Audi Q7 TDI, not your grandaddy's diesel
Diesel engines, they are crude, loud, and meant for heavy machinery. Or are they? Audi is looking to dispel the negative diesel stereotypes floating around the American car buyer landscape with their clean diesel engine of the Q7 TDI Quattro.
The Audi Q7 TDI is powered by a smooth, ultra quiet 3.0-liter turbo diesel V6 engine that eliminates the black puffs of smoke and the noisy clanks of traditional diesel engines.
The TDI power plant puts out 225 horsepower and a solid 406 pound-feet of torque. A smooth six-speed automatic with steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles routes the power to all four wheels via Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive system.
Audi is touting the fuel economy of this clean diesel. The EPA rates the Q7 TDI with 17 mpg city/25 highway and 20 combined. These are relatively accurate figures as I average 18 mpg in Manhattan, 16 mpg in LIE stop and go traffic and 26 mpg in open road driving. In comparison, the TDI’s gasoline brother with the 3.6 6yl engine gets a combined 16 mpg and costs only $4,000 less.
Performance wise, the Q7 TDI really impressed. While the Q7 weighs a bloated 5512 lbs, the V6 TDI had no problem with providing the Q7 with enough take off acceleration. The SUV was responsive and accurate while weaving through the maze of taxis in Manhattan, with the great low-end torque providing more than enough power. As expected, at highway speeds, the Q7 suffers a bit, but it still feels responsive enough to feel confident while merging into the highway or changing lanes at high speeds.
Handling is pretty sharp for a 5,700-pound luxury-oriented SUV. It has a relatively low steering radius which provides easy impromptu u-turns when needed.
Q7 TDI's has the familiar Audi controls with a backlit red buttons making for a cool nighttime driving environment. The optional back-up camera and front and rear parking sensors made parallel parking about as stress-free as possible in a vehicle of this size, but parking should be a problem even with a vehicle this size with the a great 360 degree visibility. The automatic panoramic sunroof also helps with the visibility and adds a touch of class.
The standard Multi Media Interface (MMI) is more of a mixed bag: it features an ipod interface, HD radio, and satellite radio, but GPS that is a bit tedious to actually get working.
On the road, the Q7’s looks every bit of Audi as an Audi can look. With its huge front grill, and smooth lines, the Audi is sleek yet aggressive. Despite the flood of SUV’s on the road, the Q7 is still distinctive enough to catch pedestrian and driver’s eyes.
On the downside, the Q7 has just 10.9 cubic feet of space behind the third row — enough for some grocery shopping, but not enough to make a trip to Costco with kids in the back.
