Text by Tom Appel
Text by Tom Appel2025 Audi Q7 55 TFSI quattro Prestige
Specs
Class: Premium Midsize Crossover
Color: Tamarind Brown
Seating Capacity: 7
Miles driven: 161
Real-world fuel economy: 20.6 mpg
| CG Report Card | |
|---|---|
| Room and Comfort | B+ |
| Power and Performance | B |
| Fit and Finish | A |
| Fuel Economy | B |
| Value | B- |
| Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide’s impressions of the entire model lineup. | |
| Big & Tall Comfort | |
| Big Guy | A |
| Tall Guy | A |
| Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. “Big” rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, “Tall” rating based on 6’6″-tall male tester. | |
| Drivetrain | |
| Engine Specs | 335-horsepower 3.0-liter |
| Engine Type | Turbocharged V6 |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic |
| Drive Wheels | AWD |
Driving mix: 60% city, 40% highway
EPA-estimated fuel economy: 18/23/20 (city, highway, combined)
Fuel type: Premium gas
Base price: $65,800 (not including $1195 destination charge)
Options on test vehicle: Special paint ($595), Prestige Package ($12,100), Bang & Olufsen Advanced audio system ($4900), Black Optic Package ($2100), All-Wheel Steering ($1350), trailer hitch ($750)
Price as tested: $88,790
Pros and Cons
The great: Mechanical refinement, room and comfort
The good: Power, ride and handling
The not so good: Pricey options
Review
The first thing my wife did upon entering the Q7 was to take the key from me and slot it into the console port designed precisely to fit the fob. Sometimes, it’s the little things. And, indeed, the Audi Q7 experience is more about taking pleasure in the countless minor attributes that make this midsize Audi a great luxury crossover, and ignoring the few data points that might suggest that segment offerings from BMW, Genesis, or Mercedes-Benz are the more compelling picks.
Competition
The BMW X5 boasts 375 standard horsepower, for example, as does the Genesis GV80. The Mercedes GLE is offered with a standard 255-horsepower four, but in V6 trim serves up 362. Meanwhile the 2025 Q7 is offered with a 261-horse four, or a 335-horsepower turbocharged V6. Decent power, but not bragging rights kind of muscle.
But Audi has chosen a unique path for the Q7, and it is not one of high horsepower, or edgy (think BMW) handing. Instead, it is one of quiet, competent refinement, and it doesn’t take an especially long test drive to appreciate where the brand has taken its popular 3-row crossover.
One knock on the Q7 is its age. Last updated for 2016, the current-generation Q7 has only been freshened twice, once in 2020, and again for 2025. That said, the most recent round of updates is relatively minor, including mostly exterior styling tweaks, and updated infotainment software.
But there’s more here to love than power or cutting-edge connectivity.
Engines
About the lineup: For 2025, the Q7 portfolio is again organized by powertrain. The trim levels are divided into “45” (4-cylinder) and “55” (V6) models, each of which can be had in Premium and Premium Plus trim. Offered exclusively as 55 is the Prestige trim level, which claims a number of exclusive features, including standard Adaptive Air Suspension.
Also offered in the SQ7, a high-performance V8-powered Q7 flagship.
Prices and Trim Levels
Base prices for the Q7, not including the SQ7, range from $61,795 to $79,195, including destination charge.
To keep things confusing, Audi prices the Premium Plus and Prestige trim levels as packages, though markets them as individual models. This can make reviewing individual winder stickers confusing at first.
Power for 45 models comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged four rated at 261 horsepower. The 55s enjoy more power courtesy of a 335-horse 3.0-liter turbocharged V6. Both engines require premium fuel. The SQ7 features a 500-horse 4.0-liter V8. All Q7 variants make use of an 8-speed automatic transmission and come with AWD. Premium-grade gas is required for all three engines.
Test Car
Consumer Guide recently spent a week behind the wheel of a 2025 Q7 Prestige fitted with a number of significant options and painted extra-cost Tamarind Brown. Including destination charge, our test car came in $88,780. Not a small sum of money.
Connectivity
As noted above, Audi has been slow to significantly update the Q7, which is apparent immediately upon entering the vehicle. Unlike most recently freshened premium rides, and many mainstream examples, Audi has not adopted the single-pane infotainment/instrument panel screen. Instead, the Q7 retains its console touchscreen, “haptic”-response climate controls, and independent instrument panel. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this arrangement, unless you’re especially drawn to the look of newer systems. You can check out the new Genesis GV80 screen setup here.
Cabin
We’ve spent a lot of time of late celebrating the premium look and feel of Genesis cabins, many of which we have compared to the interiors of Bentley products. And while the Q7 cabin does not immediately scream “luxury,” it is remarkable in its own right. Not only are all visibility materials of top-notch stuff, the assembly quality is apparently excellent. Additionally, the switchgear that requires turning or clicking has a premium, well-machined feel, a sense of substance that has disappeared from the controls of many luxury makes.
None of this is to say that the Q7 cabin isn’t great looking—it is, just in a manner more subtle than those found in other luxury crossovers.
And while somewhat dated, the Q7 infotainment system works well, and is easy to read and manipulate. We don’t especially like the lower-screen climate controls, which can be slow to respond to touch inputs, but it works well enough, and does provide simple-enough operation.
Fit and Finish
The Q7 is second to no crossover, luxury or otherwise in terms of driver or passenger comfort. Entering and exiting the cabin is simple enough, and there’s plenty of room for four adults once situated. Space is more limited in the 3rd-row, and re recommend limiting its use to the younger and more spry members of your traveling party.
Power and Performance
Underway the Q7 shines. Though no powerhouse on paper, the midsize Audi pulls cleanly from a stop, and serves up ample passing and merging power. More impressive is how smoothly—almost regally—the Q7 delivers that power. The turbocharged V6, which is otherwise silent, sounds like fine machinery when tapped for extra power. Likewise, the 8-speed automatic transmission is polished in operation, and is always in the right gear.
Ride and Handling
Where the Q7 shines brightest is in the ride and handling department. Even on rough and broken surfaces, the Q7 is a case study in chassis sophistication, balancing ride comfort with handling control better than almost any other new vehicle on the market.
The steering and brakes offer enthusiast drivers a sense of control that elevates the Q7 from simple people mover to sporty commuter, should you choose to get home from the office a little sooner than usual. Note that our test car was equipped with the aforementioned Adaptive Air Suspension, and we suspect the systems contribution to our test cars sporty character is significant.
Audio System
A quick note about the very-expensive Bang & Olufsen Advanced-branded sound system: It’s incredible. Whether or not it’s worth the $4900 asking price over the standard B&O setup depends on how serious you are about music. But this author—a man of modest means—found the Advanced audio option among the best systems he’s heard in a long time, and perfect for the mid-century jazz he’s so fond of.
Value
The 2025 Audi Q7 Prestige works its magic in a sneaky way. The midsize Audi doesn’t immediately blow you way. Instead, it creeps up on you. It does everything so well, that nothing seems outstanding—until you speed time with it. Like the key-fob holder in the center console, it’s the little things. And in the Q7’s case, there are lots of little things to love.
Listen to the Car Stuff Podcast
2025 Audi Q7 Prestige Pictures
Click below for enlarged images
2024 BMW X5 M60i: Review, Prices, and Specs
Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast Episode 255: Manhattan Congestion Fee, New Nissan Kicks, Most-Reliable Car Brands
