captainy

Sorry about the delay. I've been reading the owners manual. I have my car. Picked it up this morning. It is really very nice. Instead of the ashtray with cover as shown in all the pictures, it has what can best be described as a storage trough. There are no lighters either. The two black "*****" which look like lighters are in fact just plasic covers. This is just fine for me, but definitely not good for a smoker.

Now I've driven my Q7 for a bit I can say that, at least for me, the positive postings on the car have been right on. The negative postings are nowhere near right to me. Perhaps they thought they would get a more car-like driving experience. To these folks I would say this - go and drive an Explorer, a Sequoia, a Tahoe, a Suburban etc. and you'll realize that this Audi SUV drives like a big station wagon and not at all like a truck. I absolutely love it. Plenty of power once you remember that it needs a few revs to get it. And it sounds absolutely glorious. From behind the car, the exhaust note is very much the same kind of V8 bark as my V8 S4 was only slightly mellower as befits a luxury SUV.

I have the air suspension. Set to Comfort it rides very nicely on the highway and still pretty good in turns. Set to Dynamic it still rides nicely on the highway even though you can feel the ride is slightly firmer. But the turn in to corners becomes much sharper. It's not a sport sedan, but it's pretty darn good for a station wagon let alone an SUV. I cannot imagine a better compromise.

The MMI takes a while to master, but one you have mastered it, then it becomes automatic to you.

The Bose audio is incredible too.

I have just one thing that I'm disappointed in. I am an iPodder. There is currently no good way to connect my iPod, though the IceLink 5000 is coming. I had been told that the CD changer would play mp3s. It won't. Also CDs only show up as track1, track2 etc. Apparently the player will recognize CD Text but none of my CDs seem to have CD Text. I'm now searching on-line for a way to add CD Text when burning a copy to play in the car.

It's getting a little dark to take photos so I'll do that tomorrow, I promise. Condor Gray is everything I hoped it would be. It's not too light and not too dark. It's quite a bit lighter on the car than it is in the brochure.

If you want to see what Condor Gray looks like, then check out Motorweek on PBS or Speed. They're showing the episode with the Q7 several times a day. The one they're testing is Condor Gray.

Photos tomorrow.

captainy

Photos tomorrow, I promise. Check out the test on Motorweek on PBS this week. That one's Condor Gray. It's beautiful. Get the Cardamon Beige leather. The gray is a bit too light.

captainy

<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/59521/audiq7-123s.jpg"></center><p>I will still take pictures tomorrow, but for now I can confirm that the Q7 in this picture is definitely Condor Gray and the color in this picture is very representative of the true color.

oliver

I don't really care whether there's an ash tray in the car but the wood center-console looks f***ing stupid without something there to cover the hole up (I guess Audi figures you can just throw your lighted cigarette out the window?). I really don't understand how the ash tray suddenly became an "option". It's shown in the US manual, in all the US marketing literature and was on the Q7s at the auto shows. I can't think of anything more trival that Audi could have made an option!!
Anyway - anybody know how to order it?

ExB5S4owner

Captainy,
Thanks for posting the pic and confirming the Q7 on motorweek was condor gray. When I ran across the picture you posted I was hoping that was Condor Gray and not a limited production color that was specific to the launch campaign. We ordered the Limestone interior as we have the beige interior on our '05 4.2 A6 and wanted a little variety in the garage.

All the Best,
Kevin

captainy

As promised:

<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/59521/p1010001.jpg">
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/59521/p1010002.jpg">
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/59521/p1010003.jpg">
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/59521/p1010004.jpg">
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/59521/p1010005.jpg">
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/59521/p1010006.jpg">
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/59521/p1010008.1.jpg">
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/59521/p1010010.1.jpg">
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/59521/p1010011.1.jpg">
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/59521/p1010012.jpg">

ExB5S4owner

Thanks for sharing and your Q is lovely. We will definitely be happy with our color choice.

One question that jumps out at me is what tire selection did you opt for? I noticed you have Goodyear Eagle F1's while the demo I drove had Conti's and someone else mentioned future orders will have Bridgestone's.

Another interesting thing that jumped out at me is that the ash tray appears to be missing. I wonder if Audi decided to save a few dollars by replacing it with a 50 cent plastic mold? I'd like to see the same look as in the A6 where you get an ashtray with matching wood grain cover that can be utilized for storage or butts for those who smoke. Seems to me that at the same price point you should receive the same interior accoutrements as the brand's other offerings.

Thanks again for sharing and enjoy the ride (I'm jealous!)
Kevin

kirklake13

Great pics. Question: Where does the trailer wiring plug in?

captainy

As you look at the rear of the vehicle, the trailer plug in point is to the left of the hitch and covered by a small plate with 4 screws. The plate is angled down at about 45 degrees. If you save the picture I posted and zoom in on it, you can just see two of the screws.

I think I need to get an adapter for it but my dealer is looking into the best options for me since my trailer has electric brakes. I have a Tekonsha PRODIGY electric brake controller in my Sequoia that I was hoping to transfer over. I don't really want my trailer dealer to do the install since they won't know about the factory pre-wiring on the Q7 yet.

captainy

I opted for the performance tyres on the 20" wheels. I did not know that they'd be Goodyear F1s but I'm very pleased that they are. The Contis will probably be the all weather option. The same as my dealers demo model.

I posted the pictures of the console specifically because of some questions from another forum member. No, there is no ashtray. Apparently it's an option. The things that look like lighters are not lighters either. There isn't one. They are just covers for the 12V outlets. All this is fine for me. Nobody will smoke in my car, and I try not to fill ashtrays with trash either. So since the glasses holder overhead is too small for my sunglasses, this little rubber lined trough is perfect for them.

While I agree with your points on consistency and luxury price point, for me it's no biggee.