I like most of what I've read and seen about the Q7 so far. Have a few questions:

1) Will the Q7 have skid pads as a standard or optional feature?
2) Will the hybrid version have the same offroad capabilities as the non-hybrids?
3) How will the handling and performance compare to the Infinity FX45? Apparently it'll be about 1 second slower from 0 to 60 mph?
4) Does the back window in the tailgate open at all?

Thanks

1) It is hard to tell; most of the features that you see on the European model should make it as standard on the U.S but it is still to early to tell.
2)Hybrid is still at least 3 years away. Keep in mind that the Q7 as capable it will be off road, is designed for ON ROAD as 90% of the S.U.Vs sold never see off road;
3) I suspect it to be on par if not better than the FX; keep in mind that the Q7 is more QX56 size than FX!! it has a 3rd row seat and still a lot of trunk space; can't say the same about the FX. The Adaptive Air Suspension will definitely help the Q7 in the handling department.
4) I would think so, but have not read anything about it specifically. It will have a power rear tail gate however.

Thank you Alex. I appreciate your quick and honest response.

I'm looking for a car that provides a good amount of space inside to haul people, gear and a couple of dogs. As you mention, I'll be using it on paved roads 90-95% of the time but living in the Seattle area a little offroading capability for camping, skiing and hiking trips would be really nice. The other options I like are the FX45 and Allroad. By offroading I don't mean any hard core stuff...all I need is some road clearance and skid pads (which I don't think is available for the FX). But a higher priority would be onroad performance and handling.

One concern which someone else brought up is about buying the first release of a new car model. Looking at other Audi cars, it doesn't seem that they change much from the first year to the next. I hope that means that usually there are no big problems/complains with first year audi cars. The FX for instance, apparently got new suspension on their second year based on customer feedback. I wonder if this happens often with Audi cars.

If one A8 has a problem at the port, Audi halts the release and sends an engineer to take a look at it and the others.
1st year Audis have been much, much more reliable than in the past.
Audi knows that the Q7 is designed primarely for the U.S market so believe me, they'll keep a close eye on it. Most of the electronics will come from the A6 already so that should be safe there.
As I said, if you get a Q7 get it with the Adaptive suspension that will not only allow you to clear most surfaces but when all the way down will give you excellent performance.
It was said by the VP of Audi that the sportiest of S.U.Vs would no longer be bought at Porsche....
If you are looking for space, then look no further. we took an FX on trade one time and was extremely disapointed with the interior room. The trunk is very small and the back seats are good.
The best thing too is that the Q7 will be more "exclusive" than the FX that has been around for some time already.

Your comments make sense and what I'd expect of this car. A friend of mine has an A4 and I like that car a lot.

I test drove the FX last week and what you pointed out was very apparent. Although I must admit the ride was good on highway and the interior was comfy but small.

Adaptive suspension is one of the big attractions about the Q7 for me. The love what I've read about the electronics with one possible exception, the Navigation system. Not that it is bad, but I preffer a touch screen (to enter addresses, etc quicker) and pretty soon real time data (eg. traffic, weather, etc) will become more common in these types of systems and none of Audi's Nav systems seem to provide any of this.

That said, everything else looks like exactly what I'm looking for (well, I should wait to hear the official word about pricing before saying that).

Can't wait to drive this car.

Gracias

Does anyone have the specs of the largest size of anything that can be placed flat in a Q7? I have lots of clents with Yukon Denali's and they like the 6 foot by 5 foot rear, with the 3rd seat removed and the 2nd seat folding down feature? I the Q7 can do that, I could refer another 90 clients or so to Audi, at least if they replace my horrible 2005 A8L.

Brian

I know it has a different feature than the one found on the A6 and A8 and should be pretty cool.
Yes it is not touch screen but using he MMI it is actually pretty easy to use.

Both rear seat rows can be folded flat to provide a load area of nearly 72 cubic feet, without the seats having to be removed. If used as a five-seater, you still have more than 27 cubic feet, which is the best in its class.