The Audi SQ7 is a mid-to-full-size luxury seven-seater family SUV designed for those who want a large and comfortable SUV, but one that can also decimate hot hatchbacks off the line. If you are one of those people, you should check out the Audi SQ7. So, is Audi SQ7 a good car?
The Audi SQ7 is indeed a really good car because it offers almost everything you’d want from a car. The SQ7 looks great, it is incredibly spacious, incredibly safe, and both luxurious and fast. It takes care of family duties and school runs better than 90% of cars while also being cool enough to stand out in a corporate car park.
The SQ7 comes in two different variants, a diesel SQ7 for predominantly the European market or a gasoline SQ7 which became the only SQ7 you can buy a year or two ago. These engines are big, powerful, sophisticated, and effortless. The SQ7 also comes with Quattro AWD which means that it can tackle all sorts of terrain.
Value-wise, the SQ7 is not the cheapest performance SUV out there, but it is good enough to cost as much as it does. Reliability is good but could be better because the running and maintenance costs are extremely high.
Audi SQ7 – The powertrain
The Audi SQ7 is the top-of-the-line Audi seven-seater SUV that comes with either a 4.0L twin-turbocharged V8 with 507hp for the newest SQ7 or a 4.0L TDI V8 with 435hp for the pre-facelift SQ7. Some say that the diesel engine is a bit too ordinary, but those people aren’t aware that the 4.0L TDI offers an astonishing 567lb-ft of torque.
Both of these engines are mated to a torque converter automatic gearbox and Quattro AWD in order to make the SQ7 a true SUV. Efficiency is a lot better with the diesel variant because the 4.0L gas V8 sips fuel with two straws.
The gasoline SQ7 can do 0-60mph in about 4 seconds which is insane for an almost 5,000lbs behemoth while the diesel SQ7 can do the same in about 4.7 seconds. Both of these engines are amazing at what they do, but the gasoline V8 fits the SQ7 a lot better, especially because it sounds amazing.
Audi SQ7 – Design and chassis
The Audi SQ7 was always the best-looking Q7 version you can get, but the latest 2022 gasoline V8 SQ7 looks the best. The pre-facelift SQ7 didn’t really look all that much different than a normal Q7, but the post-facelift SQ7 takes things up a notch and it’s difficult to mistake it for a normal Q7. The interior of the Q7 is amazing because it is layered with high-end materials and everything is built amazingly well.
The SQ7 also differs from a normal Q7 in the driving department because it is stiffer than the normal Q7 which makes the entire SUV less prone to rolling into corners. Either way, the SQ7 is still a comfortable SUV because didn’t want it to be too stiff as most customers aren’t really into that and the Q7 chassis itself is not designed for a performance SUV.
Audi SQ7 – Reliability and common issues
When it comes to reliability, the SQ7 could be better because many repair costs are as high as they can get. Large luxury SUVs are notorious for high-maintenance costs and costly repairs/replacement parts and the SQ7 is no different. These cars need constant maintenance in order to function properly, if you don’t do that, the SQ7 will hurt your wallet.
The most common SQ7 issues are associated with the knocking sensor, the suspension bushings, axle joints, ignition coils, and the N80 valve. The SQ7 is also known to go through tires like crazy which is indeed a consideration because new SQ7 tires cost a fortune.
Audi SQ7 – Value and practicality
The 2022 Audi SQ7 starts at around $90,000 which is not cheap but is considerably cheaper than the $106,000 BMW X5 M and the almost $20,000 more expensive Mercedes GLE 63. Granted, the BMW and the Mercedes both offer a lot more power but are still fairly comparable to the SQ7 in most regards.
Practicality-wise, the SQ7 is better than the X5 and the GLE because it is physically larger than the two. It also offers lots of seating and cargo space with the added benefit of seven available seats. Getting in and out of the SQ7 is easy while visibility is also really good.
FAQ Section
Why did Audi make a diesel Audi SQ7?
It may seem weird that Audi decided that performance cars should be diesel-powered, but there are a few reasons why they did it. First of all, efficiency as a diesel SQ7 is able to return up to 35MPG while the gasoline SQ7 is able to return up to 20MPG. Moreover, the diesel SQ7 may have less horsepower, but it beats the gasoline SQ7 when it comes to torque.
The diesel SQ7 is simply the more logical long-distance high-speed cruiser because it uses a lot less fuel. Nevertheless, Audi decided to ditch the diesel SQ7 because it made little to no sense to make two versions of the SQ7, an SUV that isn’t as popular due to its price.
Is the Audi SQ7 an off-road SUV?
The Audi SQ7 is far from being an off-roader for a variety of reasons. Audi customers aren’t at all interested in off-roading and that is why Audi makes 0 off-road cars and 0 off-road packages. There are some cars such as the Allroad variants of the A4 and the A6 which are more tailored towards the countryside than off-roading.
The SQ7 comes with 22-inch wheels which is enough for you to realize that it is not designed to go anywhere besides light gravel or country roads.
Why isn’t Audi making a full-size SUV?
We are all aware that BMW, Audi, and Mercedes have been at each other’s throats for decades. They are competing in almost all segments, except for the full-size flagship SUV segment where Audi isn’t at all present. However, Audi is going to release the full-size flagship Q9 in 2023 and all of this will change.