In partnership with Auto Trader
Used SUVs: Audi Q7 vs Volvo XC90
Bought used, you can put either of these luxury SUVs on your driveway for nearly half the price of a new one. But which should you go for?...
The Contenders
Audi Q7 3.0 TDI 272 Quattro S Line
List price when new £53,835
Price today £33,000*
Available from 2015-present
Large SUVs don’t come more complete than the Audi Q7 – it’s quick, spacious and well equipped
Volvo XC90 D5 AWD Inscription
List price when new £50,185
Price today £29,500*
Available from 2015-present
Practical, good to drive and luxurious too, a used Volvo XC90 is hard to beat
*Price today is based on a 2016 model with average mileage and full service history, correct at time of writing
There are many people for whom, at various times in their life, a seven-seat car is imperative. The problem is that if you've been used to a reasonable standard of premium motoring you don't want something too utilitarian, and buying the best of these large seven seaters can cost an awful lot of money.
Take the two luxury SUVs we have on test here. New, back in 2016, they would have set you back in excess of £50,000 each, and bought new now you'd need around £60,000. Bought as here, however, at around five to six years old, they'll cost you nearer £30,000, or the price of a new Nissan Qashqai.
In the blue corner is the luxurious Audi Q7, a frequent winner at our annual Used Car of the Year Awards, and in the red corner another of our favourites, the opulent Volvo XC90. Both of these offer seven-passenger comfort and both here are in top-spec form. The XC90 comes with a full complement of safety tech to keep everyone, inside and outside the car, safe. The Q7 doesn’t want for much in this area, either, and nor is it behind on equipment.
The major difference between the two is under their bonnets; the XC90 has a downsized 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel with the aim of maximising fuel economy, while the Q7 uses a big, 3.0-litre six-cylinder with oodles of torque. So, are you better off going for an SUV with a sizable engine, or should you choose the more efficient option? And which makes the better used buy? Let’s find out.
Driving
Performance, ride, handling, refinement
The Q7 has the larger, more powerful engine so has the legs on the XC90. It’s faster off the mark and its extra shove allows it to build speed quicker and breeze past slower traffic. That said, the XC90 never feels underpowered and is quite happy cruising at motorway speeds, unfazed by inclines or overtaking other vehicles.
To go with its extra pace the Audi has the smoother and quieter engine. By comparison, there’s a little more background rumble from the Volvo’s diesel, which is most audible around town or when accelerating hard.
Both cars come with smooth shifting eight-speed automatic gearboxes, with manual overrides, although it’s only the Q7 that offers steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
Our two test cars had optional adaptive air suspension systems, and there is a clear difference to the way each is set up. The Volvo is the firmer and better tied down, so its body leans less than the Audi’s in corners. Its steering is sharper, too, so it feels the lighter and more agile of the two.
By contrast, the Audi feels more ponderous, even with its suspension in the firmest Dynamic mode. Its body leans a few degrees more than the Volvo’s and the steering is slower to react.
As a result, the Audi is less enjoyable to drive fast, but it counters by being the better cruiser. Even on the optional 21in wheels its suspension manages to filter out the patchy road surfaces that have the XC90 fidgeting, and it’s the less likely of the two to thud over large potholes. There’s less suspension noise, as well.
The theme continues in terms of cabin refinement, with the Q7 producing less wind and road noise. Don’t get the impression that the Volvo is uncomfortable and noisy though. It’s far from it, but it isn’t quite as refined as the Audi.
