Used Audi A7 2018-present review

The market for rakish, two-door coupés is on life support at the moment. Even our favourite coupé – the Audi TT – could morph into a four-door coupé. But that remains to be seen, and right now you could buy yourself a used example of a stylish four-door Audi coupé in the form of the A7 – a car packed with all the latest tech and lots of practicality that can be had for the price of a brand new TT.

There are two petrol and three diesel options, available in either turbocharged 2.0-litre or 3.0-litre forms. The 2.0-litre models are available with or without quattro four-wheel drive and get a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, while the 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel gets an eight-speed torque converter and quattro as standard. Mild-hybrid technology that helps to save fuel is reserved for the 55 TFSI petrol and 50 TDI diesel.

Don’t expect engaging driving dynamics, because the A7 has been set up to provide safe and predictable handling above all else. Four-wheel drive models have plenty of traction in even the trickiest of weather conditions, plus there is enough grip for the A7 to hang onto the apex of a corner with little deviation. However, you do feel removed from the process of piloting the A7 and this may upset keen drivers.

Also, you end up having to put your foot down more in the A7 than you’d expect in order to get the car to accelerate quickly enough to make a particular gap to merge into traffic. This is because both the seven and eight-speed autos are reluctant to kick down, and the accelerator response of all models has been dulled in order to improve fuel economy and emissions levels. This can be improved if you put the engine in dynamic mode and the gearbox into its sport setting, but even then it still can’t beat the responsiveness of the Mercedes CLS.

Happily, the A7 can trounce the CLS for practicality. The Audi has a massive boot and a much more useful hatchback opening to get larger items in, particularly useful if you need to put a child’s pushchair in there. The rear seats can be made fold down in a 40/20/40 split, increasing versatility further.

Passenger accommodation is only an issue if you happen to be over six-foot tall and you’re sitting in the back, but on the whole, there’s lots of leg and shoulder room for all. Oddments storage has been well thought out; you get deep door pockets, a large centre console and cupholders for all. The interior is also beautifully assembled and adorned with sumptuous finishes throughout.

However, while it may look like a tech-lovers paradise, with conventional buttons swept away in favour of a twin touchscreen set-up, this space-age dashboard isn't the most intuitive in use. The topmost screen deals with infotainment, sat-nav and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring; the lower display operates the climate control, heated seats and other minor functions. Unfortunately, you have to look away from the road in order to touch the control icons on either screen, and this can be distracting while driving. The interior of the previous generation 2010-2017 Audi A7 was far easier to use.

The old A7 certainly didn’t come with as much equipment as the latest version, though. Sport is the entry-level model and comes with a virtual cockpit digital display, LED head and rear lights, leather seats, 19in alloy wheels, front and rear parking sensors plus a reversing camera. S line is a little bit sportier with alcantara trim, bigger 20in alloys, sports suspension and matrix LED headlights, while Black edition replaces all chrome exterior details with black alternatives. Top-of-the-range Vorsprung A7s have 21in wheels, adaptive air suspension with four-wheel steering plus an uprated Bang and Olufsen stereo.

Prices for a used A7 at the time of writing start at £32,000 for a 40 TDI Sport version, but because this is a fairly new model, prices are still changing relatively rapidly. To keep up to date with used prices, use our free valuation tool to make sure you are getting the best deal.

Check the value of a used Audi A7 with What Car? Valuations

MPG

Go for the 40 TDI if you cover lots of miles: it offers the best fuel economy at 48.7mpg. Unsurprisingly, both the 45 and 50 TDI 3.0-litre V6 models return respectable combined figures, with 39.2 and 38.7mpg, respectively.

Stick with the 45 TFSI petrol and you should see 36.7mpg, but the more potent 55 TFSI with its turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol is a bit thirsty at 31mpg.

CO2 emissions

If you’ve been reading the previous section, you’ll have gathered that the thirstiest 55 TFSI engine puts out the most CO2 at 163g/km, followed by the most powerful 50 TDI at 150g/km. Next is the 45 TFSI at 148g/km, then the 45 TDI at 146g/km. The A7 that produces the least CO2 is the 40 TDI with 123g/km.

Road tax

Much like its rivals, no version of the Audi A7 managed to slip under the £40,000 threshold. This means all models will be charged the maximum amount of tax until the car is over six years old. Then it’ll revert back to the standard flat-rate fee.

To find out more about road tax costs, click here.

Servicing

Since no version is over three years old at the time of writing this review, you won’t be able to utilise Audi's cheaper servicing offer for older cars just yet. However, even their fixed price plans aren’t too bad in relation to other premium rivals, such as Mercedes. For A7s with engines of 2.0-litres, expect to pay £468 or £19.50 per month for two consecutive services, or £594 or £24.75 per month for anything with a larger engine.

Insurance

Insurance groups range from 40 for a 40 TDI to 50 for a 50 TDI Vorsprung. This is less than it is compared with a Mercedes CLS and about the same for a 2017-2020 BMW 6 Series GT.

Engine

The entry-level petrol might be good for company car drivers in the market for a new car, but there aren’t many on the used market at the moment. There are plenty of diesels, however, and if your budget can stretch to the most powerful 50 TDI, you won’t regret it; it offers a lot of performance yet its running costs are similar to those of the lesser 45 TDI.

Specification

We would suggest you go for a Sport because it has all the equipment you could ever need and is a good compromise if you value comfort. S line adds sports suspension and 20in wheels that do nothing for ride quality, while the Vorsprung is quite costly and its standard air suspension doesn’t cope with low-speed lumps and bumps as well as it should.

Our favourite Audi A7: 50 TDI Sport

If practicality is your major concern, you’ll need to buy a 2017-2020 BMW 6 Series GT. We were able to fit nine suitcases into the back of it – one more than the A7 will take. Plus, the 6 GT has near-limo levels of rear leg room for passengers to stretch out in.

Aside from having a firm ride that doesn’t befit a luxury car, the Mercedes CLS is a fine car, and one that possesses all the latest technology and some seriously strong engine options. The A7 is still more practical overall, due to its hatchback rear opening, which allows larger items to be loaded.

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