2011 Audi Q7 TDI Quattro - Road Test Update

Date: June 2011
Months in Fleet: 10 months
Current Mileage: 32,700 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 21 mpg
Range: 581 miles
Service: $987
Normal Wear: $0
Repair: $0
Unscheduled Urea-Solution Additions: $14
Damage and Destruction: $458
Just four months ago, our Audi Q7 TDI had fewer than 16,000 miles on the clock. We’re now at more than 32K, numeric proof of the big brown crossover’s popularity.
The esteem and the miles spring from the Q7’s prowess for long-haul road trips and its aptitude for towing, talents staffers often exploit at the same time. On one run to the left side of the country, Tony Swan called upon the Audi to shoulder his Honda S2000 race car; he dropped it off in California and returned lugging a freshly purchased 1964 Volvo 544. The loads were about a ton shy of the 6600-pound towing capacity; with the cruise control set to extra-legal velocities, the Q7 whuffled along with nary a complaint, easily maintaining its speed even up steep hills. Speaking to the overall comfort and supportive seats, it was only at the end of a grueling 1200-mile day that Swan began crying for mercy.
Other long trips include one undertaken by editor-in-chief Alterman, who didn’t tow, but he did haul ass from Detroit to Manhattan and back, covering the 640-mile return leg in just over nine hours. There were a couple of stops, but taking on fuel wasn’t an absolute necessity: We’re regularly getting well over 600 miles per tank on freeway grinds. We’ve also been to Kentucky (twice) and Florida, and spent more than a few weekends exploring the northern reaches of our cartographic mitten. Even so, overall economy has dipped down by 1 mpg to 21 since our last update.
Tire Noise Returns—But So Do the Gorgeous Wheels
The Q7’s winter Dunlops came off around the 25K mark, which meant a return to the summer Dunlops—and the reappearance of the humongous and handsome 21-inch rims. Unfortunately, the swap back to the firmer compound gave road warts some of their bite back, and the fat Sport Maxx tires are as noisy as ever.
More recently, a small rock punctured the right rear, and the process to change it out was more complicated than a simple stop-and-swap. The Vredestein compact spare lives under the cargo floor, but you need to remove the subwoofer from inside the rim before taking out the tire. The spare also comes uninflated. A small compressor is provided to blow in the required 51 psi, but it should be run for only 12 minutes at a time—lest it melt itself into a puddle of brown plastic—so at least one cool-down period is necessary before the spare is ready. Then, if your Q7 is equipped with the air suspension like ours, be sure to activate “jack mode” through the main MMI system. The rest is pretty standard—jack up the corner, remove the five lug bolts, install the spare, and tighten everything back down—but the process took us nearly an hour, including packing up. And that doesn’t take into account the time lost due to the spare’s 50-mph maximum recommended speed. Plan your flat tires accordingly.
The Q7 is for the most part wearing its miles well, although the leather on the front-seat bottoms has wrinkled some and the “Start Engine” button has shed most of the little silver triangles that form each N.
Costs are Piling Up
We’ve incurred $846 in out-of-pocket expenses since our last update, $458 of which went to mounting and balancing ($46) a new right rear tire ($412). The remaining $388 went to the 25K service, which included an oil-and-filter change, a flush and fill of the AdBlue urea-injection system, some wiper fluid, and inspections of the windshield and headlamp washer systems, the brakes, the wipers, and tires.
If any of us were harboring delusions that the Q7 would be an inexpensive vehicle to maintain, the nearly $1500 we’ve spent thus far has well and truly squelched them. Still, the Q7’s versatility, pleasant dynamics, and comfort mean we’re not looking forward to its departure—even if our wallet might be.

Specifications

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 5-door wagon

PRICE AS TESTED: $70,025 (base price: $51,775)

ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve diesel V-6, iron block and aluminum heads, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 181 cu in, 2967 cc
Power (SAE net): 225 bhp @ 3750 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 406 lb-ft @ 1750 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic with manumatic shifting

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 118.2 in Length: 200.3 in
Width: 78.1 in Height: 68.4 in
Curb weight: 5687 lb

PERFORMANCE: NEW
Zero to 60 mph: 8.3 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 26.6 sec
Zero to 110 mph: 36.7 sec
Street start, 5–60 mph: 9.1 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 16.4 sec @ 83 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 126 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 162 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad*: 0.85 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 17/25 mpg
C/D observed: 21 mpg
Unscheduled oil additions: 0 qt

WARRANTY:
4 years/50,000 miles bumper to bumper;
4 years/50,000 miles powertrain;
12 years/unlimited miles corrosion protection;
4 years/unlimited miles roadside assistance;
1 year/5000 miles free routine maintenance
*Stability-control-inhibited.
Source : Caranddriver.com