My short RS7 ownership experiences are as follows. I got the car about two months ago but wanted to really drive the car and learn it prior to posting. Please note that I have owned an F10 M5 and F13 M6 but both are no longer with me. So my review is not a 100% comparison per se but I do remember my ownership of both Bimmers well enough to comment. These are my opinions thru ownership and driving experience so they might not mirror yours but they are mine as I see it currently. It’s a love it or hate look IMHO (The RS7) and it doesn’t appear well in pics or in print like it does in person. I often found myself really eyeing the S and A7’s prior to this acquisition. The RS7 didn’t disappoint me either when I took delivery.
My RS7 has all the basic packages including the luxury/executive packages, carbon exterior package, and assistant package also. I got my car with the Dynamic Package with give one the sport exhaust, painted calipers, and the Dynamic Suspension (springs vs. air). I opted out on the B and O system since it was 5900 dollars and I don’t keep the car long enough; nor did I take the alacantara headliner at 3000 dollars. Both of these items seemed excessive to me. The car is white (who would have thought LOL) with black interior. The quilted white cross stitched seats are very good and comfortable. The carbon fiber accents throughout the cabin are a nice touch as well and they don’t carry a cost add. The interior is good but not amazing: the HUD is not as easy on the eyes as the F10/13 but it does have oil temp, the Nav screen and the MMI is big but it pops up and some won’t like this versus being embedded into the dash. I don’t really care too much here as long as the electronics are reasonable and provide the service intended. The Google 3G search engine is a nice add but a little too slow (2015’s get 4G). The gauges are easily readable and good on the eyes with the red and white lighting. The seats while being soft are rather big and don’t have bolsters; I am not of the rotund shape so I found myself moving around a bit during the test drives. One can opt for the bolsters with the comfort seats but they don’t look or feel as good IMHO. The NA RS7 doesn’t get a flat bottom wheel either but that didn’t bother me all too much. The interior is fine for me and serves its purpose.
With my car I have the steel springs and diagonal shocks. This is a must for me since I drove an air car and spring car back to back on the same stretch of road that included fast straights, sharp turns, and big bends. The air car had me moving in my seat without the bolsters. It wasn’t annoying but I wanted more and the air car had a lot of compression in hard turns yet was compliant over rough roads. I drove the spring car in dynamic mode which is very very stiff and coilover like bouncy in feel. The roll was reduced vs the air car in sharp turns and longer higher speed corners but was also less comfortable over the rough stuff. This is why I drive my car in Auto mode vs Dynamic mode regarding the suspension. It’s the best fit between comfort and aggressive driving in this car and with that being said there is still a bit of softness or fluff. The M division has this part perfected IMHO when it comes to larger heavy sedans. The solid feel of the ride is great with M but Audi isn’t all that bad and I am learning the car’s nuances. Steering is Quattro- enough said. There is understeer in Dynamic mode so I drive the car in Auto mode for steering. The car has memory for all the options: steering, suspension, tranny, exhaust, etc. so I don’t have to hit a button each time I drive the car. In Auto mode there is still mild understeer and a slight lack of feel but the car has so much power on tap that I have learned how to use this power to get out of the understeer rather easily. It’s no Porsche when it comes to steering but that isn’t the car’s intent. The steering takes some getting used to but I understand it and how to counter act the slight understeer.
The car is fast. It’s the fastest 4 door car from a dig to 60 I’ve ever owned. My mistake when I was test driving the car the first time in December was not using Drive-Sport mode (I’ll call it Sport). I used sport the second time and then I was sold. The throttle is sharp and there is no turbo lag; much like the F10 and F13. The throttle feels like it has a mini tune as it’s just very aggressive in response and how the power comes on. The car is what I like to call a “sweet spot” car. It’s so fast from the stop to 110 and from lower rolling speeds to about 120mph. It really is a highway crusher with some good handling characteristics. I find myself reaching speeds in the triple digits often and not by desire- it just loves to pull. The 8 speed ZF tranny is no DCT but its fast and the Audi electronics with the TCU make up for the hardware gaps. The tranny is always in the proper rpm range entering and leaving turns. 270 degree freeway on ramps are a blast as I come out of the turn and its mash and go!!! This is where I enjoy the car the most- wide open freeways and bigger bend turns. The Audi electronics in the ECU and TCU are well programmed in Sport mode. The car is fun and puts its hp and tq in the most usable ranges. I never am out of gear or in a place where optimal acceleration is not available.
The stock exhaust is great. It has large barks and burbles up and down the rpm range. I pulled the resonator off and gained a subjective 20% in sound. The barks and burbles are even louder and I find myself punching the gas and coasting down to hear the noise emitted. It’s a very good stock exhaust (Sport exhaust) and I think with the resonator mod I’m not going to go aftermarket. The brakes are good with limited fade after excessive pedal use and they stop the car well for its weight.
I did a few mods to the car… even though I was getting used to the rear I still installed a lip spoiler to break up the slope so to speak. I did a few other things and the KW sleeves are coming soon so I can drop the car a few mm’s as I think it sits too high. The spring car definitely sits higher than the air car but it handles much better too. If any of you test drive the car, the settings I would use is Dynamic for all except: steering and suspension (use Auto here). And make sure you use Drive mode with “S” (two pulls down on the lever) to get the raging throttle and acceleration. It’s a great car for many things and good for other aspects. I’m really enjoying it but I understand its looks are not for all and some must have RWD.
List of minor mods and thanks:
Eric, Tam, and Allen, the local boys at SupremePower in Placentia, CA
Frank and Angel at Klassen wheels
Klassen M10 21x10.5 front and rear wheels with 295x30x21 Michelin PSS Tires
Wrapped Roof in Gloss Vinyl
Audi A7 Rear Deck Lid Lip Spoiler
Coding to increase LED DRL power and removal of amber side lights
Pics
