opus360

Has anyone cross shopped the 2017 Audi Q7 and the 2016 Volvo XC90? I haven't seen much reviews yet of the new Q7. The XC90 has beautiful interior, especially in the light color choices.

zekeman

I did, to some extent. My wife and I looked at the Volvo with the Inscription package, which was pretty impressive, particularly the iPad-like controls on the center stack. Since it appears virtually the entire car is controlled by that device, I began to wonder what would happen if it malfunctioned? I'm sure there are work-arounds, but for a car to be so controlled by one device, I was a bit pessimistic about buying one. I looked the car up on Edmunds and some other sites for reviews and found a fair number of them, mostly good. But with the '16, it appeared there were beginning to be some bugs popping up. Additionally, the Chinese now own Volvo and I read one site that indicated they were determined to make the XC90 a big hit. I'm not so enamored with a car which is governed by committee.

Since all of my cars have been Audi's for some time and the fact that I'm in need of an SUV, I began looking at the Q7 and the new one. I saw it yesterday for the first time while it was being offloaded at my dealer - an hour later I had closed the deal and will pick it up tomorrow.

While the jury is out on how well it will perform remains to be seen. The car is a dramatic change from the pre 17's - roughly the same size but it absolutely looks and feels smaller. It has great agility and the fit/finish is beyond perfection; features are really amazing. After I take delivery I will post a number of photos which will only supplement photos currently available online through Audi.com and other sites. There are also a batch of reviews online now, just search on the '17 Q7. Hope this helps.
Z

zurichch

Yes, I can provide you first hand experience with XC90 because I own one....well...sorta... Let me briefly explain...I ordered one back in July because my test drive was great and I loved the looks and features (and the Q7 was a long way off). Short story is that it was delivered in Nov. Its now Jan 7 and I've driven it exactly 1000 miles and had it in my driveway for ONE week...Yep....was a lemon..could not figure out an electronic problem and still can't...so the dealer agreed to buy it back and build a new one....well done by Volvo I might add...Now you could argue that every new model has a small % of lemons and I just drew the short straw...I do believe this is the case but of course I can't prove it either way...There over 20,000 XC90s on the road now and I have no idea what % have terminal problems. That said, I ordered my Q7 2 months ago and planned on owning both. At this point I'm on the fence if I take the new build or not....and I'm not buying 2 Q7s...and yes, I've looked at RR, BMW, Honda, Acura, Infinity. Audi stands head and shoulders above (except no remote start which *really* bothers me). I also do not like the touch screen for everything approach that Volvo and others have taken. I have not yet driven the Q7 but the dealer model I saw last month seems to strike a perfect balance btwn tech and dials and *****...time will tell if its better. To Volvo's credit, the car drives beautifully and the seats are the most comfortable I've ever sat in...again...can't compare fully yet but as soon as I get my custom order Q7 in a few weeks I will write up a more detailed comparison- assuming I stay in the XC90 (I'm driving a dealer loaner at the moment). Problems aside, I think XC90 is the THE model that will most be compared/compete with Q7.

eyedoc

I was looking at Volvo too. Went to the Volvo forums and same think as the other guy mentions. Lots of various problems (computer for sure). Too many that i didn't want to be a 1st model year guinea pig. Might be a good option in a year or 2 went they work out the kinks.

audi40

Good review/comparison of the two (+ the LR):

iNfiNkC

I traded in our 08 q7 for the 16' xc90. Was wanting a q7, but wanted the tdi engine. With the wait, we opted for the Xc.

The Xc is a great driving suv, seats are very comfortable. The ride is almost identical to the q7. At times I don't even realize it's a completely different car.

Having 3 kids and 1 on the way I need a 7 seater. The integrated booster was a huge plus. Inside is very roomy, yet the exterior kseems slimmed down.

There are a few quirks I stil have about the Xc, hopefully they get fixed in a software release. All hardware is fine on the car.

The power of the 4cyl is very impressive, the acceleration is very smooth and is up to par with how our old q7 4.2 felt. Can't wait till Polestar is available in the us.

Happy with the decision, been getting about 20mpg in it.

opus360

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and for the video comparison.

