Traveling With Six in Style and Function

There are two drivers in our family currently, and two vehicles. There’s the workhorse that plows around town doing carpool, grocery shopping and road trips to the snow and the beach, and then there’s Justin’s car that trucks him around 50 miles a day, to and from his office. We were lucky enough to test-drive Audi’s new Q7 for the past week, and I can tell you right now that it is absolutely on not only our shortlist but my father-in-law’s as well. We took it on a trip with the kids for a couple hours on the road not only comfortably, but also with our cargo filled and an extra seat to spare. Though two of our children are in car seats currently, with one on the way, the big kids could get in and out with little trouble and plenty of space between them in the third row, not to mention the space above our heads and the large sunroof made the car feel large and luxurious. This vehicle not only sports seating for seven, but it also has a power tailgate (of which we utilize frequently) and a virtual cockpit. It feels like a sports car, but actually performs and functions like our oversized workhorse at home. 

Our family is obviously large, and therefore we are literally always busy. Date nights have been critical to maintain our family cohesiveness, so when we took the Audi Q7 out to a nice restaurant just the two of us, it actually felt like it almost transformed into a two-seater. It feels awfully intimate for the amount of space and functionality it holds within such a reasonably sized body, plus its pickup is lightning speed and almost all outside noise is eliminated when the windows are closed. The level of versatility that the Audi Q7 offers considerably surprises me, which is why it’s now so high on our Next Purchase list. I took it to my favorite nursery in Santa Cruz and filled it to the brim with trees and plants, pots and outdoor succulent arrangements. With two small trees in my arms, I was able to trigger the power tailgate with my foot while the keys were still in my pocket and load the plants into the trunk without ever taking my hands off of them. I had so much fun driving this vehicle that I almost didn’t want to give it back! It’s an efficient and exceptionally versatile car that is able to accommodate not only our family of six comfortably, but function like a sports car at the same time. The Q7 rearview camera is a nearly critical feature when driving in neighborhoods saturated with children and animals playing, by allowing me to see in real time what the outer perimeter of the vehicle looked like, plus alerts when backing the car out of the driveway or parking spaces.

In short, the entire family loved the Audi Q7. The kids loved the back seats and open sunroof, and we thought the car offered an astounding amount of functionality and features, something that we appreciate and almost require when making purchases for our lifestyle. We are seriously considering our next vehicle, and with the decent gas mileage, quality and resale values of this car and all Audi’s, we are all but driving to the dealership now.