Gotta love that profile.
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If for some cause you simply cannot soar on the RS6 Avant bandwagon (pun completely meant), Audi has another choice for you: the RS7. With its modern appears to be like, sharp dealing with and class-leading cabin tech, the Audi RS7 is among the finest all-around luxury-performance vehicles you should buy right this moment.
LikeTremendous V8 powerSharp dealing with thanks to straightforward efficiency hardwareBest-in-class multimedia tech
Don’t LikeNot as purposeful because the less-expensive RS6 Avant17 mpg mixed — yikes!Driver-assistance tech is not customary
The RS7 actually appears to be like the enterprise, all angular and imply, with broad shoulders and vast hips and that classically stunning Sportback silhouette. I’ll admit I nonetheless discover the taillights of the present A7/S7/RS7 fashions to be somewhat frumpy, however that is a small nit to select on an in any other case flawless design. Considering the final RS7 was somewhat too sedate-looking for its personal good, it is good to see Audi flexing a little bit of design muscle with this newest RS hatch.On the opposite hand, I’m equally glad Audi’s designers exercised loads of restraint when penning the RS7’s cabin. What might’ve been a multitude of pointless angles and overstyled surfaces is as a substitute fairly elegant. The inside is not actually all that totally different from what you get in the remainder of the A6 and A7 vary, however I’m not mad about it. The general aesthetic is clear and trendy, with tasteful accent stitching on the RS-specific seats and no superfluous buttons — simply flat, clear surfaces and screens, screens, screens.
Audi presently leads the cost on luxury-car cabin tech and it is simple to see why. The firm’s MMI Touch Response infotainment system is simple to function, with colourful tiles for essentially the most regularly used options, snappy response instances and a comparatively intuitive menu construction. The 10.1-inch display screen in the midst of the sprint homes the primary multimedia interface, and there is a secondary, 8.6-inch show under. That barely smaller display screen is the place you will discover local weather management capabilities and on-off switches for the stop-start system and varied driver-assistance options. The backside show additionally capabilities as a handwriting pill for straightforward vacation spot search or deal with entry. Open a nav search, write “tacos” and increase, you are off to lunch.The MMI interface is significantly strong, however you do not even want it more often than not. That’s as a result of the RS7 comes customary with Audi’s Virtual Cockpit digital gauge cluster, housed on a 12.3-inch display screen head of the steering wheel. This fundamental tech is perhaps just a few years outdated, however Virtual Cockpit remains to be the bomb, with Google Earth navigation overlays and easy controls for issues like telephone, audio and automobile knowledge through steering-wheel toggles.
Comfy and techy.
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Weirdly, whereas the RS7 comes with Audi’s finest multimedia tech choices, the entire good driver-assistance wizardry prices further. Yes, a 360-degree digital camera, parking sensors and ahead collision warning are customary, however full-speed adaptive cruise management, lane-keeping help, site visitors signal recognition and rear cross-traffic alert are all locked behind the $2,250 Driver Assistance Package. Why these things would not come customary on a six-figure luxurious automotive is past me, nevertheless it’s additionally not unusual, so no matter.
Then once more, it isn’t such as you’re shopping for an RS7 to let the computer systems take over each time you get behind the wheel. This factor completely rips, and you would be doing your self a disservice to not drive the pants off it each probability you get.The enjoyable begins with Audi’s 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 — the identical one you will discover in a bunch of different vehicles, together with the RS6 Avant. This engine sends 591 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque to all 4 wheels by way of Audi’s glorious Quattro all-wheel-drive system, leading to a 0-to-60-mph time of simply 3.5 seconds. That’s rattling fast.Shockingly, these large, 22-inch wheels do not spoil the journey.
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Happily, each RS7 will get Audi’s full roster of efficiency {hardware}, together with an adaptive air suspension, digital rear differential and four-wheel steering. The final two bits are significantly necessary, giving this all-wheel-drive automotive a little bit of rear-wheel-drive shove by way of corners, the rear-axle steering just about shortening the wheelbase whilst you slink by way of tight bends. The RS7 is an extremely agile factor, with properly weighted and communicative steering and strong energy from the usual metal brakes. You will pay $8,500 so as to add ceramic brakes with grey calipers, which supply a world of stopping energy, however I do not assume you will want this improve in day-to-day use. If you are monitoring your RS7 or regularly hitting triple-digit speeds, then positive, stay it up. For the remainder of you, simply follow the metal stoppers.Regardless of which brakes you select, they’re nestled behind completely huge wheels. The RS7’s customary setup wraps 21-inch wheels in 275/35 tires, however this tester has the optionally available 22-inch package deal with lower-profile 285/30 rubber. Audi says the 21s are the smallest-diameter wheels that can clear the RS7’s large brakes, and the 22s simply appear to be overkill by comparability. Thankfully, the air suspension is tuned to filter out plenty of the harshness you may in any other case count on from such an aggressive wheel-and-tire package deal. Whether you are rolling within the RS7’s Comfort or Dynamic modes, the journey high quality I noticed on Southern California roads is nice — easy and supple on the freeway however good and taut throughout sporty driving. I’m struggling to think about one other automotive that is as properly sorted whereas using on monumental wheels — except for the RS6 Avant, anyway.I’d personally reasonably have the wagon, however hey, you do you.
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In truth, the RS7 is all-around nicer to drive and stay with than its closest rivals, the BMW M8 Gran Coupe and Mercedes-AMG GT63. The Audi is just higher balanced and has sharper in-car tech, and this automotive’s Sportback form means it is extra capacious, with 24.7 cubic toes of house behind the rear seats and a complete lot extra in the event you fold them flat. The solely factor that comes shut is Audi’s personal RS6 Avant or a run-of-the-mill crossover. Why purchase a crossover when you might get this?Really, the RS7’s closest competitor is the aforementioned RS6. The RS7 is a little more costly, at $115,045 to start out (together with $1,045 for vacation spot) in comparison with the RS6’s $110,045. I personally cannot think about selecting the Sportback over the extra interesting-looking and extra purposeful Avant, however not everybody shares my opinion. No matter the roofline, Audi’s newest RS is a winner.