2007 Audi Q7 3.6

2007 Audi Q7 3.6 - Audi’s new Q7 is a perfect case in point. Its 3.6-liter VR6 sports 280 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque and is coupled to the same smooth six-speed automatic used in the 350-hp V-8 model. With about 300 fewer pounds to motivate than the last Q7 V-8 we tested, the V-6 was only 0.4 second slower to 60 mph at 7.9 seconds. In fact, until you exceed 70 mph, you hardly notice the two missing cylinders. Get into the mountains, however, as we did near the 11,112-foot Eisenhower Tunnel on the way from Denver to the Keystone ski area, and the V-6 labors to overcome the burdens of thin air and the Q7’s 5227-pound curb weight, plus some 600 pounds of Csere family, ski equipment, and luggage.

The Q7 has the visual feel of a mid-size sport-ute, owing to its 68.4-inch height, but it casts a large shadow at 78.1 inches wide and 200.2 inches long. That’s almost 10 inches longer than an Acura MDX, and although the Q7’s third row isn’t any more suited to adults than the Acura’s, the Audi’s cabin is long enough to swallow a ski bag lengthwise behind the front seats. In most mid-size SUVs, such a bag would be poking between the front seats.

If you need more carrying capacity than you’d find in the average mid-size SUV but don’t want a vehicle that looks giganto, the Q7 is a good choice. But there will be times when you’ll feel the extra weight and length that come with the extra capacity.