docjava2002

I find the seats in the A7 to be extremely uncomfortable. I absolutely love the seats in the A8. Both the A7 and A8 seats seem to have the same mechanism on the bottom as well as the same electronic and ventilation inputs. Can I install the A8 seats on my A7? Someone please tell me my dream can come true!

Thanks

Chuckster

If you lived in the UK you could just order comfort seats or sport seats. Their option list is much larger, soft close doors etc. They should make the sport seats part of the S line or Sport package. The comfort seats as a stand alone option.

gb4.2

I absolutely agree with docjava2002. I cannot believe Audi is denying the U.S. market so many options that Europe can choose. I'm OK without the soft-close doors, the Lane Assist, Park Assist, dual-pane acoustic side windows, etc., etc. BUT the seats are an extremely important choice. I drive long distances and the seats are extremely important, especially for thigh support (I'm 6' 1"). I cannot say enough good about the seats in my 2008 A8L. I would buy these seats separately and install them in an A7 if I could (and if they'd fit). It sickens me when I see all of the option selections (packages or standalone) for the new BMW 5-series but Audi feels we don't deserve to have the choices. I'm tired of hearing twisted logic about trickling out options in year 2, 3, etc. OR, even worse, never allowing options to be available here so as not to "steal" sales from the Audi flagship. Clearly Audi has no clue about how to grow U.S. sales---more choice means more sales. NOT the other way. While the A7 is a standout design, the option issue has me looking at BMW's. I'll wait to see how the A6 is handled....if the same choke is placed on the A6's option list, then it may well be good-bye Audi and hello BMW.

An A8 or A8L is out of the question due to the miniature space behind the rear seats Audi calls a "trunk" in the D4. That was a design mistake to sacrifice the trunk space to allow for the possibility the a few buyers would option these vehicles with the reclining rear seats. The A7 and new A6 have far more luggage space than the A8/A8L. Either would be a better choice for 4 people traveling with luggage.

wfblue

Agreed. I found the A7 seats quite uncomfortable during my test drive. It is likely a deal-breaker for me as I intend to do quite a bit of sitting in my next vehicle.

Chuckster

I will also wait for Audi to offer better seats in the A7. The seats in my A8 are so much better I do not think I could live with the current A7 seats. So for now it is a deal breaker for me.

gb4.2

I agree 100%. If Audi doesn't offer an upgraded seat (aka, the "Comfort" seat as it's known on European's option list), on the A7 AND the new A6, they are off of my shopping list. I'll give Audi the chance to offer this seat on both models for the A7 by the fall/winter and for the A6 at introduction. Maybe until next summer at the latest.

derfA8L

Yes, the A8's trunk volume is significantly reduced, however...

...the reason for this has nothing to do with the reclining seat option. The D3 A8L W12 had a reclining rear seat option with no intrusion on trunk volume. The actual reason (as I've been told) involved a combination of reconfiguring the D4 chassis layout due to pulling the engine slightly more aft of the front axle which also pushed back the rear axle (but not add extra body length beyond what was planned for the passenger cabin), as well as the decision to relocate all the electronics from the rear side panels to the area between the rear cabin and trunk---both issues are supposed to better balance the car's weight and afford improved handling. That's at least what I've been told. From my own observation of my car, the spacial impact of the motorized rear seating is totally limited to the passenger cabin and does not intrude rearward to the trunk.

JCW-25

Do you find the trunk size to be ample for your needs?

derfA8L

Mostly. I've found that you have to be more creative in positioning stuff in the trunk, but so far it's all worked out. Having the LWB model will come in handy for trunk overflow on occasion. The biggest problem will be for longer items that won't bend to fit diagonally across the width of the trunk.

gb4.2

Thank you for a much better explanation (and firsthand observation of the reclining seats) for the diminutive and under-sized trunk in the D4. It makes sense, yet for the size of the car and its best use for long trips for up to 4 persons, the D3's trunk setup was and is far more appropriate (and the D3 is shorter than the D4!). The logic behind such a comfortable car for 4 but without a reasonable amount of trunk space escapes me. When the A7 and new A6 have more stowage space (and not by a small amount), how does Audi really justify such a small trunk for its flagship? (The A4 has just 0.7 cubic feet less trunk space than the D4!) I hope I never see a D4 on the road with crossbars and a luggage rack but, with the D4's design, it could happen. I guess Audi must feel the vast majority of A8's and A8L's are destined for short trips around the city with the family or long trips (which require luggage and other storage) for just 2 or 3 at most---certainly NOT for 4, much less 5.