We have 4 car seats in our Q7 when my wife watches our niece and nephew. At least the 3rd row has latch anchors to make that easier and everyone seems to forget that their kids will grow. It takes a short amount of time for kids to get to the age where they will be able to get themselves in their seats and clasped in.
We have Recaro seats and they are easy for the kids to get in/out of and they love strapping themselves in. All we have to do is pull the cord to tighten them (and check their work of course). Plan for where you'll be in a year or two, not right now - If you might have another kid, forget it and buy a suburban.

 

honestly the best advice around... even with one child in the car i get paranoid... i am extremely meticulous with my cars and have more than our fair share of seat protectors etc. and use cockpit cleaner after every trip... i couldnt imagine what the car would look like with four kids, better yet i dont want to imagine... if that were the case i would be looking at something i really didnt care about and didnt cost much.

one more time, look into a mercedes r-class, used they're extremely affordable if you look at the 350 4matic.

 

You mean buy a "MAV" (Mormon Assault Vehicle)

 

My wife and I only have 2 kids and we had bought the Q7 because we thought it would be big enough and easy enough to get into and out of with only 2 kids. Needless to say we ended up buying a minivan because the Q's doors are quite large and it is hard to get the kids in/out in the tight parking spaces we have here. Frequently had to back out of the parking space and hold up traffic while we got the kids into the car. My wife and I went through 3 cars/SUV's in 2 years before we got a minivan because we never liked them and refused to get one. After getting one we think it's the best investment car-wise we had ever made and wish we ha just bought it to begin with. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to get 4 kids into the car in car seats, not to mention you'd have a very small space left in the trunk. One of the issues we had was bringing around the stroller and hauling cargo at the same time. If you've got 4 kids in the car you would be hard pressed to have any cargo in addition to the pain in the butt it is to get to the 3rd row since it is very small. I also tried installing car seats into the 3rd row and they don't fit well at all because there is no room between the 3rd and second row. Seemed like it would be a major safety issue. We can't move the second row up any either because the kids legs would hit the front seats. I do not recommend the Q7 for anything more than 2. Even with 2 it was difficult for us.

 

Feel your pain - the A4 and the 911 went when the family arrived to make room for the addition of the Odyssey. Regained some of my former automotive glory by getting a '10 Q7 TDI S-Line in January this year. Absolutely love it as the best comprimise between towing capability and sports car but the van wins on practicality every time.....as others have mentioned, 3rd row is a PITA to access with full size car seats, and the sliding doors on the van are huge plus in a crowded parking lot. Even if you have a few kids nearing booster seats, then you are still climbing into the back to do up car seats, and have very little room for cargo with 3rd row up.

Took the Q7 on holidays this summer and the trail of kid destruction after we were done made me cringe......is it wrong to ask your 3 and 5 year old to step out of the car at snack time on holidays?

 

Its not about being looked down upon for owning a minivan. They just repulse me. Sorry to anyone who has one.

I just got a quote for $725 a month with $6500 down on a TDI Premium Plus. Should I do it? lol

 

pretty much everyone here said no already but seems you have your heart set on it... so go for it.

 

I don't think everyone said no :P

 

Anyone who's being reasonable has said no. I hope your wife is on board with decision because the bottom line is 4 kids in a Q7- in car seats no less, will totally suck.

 

Couldn't agree more.

Minivans used to repulse me too...until I stopped listening to other "non owners" and bought a top end one and lived with it. Having said that, if you are really set on putting 4 kids (especially still in car seats) in something other than a minivan I would pick something other than the Q7. Go for an Escalade or a Suburban or an Infiniti QX or some other monster SUV or I suggest you will replace repulsion with frustration.