Audi

Stylish, potent and unmistakably an Audi, is the all-new Audi E-Tron GT a compelling proposition in the world of electric cars?

Some people love the brashness and in-your-face styling of an increasing armada of super SUVs. For everyone else, there's the Audi SQ8.

It's all change under the bonnet as a very familiar 4.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V8 makes its debut in the Audi SQ7.

Audi has given its electric e-tron SUV the ‘S’ treatment. But, is Ingolstadt’s first performance-focused electric SUV worthy of the badge?

We were skeptical when people tried this with a waterlogged phone, but now a YouTube star claims to have dried-out a water-damaged Audi by immersing it in rice.

The Audi RS Q3 small performance SUV has gained a special edition to mark a decade since the original version launched.

The Audi Q4 E-Tron electric SUV is already on sale in neighbouring New Zealand, however local showroom arrival are yet to be confirmed.

The Audi RS E-Tron GT has become the first electric car to set an unofficial lap record at Mount Panorama.

What is the black car Prince Harry drives at the end of the Harry and Meghan Netflix series?

Warranties are an important factor when making a new car purchase, so we've ranked each manufacturer from shortest to longest.

We've ranked all the electric cars currently available in Australia for 2022 from longest range to shortest range.

"Oh, and there's only one Navarra Blue 2021 Audi Q5 left on the ship" the salesperson said straight to my face"

You probably know the A5, Q5 and maybe even the A3, A4, A6, Q7 or the A8. But how many of you can ID an A7?Owner: Anthony Learmonth

