bluestraveller

We got a Q7 a little more than a week ago, these are early impressions.

- I had initially planned on buying the 3.6L Gas engine but was hesitant to do so due to lack of power. Then the TDIs arrived and I drove one - immensely satisfying
- After some shopping around, our local Audi dealer managed to offer the best deal. Picked up the SUV on 16th.
- SUV is VERY quiet. The transmission likes to upshift to D4 rather quickly, pick up speed and then shift to D5 and eventually D6.
- I love the torque. A gentle squeeze on the gas pedal makes the car effortlessly pick up speed without downshifting. Coming out of our house, we have a difficult merge into a high speed road that goes uphill. The Q7 effortlessly hits 70 mph at the top of the hill, just like my 530.
- First week of driving: mix of city/highway driving 80/20 yielded about 22 mpg. Trying to get a more accurate MPG prediction for the next fillup. Filling up diesel makes a gurgling sound....
- I was concerned about the ride quality with 20 inch wheels. Turns out to be not a problem.
- Ride/Handling meets my expectations. The steering could provide a little more feel, and the suspension has a bit of rebound that should have been damped. The mass of the car definitely makes its presence when changing direction.
- MMI is excellent, managed to master the basic features without having to go thru the manual. Connecting an Ipod to MMI was very straightforward.
- Pairing my phone was straightforward and works reliabily
- Have not had the time to figure out the more intricate features like voice activation etc.

I've also looked at the X5 diesel and the GL320 diesel. This vehicle seems to be in a nice sweet spot between the two.

drool6

Hi Blue,

Congrats on the TDI. I also bought a TDI. However, my mpg varies a bit from yours. I get about 15 mpg in the city and about 26 mpg on the highway. I think my low city mileage is due to the fact I live in New York City with lots of stopping and starting. ALthough I have the stock 19" wheels, but I bought my Q7 for all the same reasons you did.

Just some things I've noticed:
I love the torque, but there is a slight catching up when I press the accelerator. Do you notice this as well?
I love the fact that even though it's a turbo, it's very quiet.
Remember to use ULSD Diesel #2. I almost made the mistake of putting in LSD once.
When pumping the diesel, sometimes it's hard to find a station that has the smaller nozzles for cars. I've ran into two that only carried the larger truck nozzles, which do not fit into the filler neck.

You probably knew all these things already, but this is my first Audi and Diesel car, so everything is new to me. Hope you are enjoying your car as much as I do.

Jusforfun

I love reading the US diesel write ups as an EU TDI owner where virtually everyone uses it. I have not had the chance to compare. All along I thought the torque was our ace but it is reassuring to read how it hold up all round. I think thats down to the very high pressure piezo injection giving a great yield for the engine size.
I test drove the V8 TDI for a weekend and it leaves the 3.0 in the dust. That car has the ability to surprise Porsche owners:-).
After three years of the 3.0 TDI I am still impressed and enjoy every trip in it...
All the more for reading your reports.

Thanks, enjoy the ride.

drool6

Yeah, I'm loving the TDI. I just wish we had the option of buying the V8 TDI, although I'm scared to think about the price premium over the V6. Too bad the TDI section of this forum is dead right now. Maybe when the A3 TDI comes out here this fall the thread will get more life.

996CAB

Yep, 3.0TDi is the surprise gem of the Q7 range...the power is just right...a little bit more would ruin the fine thing!

Phknlwyr

Blues:

I'm looking at a Q7 TDI Prestige for my wife. I think it is an appropriate reward for dealing with a mini-van for the past three + years. As far as your deal, was it MSRP, invoice, close to invoice? I'm trying to figure out how hard to push. I appreciate your feedback.

arU4ic

TDI guys, is it worth it? Seems like there are some inconveniences with Diesel, and I am sure the gasoline engine has a leg-up on the TDI at passing speeds (maybe not), but the point being I am getting 13-16 mpg in the city (San Francisco, lots of stop and go and hills) and 21-23 on the freeway (I drive at around 75-80).

I don't mean to induce buyer remorse, really, but with diesel prices being higher than gasoline and the gas mileage being pretty close to gasoline, would you really recommend it to friends (or other forum members)?

Also, what are the ACTUAL performance stats on Gasoline vs. Diesel 0-60? I know about low-end torque, it often feels faster, but I am thinking that 0-60 stats are probably very close.

Sorry, I am not trying to start any fights, I am just honestly curious and would consider a TDI in 2010 if the numbers make sense.

mikemdd

Actually, as of 5/25/09. diesel prices (US) are averaging $2.27/gal, vs. gasoline is at $2.44/gal.

bluestraveller

Wow - lots of comments.

drool6: Yes, I also notice a small hesitation in acceleration when I squeeze the gas pedar. I believe this lag is due to the turbo spooling up. Its not an annoyance but definitely noticeable.

Justforfun: This is my first diesel. I've test-driven the GL320 couple of times, and the Audi 3.0 is definitely a superior engine in terms of both power and overall NVH. I have not driven the X35D, which seems to have more power compared to the Audi mill.

Phknlwyr: Not sure where you're located, but here in Texas I was able to negotiate to 1K over invoice. There is an additional 3K loyalty payment, and financing thru Audi is running a promo where the first two payments are made by Audi. Not sure how long these two programs are running.

arU4ic: I have not driven the 4.2 V8 but I have driven the 3.6 V6 a few times. The 0-6 times for both the 3.6 gas and 3.0 TDI are comparable (low 8s) but the diesel is much stronger off the line and better for city driving. I believe passing is also better for the diesel due to the superior torque (I do not have back to back comparison of passing).

Diesel in Texas is hovering between 2.20 and 2.40....

drool6

No offense taken
Which engine do you have with your Q7? The 3.6? According to reviewers, only the 4.2 V8 can surpass the TDI after 45mph. I do mostly city driving so that low-end torque is a godsend for me. Around the city I get around the same mpg as you, but I tend to push the car hard. I have gotten 19-21 mpg city driving taking it easy though. On the highway, I've gotten as high as 28mph (but average around 26 mpg) and I am pretty sure if I was coasting the whole way, I could probably break the 30mpg mark. I've driven over a hundred miles on a full tank only to have my fuel meter fall 5%.

Before I bought my TDI, I test drove all three variations of the Q7. There is no comparsion. I fell in love with the power of the TDI the minute I drove it. That plus the "Green" aspect of the car and the extra miles I can get from diesel, the purchase was a no brainer for me.

I've lived in San Fran for a good 5 years and I know gas prices there are insane, but like mikemdd said, diesel prices here in NYC are less than Premium gas. I filled up for 2.55 a gallon two days ago.

One thing I do dislike though... I hate having to monitor how much fuel I have left and worry about if I am close to a diesel station or not... Luckily I have an application on my cell phone that shows me where the closest diesel station is.