smacky

I wouldn't say groundbreaking. I like it but Audi was beaten to the punch. I can't say specifically by whom, but I think MB was one of the first to have a completely digital screen for gauges. The W222 has it and it's possible the Italians like Ferrari and Lamborghini had it in their supercars. Maybe even McLaren?

Of course supercars are a different story but I think MB was first for more attainable cars and BMW shortly after. Audi did nail the naming down though; "Virtual Cockpit" does sound a ton cooler than what the others call their version of it.

I could live without the VC, but I'd put DAP lower on the totem pole or higher on the list of features I could live without, as I've said a few times in this thread. They're both neat features but I do value aesthetics over safety in this case. Ask me VC or air bags and it would be a different answer. VC and DAP are both luxuries, one just looks cooler, imo.

sr007

While Audi may not have been the first to conceptualize the virtual cockpit, it has near perfected the technology. Audi beat both MB and BMW to be the first to introduce virtual cockpit in so many of its models. Heck, its the best out there in terms of customization, ease of use and information provided. As others have suggested, sure it can be better, but as of now it definitely beats both MB and BMW hands down.

Brimstone

I've vote DAP.

You're looking at I'd say $40-$80/mo to add the roughly $3k option to a loan (depending on term/rate) https://www.bankrate.com/calculators...alculator.aspx

If you're not getting at least 5% off MSRP though shop around and negotiate, and you might be able to get both in your budget just by scoring a good deal.

farmerjones

As an owner of the very first VC (2016 Audi TT) I have to TOTALY disagree with you saying VC is not groundbreaking. While MB was the first to offer a digital display (in a $100,000 car) and comes the closest to the Audi VC it shared limited similarities. BMW has physical gage surrounds on top of a display and is completely different in capability. Other brands with digital displays either have a section with a physical gauge or full display with a few pre-determined layouts.

The Audi is dramatically different, even after 3 years since introduction. The TT incorportaes all functions into ONE display...no other manufacturer has attempted this yet...all controlled without taking your hands from the wheel. Audi gives you almost endless flexibility. No other manufacturer offers edge-to-edge navigation. So called "full screen" navigation in EVERY other auto manufacturer means you loose data...you can't view the tachometer or fuel gauge or radio or trip computer and full-page nav simultaneously.

Not so in the Audi, it's groundbreaking design simply offers more advanced solutions, larger display areas...all from the TT's single screen. The ability to shift date inside a dial, into its own gage, or into the upper menu bar means more information is available at all times. And the responsiveness is still unparalleled. Have you noticed in a Benz if you change layout themes you wait a few seconds while it "renders" the new layout? The Audi has faster multi-chip processing power to support 60 fps. Boot-up times is faster, with reverse camera available within 2 seconds.

And then there is Google Maps. Audi is still the only company to offer this function, and it's a game changer. Example, you can physcially see if a shopping center drive exits onto a street because you can actually view the parking lot arial photo...no one else offers this ability. Toss in Google Street View physical see the entrance of a parking garage on a busy one-way street. Or use Google search to find ANYTHING...and click to dial the phone number or add the destination address to begin navigation. Simply put, Google Maps in the car is not a gimmick, it changes and streamlines how you drive. Gas prices, Traffic Light wait time count down, airline flight delays, live weather radar....all in front of me on my TT, while driving with my hands on the wheel. There is not a SINGLE other manufacturer that offers this expansive collection of data, features or design.

And then consider within 12 months Audi will have Virtual Cockpit in EVERY car it sells, and currently it's available in over 75% of it's model range and in core models, not just high-end halo cars. No other manufacturer has integrated such powerful digital displays as this pace into even it's base models or majority of it's offerings.