2011 Audi Q7 4.2TDI I thought I should review my wife’s car. Back in 2011 we had our own mini-1970’s oil crisis, pulling a 3.5 tonne horse float with a Toyota Landcruiser featuring the 4.7l petrol V8. We could barely get from one petrol station to the next. Jenni had been resisting buying a diesel for the usual feminine reasons, filthy diesel nozzles, hoses, bowsers, sharing space with trucks, much of that seems to have improved. I finally convinced her a diesel was necessary. As well as the towing capabilities the vehicle also needed to cater for two adults and five children, at the time there weren’t many choices. There was the Audi Q7, which came with a variety of engines (4.2l V8 petrol, 3.0l V6 diesel, 4.2l V8 diesel, and even a 6.0l V12 diesel), or a Toyota Landcruiser with a 4.5l diesel. The Nissan Patrol was not considered as, with five children, the third row of seats would be occupied regularly, and the central split to the third row of seats was not acceptable. I went to the local Toyota dealer, there were no Landcruisers to test drive, the best they could offer was that I could go around the block with the salesman driving and me in the passenger seat, in a car already sold to someone else. I then went to the local Audi dealer, they gave me a Q7 to test drive for the weekend, unlimited kilometres! I actually liked the Landcruiser but definitely not the attitude of the dealer, and it became moot anyway, as Jenni preferred the Audi. The demonstrator was the 3.0TDI but I chose the 4.2TDI because I love V8s. Who doesn’t? Would have loved the V12 but $250K was a bit steep! Nearly ten years later, with over 420,000km on the clock, my assessment. It’s a great car! It has done the job with little or no fuss. Because of the km travelled it gets serviced twice a year (15,000km service interval) which I suspect has helped with longevity and reliability. It has needed a replacement rear propellor shaft due to a cracked seal (about $2000 all up), a replacement electric ventilation fan for the heating/aircon, and that is about it. Nothing else. Well except for the DPF, which did not fail, but the sensor on the DPF failed and to fix the sensor I had to replace the (perfectly good) DPF, goodbye $1200. Other than that, just oil, filters, and a shed-load of diesel. It is not particularly economical, being a more than two tonne vehicle pulling a 3.5 tonne horse float, anywhere from 12 to 15l/100km. A 100l tank gives a good range of around 900km when not towing. But reliability? Not an issue. The Q7 is a car I do not mind driving. The engine, with 258kw and 800Nm has plenty of grunt, and the performance of the 2.2 tonne vehicle is most acceptable. The ZF 8 speed auto is smooth, a couple of the gears are becoming noisy. I have followed the Audi advice of considering the gearbox “sealed for life” so it is still on its original fluid. I now recognise this may not have been good advice, and regular fluid changes might have been more sensible, but now I think it is too late. Obviously the vehicle is an SUV, the driver sits high, the car is bulky. But is is fairly lithe and nimble due to the power of the engine and the excellence of the gearbox. The air-adjusted suspension is inoffensive. The interior is typical Audi, good quality leather, some pressed aluminium, high-end plastics that look and feel solid. Although nearly ten years old it has worn well. Connectivity is basic, blue tooth for the phone, a weird iPhone jack in the glove box, that’s about it. Bose sound system produces quite acceptable sound quality, it has a 6 disc CD changer, and some SD card slots for a juke box. Dash is lifted from the A6 of the time, nice dials, functional trip computer, easy to use cruise control, air conditioner is dual zone as well as separate controls for front and rear. Came with sat nav (that in Audis includes TV) but Jenni uses Google Maps now, TV is good if you are stuck in the car with nothing else to do. Back when the children were smaller it catered for all seven of us (occasionally 8) in quite acceptable comfort. With the rear row of seats up the luggage space was smaller but still reasonable. Even now, my teenage and adult children are quite happy to get in and go for a (shorter) trip. I’ve never much liked the Q7 for its exterior appearance, but then I don’t like SUVs so I am biased. From the front it looks aggressive, from the side it has issues, particularly the rear end when viewed from the side, from behind it is rather bland. However it was purchased for a purpose rather than for aesthetics, and it does its job well. I think the longevity of our ownership of this vehicle is the evidence of its suitability. The only way to get rid of it would be to replace the horse float with a truck, and then the Q7 with a small runaround. The fact that it can do both jobs for my wife, and has done so for nearly ten years and 420,000km with so few issues, is tribute to its design and manufacturing quality. The newer Q7s, and the pre-2020 SQ7 and Q8 are not the type of car I would view in the same way I considered the Q7 back in 2011. I reckon they are softer, more luxury than utility, definitely more expensive. I still look at second hand Q7s with the 6.0l diesel V12 on the web, what a car! If I were to replace this car, it would be with that particular vehicle, not one of the new ones. The just released 2020 SQ7 is perhaps a more likely replacement for the current car, however it has probably priced itself out of my market. The Q7 is not a particularly easy car to drive smoothly. The accelerator pedal is very lightly sprung, the brake pedal is also fairly light, the engine is very responsive, and the gearbox (as good as it is) occasionally chooses the gear it wants rather than the gear you want. Four of my five children have learnt to drive in it, as well as other vehicles, and express a certain degree of criticism of its driving qualities (in their limited experience). This has not gone down very well with Jenni, who considers the vehicle to be above reproach. Still, when I was a learner driver I don’t think I ever got near a V8, a turbocharger, certainly not two turbochargers, 258kW, or 800Nm. They may not realise how lucky they were. I learnt to drive in a Vauxhall Velox. I love the drivetrain. The engine has one turbocharger on each exhaust bank, directed to twin intercoolers located just in front of each front wheel, then back to the intake manifold where they are interconnected to equalise the pressures. It’s hard to believe that the vehicle is a diesel, given he response to even minimal pressure on the accelerator. The ZF 8 speed gearbox has been around for over a decade and is also found in Aston Martin, Chevrolet, Alfa Romeo, Dodge, Ford and BMW, amongst others. The Audi Quattro four-wheel drive system requires no review, it’s a classic. Overall the performance is impressive, quiet, and smooth, and could be mistaken for being petrol. The car is not perfect, a couple of issues worth noting. The battery is located under the front passenger seat, which needs to be removed and replaced by a dealer to access the battery. The spare tyre is a space-saver, not full size. It is quite beyond me how such a large vehicle could not have a more easily accessible battery and a full-sized spare tyre. Time to summarise. It has been a reliable vehicle, only the tail shaft, a ventilation fan, one battery, and one DPF, in close to ten years, and no breakdowns. Surprisingly good performance. Spacious and comfortable interior. According to my wife it is a good looking car (I’m not so sure). The Q7 has clocked over 420,000km and I have concerns about its future. It had a little brother in the garage, a 2005 Audi A6 3.0TDI which expired of natural causes at about 425,000km. In any case, it has paid its way and owes me nothing. John Stuchbery 30/5/20

