How many of you use the Q7 as the family hauler?
 

I just got my Q7 on Wednesday and had a slight twinge of buyer's remorse that it might not be big enough for myself, my 6'4" husband, and my 5 year old and 2 month old. I drove just about everything in the segment and couldn't find the space I wanted without sacrificing the drivability...like tahoe, acadia, etc. Just wondering how many of you haul kids around and what your thoughts are!

The vehicle has been the family hauler for the past 5 years. I currently have a 14, 11 and 7 year old and on the weekends, it is the car we use.

Often one of the kids have their friends tag along as well and it does just fine.

You should be set for quite some time with just the 2 kids at the moment. Also, you will feel quite happy with your choice should you live in an area that gets actual winter weather. The Q7 does great.

We use the Q7 as the family hauler. We have two children, ages 5 and 2. If we had another child, however, I don't think it would suit our needs any longer.

We're on our second Q7 and as the kids get older, the toys they and I want to take on trips grows and grows. Between bikes and other necessary items, we fill up the Q7, a Thule Roofbox and a full bike rack on the trailer hitch when we go on an extended trip. It's the perfect size for a family of four with recreational equipment.

The major storage issue is that the minute you raise any part of the third row to accommodate a third passenger in the back, you lose almost 50% of the storage space in the vehicle. Although the Q7 is a huge vehicle, space is devoted more to passenger space and comfort in the front and the second row. The third row seating is barely useable and obliterates all the storage in the back.

If you have two children in car seats (with as massive as car seats are today), there will not be room for another passenger in the middle of the second row. Furthermore, you can only barely fit two Britax car seats in the third row. We did it successfully on our last trip, but because the third row seats don't adjust and the headrest is immoveable, our convertible booster car seat didn't fit very well and our five year old literally had zero leg room.

TL;DR: Q7 is perfect for a family of four. Get a roof box if you have more than average stuff or if you have a family of five. I don't see how a family of more than five could use the Q7 on a regular basis.

I stand by my comments in my post above, but I will add that when you get rid of car seats and the kids are able to climb into the third row, the story probably changes considerably. Still, without a roofbox, I don't see how you have room for five people and all their stuff to go on a trip.

The Q7 is small for a family car IMO.
I have one 9 year old and when I got the Q7 last year she would scrape here knee on the back seat metal rails the move the rear seats back and forth, be careful with that issue. The rear A/C controls are also in a bad position and can be bumped as well. Over all the backseat is not a good place in a Q7. Also the car is pretty low to the ground and make it hard to get kids into car seats. I see you mentioned the Acadia, we still have ours from 2008, about to sell it but the car is the BEST overall family hauler for small kids. So easy to strap them in and plenty of room in the back, get the Captain Chairs on the second row option.
The Q7 is a drivers car, it happens to have 3 rows, but that's a joke.

I noticed behind the driver's seat that my daughter has literally inches because of her car seat and how tall my husband is. I fit in the backseat fine for now because my baby is in her carseat in the middle. Ugh, I really hope I won't regret this purchase. I loved my Q5, but it was way too small and although we took several test drives before purchasing, on the way home I started to feel like it wasn't actually much bigger at all...gulp!

We are a family of four who rarely needs a third row. Obviously, a Yukon or Tahoe are bigger but I didn't notice much more leg room. Basically they are for bigger people (width, not height). I really like how the Q7 drives vs the others. My wife can fit between two car seats in the back when we have 5 people.

We just came from a newer Escalade to the Q7. The Q has far more leg & head room in the front seats - about the same in the middle row - & actually about the same leg room in the third row (less head room though). We only use the third row about 6 times a year & the fold down seats are infinitely more convenient that having to lift two 50lb chairs in & out every time you need the back row. The third row in the Escalade was probably a little easier for my 11 & 14 yr old grandsons to access because of the captain's chairs, but the overall fit, finish & technology of the Q7 makes the Cadillac look like a 41 Ford.

my Q is the family hauler, as my 2nd car is an AMG SLK55 2 seater….never felt there wasn't enough room…I'm not interested in Tahoe like boats that wallow and drive like barges…the Q7 is a pleasure to drive and I've never regretted getting one…and as noted the fit/finish is great…the dealer experience excellent as well...

