Funny thing about the Q7 is that it actually isnt that big inside - i clean one quite often and my customer agrees that for the outside dimensions, its terrible packaging.
Ever so nice inside though, one of my current favorite interiors.
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So the Q7 has the best interior yet the most hidiously ugly exterior ever concieved by man...
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Have you seen a BMW X6 yet?
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Just googled for a pic of the X6.
Wow, that is one ugly car! Nearly as ugly as the Q7. The X6 has some sort of strange fat and dumpy look to it. Reminds of the short fat kid with freckles who got bullied at school...
I pity anyone who buys one...
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Have you seen a BMW X6 yet?
Hahahahahaha!!
Noddy car. It looks like a picture of one of those funny Chinese cars being made for 42p that the press deride so much.
Difference being that this retails at £45K. And it'll sell.
Bless. There really are some daft folk around aren't there?
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I was about to say the same thing - they are not big on the inside !
I could never figure out why the A4 was so cramped inside.
Many modern cars now seem 'big' on the outside - not just Audis.
I'm no sure about them being 'dull' - reserved maybe.
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The new A4 is quite a lot bigger than the old one - I haven't compared the sizes, but it can't be far off the size of the A6.
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I have a 1999 A4 and I have to agree - from the outside its a large car but the legroom in the back is quite limited. Most of the space is taken up by the bonnet and boot.
A bit like a reverse TARDIS...
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Because the Audi A4 has a longditudinal engine layout this compromises the packaging a lot. And they aren't even rear wheel drive and therefore need this layout.
This was especially true of the previous A4's because it was a lot smaller. You can guess the next A6 will be a lot bigger too. But remember the current Mondeo is bigger again.
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Yep, had a short trip into Basingstoke in the back of a mate's 53 plate A4 estate yesterday, I'm only 5 eleven medium build but it felt really cramped with 4 adults in it. Nice car other than that though.
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Another 'car' that is enormous outside and cramped inside is the Hummer H-whatever it is jeep thing.
Centre armrest is about 2ft wide, if I recall.
It's horses for courses - I don't suppose you mind how small it is provided the bullets keep bouncing off and it keeps going.
A vehicle for the military to use on battlefield, which is where it should have stayed.
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The new A4 is large, but it needed to be if you want back seat space. The old model was severely lacking in this department. Having longitudinal engines doesn't help though as it adds unecessary length, but if you want to get V6 diesels and V8 petrols in there you need lots of room.
There was a letter in one of the Audi mags commenting about the size of the new A4 and the crossover with the A6. Audi acknowledge that an A3 Avant may be the way forward for those who need more boot space than an A3, but not a vast expanse of rear seat space as provided for in the new A4.
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All new cars are getting bigger to accomodate our ever larger frames.
Witness the new Mondeo (Scorpio-sized) and the new Vauxhall Insignia is even bigger than a Mondeo! (probably bigger than an Omega)
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I dont buy into cars being bigger for bigger people. Measure the actual dimensions inside and current cars are not really any bigger inside. The Range Rover is positively cramped because it has a huge dash and centre console plus very thick door cards. I have more space in my Daihatsu than a RR.
Boot space on current cars is being robbed badly by over 1ft plus of interior trim on current cars - my old Escort saloon had a huge boot because there was very little trim in the boot taking up space. It looks neater but efficient it is not.
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I think the reason for the larger external dimensions is more to do with crumple zones and door beams etc. Also, the manufacturers have to find room for all the A,B,C and D post airbags without compromising interior space.
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I think the reason for the larger external dimensions is more to do with crumple zones and door beams etc.
Yes, a lot of car design now is dicatated by safety requirements. And NCAP ratings are divided into sections according the car size, so a vehicle like a Range Rover needs huge crumple zones and hefty crash protection to ensure that it gets a competetive rating.
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My brother has just got out of the last of three Audi 100 C3 (1982 ECOTY), the last bought for £200 with 11 months MoT and £70 on VED on it. Shame he didn't know what he was doing when checking the front shocks, and neither of us checked the PAS pump after the test drive, but you can't have everything for £200.
Following him from a Transit in the last of his Audi 100s current shape A4s passing were about the same size as his 100, a car that won many comparison tests in it's day, with one of the few criticisms being the size (perhaps for aerodynamic efficiency) for the size of accommodation it offered. Another being the ventilation.
I think it's due to the EuroNCAP rating scheme.
But if you look at the stuff for the W201 Merc. 190E that performed as well as larger Mercs in passive safety tests.
And look at the Volvo 850 from the mid 90s. They look positively dainty now compared to more modern cars.
And look at the great big wide pillars. Cars from the 70s and 80s with their slimmer A pillars look far more elegant.
The Mazda 2 looks like the way to go with reduced mass for handling and economy.
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