I was recently fortunate to spend a week with a 2021 Audi RS7. I could easily type out easily Google-able power figures and stats all day long, but I like to get straight to point on what are the best features of this machine and also call out a few features that left me wanting more.
BEST: Near 600 Horsepower Power Plant
The 2021 Audi RS7 comes powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine which kicks out 591 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. And if that isn’t just the best feature I really don’t know how else to woo you.
BEST: Looks As Fast As It Is
The RS-model lineup at Audi just screams anger when you look at it. I am a big fan of the S-model lineups for each respective model, but next to an RS, even S-models look tame. The 2021 Audi RS7 looks fast standing still.
The 2021 RS7 I tested featured the Black optic package, which upgrades the “standard” 21-inch wheels to 22-inch wheels as well as a few black-out pieces on the exterior.
BEST: Interior
Audi hands down creates the best interiors if my just now made-up luxury-per-square inch measurement is a thing. There are quality materials throughout the cabin, but the highlight in the interior has to be Audi’s Virtual Cockpit full digital gauge cluster.
The RS7 I tested featured a slew of interior packages including the Executive package which adds an upgraded leather package, heated rear seats, a heads up display, and power soft closing doors, a driver assistance package which as its name suggests adds all sorts of driver assistance goodies such as Audi adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition, and to top it all off a carbon fiber twill inlay throughout the cabin.
BEST: The Audi RS7-ness
I already touched on the exterior of this beast and how the RS model is clearly a more aggressive performance-looking machine, but there are more RS-bits sprinkled throughout.
In the RS looks department, the seats feature RS branding and the steering wheel features RS branding. On the topic of performance goodies, the RS7 features an RS monitor screen which allows you to see performance information such as G-force, tire pressures, and temperature of the engine oil, coolant, sport differential, transmission fluid, and brake rotors.
One of the best RS-bits has to be the customizable RS Mode with RS1 and RS2. You can adjust drive options such as the suspension, engine, even the car’s bark to your liking. And finally, the Audi Virtual Cockpit can be configured to some RS-performance screens.
BEST: The Audi Quattro System
There isn’t much to mention on this best feature. The reason you buy an Audi is that they have the best all-wheel-drive system in the industry – Quattro.
Worst: The Cost of the Audi RS7
As tested, with all the additional packages, this 2021 Audi RS7 cost just north of $125,000. As a point of reference the best Audi that they make, the Audi R8 starts at only a mere $23,000 more than the price of this thing.
Worst: HVAC Controls Are All-Digital
The interior of the RS7 features a dual-screen setup top and bottom. It looks great until you want to quickly lower or raise the temperature in the vehicle or quickly turn the fan up or down. You will be forced to tap the digital screen quickly were a few nobs would have worked wonders.