If the Audi Virtual Cockpit isn't REVOLUTIONARY then I don't know what the meaning of the word is. Only one brand (Mercedes Benz) comes even close, but the devil is in the details. Audi has a much more capable design than any other manufacture without questions. And this is the first design. Can you imagine what the replacement display with improvements will be like to use?!?! Just because you have a digital dash doesn't mean you have a Virtual Cockpit....no way.

smacky

Maybe I haven't experienced the VC fully then. To me, VC simply means the cluster being digitized. I'll agree that the UI is much better than what I've seen in other offerings, but a lot of the services you mention come at a premium, don't they? Once the trial for Audi Connect, or whatever it's called, runs out, it's a monthly or yearly fee to maintain access to those, right? Maps, traffic, and all other internet services. I know the cost of these services is not what we're debating but these features are still available in other brands and not just the Germans.

Traffic light wait time? I read about this feature when Audi previewed it before its release a few years back. I didn't realize that had come to fruition. How do I see this information? Maybe it's because I use Android Auto all the time, whether it be to play music or to navigate. AA doesn't get me the map on the VC, which is a bummer, so I don't get to see what you're saying because of that.

About the MB's digital cluster, it was introduced on the W222 S Class but it was handed down to the rest of the line of cars soon after. I think 2015 or 16 saw it on the C Class and the E Class got it as well for its refresh a year or so ago. So it wasn't limited to just the flagship MB model for long.

Maybe I need to play more with the VC and see what it is you're saying. I did vouch for the VC in this thread, but that was simply because I don't use DAP nearly as often as others do and it's something that varies by person and how they drive. I still liked the VC's UI which is better than most of the other brands' but there his a caveat that to fully enjoy the VC, you would need to have a subscription to the data plan for your car. And at the same time, Android Auto gives me the same information, for free, so long as I plug my phone in to the car's USB. Or most of the information, at least. Weather and Google Voice Search being the main things I use for Navigation purposes.

sr007

The traffic light info is only available is some areas. Check this thread for more info -
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q7-...ation-2910693/

Wires

I do like the VC, but I'm with smacky. It is basically a tablet on the dash. Sure, it's flexible, and works smooth as glass, but it's still just a LCD display. They have did a beautiful job on the layout and organization though.

farmerjones

Yeah....a tablet on the dash that does things no other car on the market can do, and what other cars can do it does better. I guess if all you want is to look at the speedometer and radio station then yep....pretty unimpressive. But if you want to use it daily for all of the high-end features it has to offer then yes, it's revolutionary to what else is offered out there. If you are not leveraging the Google Search voice commands you are missing out on an incredible level of functionality. I can Google Search most destinations by voice and click once to start navigation....no entering in numbers or letters by hand or taking my hands off the wheel...I find that impressive. As is looking on the VC to see if a parking garage is currently full or has open spaces.

For the record it does depend on what year you get VC on how you pay. My 2016 TT included a set data allowance for free...I'll never pay a cent during my lease to use any Google/premium feature, so personally there is no added cost to use all these features.

I'm pretty sure most people haven't actually read the owners manual on all of the capabilities of the VC, so some go unused, and others could care less about the features. If you don't care about whiz-bang and want basics then yes, skip the VC. But likely people who want basic would likely be won over after owning and fully understood the entire capabilities and lived with it for a few months. Personally I use the navigation all the time, and the sophistication of the VC Google Maps reconfigurability and ease of functions makes me skeptical I would ever enjoy another car without similar capabilities (and thats' not many to choose from).

As for MB the only cars on the street TODAY with digital dashes are the E and S-class....their two most expensive cars. By the end of year the only vehicle not on the street from Audi with the availability of VC will be the Q3 which comes next year, otherwise ever car and SUV has it, even the entry level A3. MB has it in 2 cars today, and not one SUV....I'd say Audi is WAY ahead on rolling out this feature.

timshuwy

While it might be a "tablet in the dash".. it is a totally connected one... and beautiful in design.
VW announced that their new Atlas also has a VC, BUT, in looking at demonstrations (VW's website) it is NOT as well done... very simplified version of the VC. Not as much available information, the "wide map navigation view" might be wider that their normal view, but is nowhere is big as 2018 Audi Q7's (although VW can store preferred VC Setup for up to 4 drivers)

Force-1