Q is the main family car here, 3 carseats across the snd row.

Main family car here too. 2 car seats but mine is a 5 seater so if the family expands, there is trouble. A minivan is always the best family hauler on the market but clearly I do not want a minivan. However to compare, I have a co-worker that was able to fit a 3 seat couch in his Caravan with the tailgate closed!!! absolutely impossible in an SUV except maybe a Suburban.

Totally agree on the minivan front. We came from a Honda Odyssey where you could seat 7 and then still pack the luggage for a week stay in the back. The Q7 definitely does not afford that type of room; however, it also is a very different vehicle.

My wife never wanted to drive a minivan but never complained - she figured it was her chapter in life and this is what the story demanded. Once two of the kids were out of carseats, the Q7 was purchased and she is happy with it; even with the reduced room.

We do have a Thule box and also have a tent trailer which has been another efficient way to make due (threw some racks on it for the bikes).

All, in all, the Q7 has truly been very versatile for us but I completely understand those who find its capacity lacking.

It is our family car - my wife has an A4 avant and we use that for some journeys with up to four of us - I am 6' 4" as well and my height is all legs so I need the seat quite far back. My son who is 9 and about 4' 10" finds it OK in the A4 behind my seat and loads of room in the Q7. He has his seat slightly forward from the furthest back setting and is still OK.
The rear load space is not as good as my wife's former Touareg but still OK.
I appreciate what you mean though, there is not much interior space for the size of the car, but then again, it is an old design now, first here in the UK in 2006.

To the OP,

You'll be fine. Or get a roof box for long trips.

We are away every weekend in the summer and do fine without the roof box. We have learned to use only 1/2the space behind the 2nd row for stuff, as we have a 55lb golden doodle that travels back there.

We have used the roof box a couple times when we are away for the week, and wanted to bring something extra, like golf clubs.

Peter

a family of four
 

since 2007, i had the car after my first son born, we use Q7 as a family trip car. we go every weekend to bike riding, fishing, camping, and so on.
we go snow boarding every winter.
we move every 2 or 3 years as pcs.

Our trip was Georgia to texas, texas to missouri, missouri to washington, and louisiana to florida with 2 kids in side, A4(my wife's) on a trailer behind, roof box on the roof. It has 158,000 mile on the dash.

One day i took my son to a combat vehicle trainging trail. the trail has crazy hills, puddle and all the rocky stiff road. while we go though the trail my 7 years old son could not stop saying "oh, my gosh!!".

another day we went to salmon fishing, we had to cross a creek to get there. the water was above knee deep and about 10m wide. we crossed the creek and had a salmon for a dinner.

At last, one winter we went to snow boarding and tubing of course. On a long line of snowey, icy road, there was a jeep slipping down and could not go through the road. We passed the car with no effort, not even an empty spun.

Q7 is great, powerful and enjoyable sports utility vehicle.
It still has power, enough room for family of four and all memories that our family shared.

Family car for us on those short and long haul trips which is why I don't put enough miles on my S6. Ride is comfortable and diesel power gets us around city and highway driving with the drag of a 5 ton vehicle. Hate the Audi Navigation as it does not give me the best route. Supplement the routing with my google maps on my phone.

I am 6', wife is a lot shorter, son is 5'10" and daughter is average and all love the comfort of the cabin space.

Only real compliant is the trunk space for the longer trips. Wish there was more. Since we don't have a constant need for the 3rd row seat, it is used for extra trunk space.

But I will still get another Q7 TDI once the redesigned body comes out and can't wait for Audi Connect and Sirius to automatically take care of real time traffic conditions.

Fit and finish is far superior to my previous Yukon Denali and much better mileage (city 19-20mpg / highway 25-27mpg) than a regular gasoline SUV.

Great input from everyone. We are enjoying the new car so far and I'm thrilled not to have a minivan!

Only downside is that my daughter is old/large enough to use the seat belt with her car seat, but with my baby's seat in the middle there is no room to reach the belt. I don't think this problem is unique to the Q7 though.