WesQ7

Just wanted to stop by and say hello. Just picked up our new Q7 yesterday and love it so far. Posted a picture, so hopefully that shows up. Got Glacier white with black leather. Really like the color and spec. Got the vast majority of the options except for the B&O stereo and night vision. Have the luxury package, drivers assistance, air suspension, 21 inch wheels, black alcantara headliner, etc.

Very happy with this purchase and did lots of research comparing with the new Volvo XC90, new Mercedes GLS 450, and BMW X5 M-Sport 5.0 with third row. The Audi was the best to drive in terms of its feel/handling and overall integrated tech. If anyone has any questions on the comparison with the others I would be happy to answer the best I can. I am really happy that we went for the air suspension, as the turning radius is amazing and the rid in comfort is a bit more compliant (while still handling well). Haven't tried all the auto cruise control stuff in traffic yet, but will get to that soon. Also, if anyone is debating the B&O stereo vs. the Bose, I have heard both and can say that while the B&O is certainly better, it is not worth the extra $5K. The Bose is a really good system and is better than anything else I have had in the past in any car.

All of the tech is great, but do have a couple of questions. Mostly around Carplay. When my phone is plugged into the USB port, it seems that I can only access phone functions while in the Carplay menu and cannot access in the regular phone menu. Are others having this issue as well? Also, I have set the maps to the Google Earth view, but whenever I turn off the car and start it again, the map goes back to the non-Google Earth view. Is there a setting that leaves the map in Google Earth all the time?

Really loving the car. Let me know if anyone has questions.

Cadx6

I knew the new Q7 had tons of new, space age technology - but anti-gravity ?
Seriously - gorgeous car - but I'm biased - that's exactly what mine is going to look like when & if it gets here.

AudiByNature

Other than your car being upside down - great post! ;-)

I really don't like the Bose in my car, but agree that the cost of the B&O is probably not justified. I'll be looking into other solutions.

Congrats - love the color and the wheels!

WesQ7

Yikes, sorry about the anti-gravity pic. Not sure what happened there

mrho888

I thought I was sold on Graphite Gray, but now you're giving me second thoughts . . . Car looks smoking hot.

Your car looks a bit lower than the others that I've seen on the forum? I don't think it's just the 21" rims. Do you have the air suspension, and did you set it to Dynamic before you took the pic?

Just wondering.

WesQ7

Thanks! Really loving the Glacier white and am very happy I got it. I was originally going to get the grey (and that looks really good as well), but a my dealer surprised me by saying that the Glacier white became available with all of my options exactly as I wanted them. So I took it without hesitating. The Glacier looks even better in person, as the white has nice metallic flecks which stand out in direct sunlight.

In terms of the suspension, yes, I do have the air suspension. I am note 100% sure on this, but I believe that the car automatically lowers to the lowest suspension ride height when you put it in park in order to make it easier to get out. Really loving the air suspension so far. It is a costly option at $4K, but I am very happy to have gone for it. Also, as you mentioned, the car rides in its lowest ride height when set to 'Dynamic'. Really drives more like a sporty large sedan in that setting.

WesQ7

So I figured out the Google Earth view issue. Seems like you just have to scroll to map on the drivers view screen when you start the car and it changes right back to Google Earth. A bit weird, but has worked right away every time now.

Also, the drivers assistance cruise control really seems to work pretty well. Once set, it just maintains your pre-selected distance between you and the car in front of you with very light braking. It also automatically accelerates the car lightly again once the other car gets a bit further forward. It is actually very intuitive and doesn't cause any interference. I might use this setting a lot in heavy traffic. I didn't really expect to like it, but it seems to work very well.

ksalno

Wes,
Congrats on a great looking SUV. I'd be interested in your comparison to the GLS450. I am coming out of a GL 350 Blutec, which we love and has been quite dependable and goes anywhere in the show. I'm looking at the new GLS350 for the diesel, since the Q7 TDI is delayed for an uncertain amount of time. I haven't seen a GLS in person but comparing the Q7 to my GL and the GLS spec sheet, it appears the GL has a lot more room in the third row and behind the 2nd row for storage and a diesel available in March. The Q7 seems to have a lot better technology, it's lighter (so theoretically will get better mpg when the TDI is available), and drives/handles better.

