concern, Audi will soon have a fix for that. The 2009 Q7 will be offered with a 3-liter turbodiesel engine. It will be quiet, clean, powerful and go significantly further on a gallon of fuel.
Of course, people who can afford a world-class premium SUV generally are not overly concerned with its fuel consumption. What they care most about is a premium traveling experience and the big SUV offers that with no reservations.
The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that allows the driver to do the shifting when desired. The independent suspension is tuned for sharp (by SUV standards) handling as well as a comfortable ride. The rack-and-pinion power steering offers excellent feedback and the four anti-lock, ventilated disc brakes can quickly wrestle the Q7 to a halt.
All Q7s are equipped with Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system and have 8.1 inches of ground clearance. Not only will Quattro keep the Audi moving in bad weather and on bad roads, it has a natural rear-bias torque split that enhances its handling capabilities in ordinary driving. In short, this Audi is a lot more agile than its size and weight indicates.
Although it’s built from the same basic platform as the Volkswagen Touraeg and Porsche Cayenne, the Audi has been stretched by six inches to allow third-row seating, which is standard in the V-6 and V-8 Premium models and not available in the base Q7. I’m not sure it was worth the effort.
When the third-row seats are in place, they are adequate only for children and they reduce cargo space to a mere 11 cubic feet. My guess is that the third row is folded away most of the time to increase available space to 42 cubic feet. For those occasional big jobs, the second row can be folded flat, too, increasing cargo room to 72 cubic feet.
When big money is in play, the buyers want to be sure they are safe, secure and pampered. Naturally, the Audi has a generous list of standard safety equipment. But, Audi also offers more for those who select from among the various option packages.
Side Assist warns the driver of approaching vehicles on both sides of the car, Lane Departure makes the steering wheel vibrate if the Audi wanders out of its lane, a rear-view camera shows what’s behind the vehicle and adaptive headlights expand visibility around curves. Curiously, rear side airbags are a $350 stand-alone option.
The ways in which the Audi Q7 can pamper its passengers are almost limitless. They start with a beautifully appointed standard interior and range from navigation systems and rear DVD players to super sound systems and a panorama sunroof.
And let’s not forget the Multi Media Interface, the complicated tour guide that can take you from one technological wonder to another. It’s best to take some time with the instruction manual and set up everything the way you want it before you leave home. If you don’t, you’ll find the MMI to be not only difficult, but dangerous when you fiddle with the big knob and associated switches while driving.
Audi officials say they have simplified the options list for 2008, but keep in mind that simple and simplified are not the same thing.
To get what you want, you may have to wade through a group of packages and then move on to the stand-alone list. All the while the price will go up, and up, and up.
The test car, for example, had the technology package, S-Line sport package, the convenience package, panorama sunroof and four-zone climate control. Suddenly, $48,350 had turned into $61,025.
If the price doesn’t give you pause, and you want outstanding comfort, luxury and all-around capability, the Q7 might just be the SUV you’re looking for.
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