Audi A7 Review (2018-present)

What is the Audi A7?

As its name suggests, the Audi A7 sits between two other cars in Audi’s range, the A6 executive saloon, and the A8 limousine. It’s designed to be the size of the Audi A6 but with the swanky features of the Audi A8, and a sleeker, more stylish exterior design than either of them.

It was first introduced in 2010, but this second-generation model has been on sale since 2018. It’s got front and rear doors and a coupe-like, low roofline, and a hatchback boot for improved practicality. Rivals include similar ‘four-door coupes’, such as the Mercedes-Benz CLS and the BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo.

It's worth noting, however, that from 2025 the A7 nameplate has been swapped over to the direct successor to the Audi A6 – the A6 badge itself becoming the property of an all-electric model.

How practical is it?

Tall adults should have no issues in the back seats, with just enough headroom despite the low roof, and plenty of legroom. There’s not quite as much space as in the 6 Series Gran Turismo, and if you need to carry three adults rather than two, then the BMW is a better bet.

The 535-litre boot is large – bigger than the CLS's but smaller than the the one in the 6 Series GT – and the rear seats fold down in a 40/20/40 split if you need to carry larger items, to give 1,390 litres of space. The hatchback boot lid makes this much easier than in a traditional saloon.

What's it like to drive?

On the move, the A7 varies depending on which model you go for, and what suspension it has. Entry-level models have the standard set up, which is probably the most comfortable of the lot and best suits the chilled, cruising character of the car. S line and Black Edition models have a lower, stiffer set up to make them a bit sportier, but this isn’t really a sporty car and you end up with a ride that's overly firm. The top-spec Vorsprung model has air suspension as standard, which is still a bit jittery at lower speeds, but better on the motorway, wafting you along in comfort.

And it’s comfort that Audi engineers have focused on, rather than driving engagement; if you want dynamic excitement then look more towards the BMW or the brilliant Porsche Panamera. The A7 does feel composed, solid and dependable when cornering, but it doesn’t like to be hustled. Even the sportier S7 model is more of a power cruiser than a sports car. The very powerful RS 7 is more fun, but we’ll cover that in a separate review.

Technology, equipment & infotainment

Inside, you’ll find immaculate build quality, with fantastic materials put together as well as anything else you’ll find on the market. The design might be more understated than some of its rivals, but it’s classy and reflective of its not inconsiderable price tag. The infotainment system is eye-catching, with two touchscreens – one above the other – controlling all your entertainment and navigation functions. It looks great, but isn’t the most straightforward system to use.

There’s another screen behind the steering wheel, in place of traditional analogue dials, and it also looks brilliant. You can customise it to display your preferred data, whether that be music information, fuel economy figures or navigation directions, and much of it can be controlled by buttons on the steering wheel.

Trim levels vary between models, but are broadly Sport, S line, Black Edition and Vorsprung, in order of price from lowest to highest. All have a decent amount of features, with LED headlights and taillights, and big alloy wheels as standard.

Audi A7 running costs

The Audi looks to hold onto its value particularly well when compared to the Mercedes CLS and the BMW 6 Series GT, which is great news when you come to sell it on, but will likely mean that it’ll cost you a bit more as a used buy. More recent models, like the plug-in hybrids, will fetch a higher sum, but the ability to run on electric power only means day-to-day costs could be much lower than the petrol or diesel cars.

The 50 TFSIe has an official fuel consumption figure of 156.9mpg, while even the most efficient diesel, the 40 TDI, will only get up to 50.4mpg according to the latest WLTP figures.

In the petrol models, you should see an MPG figure of up to 35.8 from the 45 TFSI, dropping down to 33.2mpg in the 55 TFSI.

The A7 needs be serviced either every year/9,300 miles, or up to two years/18,600 miles with a flexible schedule if you do longer distances. Audi offers service plans covering the next two services, with costs varying depending on the size of the engine. You’ll be looking at around £470 for 2.0-litre models, or around £600 for the larger engined cars.

Insurance will be on the pricey side, with groups starting at 43 and rising to 50 out of 50.

Audi A7 reliability

Audi doesn’t have the greatest record for reliability, but then that’s true of rivals BMW and Mercedes, too. All three are regularly near the bottom of independent reliability studies. The A7 does at least use well-proven mechanical bits that have seen service in other Audi vehicles, so our fingers are crossed that it should be relatively trouble-free.

As it’s still a relatively new car, we’ve not yet seen any strong patterns of common problems. Should anything go wrong, all new Audi A7s are covered by a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty, although owners could extend that to up to five years and 90,000 miles. The standard offering is pretty standard for this area of the market.

There has been a recall on the latest A7, following the risk of moisture entering the starter-alternator. Most affected vehicles should have been fixed with a replacement part, but it’s worth checking with an Audi dealer to make sure.