Nice Drives: 2025 Audi Q7 & SQ7

The Audi Q7 has been a stalwart in the 3-row luxury SUV class since it first debuted in 2005.

The second iteration came a decade later and continued its tradition of offering great dynamics and good value, and offering a hotrod version in the SQ7. A minor freshening for this year keeps both surprisingly competitive.

Cosmetically, the changes across the lineup are fairly restrained; a new bumper fascia with bigger intakes and grill and revised lights align the Q7 with the rest of the Audi lineup, as well as removing some of the visual awkwardness of the second generation. Out back, the taillights are different and there are honest-to-goodness tailpipes. Inside, tweaks are even less noticeable: upholstery and trim changes are about it. The Audi’s cockpit retains the high-quality, solid feel that sets it above the BMW and Mercedes competition, but is less practical. The cupholders are tiny and there is no good place to put a phone. Audi pioneered digital instrument clusters, but the latest is not as compelling as the original “Virtual Cockpit” was in its day.

In the Q7, the front seats remain supportive and comfortable; the SQ7 is more supportive in the corners. Both can be had with a satisfying, optional massage function. The middle row is a bench, nicely contoured for two, and with a split design that allows for up to three child seats or a pass-through for skis and such without anyone “riding the hump”. The 3rd row works great for part-time use and lets the Audi retain its USP as the only German of its size so equipped.

The Audi interfaces are beautiful to look at but the menu structure can be hard to fathom and the need to push hard enough for the vibrating “haptic feedback” on the climate control panel meanthe driver’s eyes leave the road too often, for too long, to change simple settings like temp and heated seat levels.

Driver aids are excellent, though there is no Level 2-Plus hands-free system. The B&O sound system is robust and powerful and the heads-up display is bright and clear.

Dynamically, both Audis are superb. Ride quality is excellent, with little of the slam-bang that can afflict the Benz when one of its big, heavy wheels hits a pothole or sunken manhole plate. The Audi has precise steering that offers more feel than the other German rides, too. Brake power, linearity and feel are excellent. These traits are no surprise when one remembers the Audi is built using the same platform as the Porsche Cayenne. The SQ7 has optional active anti-roll bars that enable it to carve corners with zero body roll and a rear differential that can over-drive the outside rear wheel, keeping understeer to a minimum. It also has standard four-wheel steering that leaves it feeling even more locked-down and stable at high speed and dramatically reduces the turning circle.

Engine offerings in the Q7 are pretty limited: a base four-cylinder that doesn’t work well when you load it down with people and stuff and a 3-liter, turbocharged V6 that suffers from too much turbo lag. The latter’s rated 335 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque mean it should haul, but independent testing places its 0-60 runs at just a tick under 6 sec, and it feels more lethargic when one doesn’t forcefully introduce the throttle pedal to the carpet. The 8-speed auto isn’t as responsive as the best, either.

The SQ7 handily solves these issues. Four 4-liters and two turbos translate to 500 ponies and a stout 568 lb-ft of twist. It rockets to 60 in 3.8 seconds and through the quarter mile in 12.4, all while bellowing the most glorious trumpet blasts from its intake and exhaust. It never feels caught-out, the tranny shifts with commendable acuity and the V8’s ministrations fade into the background at a cruise, thanks to the additional sound deadening and acoustic glass that the topflight Prestige trim comes with on both machines. Either can also tow up to 7,700 pounds, making them genuinely useful for hauling a racecar, a UTV or a camper.

The Audis have had genuine staying power in part because not everyone who wants three rows of seats needs something the size of a BMW X7 or Benz GLS, because they drive like de-tuned Porsches and because they ring the register for $10-20,000 less than most competitors. This update builds on those attributes and keeps the Q7 and SQ7 as resonant, desirable rigs in the premium segment.

​​​Q7 55 Prestige​​​

EPA Ratings:​​18/23/20 mpg​​​

0-60mph:​​5.9 sec

Price as tested:​$83,890

Rating: ​​3.5 Stars​​