2019 Audi A7 Review

　　

zzdcar' Expert Review

byMark TakahashiCorrespondent

　　Mark Takahashi has worked in the automotive industry since 2001. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Mark has also contributed to Motor Trend, Auto Aficionado, Chevy High Performance and several motorcycle magazines in various roles. Mark is also a juror on the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards and can be seen regularly on the zzdcar YouTube channel and sometimes representing the company in media interviews.

　　

What's new

Completely redesigned for 2019New infotainment systemNew V6 mild-hybrid powertrainPart of the second A7 generation introduced for 2019

　　The Audi A7 first came to the U.S. in 2012. Similar to what Mercedes-Benz did with its original E-Class-based CLS, Audi created the A7 by essentially making a fastback version of its A6 sedan. Now the A7 has been fully redesigned for 2019 in conjunction with the new A6. And like the previous generation, there are many similarities — for better or worse.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2019 Audi A7 3.0 TFSI Premium quattro 4dr Sedan AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 7AM) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.78 per gallon for premium unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$188/mo  for A7 3.0 TFSI Premium quattro

　　A7 3.0 TFSI Premium quattro

　　3.0 TFSI Premium quattro 4dr Sedan AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 7AM) - $68,000 MSRP3.0 TFSI Premium Plus quattro 4dr Sedan AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 7AM) - $72,400 MSRP3.0 TFSI Prestige quattro 4dr Sedan AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 7AM) (Most Popular) - $76,300 MSRP

　　vs

　　$197/mo

　　Avg. Large Car

　　Both the A6 and the A7 feature the same V6 engine paired with a 48-volt mild hybrid system and have all-wheel drive. As a result, the A7 drives very much like the A6 and provides an appealing mix of performance and comfort. The interior is also nearly identical, but that sweeping roofline does cut into rear-seat headroom a bit. In return, you get a larger cargo area. Besides the exterior styling, the biggest difference is the price. The A7 costs significantly more than the A6, but you get a few added features, too.

　　Overall, we like the 2019 Audi A7's sportier take on the traditional luxury sedan. Holding it back, however, is the new MMI infotainment system. It demands more driver attention than we'd prefer. If you decide the A7 isn't for you, we'd suggest cross-shopping it against the Porsche Panamera or the new Mercedes CLS. There are also some great wagons such as the Jaguar XF Sportbrake and the Volvo V90.

　　

zzdcar' Expert Rating

8.1 / 10

　　

Trim tested

　　Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the 2019 Audi A7 Prestige w/ S-Line package (turbo 3.0L V6 | 7-speed dual-clutch automatic | AWD).

　　

Scorecard

Overall	8.1 / 10
Driving	8.5
Comfort	8.0
Interior	7.5
Utility	7.5
Technology	9.0

　　

Driving

8.5

　　Acceleration is strong, and stout brakes help slow this heavy sedan to a stop in a hurry. It handles surprisingly well, though this is due in part to our tester's optional sport package. Some hesitation and occasional lumpiness occur while accelerating from a stop. Otherwise the powertrain is smooth.

　　

Acceleration

8.5

　　The specs aren't mind-blowing (335 hp, 369 lb-ft), but the turbocharged V6 delivers plenty of thrust at all speeds. There's some reluctance upon pedal application, but the actual thrust is stout. Zero to 60 mph comes in just 4.7 seconds.

　　

Braking

8.5

　　The brake pedal offers light resistance to start, but it firms up a bit as you brake harder. Overall, it's easy to judge the exact amount of braking force you need. Stopping from 60 mph takes 107 feet, which is what we expect of a luxury sedan of this size with summer performance tires.

　　

Steering

7.5

　　Steering is too light in Comfort mode, and there's little buildup of effort as you move the wheel from center. Its hefts up noticeably in Dynamic mode, but again, there's not much buildup as you start turning. The wheel returns quickly to center when you ease off the wheel, which aids its reflexes in quick left-right transitions.

　　

Handling

9.0

　　You won't notice much body roll unless taking tight corners at high speeds. Our tester had the S-Line package, and its sport suspension helps the A7 corner better than you might expect. Even in rapid transitions, the chassis stays composed. It's also unfazed by midcorner bumps. This Audi is a very well-sorted sedan.

　　

Drivability

7.5

　　The power delivery when leaving a stop can be lumpy, which is somewhat unrefined for a car of this class, especially given its traditional automatic. Sport mode helps smooth out the delivery a little bit and doesn't hang onto gears unnecessarily long. Upshifts are nearly imperceptible, no matter which gear you're in or how much throttle you're giving it.