What was your assessment that tipped you to the Q7 over the GLS450?

WesQ7

Thanks! One thing I must mention with regards to the GLS450 is that I have not driven it or seen it in person yet since I do not believe they arrive until March. However, I did extensively drive a new 2015 GL450 to get a feel for the car. Also, I was told that the interior of the new GLS is very similar to the new GLE in terms of the NAV screen and tech, as well as the interior. So I checked out the functionality of the GLE to try and get a sense of what the GLS would be like in terms of the tech and interior.

In terms of the overall roominess of the GL/GLS, it is certainly bigger than the Q7 and the car sits much higher. The third row also has a decent amount more leg room than the Q7, but probably not as much as you would expect. But if putting adults in the third row for an extended amount of time is a priority, then I think the GL/GLS clearly has the Q7 beat. For me the third row was important, but my 9 and 6 year old girls will be the main passengers back there and they have plenty of space. The GL/GLS as has much more trunk space with the third row up than the Q7. So again, for long trips with the third row up, the GL/GLS has the advantage. But the Q7 does have a decent amount of storage space for its size. The seats also all fold over individually, so it is easy to unlock more space if carrying less than seven passengers. I also felt like the Prestige version of the Q7 with the luxury package clearly had the GL beat when it came to interior quality and overall interior dynamics.

When talking about driving dynamics, the GL/GLS drove well for a vehicle of its size. Engine response was decent, but you can certainly tell that this is a heavy vehicle. Handling was decent as well for a vehicle of this size as I am sure you know (well beyond larger SUVs like a Tahoe and the Lexus LX). However, the Q7 is on another level when it comes to handling and even performance. It just feels much lighter than it is and feels like a much smaller vehicle. In fact, in Dynamic mode it feels much more like a sporty luxury sedan (beyond anything else in its class that we drove). Can't comment on how the diesel version will eventually feel, but given the VW diesel issues, who knows how long it will be before the diesel version of the Q7 makes it to our shores. Also, as you noted, the tech in the Q7 seems to be well beyond what is available in other similar cars, but it is all very usable and there are still easy to use buttons for most of the basic interior functions. I will note that the NAV screen that is coming for the GLS is a big improvement over the GL and now has a touchpad interface that seemed easy to use when testing it on the GLE. But even the new NAV screen on the Merc feels dated compared to the Audi.

Overall the GLS is certainly a better choice if luggage space and third row space is your top priority. However, if you can live with less third row and luggage space, then the Q7 beats the Merc in most categories and is a truly new car compared to a mild facelift for the GLS. It seems like one of the big issues you are facing is around the diesel engine. As noted before, it could be a long time before a Q7 diesel comes here, while the GLS diesel will be here from the start. So if you need a new diesel now, it would appear that the Q7 is not really an option. But the current 3.0T version of the Q7 is a great car and certainly worth checking out.

ksalno

Thanks, Wes, a very thoughtful analysis. I agree with your points. The other thing I noted in perusing the GLS order guide is that all the best options for handling, looks, etc are not available on the diesel GLS350. It's almost like their marketing people think of the 350 as their "stripper" model for those who can't afford a 450 or 550. I'm sure this is not the case in Europe but MBUSA seems to have a dim view of its diesel customers. I have under 60K miles on my 2010 GL, so I am not desperate to do something right now. Maybe I will wait to see when the Q7 TDI will be available and see how ANA decides to package it. I suspect Mercedes will also have to response to Audi with an all new GLS within a couple of years, so I will keep an eye out for that was well. I don't use the 3rd row very often but when I do, it's usually with adults and I really like the higher stance and larger load capacity, which I do use more often. Thanks again for your insight.