Audi Q7 Ground Clearance: What To Know
2018 Audi Q7 by EurovisionNim — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Audi Q7 is a premium luxury SUV with great technology and great performance. Of course, that is par for the course in the class, but it is still a relief to see that a reputable brand like Audi is always working on staying at the top of their game. And their largest offering lives up to the four rings badge.
With seating for 7, the Audi Q7 (see what they did there) is pretty big for the midsized luxury SUV segment, and it needs a big engine and big suspension to go with that. All three options have the first one covered; you can get a Q7 with a 248 horsepower 4-cylinder engine, a 335 horsepower turbocharged V6 engine, or even a twin-turbocharged V8 that packs 500 ponies under the hood.
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And the suspension is made just right, as it is touted for its precise, responsive handling even though the Q7’s ground clearance is 9.4 inches high. We’ll go over what that means for your driving experience as well as how it compares to other luxury SUVs and your standard midsized SUVs.
What can you do with an Audi Q7?
You should be able to take on just about any path you want to take with your Audi Q7. With 8 inches of ground clearance, only the roughest, worst maintained roads should pose little threat to the underside of your car.
It’s safe to assume that every driver has encountered a bumpy road or one full of potholes that just couldn’t be avoided, but even these minor obstructions shouldn’t cause any damage to your transmission, gas tank, or exhaust system. The Q7’s high ground clearance and 19-inch or larger wheels help get it over rough roads.
The Q7 is also pretty capable off the roads too. With 9.4 inches of ground clearance, you can take on some pretty rough dirt trails and paths that other luxury SUVs couldn’t handle. You still have to look out for big stones on the path or overgrown shrubs. Most dirt trails you drive down end up with wheel ruts from the paths other cars have taken before you, so rocks or young trees in between the ruts can end up surprisingly close to the undercarriage of your car and even cause some damage if you aren’t cautious enough.
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Also helping the Q7 off the roads are its standard all-wheel drive, allowing you to keep accelerating even when not all four wheels are firmly on the uneven ground, and the powerful engine options that all produce impressive levels of torque so you can move slowly and steadily over steeper inclines than most road vehicles.
That breakover angle can also be helpful when you are navigating the city streets. You can safely drive up even the steepest of ramps without worrying about bottoming out and scraping the bottom of the car on the peak of the ramp. This is rarely an issue even with lower cars, but it does happen occasionally, and when it does it can be expensive to repair. Or even worse, there have been cases of cars getting stuck on ramps, which means you have to deal with the damage to the car and the embarrassment of waiting for a tow truck to get your car unstuck.
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What can’t you do with an Audi Q7?
Outside of the ST trim, the Q7 isn’t the strongest off-road SUV. While the standard 19-inch wheels and all-wheel drive are good in a pinch, you shouldn’t go out seeking rough roads with steep inclines or mud. Even if you do have the twin-turbo V8 with AWD and large 20-inch wheels, you have to be cautious that you have enough traction and power to maneuver over trails, and you have to be vigilant looking for any large obstructions in the road.
Small shrubs can be more dangerous to the bottom of your car than you might expect, and on uneven ground you might not get a good sense of how big a rock is or how low your tires will be when you’re driving over it. Muddy patches of ground can also be surprisingly dangerous since they have very low traction and can even get caked into the treads of your tires, making your driving experience even less safe when you get back to dry ground.
The Audi Q7 is a great midsized SUV, but it isn’t specifically made for off-roading. That means you won’t be driving over any boulders or big steep hills. You also shouldn’t be driving across water in creeks or rivers, as the Audi Q7 isn’t rated for any fording depth. That means that the car isn’t high enough off the ground that its engine components can be deemed safe in any amount of water.
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How does it compare to the competition?
Midsize SUVs are typically far higher off the ground than the average sedan, or even small SUV. With 9.4 inches of ground clearance, the Audi Q7 has very high ground clearance compared to other luxury midsized SUVs.
The Volvo XC90 does offer the same 9.4 inches of ground clearance as the Q7, but competitors like the Lincoln Nautilus (7.9 inches), Acura MDX (7.3 inches), Cadillac XT5 (7.8 inches), Lexus GX 460 and RX 350 (8.1 inches each), and BMW X4 (7.2 inches) sit well lower than the Q7.
It also outdoes most non-luxury midsized SUVs, such as the Kia Telluride (8 inches), Toyota Highlander (8 inches), the Hyundai Santa Fe (8.2 inches) and Pallisade (7.9 inches), its fellow Honda Passport (8.1 inches), and the Audi Explorer (7.9 inches). Each of these SUVs are fairly capable vehicles that, while designed for the road, can surprise you with their off-road capabilities.
The Q7 even blows models like the Honda Pilot (with only 7.3 inches of ground clearance) and the Chevy Traverse (that sits only 7.5 inches above the ground at its lowest point) out of the water. The Q7 even has more ground clearance than some of the more off-road oriented cars like the Jeep Renegade (8.7 inches), the Subaru Crosstrek, Forester, and Outback (8.7 inches each), and standard configurations of the Bronco (8.4 inches) and Bronco Sport (8.8 inches).
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