DRIVING THE AUDI Q7 TDI QUATTRO

Under the hood is Volkswagen’s 3.0-liter turbo-charged V-6 diesel, producing 225 hp and 406 pound-feet of torque.  (The engine is shared with the VW Touareg)  New for 2011 is an eight-speed automatic transmission (the Q7 TDIs of 2009 and 2010 had a six-speed auto) which mates quite nicely to the V-6.  The horsepower may not sound like much but the 406 pound-feet of torque are more than sufficient to move this 5700-pound vehicle and, despite an anemic 8.3-second 0-60 mph rating, the thrust that it delivers makes it actually feel quicker than it is.

Inside the cabin, even upon cold starts, diesel noise is imperceptible. Once underway, it becomes obvious that the A pillars are a bit larger than one would expect and this somewhat reduces visibility..

Unfortunately, the transmission didn’t seem to do very much for fuel economy,.  For the week that we enjoyed the Q7’s presence, we averaged 21.5 mpg (10.94 l/100 km), a figure that is unchanged from our 2009 Q.  The 0-60 time is, however 0.2 seconds faster with the new transmission.

Audi’s quattro (Audi prefers a lower-case “q”) all-wheel drive system works well, utilizing a self-locking center differential to deliver power where and when needed. Normally the system directs 40% of power to the front wheels and 60% to the rear but that can change when the system determines more traction is needed for a specific axle.

The Audi seemed equally at home on stretches of highway and winding roads and steering and braking were responsive for a vehicle of this size, with decent feedback.

The vehicle’s size was convenient when having to move very large objects (the second and third rows fold completely flat without having to remove the headrests), providing 72.5 cubic feet of cargo room behind the driver.

The Audi Q7 TDI is good looking, fast, quiet, and comfortable.  If you need to drive six other people around or need to tow a boat or race car, and want good fuel economy (relatively speaking) while doing it, this may very well be the answer.

RELATED ARTICLES

• Audi Q7 TDI Review
• 2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Review and Road Test
• 2011 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI – Review and Test Drive
• First Drive: Audi A6 TDI
• 2012 Diesel Car Lineup in the U.S. – What’s New

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