![]() ![]() The sport seats have aggressive bolstering but remain very comfortable over extended periods. The quiet and well-appointed cabin makes chewing up the miles on a road trip a breeze. There’s some merit to that because the RS 7 is an absolute delight as a touring car. The counterargument is that the RS 7 wasn’t meant for agility. The adaptive suspension does a good job of keeping the big car balanced, but you can tell it’s working overtime. As with most Audis, the steering is too light and doesn’t offer enough feedback to really feel what the front end is doing. There’s noticeable understeer if you really cook it into a corner, and turn-in response isn’t sharp. The engine is enough to overcome the liftback’s curb weight of 4,938 pounds in a straight line, but in corners there’s no hiding that amount of bulk. With a 19.3 gallon tank, you can still cover about 400 miles on a highway road trip, but the fuel costs add up quickly if you engage in any throttle-related hijinks.Īs prodigious as the RS 7’s power output is, its handling isn’t in the same league. The EPA estimates 15 city, 22 highway, 17 combined mpg on premium fuel. Though the RS 7’s performance figures do induce smiles, the fuel economy does not. The 2021 RS 7 is still obscenely fast, but some of its edge has been blunted-and I miss it. The previous generation seemed to rocket from a stop, enough so that I’d remind passengers to put their heads back against the headrest before any kind of launch. Though the new RS 7’s 0-60 mph time is faster by 0.1 second, it feels like it lacks some of the off-the-line burst of the old car. It happens in the blink of an eye and you’ll have to watch your speed merging onto the highway as you overtake traffic with supreme ease. I didn’t come close to touching any of the top speed figures, but this car absolutely leaps from 20-60 mph. In a straight line, the RS 7 is a rocketship. If you mash the pedal on a corner exit, there’s a small hiccup until the computers figure things out and get you pointed in the right direction, but I prefer that to the frankly dangerous alternative. With the electronic gatekeepers on, it’s easy to roll onto the power with confidence. Without such wizardry working at the rear wheels, this thing would get squirrely very quickly. All-wheel drive is standard, along with a sport differential that actively splits torque between the rear wheels and is a necessary addition on a car with this much raw power. That’s enough power to get this big car from 0-60 mph in only 3.5 seconds and up to a top track speed of 190 mph with the optional carbon-ceramic brake package (155 mph without it). Model: 2021 Audi RS 7 four-door hatchback sedanĮngine: 4.Under the hood lurks a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 that makes 591 hp and a nearly matching 590 lb-ft of torque. Whether you're entranced by the whole nine yards, the complete ball of wax or the full megillah, the Audi RS 7 will suit up. In more sedate motoring, the RS 7 runs quietly enough to allow easy listening to the 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system and the SXM satellite radio. There also was a $500 sport exhaust system, which this reviewer could have done without.įortunately, the exhaust notes are most raucous under hard acceleration. The tested RS 7 came with an optional exterior black optics package, black outside mirror housings, summer performance tires on 22-inch matte titanium wheels, and red brake calipers. ![]() The tester had an optional driver-assistance package that included a head-up display, adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assist, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic sign recognition and Audi's intersection assist, which monitors cross traffic. ![]() Both contribute to the controlled ride and confident handling. As noted, the power is on tap for any circumstance, yet you can feather-foot the throttle for docile motoring in comfort.īuttressing this package is an adaptive air suspension and four-wheel steering. The RS 7 has impeccable manners, whether tootling around downtown, commuting to the suburbs or rocketing around curves on a deserted mountain roadway. A subscription Wi-Fi hot spot is available. Navigation, Apple Car Play and Android Auto are included, along with wireless smartphone charging. The infotainment system operates with touch screens that unfortunately require a firm touch to operate, which means the driver can be distracted to aim fingers accurately. ![]() The RS 7 comes with full safety equipment, as well as a comprehensive digital gauge cluster that includes instant readouts for power and torque. ![]()
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