So I'm currently looking at new cars and really quite fancied the A7. Booked a test drive and had it this morning.

The dealer was spot on, getting it ready on time, clean and ready to go. 90% of my test drives have been down a road, round a roundabout and back. This one was a 30minute, 14 mile drive down a number of different roads nice and relaxed. I've never had such a chilled out drive.

Anyway onto the car. It was a 2012 model with a few toys. HUD, nav, Bluetooth to name a few, plus the trick spoiler you can manually raise from a button or go faster for it to be automatic! The car was so quiet i had to ask if it was a diesel. It was a 7 speed dsg with flappy paddles that worked beautifully. The car was on 20" wheels in S-Line spec and it was very comfortable. In fact so comfortable I was a bit disappointed. I was expecting it to be a bit firmer and a bit more sporty.

Overall I did like it but there were options missing like 4 zone climate which I wanted plus parking assist. It also didn't really get me excited. It looks awesome but once your going it just felt like a car with no soul.

I'd be tempted but it would have to be cheaper and have a few more toys.

They are nice.

 

Those newer 3.0 diesels really are smooth. I've driven a Toaureg with the 3.0TDI and 8 speed gearbox. Very smooth, very quiet.

 

Is that the special audi only 7 speed DSG with a higher torque limit then I assume?

 

Phil

I think it's about time you put some hard cash on a new car, whatever it is!

 

Kia Ceed, old BMW 7 Series and now an 8 year old S-Max?

 

A long way off a £30K A7. Didn't I see a Jaguar XJ high on a recent list too?

 

Get it bought.

The XJ is what I'm hankering after. The A7 a close second. The XJ is hard to find for the spec I want at the price I want.

I looked at the current shape A8 whilst there too but it just didn't do it for me..I still prefer the previous shape.

I'd set my budget at around 25k but the A7 was 30k. The A7 came in with a 2k deposit on PCP at £587 a month with 25k miles a year over 4 years. On HP it was near £800!

Agreed I need to spend some wonga on a nice shiny set of wheels. Fed up of the crap I keep buying and now I've been promoted I can kinda afford it too!

Edited 8 December, 201411 yr by chris_1d

Overall I did like it but there were options missing like 4 zone climate which I wanted plus parking assist. It also didn't really get me excited. It looks awesome but once your going it just felt like a car with no soul.

 

It's a big car / refined ride thing IMO.

Being an Audi there isn't a lot of steering feel either.

I like my A8, but similarly it has no soul or character.

It just does everything you ask of it.

 

They are more of a tool than a car you bond with, I feel.

For a soul or character it needs flaws or a bit of excitement.

Being an Audi there isn't a lot of steering feel either.

They are more of a tool than a car you bond with, I feel.

For a soul or character it needs flaws or a bit of excitement.

Completely agree..I didn't feel connected to the car. I liked it but there was something that niggled that it wasn't the right car for me.

I think you need to drive one for longer than 14 miles, then you can get a feel.

Have done over 300 miles in one stint and got out totally fresh,

Most of our customers only seem to use park assit once or twice, 4 zone climate was a rare option as well.

HUD is a very nice option, as you can display the Nav info as well,

4 zone was an expensive option on A6/7 (about £600) when we ordered ours and as hardly anyone travels in the back we couldn't justify it, which is probably what most people think. Notice that it's now standard across the range.

 

One other option to look for is the colour DIS as it transforms the instruments (not sure if this was an option or standard on the A7, it was an option on A6).

 

Agree about the slightly soulless nature of the big Audi's but the interior is first class and they have a very solid feel to them. The V6 diesel is very sweet and though the DSG is generally faultless, it can be jerky when manoeuvring at low speeds (switching between forward and reverse) and often needs to be put in sport mode when entering busy roundabouts (though that seems to be a characteristic of all VAG dsg equipped cars).

 

And, touch wood (why isn't there an emoticon for touching wood to be on the safe side?) it has been faultless in 18 months of ownership (from new).

 

To sum up then, I don't love our A6 Allroad, but I deeply respect its capabilities and particularly its all weather confidence.