Audi RS7 Performance (2024 - ) review

The RS 7 carries a six-figure price tag and has a powerful biturbo V8 engine, so nothing about this car is cheap, from petrol to insurance to road tax. However, the concept of value for money is something different, and we’d rate this car under that term, because so few models out there can carry four adults plus their luggage in comfort while capable of supercar acceleration. It ranks alongside some of the best GTs on the market, whilst offering more boot space and rear leg room than most of them, so possibly you could even consider this a bargain…. ok, maybe not. And did we mention depreciation? No? Best not.

While there are many happy Audi Sport (the RS badge umbrella brand) customers out there, Audi as a whole has crashed to near the bottom of the brand reliability tables lately - it finished 24th out of 31 models in the What Car? index in 2024 while, even more painfully, arch rival BMW came eighth. Even Porsche finished ahead of Audi. The warranty is the industry-average three-year/60,000-mile job.

One point docked for putting adaptive cruise control and blind-spot warning (surely the most useful of safety systems) into the options list; at this price, that’s just mean. The RS model gets Audi’s quattro four-wheel-drive system as standard plus big wheels with big brakes, so it feels very sure-footed and has excellent occupant and pedestrian safety ratings. You get parking sensors and camera and the dreaded lane-departure warning system which can be turned off on the sub menu of the screen.

The RS 7 beats all the competition here, with generous space inside, from the rear leg room to the cavernous boot which goes on for ever, into the depths of the car. Audi has worked on protecting occupants from the boom and buzz of the engine, and the result is impressive. The interior is serene at speed, which means you arrive after hours of driving, feeling relaxed and fresh. We could do with a bit more storage space up front, but it’s a minor quibble. The entry-level trim gets heated and ventilated front seats, and four-zone climate control.

Interestingly, the higher Vorsprung trim gives you a panoramic roof, uprated suspension, carbon detailing inside and better ride control, and still undercuts a base Porsche Panamera Turbo S. The tech and digital display are showing their age now; Mercedes does it a whole lot better. There are no fancy tricks like a VR take on the satnav screen, or a curved carousel of radio stations to swipe through, or clever colour palettes, but the display is clean and intuitive, and you get wireless smartphone connections and a charging mat.

The RS 7 gets an extra 30 horsepower and 50Nm more of torque over the A7, meaning 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds. The delivery and sound of that power are incredible, thank to new sports exhausts. Even at fast-lane motorway speeds, if you plant your right foot in the carpet, the engine kicks down and you’re off like a scalded cat. But the car feels stable and safe at all times, which is the genius behind this piece of engineering: you could be a track day warrior in it on a Saturday, then head to the supermarket on Sunday and school on Monday. Which brings us full circle back to the idea that the RS 7 offers value for money. Crazy, but true.