Date: October 2010Months in Fleet: 2 months
Current Mileage: 6285 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 21 mpg
Range: 554 miles
Service: $0
Normal Wear: $0
Repair: $0
Combining as it does our loves of torque, top-notch design, and brown paint, we’re crushing pretty hard on our latest long-termer, this 2011 Audi Q7 TDI. Since its arrival roughly two months ago, everyone who’s driven the big four-ringer has complimented its manners, daily usability, and menacing looks.
Volkswagen’s flexible, economical, and eminently livable 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V-6 is underhood, and its 225 hp and 406 lb-ft are routed through a new-for-2011 eight-speed automatic transmission. (2009 and 2010 model-year Q7 TDIs had a six-speed auto.) While the horsepower figure is meager for a vehicle this size—almost 5700 pounds!—the torque delivers enough off-the-line thrust to give the impression that the Q7 is quicker than its 8.3-second 0-to-60-mph time. Partial throttle is sufficient to push you back in the seat; full-throttle shenaniganery delivers a downshift and more intake whoosh, but not much in the way of extra thrust. Less lead-footed civilians won’t notice the difference, although they will notice, as we did, the moment’s hesitation on take-off while you wait for the turbo to spool.
Read More: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/10q4/2011_audi_q7_tdi_quattro-long-term_road_test_intro
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