2021 Audi Q7 Road Test and Review

When you think of the three luxury automakers from Germany, BMW aligns with driving enjoyment, Mercedes-Benz represents prestige, and Audi reflects those two traits and more. The four chrome rings on an Audi’s grille mean different things to different people, and that diversification of the brand’s image — ranging from the company’s roots in motorsports to the technologically advanced interiors and electrified drivetrains found within the 2021 lineup — serves Audi well.

Quattro all-wheel drive is one of Audi’s many hallmarks, and it fits naturally with modern consumer preferences for SUVs. This year, Audi sells five different sport-utility vehicles, and if you include the Allroad versions of the A4 and A6 wagons, you’ve got seven models from which to choose. The 2021 Audi Q7 is the automaker’s three-row mid-size SUV. The nameplate debuted 15 years ago on the company’s first sport-ute, and Audi has redesigned the Q7 just once since then, for the 2017 model year. Now, after a substantial freshening for 2020 that also saw the introduction of a new performance-tuned SQ7 variant to the lineup, the 2021 Audi Q7 gains added standard safety features, expanded feature availability, and a plusher top trim level.

Audi sells the 2021 Q7 in Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige trim levels. With the Premium and Premium Plus, you can select the more affordable turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine or a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 equipped with mild-hybrid electrification. The Prestige comes only with the V6, but all Q7s have standard Quattro AWD. The Premium trim now includes blind-spot monitoring and Audi’s pre-sensing front and rear crash preparation technology. The Premium Plus and Prestige also gain standard equipment, and a new Executive Package for the Q7 Premium Plus brings the SUV nearly to Prestige levels of specification.

Prices range from $54,950 to $72,000, not including the $1,095 destination charge. A Q7 Prestige with all of the extras will run nearly $89,000. The high-powered SQ7, equipped with a twin-turbocharged V8 engine, kicks off at $85,000. Add every option, and the SQ7 steps right to the edge of $113,000. Our Prestige test vehicle had extra-cost paint and a Laser Headlights Package, bringing the grand total to $75,340 including the destination charge.

Wearing the styling themes set forth by the flagship Audi Q8 SUV, the 2021 Q7’s hexagonal grille, dynamic lighting, and cleanly detailed design come together with appealing aluminum wheel choices for a look that will age well.

Inside, the Q7 positively reeks of quality, if you can forgive the occasional buzz, creak, and rattle, which, try as it might, Audi has yet to eradicate from its vehicles. With the Prestige trim, the sumptuous leather and beautiful wood offer stark contrast to the high-tech gloss black panels and touchscreen controls. Aside from the physical controls on the steering wheel and center console, Audi has gone fully digital. As touchscreens go, Audi’s haptic-feedback setup is a good one, and thanks to impressive voice recognition technology and handy stereo controls on the center console, you can limit interaction with the displays if you prefer. The interior definitely lacks storage for everyday items, though, and the bin underneath the center armrest is surprisingly stingy on space.

Comfort is easy to come by when you’re sitting in the Q7’s front or second-row seats. Choose the Q7 Prestige’s optional Luxury Package, and the front chairs offer a massage function, too. Our test car did not have this upgrade, but it did include four-zone automatic climate control, heated and ventilated front seats, and heated rear seats. During a family road trip, all four occupants found sanctuary within the Q7’s cabin, enjoying the natural light let in by the panoramic glass sunroof. Furthermore, the Q7 is quite quiet inside, even at freeway speeds. No doubt, the dual-pane acoustic side window glass contributes to the interior solace.

If you seek a luxury suv with a practical third-row seat, though, the Audi Q7 is not the right choice. It’s not particularly suitable for children, let alone adults, though you can pack some in and tell them to hush. Plus, when the third-row seat is in use, the Q7’s cargo space shrinks to 14.2 cubic feet. It is better to leave it folded down in order to enjoy a useable 35.7 cubic feet of cargo volume. You can maximize the space by folding the second-row seats down, creating 69.6 cubic feet of cargo room.

In addition to offering quality, comfort, and quietude, the 2021 Audi Q7 is a high-tech vehicle. Audi Virtual Cockpit is standard — a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation display that remains a model for the entire automotive industry. It offers an oversized center data panel complete with Google Earth navigation map imagery for a gee-whiz-bang feeling with every drive.

Last year, Audi redesigned the Q7’s dashboard to include dual displays for nearly all infotainment and climate functions. The 10.1-inch upper display is dedicated to infotainment functions, while the lower 8.6-inch display mainly operates the climate controls. Drivers interact with these screens by touch, using the center console controls, using the steering wheel controls, or activating the Q7’s excellent natural voice recognition system. Standard equipment includes Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and Audi Connect subscription services with a Wi-Fi hotspot. An outstanding Bang & Olufsen premium sound system is available, and highly recommended. We left on our road trip on a Friday, and the kids had no trouble attending their Zoom classes using the active Wi-Fi hotspot. This prompted my wife and me to regale our children with tales of our youth. “Back in my day...”