　　

Comfort

8.0

　　Despite large wheels and a sporty suspension tune, the A7 is a comfortable cruiser. The base seats feel great but don't have as many adjustments as rivals. (Massaging seats with more customization are available, but they're expensive.) We weren't impressed by the amount of noise in the A7's cabin.

　　

Seat comfort

8.5

　　Though there aren't a lot of adjustments (no thigh extension or adjustable side or thigh bolsters), the front seats are remarkably comfortable. We experienced no fatigue or pressure points after hours of driving. However, some coarse road textures are transmitted through the seat.

　　

Ride comfort

8.5

　　Even with 21-inch wheels and the S-Line's sport-tuned suspension, the A7 delivers a smooth ride over a variety of surfaces. The only exception is roads with transverse cracks, which can make the ride a little choppy. These impacts can be felt through the seat bottom.

　　

Noise & vibration

7.0

　　While the engine is barely audible at highway speeds, there's more wind and road noise than we'd expect for this class. Ambient noises from outside the car seep in readily too. None of it is terribly distracting, however, and keeping the radio at even a low level will drown it all out. You'll always feel the aforementioned driveline shocks in first gear.

　　

Climate control

8.5

　　Ventilation is strong. And when the engine switches off at a stop, the air still blows cold (if not as strongly), even on a warm day. The steering wheel and seat heating are just OK. We like its ability to deviate upper air vent and footwell temperature and that seat heating and ventilation can be on at the same time. The Prestige trim has four-zone climate control, and rear passengers have air vents behind the central console and on the pillars.

　　

Interior

7.5

　　While the swoopy roofline suggests rear visibility will be impeded, the A7 has excellent sightlines all around. Alas, the slinky profile hampers entry, exit and rear headroom. The new dual-panel touchscreen is attractive but difficult to use. Voice controls help here.

　　

Ease of use

6.5

　　Navigating the menus of the two-touchscreen setup requires far too much driver attention and presents a steep learning curve. There are many menus, and selecting items requires a firm, deliberate press when in haptic mode. A few functions can be accessed by drawing on the lower screen, but you have to navigate to those input screens first.

　　

Getting in/getting out

6.5

　　The A7's low ride height might prove challenging for some drivers and passengers. The tapered roofline requires significant ducking to enter the back seat. It's not the most spacious midsize car, so sitting behind a tall person will require a rear occupant to scrunch and rotate his or her body 90 degrees before exiting.

　　

Driving position

8.0

　　The driver's seat can be raised quite high, but taller pilots will wish the seat will lower more than it does. The head-up display and steering wheel both have a good range of motion for tall and short drivers alike.

　　

Roominess

7.5

　　Front legroom is ample, though headroom is lacking. Tall drivers will have to adjust their stance so they don't brush against the headliner. A midsize car should have a little more rear legroom than this. Despite the rakish roofline, rear headroom is acceptable for most adults. The middle seat is best reserved for kids.

　　

Visibility

8.0

　　The roofline is on the low side so shorter drivers sitting up high might have trouble seeing traffic lights. Otherwise, it's easy to see out the front. Large side-rear windows virtually eliminate blind spots in the three-quarters view. The visibility directly behind is great, too.

　　

Quality

8.0

　　The cabin is awash with supple leather and beautiful open-pore wood trim. Nothing would look out of place on the more expensive A8. Some design choices weren't well thought out — acres of chrome reflect sunlight to a blinding degree. There were few quality issues, though one of the speakers rattled.

　　

Utility

7.5

　　The hatchback design gives the A7 more cargo room and space flexibility than the A6 sedan and other competing four-doors. Like the A6, there aren't many places to store things inside. The easily accessible seat anchors help with fitting a car seat.

　　

Small-item storage

6.0

　　The front and rear door pockets will each hold a water bottle at an angle, but there's not much space between the handle and the pocket for hands to reach in. The rear cupholders are small; the front ones are larger but with very stiff anti-tip tabs. Both front and rear under-armrest trays are small. The glovebox and cargo tray left of the steering wheel are deep.

　　

Cargo space

9.0

　　Since the A7 is a hatchback, its cargo area is more useful than rival sedans' trunks. The flat, wide space has side pockets, tie-down rings and LED strips. There's nowhere to stow the cargo cover if you don't want it, but at least it's short. The 40/20/40-split rear seat folds almost flat and doesn't require the front seats be moved forward.

　　

Child safety seat accommodation

7.5

　　Four lower Isofix car seat anchors are easy enough to access. The upper tethers are located halfway down the back of the seat. There's no space between the seats and the stationary cargo cover, so you might have to remove it to get to the tethers.