I have yet to see the new Q7 in person, but I have test driven the XC90 quite a bit. My take: the front seats and driving position on the XC90 really set it apart from other luxury cars. Ride to me is a bit too stiff, with the optional air suspension helping a bit. I am also concern about the reliability of a first year model car that is essentially designed from the ground up.

"Inside [XC90] is very roomy, yet the exterior seems slimmed down." Agreed.

Zurichch, I love to hear your comparison of the XC90 and Q7 once you have a chance to drive the both for a few weeks or months. I am in no hurry to buy one. Which RR did you look at, the Sport or top model RR? The RR (not RR Sport) is supposed to have outstanding ride quality and interior fit/finish.

baltfan

I test drove the XC90 twice. I thought the seats in the 2nd row were a bit narrow. Engine is okay but not as nice as the Q7. The touchscreen is well done for a touchscreen. I don't think it compares to the MMI system though.

A couple of times the touchscreen lagged badly. Very annoying.

Also, I very much enjoy how easy it is to scroll through radio stations on MMI.

Effectively with the TFT dash, you can have two screens -- one for radio and one for navigation.

As for driving dynamics, the Q7 is much better. My wife also likes the visibility on the Q7. She thought the windows were too short and had a little bit of a feeling of claustrophobia.

Access to the 3rd row is better in XC90. Headroom in 3rd row slightly better in Q7. More legroom in XC90.

I chose the Q7 and am very pleased with my choice. It wasn't close for me since driving dynamics, the tech layout, and comfortable second row were my priorities.

NPKR

My wife and I test drove the XC90 and new Q7 back to back ( 30 minutes apart) a few days ago. Both had air suspension which I specifically requested. Both test driven on same stretch of highway.

I really hoped the XC90 had a great ride because I think it looks stunning, IMO. It would have made the choice easy. XC90 had a nice ride but their was noticeable wind and road noise. Not a deal breaker, but noticeably significant and more than I think should be present in a luxury vehicle at this price point. Engine noise bit more noticeable at highway speeds. Seats were very comfortable, second row seat and trunk space excellent. As I said, its a very handsome vehicle, IMO. Good acceleration, handling was good. Interior of both cars was outstanding in terms of comfort and style.

I like the looks of the Q7 but not as much as the XC90. I know some bash the Q7's new design but I think it looks sharp. Unfortunately, the Q7's ride was, to my wife and myself, a cut above the XC90's. I drove the Q7 after the XC90. When we finished both of us thought the ride was smoother, quieter, with better handling and engine had a bit more kick. It took the entry and exit ramp curves with much less body lean (virtually none). Light and day difference? Not exactly. The XC90 had a nice ride quality. But the difference was definitely noticeable to us. The Q7 had an outstanding ride. It's the way it always seems to be- can't get everything I want in one package (although I probably could if I was willing to pay much more money at a higher price point). I wish the XC90 had the Q7's ride.

We didn't sit in the third row seats. I know that the third row seats in the XC90, based on prior reviews, are supposed to be a bit roomier and more comfortable than the new Q7's but I won't use those seats often. I have two kids I'm still toting around with another going off to college. If I had a third kid that needed to sit back in the third row much of the time I might have to factor that in and reconsider my choice. Based on all of the above we are leaning towards the Q7, favoring performance over style. I may test drive the XC90 again. I really want to like it more. Hoping a different car on a different day will give a better ride.

I have a feeling that the choice between the two for most people will come down to the styling of the XC90 vs the performance of the Q7.

As a side note, I'm not happy that the Q7 has run flat tires. My experience on a 2005 Honda Odyssey is that they get half the tread life and cost twice as much to replace as regular inflatable tires. Maybe they have improved over the past 10years.

baltfan

Runflats are way different than 2005. It amazes me how smooth the ride is on these. I remember those 2005 runflats were far from smooth.

I also think you look at your car on the way to getting in it. The rest of the time you are experiencing the ride and the interior. I would sit in the XC90 second row again. The seats are a bit narrow.

Finally, I like the openness of the Q7 cabin. Lots of glass and not claustrophobic inducing. The XC90 has shorter windows and feels a little more closed.

I agree XC 90 is generally better looking, though the Q7 interior is a bit better looking to me.