As you would guess, the 2021 Audi Q7 is chock-full of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS), and what better opportunity than a road trip to test them out? After nearly 1,000 miles of driving, two flaws stand out. First, the lane-centering assistance occasionally behaves in a way that causes the driver to actively override it. Second, the traffic sign recognition system isn’t as smart as it should be. Approaching a mountain descent with the adaptive cruise control set at 75 mph, we passed a sign for semi-trucks showing a speed limit of 35 mph. Evidently, the Audi Q7 doesn’t know it’s not an 18-wheeler and it proceeded to suddenly and unexpectedly apply its own brakes. Good thing no semi-trucks were right behind us.

In the inky darkness of Lake Tahoe’s western shore, the Q7’s upgraded headlights were jaw-droppingly good. A Night Vision system is an option, but with the Laser Headlights Package, I can’t imagine you’d need it. With that said, these same headlights rate Poor according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Why? Because they throw too much glare at oncoming drivers. I can certainly believe that. The headlight rating does mar an otherwise flawless IIHS assessment of the Q7’s safety.

When you buy an Audi Q7 Premium or Premium Plus, you choose between a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine equipped with a mild-hybrid 48-volt electrical system powered by a 9.6Ah lithium-ion battery that continually recharges as you drive the SUV. The mild-hybrid engine is standard with the Prestige trim. The idea is that the upgraded electrical system will power the SUV’s technology when the Q7 is sitting still in traffic or at an intersection, or under certain coasting conditions. This allows the gasoline engine to shut itself off, conserving gas.

The EPA rates a Q7 with this powertrain at 20 mpg in combined driving. We beat that during our trip (20.1 mpg) but on a local driving loop with mixed road types, the SUV eked out just 18.1 mpg. In any case, the V6 cranks out 335 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, resulting in delightfully satisfying acceleration regardless of topographical elevation. Audi says this Q7 accelerates to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds, a believable claim. It also tows up to 7,700 pounds, according to Audi. An eight-speed automatic transmission with a slightly funky electronic shifter feeds the power to all four wheels through a Quattro all-wheel-drive system. Audi Drive Select adjusts the Q7’s responsiveness with Comfort, Auto, Dynamic, Individual, and Allroad choices.

The Prestige trim includes 20-inch wheels and 285/45 all-season run-flat tires. It gets an adaptive air suspension, too, which softens or stiffens depending on the Audi Drive Select mode. I preferred driving the Q7 in Individual mode, with everything set to Dynamic mode except for the steering, which I put in Comfort mode.

Even in its firmer setting, the suspension allows the Q7 to effortlessly glide down the freeway. In the small towns dotting the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevadas, it shrugged off bumps and cracks in the pavement, the brakes feeling just a little bit sticky at times. Rounding Lake Tahoe in its entirety, the Q7 proved sure-footed and enjoyable to drive on the sometimes treacherously narrow 2-lane roads, and while exploring a separate lake tucked into the forest it handled light-duty off-roading without fanfare. Audi offers a four-wheel-steering system for the Q7, but the SUV certainly is highly maneuverable without it.

When the Audi Q7 first went on sale a decade and a half ago, it was a pioneer of sorts. Now, the segment in which it competes is littered with alternatives. Listed in alphabetical order, they include the Acura MDX, BMW X5 and X7, Cadillac XT6, Genesis GV80, Infiniti QX60, Land Rover Defender 110 and Discovery, Lexus RX L, Lincoln Aviator, Mercedes-Benz GLE and GLS, and Volvo XC90.

Obviously, there is no shortage of choice. Some of these vehicles are clearly inferior to the Audi Q7. Some are also superior. Some are more rugged, or more affordable, or electrified, or even more reliable (as far as reputation is concerned). Despite the wide range of alternatives, the Audi Q7 capably defends its ground.

When you buy a luxury SUV, you’re making a statement about who you are, how you live, and what’s important to you. The 2021 Audi Q7 is, like other models that wear four chrome rings in their grilles, an alternative choice to the BMW and Mercedes status quo, the German SUV to drive when you don’t want to drive the same German SUV everybody else drives.

At the same time, the Q7 is clearly a level or two up from competitors from Japan and the U.S., and it is something completely different from the Land Rover models. That leaves the alternative thinkers who might be drawn to the Audi to also consider the new-for-2021 Genesis GV80 and the handsome and versatile Volvo XC90, both of which cost less and offer more in terms of ownership services. Where Audi falls glaringly short, though, is with regard to electrification. A mild-hybrid V6 isn’t going to appeal to anyone actively seeking a plug-in hybrid luxury SUV. And while it is true that Audi offers the fully electric E-tron SUV, that’s simply not the same as a PHEV that lets people give electric vehicle ownership a trial run before diving right in.