　　

Technology

9.0

　　The A7 cabin is an oasis for tech lovers. The instrument panel and touchscreen displays are crisp, while the sound system is so good you might swear off talk radio forever. Voice controls are great, which is fortunate due to how confounding the touchscreen interface is. Driver aids are very good but not perfect.

　　

Audio & navigation

9.0

　　The optional 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system sounds great and has excellent clarity. It offers a surround-sound option, but the EQ adjustments are limited to subwoofer, treble and bass. The navigation system is clear and easy to use, and directions are displayed on the instrument panel, head-up display and touchscreen.

　　

Smartphone integration

10.0

　　The A7 is equipped with four USB ports — two under the front armrest and two behind the center console for rear passengers. There's also a wireless charging pad under the front armrest. Wireless Apple CarPlay is awesome, and the system reacts quickly to user inputs.

　　

Driver aids

7.5

　　Adaptive cruise control works well, with few hard braking actions during several hours of driving in traffic. Lane keeping is subtle and deals with gentle corners well, but it's disconcertingly flummoxed by tighter corners. The rear cross-traffic braking assist is too sensitive.

　　

Voice control

9.0

　　Voice recognition software is 100% natural speech detection, and it proved nearly flawless. You can use it to change the radio station by number ("satellite radio Channel 36") or callsign ("Alt Nation"), and destination input is easy and accurate. But it stumbled when interpreting A/C commands.

　　

Which A7 does zzdcar recommend?

　　The midgrade Premium Plus trim gets our recommendation for the items you get on top of the base Premium model. In particular, its larger touchscreen makes infotainment operation just a little bit less distracting. On top of that, the Premium Plus trim is eligible for more options.

　　

2019 Audi A7 models

　　The 2019 Audi A7 is classified as a midsize luxury sedan. It's available in base Premium trim, the Premium Plus that adds several tech features, and the range-topping Prestige trim. All A7s are powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 (335 horsepower, 369 pound-feet of torque). A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is the only transmission offered. A 48-volt mild hybrid system assists with automatic stop-start and allows the gasoline engine to shut off for brief periods on the highway. Audi's Quattro Ultra all-wheel-drive system is standard.

　　Standard features for the Premium trim include 19-inch wheels, LED headlights, heated and auto-dimming mirrors, a panoramic sunroof, automatic wipers, front and rear parking sensors, a power-opening rear hatch, keyless entry and ignition, selectable drive modes, frontal collision warning with automatic emergency braking, tri-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, power-adjustable heated front seats, driver-seat memory settings and 40/20/40-split folding rear seats.

　　On the tech side, you also get an 8.8-inch main infotainment touchscreen, an 8.6-inch lower touchscreen, four USB ports, a universal garage door opener, Audi Connect Plus (emergency telematics, vehicle monitoring, advanced map functions and a Wi-Fi hotspot), a navigation system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 10-speaker audio system with satellite radio.

　　The available Convenience package adds blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic and vehicle exit alerts, power-folding mirrors, and a wireless charging pad with signal booster.

　　The Premium Plus trim includes all of the above, along with automatic high beams, a virtual instrument panel, a larger 10.1-inch main touchscreen, a surround-view camera, enhanced voice controls, contrasting interior stitching, and a 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio upgrade.

　　To this, you can add the Warm Weather package that includes quad-zone automatic climate control, rear window sunshades, ventilated front seats, and additional lumbar adjustments for the front passenger seat.

　　The range-topping Prestige model comes with the Warm Weather package as well as upgraded laser headlights, soft-close doors, a head-up display, multicolor ambient interior lighting, manual rear passenger sunshades, and dual-pane acoustic glass.

　　All A7 trims are eligible for rear-seat side airbags, the Cold Weather package (heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel) and 20-inch wheels. The Premium Plus and the Prestige can be further outfitted with the Individual Contour Seating package, which bundles premium leather upholstery and upgraded front seats with heating, ventilation and massage.

　　You can also get a Driver Assistance package with adaptive cruise control with Traffic Jam Assist, lane keeping assist, side collision warning and a traffic sign reader. The S Line package features sporty exterior treatments and a sport-tuned suspension.

　　Twenty-one-inch wheels with summer performance tires, an adaptive suspension with rear-wheel steering, a 19-speaker Band & Olufsen premium audio system, and night vision are offered only on the Prestige trim.

　　Jump to:Related 2019 A7 articles

　　

2019 A7 Highlights

Trim: 3.0 TFSI Premium quattro3.0 TFSI Premium Plus quattro3.0 TFSI Prestige quattro3.0 TFSI Premium quattro

　　

Base MSRP	$68,000
Engine Type	Mild hybrid
Combined MPG	25 MPG
Cost to Drive	$188/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	24.9 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	all wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles