Out of all of the luxury SUVs on sale, the Audi Q7 is one of the few options that I really like. It manages to do a lot right, feeling like $1 million bucks, pampering passengers in luxury, and being more than powerful enough to get down the road in a hurry. If there’s one thing the Audi Q7 could use, it’s an extra dose of power, which is exactly what the 2025 Audi SQ7 delivers.
With pricing starting at $92,095 and going up to $98,195, the 2025 Audi SQ7 isn’t cheap, but gosh darnnit if it isn’t the perfect vehicle. Immensely powerful, surprisingly agile, and supremely luxurious, the SQ7 delivers bespoke levels of lavishness at a far more affordable price. If there’s a case for the ultimate one-car garage, the SQ7 makes one hell of a case for itself. The SQ7 is so good, it will have sports car fanatics turning over a new leaf.
What The 2025 Audi SQ7 Gets Right
Nearly everything. That might sound like a joke, but it’s not. The 2025 Audi SQ7 is incredibly well-rounded. Not only is the SQ7 sporty, but it’s also spacious; it’s advanced, yet luxurious; and it’s incredibly characterful, despite being an enormous SUV. I hesitate to use the word perfect for any vehicle, but if ever there was a vehicle that could be considered perfect, it might be the SQ7.
Inspiring Performance
There’s no hiding the fact that the 2025 Audi SQ7 is a large SUV. Instead of trying to hide the SQ7’s large stature, Audi uses a simple approach to give it a high level of performance – a hoking V8 engine and advanced adaptive air suspension. The SQ7 is packing a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine that makes 500 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque, which are specs that would have made supercars from a decade ago blush.
The Herculean V8 can get the hefty SUV to 60 mph in a claimed 4.1 seconds, but the SQ7 feels quicker than that. The V8 also emits a guttural note lower in the revs, reminding your passengers that you’ve done well for yourself.
The V8 engine may be the dominant reason why most people purchase the SQ7 over the Q7 and it’s one hell of an engine, but the way the SQ7 handles defies logic. Something this big and with this many seats shouldn’t handle as well as it does, but that’s part of what makes the SQ7 so magical. The SQ7 remains nearly flat around corners, doesn’t become unsettled by large bumps, and can maintain a heroic amount of speed on tight curves. The SUV is truly inspiring.
Luxury-Filled Cabin
Recent reports indicate that Audi’s quality has dropped in its newer vehicles, but interior quality isn’t an issue with the 2025 Audi SQ7. The SQ7, which receives a mid-cycle refresh for 2025, has some new upholstery and trim options, but retains the same high-end cabin as before. Sure, it has sport seats and unique leather upholstery compared to the Q7, but it feels every bit as luxurious as a vehicle with a $92,000 price tag should feel.
The cabin features premium materials, loads of tech, high-end convenience features, and remains as quiet as a child that’s just been scolded at high speeds. The SQ7 may not have Audi’s most cutting-edge tech, but it makes up for it with a feel that’s, reportedly, more luxurious than its newer, more high-tech offerings.
The Ultimate Sleeper
The 2025 Audi SQ7 isn’t the top SUV in Audi’s lineup, that title belongs to the RS Q8, at least when it comes to performance. But there’s one thing that the SQ7 does better than the RS Q8: it doesn’t display its performance to the world. Despite its high-powered V8 engine and relatively agile handling, the SQ7 doesn’t stand out like a sore thumb. It’s not overly designed for the sake of standing out or having garish touches to highlight its added touch of performance. It looks like a Q7, which is to say fantastic.
What The 2025 Audi SQ7 Doesn’t Do Well
The list of the 2025 Audi SQ7’s shortcomings is small, but they exist nonetheless. The SQ7 brings a large dose of performance over the Q7, but it does so at a hefty price. At a time when groceries are crazy high, I don’t know how many people are heading to Audi dealerships to drop $100,000 on a midsize SUV. Then there’s the SQ7’s tight third row and limited interior storage compartments.
Limited Space Where It Matters
The 2025 Audi SQ7 is a family-friendly vehicle, as long as your family consists of small children or small dogs. The SUV’s third row is tight and getting back there can be a squeeze. It’s not exactly comfortable on long drives for an adult and second-row passengers will feel gipped with how much they’ll have to move their seats forward to make the third row bearable.
For such a large SUV, the SQ7 has pitiful storage compartments. The center console is hilariously small and has trouble holding two iPhones and a USB cord. The glove compartment is also smaller than expected, leaving owners with few spots to hide their important items.
Verdict
I’m not in the position to purchase a $100,000 SUV and I doubt I ever will be. But for people who are, the 2025 Audi SQ7 is a great way to spend six figures on a vehicle. It doesn’t force you to choose a family over performance or luxury over performance. You can really have your cake and it eat it too, as long as you’ve got the funds. It must be nice to be rich.
