Road Test: 2015 Audi A7 TDI
At this point it’s perhaps becoming a bit cliché to write at length about the amazing fuel mileage Audi’s diesel cars are capable of, but alas, here goes one more. We drove an A7 TDI from Vermont to New York City – and back, covering 560 miles, at 35mpg, without even trying. Instead of hyepermiling, we drove it like we wanted to get there on time, not with fuel consumption in mind. Also, we turned off the stop/start in most of the traffic we encountered (is there ever not traffic on 95 before the George Washington Bridge? Yeah, didn’t think so.. ) because it just slowed down the whole process, and honestly we felt badly for the starter.
Honestly we’re not sure why the only thing people seem to harp on with the TDI powered Audis is fuel economy. Sure, it’s a large part of what makes that engine so attractive, but there is so much more to the TDI experience that isn’t often mentioned, probably because most reviewers are too busy being overwhelmed by never having to stop for fuel. It is a fact that unless you take a long trip (or several shorter trips) in one of these cars, you will not use a full tank in one weeks time.
Our first experience with a TDI powered Audi was actually an A3, quite a few years ago. This was the first time in the history of AudiWorld road tests that we didn’t have to put fuel in the car for the duration of our testing period (7 days). Ever since then, we continue to struggle to drive a TDI far enough to require filling the tank, without a long trip in the mix.
When it came time to start looking at which car we wanted to use for our NYIAS trip, the obvious choice would be any of Audi’s TDI powered models. Once we settled on the A7 TDI, we started thinking about logistics of doing the trip in one day, instead of driving down the night before the media day. Also, we had a hunch we could do the round trip on one tank, but we didn’t realize how easy it would be.
The Audi A7 is a wonderful car, supremely stylish outside and in, with amazingly comfortable seats, a firm yet not jarring ride, and excellent road manners. Taking a long highway drive in this car is a treat regardless of which engine is powering it, but we found that the TDI, with its effortless grunt and deep baritone sound, was staggeringly good at highways speeds. Even though the TDI makes most if not all of its power low in the rev band, at highway speeds the A7 is playful, and eager to run. At no point did we wish for more power.
When discussing the 3.0TDI engine, one of the things that’s not often mentioned, and is to us one of the best qualities, is the relaxed and elegant power delivery of the engine. Whereas the 3.0TFSI gas engine (which we also love) is smooth but somewhat “racy”, the TDI engine is incredibly quiet and somehow more luxurious feeling to us.
On paper, the TDI might be a few ticks slower in all out acceleration than its gasoline powered sibling, in the real world, it to us seems more satisfying, which we think has to do with the style of power delivery more than anything. The TDI engine produces a whopping 428 lb/ft from 1750 to 2250 RPM, and it peaks out at 240HP at 3750 RPM. Unlike many gas engines, the diesel doesn’t need to be revved to the moon to make max power. In fact, once you clear 3000 RPM, it’s time to shift. Revving the 3.0TDI isn’t the way to go. It’s perfectly happy in the mid-range of the tach, humming along and making great gobs of torque. When you need power, plant your foot, and feel the rush of acceleration. And lets face it, how many people actually wind their engines out to redline on a daily basis? Most people short-shift, and cruise around at lo RPMs anyway, making a TDI ideal for their real world driving style.
The smooth shifting 8 speed Tiptronic transmission helps a lot with fuel economy, though amazingly enough, we were wondering if the gear ratios could be spread out a little more, like in the old days. The TDI has so much torque, it feels like it can just stay in 8th gear all day. Having 8 ratios to choose from does help maximize the power and efficiency though, and the A7 TDI rarely hunts for the right gear when going up long hills.
We didn’t actually use all of the tank on our trip to NYC and back. We actually ended up going 605 miles on the whole tank, which took 18.3 gallons to refill. For the non-math whizzes, that works out to 33 and change MPG. That might not seem like great mileage, but keep in mind we rarely see mid 20s with the 3.0TFSI engine, and the 4.0T in the S7, we’re happy to be in the low 20s. Also keep in mind, we were in an A7, not some tiny junky econobox that was dreadful to drive and even worse to look at.
That’s what makes the A7 TDI amazing to us – You get the beautiful styling, great handling, awesome interior full of luxury and technology, and you don’t have to suffer any lack of power, or poise in the process. If anything, in day to day driving, we fell in love with the TDI’s calm demeanor, and effortless power. We’ve always loved the A7, and the TDI engine makes it one of the ultimate long range tourers.
