Audi A7 - Smallest niche ever.

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Tue 12 Jul 2011 22:35
Audi A7 - Smallest niche ever. - unthrottled

Can anyone see what the A7 achieves that the A5,6, and 8 don't?

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Tue 12 Jul 2011 22:40
Audi A7 - Smallest niche ever. - Avant

No. I'd have an A6 Avant every time.

But you could perhaps say the same about many coupés (I think the A7 is trying to be a coupé in the true 'cut off' sense of the word). The Mercedes CLS and Passat CC, to name but two.

Even if I could afford a Porsche 911, I'd have the convertible, and willingly sacrifice a little of the handling ability at over 100 mph for the open-air motoring which for me is the point of a fun car.

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Tue 12 Jul 2011 22:50
Audi A7 - Smallest niche ever. - Bobbin Threadbare

For people like my father-in-law, who has had several A6s and wants to treat himself to an A7 Sportback as a retirement present! The A7 is fairly decent looking and it will have a tremendous amount of kit in it. HJ did a review a little while back and liked it.

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Tue 12 Jul 2011 23:15
Audi A7 - Smallest niche ever. - unthrottled

But the same could be said for the A5!

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Tue 12 Jul 2011 23:14
Audi A7 - Smallest niche ever. - unthrottled

You've got the wagon bug too?

(when obviously given your soubriquet ;-) )

There's something about German estates that just looks so good. I mean you could almost convince yourself that you need an RS6. Just think of the luggage space-very handy for taking lawn clippings to the tip...

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Tue 12 Jul 2011 23:17
Audi A7 - Smallest niche ever. - Bobbin Threadbare

I mean you could almost convince yourself that you need an RS6. Just think of the luggage space-very handy for taking lawn clippings to the tip...

What do you mean, almost convince yourself...? ;-)

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Tue 12 Jul 2011 23:26
Audi A7 - Smallest niche ever. - unthrottled

ha ha! Well, do you need 572 hp for taking garden refuse down to the tip?

No wait-supermarket runs. It's such a waste when theHaagen Dazs melts on the way home from Asda...

I've convinced myself.

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Tue 12 Jul 2011 23:32
Audi A7 - Smallest niche ever. - Bobbin Threadbare

You going to need that much HP minimum for Ben and Jerrys as it has chunks in it. And what if you go shoe shopping?

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Wed 13 Jul 2011 01:09
Audi A7 - Smallest niche ever. - unthrottled

You need a Peterbilt 359 when you go shoe shopping!

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Wed 13 Jul 2011 09:12
Audi A7 - Smallest niche ever. - TeeCee

There's something about German estates that just looks so good.

Hmm, driving around in a draughty-shed-on-wheels and reversing with a view like looking through a McDonalds' drinking straw? I don't think so.

If the Germans went the sensible route and built a big hatch, I might just buy a German car. Before anyone chimes in, the Rover SD1 sold like hot cakes, proving that the market is there despite what the focus group and strategy boutique types may say.

Best compromise I have seen / played with that both keeps the saloonies happy and remains practical is the Skoda Superb with its double tail arrangement.

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Wed 13 Jul 2011 14:29
Audi A7 - Smallest niche ever. - unthrottled

Hmm, driving around in a draughty-shed-on-wheels and reversing with a view like looking through a McDonalds' drinking straw?

No idea what you're thinking of. There are loads of great German estates A4, A6, Golf, Passat, 5 series touring. Something from benz. They haven't built anything that interests me much!

The French used to build some good estates, but now they just make those awful camp-as-a-row-of tents MPVs or shapeless hatchbacks.

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Tue 12 Jul 2011 23:54
Audi A7 - Smallest niche ever. - LikedDrivingOnce

Yes, I can see the point of the A7 very well, but I do agree with you that it is a small niche market.

Here's how the thinking goes....

Hmmm, I like the A6 saloon but I must have more than a boot. .....What about the A6 Avant? ....No - don't like estate cars. Too hea***-like and a bit off a rip-off. Plus I don't need THAT much space - just more than a boot. .....I know!...The A7....looks great and has a hatch....sorted.

OK, I am biased, because I drive an A5 Sportback, but the same logic applies over the A4 saloon and the A4 Avant..

Please note that I am not criticising anyone who chooses the saloon or estate option. If that's what you want - go for it! We should all drive what we want to, and not what anyone else tells us we should be driving.

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Sat 16 Jul 2011 12:30
Audi A7 - Smallest niche ever. - Roly93

Hmmm, I like the A6 saloon but I must have more than a boot. .....What about the A6 Avant? ....No - don't like estate cars. Too hea***-like and a bit off a rip-off. Plus I don't need THAT much space - just more than a boot. .....I know!...The A7....looks great and has a hatch....sorted.

OK, I am biased, because I drive an A5 Sportback, but the same logic applies over the A4 saloon and the A4 Avant..

Please note that I am not criticising anyone who chooses the saloon or estate option. If that's what you want - go for it! We should all drive what we want to, and not what anyone else tells us we should be driving.

I am on my third A4 Avant simply because the saloon is no good for my needs, and there is realy no quality large hatchbacks on the market. Granted the A4 Avant has always been a cut above the usual concept of an estate just being a stretched saloon that rattles more and handles worse.

But if they made an A4 or A6 hatch or and other hatch version of a quality marqe I would buy it in preference.

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Sat 16 Jul 2011 12:35
Audi A7 - Smallest niche ever. - Trilogy

W124 estate ain't no shed on wheels, superb visibility and probably the best estate ever made. My E300 Diesel wagon is superb.

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Sun 17 Jul 2011 13:50
Audi A7 - Smallest niche ever. - davecooper

I am sure many people will love the look of this car. Unfortunately the design looks dated to me as does the BMW 5 Series Grad Turismo. But that's just me!

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Mon 18 Jul 2011 13:58
Audi A7 - Smallest niche ever. - PatrickO

It does look plain wrong from the rear though.

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Tue 2 Aug 2011 19:57
Audi A7 - Smallest niche ever. - John F

Hmmm, I like the A6 saloon but I must have more than a boot. ....

In my old A6 saloon [with its beautiful rear styling] if you fold down either of the 1/3 or 2/3 split rear seatbacks you DO get more than a boot......v useful for putting a bike in the back, or other long things....

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Tue 2 Aug 2011 22:41
Audi A7 - Smallest niche ever. - LikedDrivingOnce

Hmmm, I like the A6 saloon but I must have more than a boot. ....

In my old A6 saloon [with its beautiful rear styling] if you fold down either of the 1/3 or 2/3 split rear seatbacks you DO get more than a boot......v useful for putting a bike in the back, or other long things....

I'm an Audi fan, I love the looks of most saloons, and I agree that the A6 does have a good boot (as boots go), but with respect, you still *ONLY* have a boot. I completely agree with you that the folding rear seatbacks greatly improve the carrying capacity, but you still have the problem that the height of objects that can be carried is limited by the rear bulkhead below the rear windscreen.

For example the last time that I purchased flat-pack furniture I was lucky that I had an estate car, since the cargo (even stacked in the optimum manner) would not have fitted in a comparable saloon.

This sort of thing seems to happen to me on a regular basis. Like I said, I like saloons. I just wish that my needs didn't mean that I can't justify having one.

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