What is the best car? It must be the ‘Car of the Year,’ right! What are the attributes of the Car of the Year? Ask different magazines and automotive authorities and you might well get a number of different answers.
When people occasionally ask me – what is the best car? I do not give them an answer but rather I ask a question? What are ‘your’ driving needs? If this question is not answered by the inquirer, I know that my ‘best car’ response could be off the road in satisfying their transportation needs.
Actually, there are a number of best cars or vehicles. So the Car of the Year ‘winner’ is the source’s general consensus pick. Other vehicles would likely be in the spotlight in regard to a specific driving need – fuel economy, pure looks, pure functionality, most features, best value, most innovative, etc., etc. As you can see, the list can go on quite far down the road!
So what does the 2012 Audi A7 offer that made Automobile Magazine give it their thumps up?
First off, Automobile said that the A7 looks better and better the more you see the car in person rather than in photos. The front styling is bold with a grille that takes up 2/3rds of the front. At the top there are well integrated headlights and (about the same size as the headlights) two lower air intakes. At the side, the car’s profile is very sleek as the hatch stretches back the rear glass. Upper (at the door handles) and lower door cut lines add to the look of length and strength. At the rear, the rear hatch glass is almost flat. Furthermore, the hatch has a spoiler at its edge and it is squared off enough to have a trunk like profile. The rear taillights have somewhat of a Mercedes C-Class look. Dual exhausts at the lower corners complete the look. The A7’s wheelbase measures 114.7 inches.
Overall, the Audi A7 has a highly sophisticated look. It mixes aggressiveness (at the front) with elegance (at the side) and uniqueness (at the rear) with functionality and practicality. And why point all this car ‘uniqueness’ out? Other automakers will likely follow Audi’s recipe to provide sedan/truck looking back ends but that swing upward (in a hatch format) from the top of the rear window.
Inside this Audi provides a sport/luxury driving environment. The seats and materials are some of the best in the class and the fit, finish, and attention to detail are impeccable. The 40/60 split rear seat folds down. With the seat up, there is 24.5 cubic feet of space. And when the rear seat is folded there is an SUV like 49 cubic feet of space. So the A7 pampers and provides the ride of a limousine but it has the cargo capacity and easy loading attributes of an SUV.
As for the Audi A7’s powertrain (engine and transmission), Automobile stated that the Car of the Year winner is equipped with a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 engine providing 310 hp and 325 ft. lb. of torque. The power is fed to the pavement through Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive system and a center limited slip differential.
Shouldn’t a car that weights over 4,100 lbs. be equipped with a V8 engine? No! The V6 mill allows the Audi A7 to do 0-60 mph in a quick 4.7 seconds. The transmission is an eight-speed automatic that keeps the engine in the powerband at almost any speed and driving situation. And the A7’s gas mileage is up to 28 mpg on the highway!
As we can see, The A7 won Automobile’s heart by covering so many bases very well indeed.
The brakes are vented discs at each corner measuring 14 inches at the front and 13 inches at the rear. The A7’s 60-0 mph stopping distance is in a short 102 feet. The tires measure 265 30 20 inch.
The suspension at the front includes multi-links, coil springs, gas shock absorbers, and an anti-roll bar. At the back the suspension setup includes trapezoidal-links plus coil springs, gas shock absorbers, and an anti-roll bar.
Standard features on the A7 include power windows, door locks and mirrors (heated), intermittent wipers, rear defogger, three zone climate control, rear ventilation ducts with fan control, remote anti-alarm system, power rear seat easy entry, retained accessory power, 12 volt power outlet, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, audio controls on the steering wheel, universal remote transmitter (for garage door, security system, etc.), front and rear reading lights, compass, interior air filtration, external temperature display, dusk sensing headlights, 8-way power leather seats, cruise control, console with storage, Bluethooth, a nine speaker sound system that includes AM/FM/CD player, auxiliary MP3 audio input, pre-wired for phone, Sirius XM satellite radio, memory card slot, radio data system, USB connection, auxiliary audio input and more. .
Safety features on the A7 include ABS brakes, post collision safety system, electronic brake force distribution, emergency brake assist, traction and stability control, dual front with head protection chambers side mounted air bags, rear side air bags, passenger air bag occupant sensing deactivation, remote anti-theft alarm system, daytime running lights, child seat anchors, tire pressure monitoring and more.
On the road this Audi provides buttoned down handling that has a rear-wheel bias. When the driving conditions dictate, the front wheels accept more of the car’s power. Thus, it provides an excellent sure-footed drive even is poor weather conditions. With its eight-speed transmission and quick responding supercharged engine, the A7 simply eats up the miles on the Interstate. In town the A7 provides a smooth ride by soaking up bumps. Overall, it provides a highly sporting character with luxury, comfort and practicality.
The fuel rating of the A7 is 19 city and 28 mpg highway.
The A7’s warranty is 4 years 50,000 miles bumper-to-bumper and 4 year 50,000 miles on the powetrain (engine and transmission).
The Audi A7’s base price is $60,125. There is a reason that the Audi A7 can commend this price. It can be different things to different drivers. However, all drivers will likely say ‘well done’ as they have a smile on their face when driving this car. The Audi A7 is thus a Car of the Year winner.
If you want it all, a test drive will help you to see that the 2012 Audi A7 can just about do it all!
View the slideshow to see the 2012 Audi A7 inside and out!
Kyle Busch is the author of “Drive the Best for the Price: How to Buy a Used Automobile, Sport-Utility Vehicle, or Minivan and Save Money.” He welcomes your comments or car questions at his newly redesigned auto web site: www.drivethebestbook.com. Follow Kyle on Facebook and Twitter.