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I took my 2014 Q5 TDI in for service and got a 2014 Q7 3.0 as a loaner. Great car. Not the size I need or ever even looked at. The power is nice, the bose sound system is top notch... I messed with the bass and treble a bit and it got even nicer. I have the B&O and haven't messed with it much but think the bose is equal or possibly better than the B&O?
The gas miles killed me. In SF I was getting about 14-18 miles and on route 1 from SF back home to Santa Cruz I got about 21.7 as a high. I wonder what the Q7 TDI would get? I appreciate more and more the Q5 TDI.
If I needed a bigger vehicle I would consider the Q7 but it definitely isn't what I need at this time and I would need to think twice about the gas mileage.
Word on the street is that the next-gen Q7 will be about 500 pounds lighter, which should bump up gas mileage some. From the articles I've read, Audi rushed the Q7 to market to compete with X5 etc. Took a lot of shortcuts in the process.
The gas miles killed me. In SF I was getting about 14-18 miles and on route 1 from SF back home to Santa Cruz I got about 21.7 as a high.
Heh that sounds about right. While not a Q7, my car is built on the same platform and I avg 15 mpg with a 70 hwy/30 city split. The best I've seen is 21mpg on all hwy trips.
@ HOiYA your other car the 2014 Cayenne Turbo S sounds like a blast to drive! Having both the Q5 TDI and Cayenne Turbo S must be fun!
Originally Posted by HOiYA
Heh that sounds about right. While not a Q7, my car is built on the same platform and I avg 15 mpg with a 70 hwy/30 city split. The best I've seen is 21mpg on all hwy trips.
I had a Q7 3.0T loaner few months back. I couldn't help but keep coming back to this - as fantastic as the 3.0 is in the Q5, it felt unpolished and overwhelmed in the Q7. I couldn't wait to get my car back. I wonder if the TDI is better?
The gas miles killed me. In SF I was getting about 14-18 miles and on route 1 from SF back home to Santa Cruz I got about 21.7 as a high. I wonder what the Q7 TDI would get? I appreciate more and more the Q5 TDI.
Q7 and Touareg/Cayenne are all rated right about 19/29 (looks like for 2015 the Q7 is 19/28 and Touareg is 20/29, Cayenne is unlisted). Full SUVs, though, so that's about the best to be expected. The Q5's got an easier time since it's a car.
For comparison, the 3.0T Q7 is rated 16/22, so looks like your experience with the loaner was pretty much on-target. Only R8s and W12 A8s get worse mileage. The RS5's 4.2 is rated the same, and I think I know what loaner everyone would prefer to spend that fuel on!
I had a Q7 3.0T loaner few months back. I couldn't help but keep coming back to this - as fantastic as the 3.0 is in the Q5, it felt unpolished and overwhelmed in the Q7. I couldn't wait to get my car back. I wonder if the TDI is better?
The TDI would likely be better since it's got the extra torque to help move the large Q7 around, but in the end the Q7's just a large SUV and takes a good bit of power to move around. The 3.0T in the Q7 is sort of an analogue of the 2.0T in the Q5, where it's a perfectly fine engine but certainly for some will be at the limit of usefulness for the vehicle's size/weight. (Not to say the TDI would be a speed demon, just for such a large vehicle it's probably a little better fit and won't be working quite as hard as the 3.0T would.)
You used to be able to get the 4.2 in the Q7, but these days it's just the 3.0T and 3.0 TDI. Maybe they'll bring the 4.0T at some point, but it seems for now the TDI would be people's best bet for getting that thing moving around town.
Being in the Q5, we're at a pretty sweet spot given that we get access to engines that larger and/or higher-tier (S) models get. Smallest vehicle with the 3.0 TDI, and cheapest with the 3.0T, so it's a good way to get access to a lot of performance without having to step up to a larger or higher-end car.
I'm glad to have gotten the loaner but I was even more excited to get back into my 2014 Q5 TDI. The My overall impression is that it is definitely nice for who ever needs this a vehicle this large. (1) The gas was killer... It only has 1,000 miles on the loaner so I'm assuming it will improve over time... I got about 19-20 on the freeway.
I ended up putting about 240 miles on the car. I went from the dealership to San Francisco. Drove from SF back to my home in Santa Cruz via Route 1 which is my go to route home anytime I have to go to SF! Santa Cruz to Monterey and Monterey back to the dealership. I needed to fill up half a tank before getting the car back to the dealership! CRAZY!
Driving home from the dealership in my TDI felt so right.... I was getting as high as 40.0 mpg and mainly a steady 38-39mpg the whole trip home. On Highway 17 with the two lane curvy mountain road for 26 miles I average about 36 mpg Still amazing! Good bye Q7 3.0 and welcome home Q5 TDI.
I remember looking at the Q7 back when it was new. It just feels the most dated of the 3 (Touareg/Q7/Cayenne) because it is so I'm really looking forward to them bringing the new model next year. I didn't even look at it this time around because it wouldn't fit in my garage. I will tell you thou that the resale value on the Q7 seems to be exceptional so from a value standpoint that does count for something
Question. Why DID they let it sit so long while the Cayenne/Touareg got total redesigns? Just seems odd
08-26-2014, 05:24 PM
Q7 Loaner
