XSeries-forum

Im thinking of trading the wifes 3.0d S Line Q7 for an E70 7 seater. Has anyone done this change and what did you think?

The Q7 although huge is a bloody great car to drive, so comfortable and we usually see a combined mpg of around 26-28mpg which is great for a car of this size and capability.

Would be interested to hear from ex Q7 owners...Thanks

Almost fits my profile but not quite. Wifey has a 2 year old Q7 and I have a 6 month old E71 X6; though she will be changing to an X5 40d come May next year when her next change is due. I too think the Audi is a good car but she's driven it nigh on every day for 2 years and openly lusts after a Beemer. For her, the ride quality in the X6 is so much better, the handling improved (lots more body roll in the Q7 - it eats tyres despite laser tracking) and then there's the kudos - Audis are the poor man's BMW in her book. Still, good enough for the 6 year old twins to wreak havoc in and bung their bikes and all and sundry into a safe and powerful motor. We almost bought an X5 for her but the salesman jerked us around on availability when they were doing the free satnav offer, and Audi made us an offer we would have been stupid to refuse both on p'ex valuation and on taking tgheir 1 day old demo car with 11 miles on the clock (8 of them from us on the test drice!). The Q7 has immense road presence, but it still falls short in my book mostly on the ride quality and handling front. Hers is the 3.0d S-Line model also, BTW. HTH.

I have the e70 40d 7 seater, and I'm sure you're aware that the back 2 seats are much smaller than the Q7 i.e. they're for kids only, and then you lose most of the boot when they're up. This is perfect for me as I only use the 7 seat option for day trips with 'guests' in the car, and I prefer the fact that the X5 is a foot shorter as a consequence. If you need full size seats / large boot with the rear seats up the E70 won't be for you.

The other stand out difference is the driving dynamics. The X5 40d is phenominal both in terms of power and handling. I test drove the Q5 and had been ready to place an order until I took one for a test drive. I couldn't believe the lag from the transmission - from a standing start, put your foot down, nothing ... wait for it ... still nothing ... it's coming ... do the crossword ... and then whoosh we're off. The sales rep admitted it was an issue with the Q5/7, but perhaps has now been sorted. No such problems with the X5 - it's immediate, with pretty much full power from the off.

I had a 2003 A4 and the transmission was exactly like that! If I couldn't take a run up at a busy junction, I had to rely on my powers to see into the future

I test drove an A5 Sportback a couple of years ago and it didn't have the same issue so perhaps the latest models are better - it certainly wasn't anything like the 3 series though...

The Q7 boot is pretty much lost when the 6/7 seats are up too.
Wifey's is a 2009 model and it is quite a beast off the line (the car that is LMAO), very eager (still talking about the car worst luck LOL). Mid range is pants though.

You'll find an X5's handling is in a different league to the Q7. We had the latter for a weekend and the ride was awful .. it wallowed around .. my other half felt sick in it as a passenger.
The Q7 does have an advantage with its air suspension .. it's definitely better over rough ground (when you can jack it up).

S

Thanks all. I have not driven a E70 but have had 2 E53 X5's both the le Mans editions with 20" wheels and sports suspension etc but I feel the Q7 is a much better car than the E53 both in terms of comfort and speed.

I dont feel the Q7 is that slow and it has enough grunt to overtake with ease. I can imagine the 435d/40d to be immense as I have been a 535d owner too.

I think it's time to test drive the E70 and make up our mind.