Kuleaze

Hey community,

I recently had my '08 Lexus GS 350 totaled after taking it to the car wash (how? the attendant was exiting the vehicle and trying to put it in park at the same time, slipped off the break and floored the gas into the car in front of him), so I've been doing a search for a new vehicle. I found a 2012 A7 Ice Silver Metallic and was wondering if there is anything I should know about the year? The vehicle has 41K miles and they're asking $36K. The car has aftermarket 22 inch wheels and just looks amazing, but I don't want to buy a car with known issues. So, I'm reaching out to the experts here, like I did when I bought my GS, hoping you can give me some valuable information so I can make an informed decision. What can you tell me about the 2012 A7? Thanks in advance!!

tenspeed

Mechanically, the 2012 A7 is pretty much the same as the newer models. It probably does lack a warranty depending on when it was put into service. Take or call a service department with the VIN and they can tell you the maintenance history. Check with Edmunds.com to see if $36K is a good price in your area for a A7 with the same options.

The problem with the 2012 A7 is the hardware associated with the MMI. Some phones don't link up with it now and I hear that it's going to be worse in 2020. If having your phone linked to your car is important to you, consider a newer model.

Kuleaze

Thanks for the info. I learned something new after looking at the vehicle pictures more closely, and also from using the VIN Decoder from this site. The rear seat has a plastic tray/cup holder in between the rear seats, not the normal seating pad with a third seatbelt, which means this car is realistically a 4 passenger car. That won't work for me since I have three kids that occupy the back once in awhile. Not sure why Audi did that, and I'm kind of bummed since this car looked so good. That Ice Silver Metallic with 22 inch Lexani 5-spoke wheels were a great combo - I just can't buy a 4 passenger car. Thanks again for the info.

BasicSlvr

All 2012 North American A7's were 4-seaters.

Kuleaze

Thanks, I wasn't aware of that when I first started looking at it. Did this change in 2013 or newer?

tenspeed

I remember that the three passenger rear seat was a $350 option for some model years.

It you look at pictures, the drivers side has two seat belt receivers (IIRC).
eBay does have some rear seats available -
Rear Seat AUDI A7 16 | eBay

2008A6

I believe the full rear bench became an option in 2013.. i have a 2012, and we used the center for an infant car seat, but not for an adult.
Solid and reliable car all around as long as maintained well. Make sure all recalls are taken care of.

bsherm

Just a quick clarification. The problem with the 2012 MMI hardware is that it cannot connect with a 3G mobile network, right? And that can be resolved by upgrading the modem (not sure the cost). The issue is not a problem with your mobile phone connecting to the MMI. Mine works fine.

bsherm

Quick clarification of my clarification. ;-) It is not a 3G/2G think, it is related to the bands that are used on the modem in the 2012. Still, it is the car talking to the mobile network, not your phone.

superswiss

Correct, the 2012/13 telephone modules only support the old T-Mobile 3G bands. It never supported AT&T's 3G bands and it also doesn't support the newer T-Mobile 3G bands. T-Mobile is in the process of freeing up the old 3G bands by moving their 3G network to the newer bands and use the old bands to expand their LTE network. This means that you will eventually be downgraded to 2G service only. The thing with 2G is that carriers are in the process of shutting down their 2G networks. AT&T has done so at the end of 2016. T-Mobile is going to shut it down in 2020. At that point 2012/13 models will lose all connectivity features. The telephone module upgrade you speak of is only available to select original owners of these model years. Some dealers have upgraded it for second hand owners as a courtesy, but most have been turned away.