MK1 Audi Q7

[ColdSyphon]

Hi chaps,

We're potentially going to be looking at buying a Q7 as a second car, most likely going to be the 3.0 TDI (though I'd love the 4.2 V8).

Is there anything to watch out for with these?

Drove one the other day, seemed to have been looked after fairly well and had a pretty good MOT history & fairly comprehensive service history, however the seller seems a bit iffy and a few questionable things have put me off.

Thanks for any help!

[PhilboSE]

They’re generally pretty robust. Suspension components take a beating and tyres wear very quickly if the tracking is out by even a whisker. Brake components are fairly expensive to replace so check how much life is in them.

The 4.2 V8 is a really good unit, the 3.0 is also good but some common issues to look out for.

There are lots out there so worth waiting to find a good one with a low owner count. Single owner well serviced and cared for examples are out there.

[ColdSyphon]

PhilboSE said:

They’re generally pretty robust. Suspension components take a beating and tyres wear very quickly if the tracking is out by even a whisker. Brake components are fairly expensive to replace so check how much life is in them.

The 4.2 V8 is a really good unit, the 3.0 is also good but some common issues to look out for.

There are lots out there so worth waiting to find a good one with a low owner count. Single owner well serviced and cared for examples are out there.

Thanks for taking the time to reply Phil. What're the common issues that affect the 3.0 unit? Are these things that should be OK given proper maintenance or is it the kind of thing covered by recalls? I'm hoping to persuade the mrs to go for the 4.2 if I can.

[PhilboSE]

Injectors are the main issues with the 3.0 but we’re not really talking about a weakness here. VAG made the 3.0 in huge numbers, it’s not a weak engine by any measure. I had a 4.2 for 8 years, it really suits the car and the mpg is only very slightly worse than the smaller engine, but it makes a huge difference to the pickup.

[ColdSyphon]

PhilboSE said:

Injectors are the main issues with the 3.0 but we’re not really talking about a weakness here. VAG made the 3.0 in huge numbers, it’s not a weak engine by any measure. I had a 4.2 for 8 years, it really suits the car and the mpg is only very slightly worse than the smaller engine, but it makes a huge difference to the pickup.

Thanks again Phil. Any options on these to look out for or are considered "must haves". A friend who owns a Q7 says the facelift models are the ones to get as you get the better Audi MMI.

[PhilboSE]

I had the pre-facelift model. The later one probably is the one to get as it has a newer gearbox (8 speed vs 6) which can eke out an extra mpg or two, different lights (probably better tech than the xenons I had as an option) and as you say the better MMI. Options really depend on preferences, but the original model needed to have quite expensive options added to get things like bluetooth. The satnav even in the car I had (it would be 12 years old now) was perfectly functional, obviously would be a bit out of date now and the screen smaller than everyone has got used to.

Personally I would buy on condition, service history and number of owners rather than mileage or age. A lot of families kept these for 5+ years from new with full service histories, those would be the ones I would look out for (as long as the interior condition is good). I sold mine (to get a latest gen model) at 8 years old and it was totally solid example that wore its miles really well.

The bigger wheels make the ride somewhat harsher, so I would recommend sticking to smaller wheels if you can find one. The dealer I sold mine to (I had zero private interest whatsoever) immediately stuck the biggest aftermarket rims on it and the side steps. It doesn't need either.