dseag2

First, I'm not a totally heretic. Although I now own a '13 Lexus GS F Sport (and love it), I owned a '10 and an '11 S5 Cab prior to that. I traded because I needed the extra practicality. I have always loved the A7, but I've ready many comments re: excessive road noise, uncomfortable seats and subpar sound system (whether Bose or B&O). I know the car has a great engine and tranny because the S5 was a blast to drive.

I would love to hear from someone who loves their A7 and can contradict these complaints. I still have a great relationship with my Audi dealer and can go back there if I decide this is the right car for me. BTW, in the near future I will be looking at trading for another GS, M-B CLS or (maybe) A7.

Thanks in advance for the input!

Glacier6

I have the B&O and have no issues with the sound system whatsoever. The sound is deep and the presence just seems to hit you from every angle. Regarding the Bose....apparently it was terrible but they released a software update that corrected everything.

I also don't find the road noise an issue. I originally had 20" P-Zero's and A/S 3s on my A6 and now have Conti Pros on the A7 and have zero complaints. They are worlds better then the other 2 tires.

The seats I guess could be better (would love the sport seats) but I don't find myself getting in the car each time cursing the comfort of them. The ventilation does leave quite a bit to be desired.

hockeyfox

Well, if you need to be convinced...you are not worthy In all honesty the seats are nothing special. The ride is excellent in my opinion with road noise not being an issue for me. I have the Bose and the update corrected issues as mentioned previously. My advice, let your ears and bum bum decide for yourself. What is tolerant or enjoyable to me might be different for you.

chicagoA6

Some thoughts in this...

1) Tires make a huge difference on the car and road noise. My model year 2012 had the Goodyear Eagle LS2s and I would say they were average for noise. Then replaced with Pirelli P6s and they were awful. Groaning at low speed turning and noise at high speed. They were good in the wet and snow. I couldn't wait to get rid of those tires.

Then we took delivery of our Model Year 2015 A7 and it came with Pirelli P7s. Those make a world of diffference and noise levels are barely detectable. Cant speak to wet and snow yet, but it drives like a different (better) car.

2) Bose vs. B&O.... Our 2012 had the Bose and our 2015 has the B&O. One of my only complaints with the A7 from the beginning was the Bose system. Weak base, mid range lacked any spacial distribution and overall just a disappointment. The B&O is leaps and bounds better than Bose (IMHO), but for the price it should be. If your mostly a FM/Sat/iPhone music listener save your money and stick with the Bose. The B&O does improve the music, but not anywhere near what it should for the price. If your listening to lightly compressed music via SD Card / Jukebox then the difference is noticeable. Still not sure its worth the price.

However, CDs or uncompressed music via SD Card / Jukebox then its amazing. I'm undecided it it was worth the money, but i'm finding a new love for some albums.

3) Seats.... Never had an issue. I do wish Audi offered the sport seats from the S7/RS7 in the A7.

All that said the only person that need convincing is you. Take the car for an extended drive and at the end of the day the most important opinion is your opinion.

LeicaNut

I must admit that I am a car nut and have had or driven every European brand. I had a 2013 GS F-sport for about six months before I traded it in....really no fun factor! I loved my Audi A6, and loved the extra performance in the 3.0 supercharged motor! The B&O system is for the true audiophile and the seats were manageable in the A7, but not as comfortable as in S7 or RS7. I just wanted more performance and really had to upgrade to the RS7. Need to test drive and see for yourself. Because you loved the S5, you may want the performance of the S7. The CLS550 has the eight cylinder from the S-series, but is not a fun car to drive as the CLS63, but I prefer the E63 for the fun factor.

looking@audi

Why dwell on negative comments - simply schedule an extended test drive with the Audi dealer that you have a great relationship with.

onthebeam

The important thing is to convince yourself, of course. I drove it against the Mercedes CLS550 and BMW640. Also read lots of comparison reviews.

A7 came immediately to the top and stayed there!

Six months after receiving the one I ordered to be built, lovin' it. Only complaint is poor rear camera resolution but that's minor in the big picture.

Seats--comfortable.

Bose--worried me too but read a post here about choosing rear sound focus. That and the firmware update made a huge difference equaling fine audio. Also installed a sub but didn't need to.

Road noise--it's all about the tires. The Mercedes noise bothered me the most. Thought the AUdi 20s were too loud and very glad I ordered the 19s. Far quieter than 20s and not an issue.

HaveBlue

I came from an '06 IS350 which has all the same running gear as the GS all the way from the engine to the brakes but just a lighter smaller package.

The A7 gets better mileage though it is bigger.
I find the A7 ride excellent, quiet and very comfortable. The A7 feels like it's going 40mph at 80mph. Of course the IS is literally a 3/4 size car that didn't really fit me. Way to small in all interior dimensions except the trunk.
Audi build quality is way above the Lexus but then I had the first year ('06) and that car literally fell apart and was always going in for recalls. It's sorted now and runs fine. I also have a GX470 and I've had other Toyotas which were very good quality, but there was no way I was going to buy a GS for more space after the IS.


The A7 motor is detuned and it has a top speed lower than the average Hyundai. The IS was a fast little animal. I think a retuned 3.0TFSI will give it a run for the money. The A7 has some annoying features like a gas pedal that doesn't work when the brake is applied, a shifter that doesn't shift unless you have the brakes applied, and brakes that stop the car if the door is open (like you want to look backwards at the ground.)

Overall, though the A7 is a gorgeous cruiser.

AAAAAAA

1) As other have said, road noise is related to tires. I have three tires with only 5K miles on them in storage because I got a flat in the fourth one and decided I needed all weather tires instead. The Michelins I purchased are much, much loader.

2) The seats are very comfortable for long trips, but are not sport seats. You can tell the difference at high speeds on sharp curves. The car handles the high speed curves far better than the seats.

3) To me, the Bose system is a huge disappointment. My Lexus SC 400 (yes, back in the 90's), my Jaguar S Type and my wife's G37 all had better sound to me. But, different people hear differently. I suggest you pop in a SIM card or CD of one of your favorite songs into your current car, listen to it, and then play the same recording in your future potential car to see if you like its sound.

With regards to the sound system, my A7 seems quiet inside relative to noise outside. BUT, when I have the music cranked, you can hear it outside of the car very load and clear - even with all of the windows closed. My neighbors and employees were the first to tell me.

SamLV

They'll let you take a car for 24 hours, typically.