The Audi A7 is the most beautiful four-door luxury car you can buy at a reasonable price. What do you need to know before you buy an Audi A7? Don’t worry, we’ll tell you everything right here in our Buyer’s Guide.
On his show Dirty Jobs, host Mike Rowe once made the joke: “Why does a chicken coop only have two doors? Because if it had four doors, it would be a chicken sedan.”
It’s a great joke, except that the Germans have ruined the punchline with “four-door coupes” like the Passat CC, BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe, Mercedes CLS and, of course, the Audi A7.
The technical full name for Audi’s A7 is the “Audi A7 Sportback.” But many lump it into the “four-door coupe” class, a class which seems like a bit of paradox and really compromises what was otherwise a fine corny joke. It’s a true shame.
What isn’t a true shame is what popular rap musicians would refer to as “dat ass.” Yes, the Audi A7 has the finest rear end in all of luxury sedan-dom. The front ain’t bad either. And neither is the interior.
Fine, the Audi A7 is simply gorgeous from every angle. And somehow, it starts at under 70 large.
What’s New About The 2016 Audi A7
The Volkswagen MLB-based Audi A7 Sportback has been gracing American roads with its beautifully arched rear end since 2011 as a 2012 model year. That car launched with a 310 horsepower 3.0-liter supercharged V6 and styling that makes us weak at the knees.
In 2013, Audi debuted its turbocharged 4.0-liter V8-powered S7 with a 414 horsepower, 406 lb-ft of torque.
The next year, the RS7 came into the picture with a more potent version of that 4.0-liter turbo V8 and Audi debuted the new TDI, with a 3.0-liter torque-monster of a diesel engine.
For 2015, Audi added a few standard features, but overall change was minor. 2016, though, is a different story.
The A7 sees a significant refresh in 2016, getting a new front fascia with revised headlights, grille and bumper. The rear gets new LED tail lights, an adaptive spoiler and trapezoidal exhaust tips and on the sides, the sills get wider and tighter for a “sportier” appearance.
Other changes for 2016 include more power for the 3.0-liter turbo V6 gas engine and the S7’s 4.0-liter turbo V8, an optional sport exhaust system for the S7, a retuned all-wheel drive system for the S7, revised infotainment systems, new driver assist systems and new interior colors.
Oh, and even with the 2016 refresh, the A7 is still as drop-dead gorgeous as it ever was.
Which One We’d Buy
The Audi A7 comes in base A7 for or Prestige form. There’s also the sportier S7 and the even sportier RS7.
If it’s us, though, we’d go with an A7 Prestige with the diesel. The prestige adds perforated ventilated power seats, BOSE 14-speaker surround sound and a head-up display to the standard A7 for a premium of $2,650. The diesel, which costs about $2,100 more than the gas, only makes 240 horsepower, but it still gets to 60 in a quick 5.6 seconds. It also gets 30 MPG combined compared to the base 3.0-liter turbo gas engine’s 24. All in, we’d be looking at a bill of $73,050.
UPDATE: As of mid November, we can’t buy the 3.0-liter diesel-powered A7 due to the Dieselgate stop-sale, so that means we’ll have to grab the 450 horsepower V8-powered S7. It still gets a respectable 27 MPG on the highway, and scoots the big sedan to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. Like the A7 Prestige, it comes decked out leather seats, 14-speaker Bose surround sound, LED headlights, a head-up display, and four-zone climate control, but it also adds unique S7 fascias in the front and rear, bigger brakes and S-tuned adaptive air suspension.
To pay for that gorgeous S7, we’d have to unload $82,900. That’s not bad for a stunning, quick feature-rich vehicle that looks like it costs twice that.
[Build Your Own Audi A7] [Build Your Own S7] [Build Your Own RS7]
Important Facts At A Glance:
MSRP: $68,300 - $108,900 Top Speed: 174 MPH [RS7]
Acceleration: ~3.7s to 60 [RS7]
MPG: 25 city/ 38 hwy / 30 combined [TDI]
Engines: Supercharged 3.0L V6, 3.0L Turbodiesel, 4.0L Turbo V8
Max Horsepower/Torque: 560 hp/516 lb-ft [RS7]
Curb Weight: ~4,288-4,564 pounds IIHS Rating: NA
Transmissions: 8-speed automatic, 7-speed automatic
Drivetrain Layout: Front engine, AWD
Photo credit: Audi