Earlier this week our Audi Q7 was dropped off at  Audi of Santa Monica ( Been there? Rate it! ) to remedy those squeaky brakes, install a back-ordered slow-to-ship part to fix our parking brake light warning, and to pay for the windshield wipers they forgot to charge us for on our last visit.

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On the eve of its latest scheduled visit to the Service Department, our Audi Q7's brakes started squealing. The unmistakable shriek seems to be coming from the front brakes, though we'll have them check out all the pads' wear. Even with the giant wheels and widely spaced spokes, we weren't able to see much of the pad edge which usually gets the most use. Also, the discs look unmarred.

We'll keep you updated as the Q7 goes in (again) today. We'll also find out if a certain technician is missing a set of channel locks.

Chris Walton, Chief Road Test Editor @ 24,098 miles

Opening the hood of our Q7 yesterday, we found a prize!

Sitting next to the impossible-to-open coolant tank and on top of the weather
stripping was a channel lock. A channel lock that did not match our
tools, but would probably match those of our local dealership.

Maybe we'll put it back in the engine compartment when we go for our next service...

Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant @  23,799 miles.

Whenever I drive our Q7, this little detail always impresses me. When it's fully warmed up, the temperature gauge reads dead on center. Not a little bit above or slightly below, but right on the middle hash mark. It’s doesn’t really give you any more information than a typical gauge, but it tells you something about the engineers who designed it. They could have let the needle rest anywhere, but it looks precise sitting there right on the mark so they took a little extra time to make it lineup. A nice touch.

Ed Hellwig, Inside Line, Senior Editor @ 23,582

As previously reported, we're having some issues with the Q7's parking brake warning light. It keeps telling us the brake is on, even though we are driving and the brake is not on. Over the weekend it wasn't too annoying, only coming on once or twice. But during my Monday morning commute, the warning kept coming on. I lost count after 15 times.

The good news is, the parts we were waiting for are in, and we'll be taking the Q7 to the dealer for a fix up.

On a brighter note, it was a rainy weekend in L.A. and I gotta give props to the Q7's wipers. The variable intermittent rain-sensing wipers work really well. You don't need to fuss with them at all, just let them do the sensing. And the new wiper blades that were just installed don't miss a drop.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor @ 23,556 miles

 

Our Audi Q7 had recently accumulated a short list of dealer needs, so we scheduled a visit with Santa Monica Audi. The list of issues included a parking brake light that remained illuminated after the brake was released,  a rear sunshade that occasionally popped open while the Q7 was in motion and a groaning noise when the right rear door was opened or closed.

While the dealer was addressing the repairs, they were also going to top off the fluids and replace the windshield wipers.

After spending a morning in the service bay,  the technician determined parts needed to be ordered to fix the parking brake light and rear sunshade. Rather than wait for the parts to arrive, we decided to pick up the Q7 and return it after the holidays.

Now since Thursday, it also appears the battery in our key fob is headed south, so we'll add that to the list when we revisit the Audi dealer this week.

Kelly Toepke, News Editor @ 23,167 miles

This past Saturday the Oldham family decided to take full advantage of our southern California address. We would enjoy the beach in the morning and the ski slopes in the afternoon. I chose our 2007 Audi Q7 for our adventure for three reasons.

1) It's all-wheel drive while our Buick Enclave and Mazda CX-9 are not.

2) It's much more comfortable on a road trip than our Jeep Wrangler.

3) It's more family friendly than our Toyota Tundra.

The Q7 proved to be the perfect choice. Just the right blend of comfort and performance to satisfy both me and my family. The 118 mile drive (that's one way) from the Pacific to Big Bear Lake is two-thirds freeway and one-third winding mountain pass. The Q7 handled both challenges with equal alacrity.

Although it's highway ride is certainly on the firm side compared to some other SUVs, the payoff is sports sedan handling in the hills. I have no complaints. The Q7's ride still proved compliant enough for my entire clan to zonk out on the return trip, which means dad had fun and a nice quiet ride home.

If you must have an SUV, I'm convinced the Audi Q7 is one of the best. The next time the Oldhams decide to boogie board and have a snowball fight in the same day I hope the Q7 is still around to make the trip.

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 22,554 miles

In anyone's estimation, the Audi Q7 is a large vehicle. Nearly 17 feet long, 6.5 feet wide, and nearly 6 feet tall with more than 8 inches of ground clearance. And 5,467 pounds? In the words of Ghostbuster Winston Zeddmore, "That's a big Twinkie."

But it doesn't feel like a big Twinkie. The Q7 is incredibly manageable. I'm all about sight lines, and they are fantastic on this car. It's very easy to tell right where the front and sides are, and while the Q7 has a kickass back-up camera, it's completely unnecessary. I am no fan of huge SUVs. But the brilliance of the Q7 is that it drives like a big station wagon. It's not intimidating like a Tahoe or an Expedition. Very easy to manage. And fits about as much as you ever need to carry.

Doug Lloyd, Senior Copy Editor @ 22,201 miles

The distance from the front seatbacks to the tailgate of our 2007 Audi Q7 is just about exactly 6-feet. And I know this because that's my 6-foot ladder. Those are my grungy beach towels too, but they're not pertinent to this blog entry.

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief

 

If you'll remember from previous posts, the stereo in our Q7 was on the fritz in perhaps the most annoying way ever. 17 seconds on, 4 seconds off. 17 on. 4 off.  Nothing we tried could remedy the situation and the professionals had to be called in.

Audi of Santa Monica took the car at 7:48am and had it back to us in the early evening of the same day. The problem? An electrical failure from the Telephone Tranciever (sic). The unit, which lives beneath the front seat, was replaced and the issue fully resolved.

The dealership also made us aware of two "open campaigns" on our Q:  An MP-3-cd changer update, and a software update for the automatic rear hatch. 

All services were performed under warranty at no cost to us.