Gadgetory

now the a7 obviously slots between the a6 and the a8 and Audi's line but it's a very distinctive model known for its four doors coupe roofline and huge hatchback let's drive the 2012 Audi a7 and of course check the tape I'll be sleek a7 has been a bonafide hit since it joined the four-door coupe battle but that is still a battle in the larger war of car making still a niche bear in mind none of the cars in this class have the same rear passenger comfort as a sedan sibling partly thanks to the sloping roofline that tends to require the rear seat location be pushed forward howdy may have the most cohesively impressive cabin tech in the biz right now one example is how this car can span the task of navigation across the instrument panel screen on over to the center stack screen creating what could be the most powerful navigation control center out there now BMW might argue that Audi has to do that since their main screen isn't really wide but Audi can counter nicely with their cutting-edge use of Google Earth imagery downloaded on the fly I find it more useful than the 3d building renderings most of the industry is pursuing Google is also present in this car in the form of live search a great way to power navigation and connectivity is via a dedicated sim in the dash and its own cellular radio not relying on smart phone tethering voice command is nowhere near as good as your Android phone but that's par for the course across the car industry 235 second street San Francisco California 35 second street San Francisco California has been accepted outies unique touchpad lets you finger paint input and I often find it more satisfying than voice but to a degree and I'm still getting used to Audi's four corner buttons that map to far-flung corners on the screen I guess after five years we'll just have to agree not to love each other our a7s 3 liter v6 is supercharged so force-fed by a belt-driven pump rather than from an exhaust path flowing over an impeller which would be a turbo tomato tomahto except that the Audi's response feels faster on throttle than most of the turbo cars in its class that's a traditional hallmark of superchargers but they do introduce some parasitic drag on the engine the numbers are 310 horsepower 325 foot-pounds of torque 0 to 60 is in 5.4 seconds for this 4,200 pounds car and the mpg isn't bad at 18 28 at least that's the stated mpg all a7s have an 8-speed automatic with paddles and standard Quattro all-wheel drive that's a big deal howdy chooses to make that standard while things like navigation rear cam and sensors and steerable front headlights are optional one of the first things you notice about driving the supercharged engine is that it's a supercharger there is really no perceptible delay in that on rush of power and it's a big boost when you get it there's also this all-wheel drive all four paws are gripping once you get the feel of that and Audi's Quattro is the best you realize this car really knows how to vector itself in around corners that is part of the logic of its drivetrain incredibly smooth motor almost a little light on throat at least in the cabin but that's just an aesthetic thing there's also a little bit of kind of drumming and thrumming of the chassis I noticed driving the BMW 640 I recently it seemed to me more of an ingot of metal I'm getting a little bit of the sound of parts moving in the undercarriage which is not my favorite sound but I don't believe that this car is built to be pressed as hard as MWF similar caliber it also tends to do everyday driving a little more refined Lee I think it's no slouch but to me it's more of a civilized car than an equivalent BMW it was crisis out e87 with all-wheel-drive and the supercharged motorettes the only way they come 60 grams kind of a value but not fully set up see net style see you add thirty six hundred bucks for Premium Plus that's going to add the Google Earth navigation system out eConnect services all those parking sensors rearview camera and a lot more stuff that you are gonna want you