Audi A7 Review (2018-present)
Audi A7 cars for sale
4.0
Expert review
Pros
Looks much sharper than a conventional saloon
Packed with high-tech features and equipment
Super-frugal plug-in hybrid
Cons
Disappointing infotainment system
Not as involving as a Porsche Panamera
Big wheels and sports suspension compromise comfort
The CarGurus verdict
The A7 has plenty going for it as a large, luxury cruiser. Its interior is as good as you’ll find anywhere, and it’ll happily cover large distances in comfort if you avoid the largest wheels and the sports suspension. The infotainment system is a bit disappointing as it’s somewhat style over substance, and if you’re looking for an exciting time behind the wheel then you’ll be left somewhat cold. But if that’s not what you’re after, you’ll have a spacious and practical limousine, all dressed up in a stylish suit and the ability to while away distances with almost effortless ease. It should feel like a luxurious experience every time you get in it.
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.
The petrol range starts with the 2.0-litre 45 TFSI Quattro, which has 265hp (or 245hp in earlier cars). That's enough grunt to make easy, relaxed progress. The 55 TFSI Quattro has a 3.0-litre V6 with 340hp. This can give you some quick acceleration, but it needs to be revved hard if you want the most from it.
- Diesels start with the 40 TDI, which is a 2.0-litre with 204hp, and despite being the least powerful option will be fine for a lot of people. For a bit of extra grunt, the 45 TDI has a 3.0-litre V6 with 245hp, while the 50 TDI Quattro uses the same engine with 286hp and has some serious performance when you want it. The 40 TDI and 45 TDI are the only models available with front-wheel drive, as the others use Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive system, and all have an automatic gearbox. The S7 performance model uses a 3.0-litre engine with 340hp, which makes it impressively muscular.
- Several of the petrol and diesel engines boast a mild-hybrid system, which harnesses energy that would otherwise be lost under braking and redeploy it to help save fuel. But you can also get the A7 with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The 50 TFSIe uses a 2.0-litre petrol engine with an electric motor to develop a combined 300hp, and will do up to 31 miles on electric power only. A more powerful 55 TFSIe model is also available, which ups the power to 367hp and will do up to 26 miles in its all-electric mode.
- If you want all the toys: The top-spec Vorsprung trim level is loaded with standard equipment, including 21-inch alloy wheels and clever LED matrix headlights, which can maintain high beam while putting oncoming traffic in shadow. This gives you maximum visibility of the road ahead without dazzling other drivers. You also get a Bang & Olufsen sound system, upgraded adaptive air suspension and lots of extra safety kit.
- If you want the best fuel economy: The plug-in hybrid 50 TFSIe model promises an official fuel consumption figure of up to 156.9mpg, but this is very reliant on how you use it. You’ll need to keep the battery charged up and do mostly shorter journeys on electric power, or you’ll simply be using the petrol engine to haul around the heavy electric kit, burning extra fuel.
- If you want the best all-rounder: You could just get away with the entry-level diesel engine, but we’d go for the middle-spec 45 TDI as the best balance of performance and cost, and the Sport trim has enough equipment for most people.
- If you want the most performance: Outside of the bonkers-fast RS 7, the S7 is the one for those that demand a fast A7. Its diesel engine will allow the car to do the benchmark 0-62mph sprint in just a shade over five seconds, and push on up to a top speed of 155mph. It's tuned to be sharper through the corners as well.