From a young age, like all young boys, I took a keen interest in all things that moved, especially trains. I didn’t have a particularly strong passion for cars until 2012 when my father borrowed my grandfather’s 2001 Audi A6 4.2 FSI Quattro to drive while he looked for a new car. While dad inevitably decided that the A6 was too big and too thirsty to justify keeping (excuses!), the short loan period was enough to convince me that cars – particularly Audis – would become a significant part of my life. While dad went on to purchase an Audi A3 and later an A5 – based on his positive experience with the A6 – it was not until 2018, when I purchased a 2009 Audi A4 3.0 TDI Quattro, with just 78,000 kilometres, that I got to call the ‘four-rings’ my very own. Whilst next month marks 24 months of ownership of this wonderful vehicle, I have only managed to drive a touch over 10,000 kilometres during this time. Despite what many say about aging German cars, this period has been mostly trouble free, with only regular maintenance being conducted. Having said that, my experience hasn’t been free from the common niggles that plague this generation of A4, including intermittent door lock actuators and a check engine light caused by worn swirl flaps. The B8 generation of the Audi A4 was praised for its sharp exterior and exterior styling upon conception, and to this day, even over ten years later, I can’t help but agree. Hop into the driver’s seat and you’ll be greeted by a plush leather interior accented by walnut wood trim. The seats are certainly a highlight, consisting of full electronic adjustment including lumbar support in this range-topping example. This, combined with gentle bolstering, assures comfort is guaranteed for all journeys, whether it be a late-night spirited drive or a leisurely cross-country trip. Push the ‘Start-Stop’ button and you’ll be welcomed by the ignition of six roaring turbo-charged diesel-powered cylinders. The engine is truly the highlight of the car. Few buyers elected to pair the A4 with the 3.0 TDI in its day due to this drivetrain combination’s starting price of $86,056 back in 2009. Resultingly, this engine primarily was at home in Audi’s much larger, heavier Q7 SUV model, but those who choose to specify it with the A4 were certainly in for a treat. Packing 176kW of turbocharged diesel power along with 500Nm of torque, this smart saloon accelerates to triple digits in a touch over six seconds, which was impressive in its day and remains respectable, especially for a diesel. The 6-Speed automatic Multitronic transmission is a perfect match to motor, keeping it smooth and quiet, but ready to accelerate at any moment in its default drive mode. However, this torque monster truly comes alive in sport mode, revving just shy of redline while providing what could certainly be described as a dynamic driving experience. Even when driven enthusiastically, the A4 has still provided surprisingly great fuel economy, returning 10L/100kms in my urban daily commute. The Quattro all-wheel-drive system certainly lives up to its rally lineage and has ensured the vehicle has never felt at loss for traction, even in heavy rain. By modern standards, the A4 B8 is certainly lacking in technology, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t without a few useful features. The convenient key system is certainly useful and makes entering and exiting the vehicle much easier whilst the digital speedometer has totally replaced the physical one for me and provides an easy way to check the current speed at a glance. The Audi Multi-Media Interface (MMI) system, although basic, is intuitive to use and covers the essentials, including a Bluetooth hands-free phone system and auxiliary input. The arrival of the B9 generation marked the end of the six-cylinder diesel option in the A4 for the Australian market, which is a shame in my view, as this level of torque and fuel economy is hard to match in a petrol 4-pot. The A4, and specifically its 3.0 TDI Quattro drivetrain, has certainly exceeded my expectations I had going into ownership and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend my hard-earned savings. It is a marvellous daily driver, with more than enough punch for effortless overtaking and spirited driving if required. You would be hard pressed to beat it for its current value on the used market. While the A4 doesn’t match the sheer opulence and rawness of my late grandfather’s 8-cylinder A6 that I continue to lust for, every time I look upon the Quattro badge I am reminded of that great car and the great man that first owned it.