Used Audi A7 2018-2024 review

What's the used Audi A7 like?

The market for rakish coupés is currently on life support, with sales shrinking in the face of more practical opposition. However, this generation of the Audi A7 fits the bill as a four or five-door coupé, offers immense style and was on sale from 2018-2024, so there are plenty for sale on the used market. It's suave, comfortable and packed with high tech.

Engines: There are two petrol and three diesel options, available in either turbocharged 2.0-litre or 3.0-litre forms. The 2.0-litre models are available with or without quattro four-wheel drive and get a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, while the 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel gets an eight-speed torque converter and quattro as standard. Mild-hybrid technology that helps to save fuel is reserved for the 55 TFSI petrol and 50 TDI diesel.

Overview

While the twin touchscreen infotainment system is far more distracting than the one of its predecessor, the second-generation Audi A7 is a highly competent and very advanced car with plenty of coupé styling tropes to please onlookers. Only reliability could be an issue.

Pros

• Strong engines right across the range
• High-quality interior with good use of high-quaity materials
• Generous amount of standard equipment

Cons

• Fiddly infotainment system
• Slow accelerator and gearbox response in some models
• Safe but hardly exciting handling

Used cars available now

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Audi A7

2.0 TFSI 45 Sport Sportback S Tronic Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£11,595

Audi A7

2.0 TDI 40 S line Sportback S Tronic Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£17,990

Audi A7

3.0 TDI V6 45 S line Sportback Tiptronic quattro Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£17,995

Audi A7

3.0 TDI V6 50 S line Sportback Tiptronic quattro Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£18,495

Audi A7

3.0 TDI V6 45 S line Sportback Tiptronic quattro Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£18,555

Audi A7

3.0 TDI V6 45 S line Sportback Tiptronic quattro Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£18,950

Audi A7

3.0 TDI V6 50 S line Sportback Tiptronic quattro Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£18,990

Audi A7

2.0 TDI 40 Sport Edition Sportback S Tronic quattro Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

RRP £49,685

£18,995

Audi A7

3.0 TDI V6 50 S line Sportback Tiptronic quattro Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£19,490

See all available cars

Ride & handling: Don’t expect engaging driving dynamics, because the A7 has been set up to provide safe and predictable handling above all else. Four-wheel drive models have plenty of traction in even the trickiest of weather conditions, plus there is enough grip for the A7 to hang onto the apex of a corner with little deviation. However, you do feel removed from the process of piloting the A7 and this may upset keen drivers.

Also, you end up having to put your foot down more in the A7 than you’d expect in order to get the car to accelerate quickly enough to make a particular gap to merge into traffic. This is because both the seven and eight-speed autos are reluctant to kick down, and the accelerator response of all models has been dulled in order to improve fuel economy and emissions levels. This can be improved if you put the engine in dynamic mode and the gearbox into its sport setting, but even then it still can’t beat the responsiveness of the Mercedes CLS.

Interior & practicality: Happily, the A7 can trounce the CLS for practicality. The Audi has a massive boot and a much more useful hatchback opening to get larger items in, particularly useful if you need to put a child’s pushchair in there. The rear seats can be made fold down in a 40/20/40 split, increasing versatility further.

Passenger accommodation is only an issue if you happen to be over six-foot tall and you’re sitting in the back, but on the whole, there’s lots of leg and shoulder room for all. Oddments storage has been well thought out; you get deep door pockets, a large centre console and cupholders for all. The interior is also beautifully assembled and adorned with sumptuous finishes throughout.

However, while it may look like a tech-lovers paradise, with conventional buttons swept away in favour of a twin touchscreen set-up, this space-age dashboard isn't the most intuitive in use. The topmost screen deals with infotainment, sat-nav and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring; the lower display operates the climate control, heated seats and other minor functions. Unfortunately, you have to look away from the road in order to touch the control icons on either screen, and this can be distracting while driving. The interior of the previous generation 2010-2017 Audi A7 was far easier to use.

Trims & equipment: The old A7 certainly didn’t come with as much equipment as the latest version, though. Sport is the entry-level model and comes with a virtual cockpit digital display, LED head and rear lights, leather seats, 19in alloy wheels, front and rear parking sensors plus a reversing camera. S line is a little bit sportier with alcantara trim, bigger 20in alloys, sports suspension and matrix LED headlights, while Black edition replaces all chrome exterior details with black alternatives. Top-of-the-range Vorsprung A7s have 21in wheels, adaptive air suspension with four-wheel steering plus an uprated Bang and Olufsen stereo.

Ownership cost

What used Audi A7 will I get for my budget?

Prices for a used A7 at the time of writing start at £20,000 for a 2018 model. Spend between £20,000 and £25,000 on a good car from 2019 or 2020, £25,000 to £30,000 on a 2021 or 2022 model, £30,000 or more on a 2023 or 2024 car.

To keep up to date with used prices, use our free valuation tool to make sure you are getting the best deal.

Check the value of a used Audi A7 with What Car? Valuations

Our recommendations

Which used Audi A7 should I buy?

Engine

The entry-level petrol might be good for company car drivers in the market for a new car, but there aren’t many on the used market at the moment. There are plenty of diesels, however, and if your budget can stretch to the most powerful 50 TDI, you won’t regret it; it offers a lot of performance yet its running costs are similar to those of the lesser 45 TDI.

Specification

We would suggest you go for a Sport because it has all the equipment you could ever need and is a good compromise if you value comfort. S line adds sports suspension and 20in wheels that do nothing for ride quality, while the Vorsprung is quite costly and its standard air suspension doesn’t cope with low-speed lumps and bumps as well as it should.

Our favourite Audi A7: 50 TDI Sport

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Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Audi A7?

If practicality is your major concern, you’ll need to buy a 2017-2020 BMW 6 Series GT. We were able to fit nine suitcases into the back of it – one more than the A7 will take. Plus, the 6 GT has near-limo levels of rear leg room for passengers to stretch out in.

Aside from having a firm ride that doesn’t befit a luxury car, the Mercedes CLS is a fine car, and one that possesses all the latest technology and some seriously strong engine options. The A7 is still more practical overall, due to its hatchback rear opening, which allows larger items to be loaded.

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