If you plan on ordering a 40i, make sure you get it loaded, including DHP, executive pkg, and B&W audio. You'll be happy.

 

Thanks Bearcat, good advice. That's what actually got me thinking about the 60i as a fully loaded 40i is not that far off from a similarly spec'd 60i which has more of that stuff standard... I've got more work to do on that, but i appreciate the additional advice!

 

As they mentioned, test diiferent brand vehicles..

I was shopping with my wife for her new vehicle a couple of weeks ago, and was pretty impressed by the new enhanced more reliable BMW engines with the 48V mild-hybrid technology that adds an electrical motor to boost engine power at low rpms and converts braking power to electricity and stores it in the 48 volt capacitor battery for later use.

In short, test drive various other brands and models to see what is new out there and what fits your needs/fun factors.

 

If I remember correctly, it's about a $15k difference between the two.

 

I think at this price segment the real question is this and decision comes to this:

Can any 7 seater provide you with the same smile on your face as the cayenne turbo?

If yes then go for it - if not then it might be a reason enough to “fight this”

I have in the past “down graded” and sold a few cars for sensible and family reasons and then I discovered that nothing can replace the sold ones and that was a mistake that I “regretted”.

The turbo cayenne is a wicked suv. The only upgrades seems to be another turbo cayenne - eg turbo gt or turbo hybrid - or the urus. Now if the X7 is a “smile” alternative then all good news but you are daily deiving two turbo top range porsches - it will not be easy to change and still have the same satisfaction.

I have lately decided that life is too short to drive boring cars - of course my wife is not aware of this decision

 

Audi SQ7 with sport package maybe a good option. 500 hp V8.

 

The Q7 (which share the same platform as the Cayenne) was well suiting your needs without any issues, and it sounds that more often you need the space to carry stuff rather than using the +2 seats for extra passengers.

Easy! Get a new Cayenne Turbo SUV version with trailer hitch and give up the extra +2 seats that are rarely used. SOLVED!

Side note, people, including myself, seem to always get very excited to advise others which car to buy 😄 have been noticing this for years. Drop the same question in BMW and Audi forums to see what they suggest too.

 

I'd get the X7. I bought an iX (I realize not an X7) for my wife and I have a Cayenne on order for me. I am very surprised at how much I like the iX. Its bigger than an X5 and smaller than a 7. But its well made, fast and very comfortable. More luxury than sport. The Land Rover Defender is nice too (you'd have to get the 130 for 7 seats I believe). I have the 110 HSE and its great but not 7 seats.

 

Thanks Rodsky. I’m definitely leaning this way … While I do like to refined look of the RR, a similarly spec’d car (you need the P530 with the V8 for decent performance) is close to $30k more, without considering the chunky ADM’s that all of the LWB cars are commanding at the moment. Not to mention the fact that the lead time on securing a build slot and delivery time is between 9-12 months out in most cases.

I’m (reluctantly) coming to this from my beloved Cayenne Turbo which I absolutely love, but since my family circumstances require me to swap into a 7-seater with decent tow capacity, I’ve focused my choices of the RR P530 LWB versus the X7 60i. I want to enjoy and drive this car hard, and I just don’t think the RR can do it for me. That, plus I struggle to justify the ridiculous premium of the RR versus the X60i and the necessary ADM’s to get one at the moment.

I think I’ve already sold myself on the BMW X7 60i so I particularly appreciate your reasons for going with BMW to reinforce my belief that this is the right path for me as well

 

An additional advantage of the X7 is the fact that it is manufactured in USA and you will be able to get your ordered car quickly, unlike the RR.

 

One minor correction. Today I discovered (after 2.5 years of owning it) that my Land Rover Defender 110 has a third row. But in essence if you put up the 3rd row seats, you have almost no trunk space. Which is why they made the LR Defender 130 which is longer but doesn't look quite as nice.

I like RR but they are more comfort / plush / around town. Not the rough towing type? I don't think I've ever seen them used to tow stuff. LR's yes.

I think the X7 will be a great all rounder.

Good luck with your decision.

 

During my last search which ultimately led to the (SO's) Cayenne, I had the opportunity to drive the X7 M60, RR P530 and a SQ7. The X7 had terrific thrust from it's mild hybrid TT V8, it just felt the controls were distant, as in the steering was accurate enough but I had no idea how much grip the front tires had. The suspension had good control, but I had no desire to take curves at more than 6/10th's, it wasn't clear how much grip there was until understeer. Third row was the smallest of all three.

The latest generation RR has no sporting pretenses whatsoever. It was by far the most isolating ride, but still good body control. No desire whatsoever to push it. Thrust from the BMW V8 was great, but muted compared to the X7. I liked the high quality interior, you'll definitely feel at home here after driving your CT. The one I drove was a SWB, so no third row.

The SQ7 was the sportiest, even with the air suspension I could still get a sense of what was sort of grip there was, and surprisingly a lot of bumps. Given the V8 TT is similar to the CT's, it easily had as much thrust as the BMW. Third row was roomier than the X7. This one did not have the extended leather package, so it felt a little downscale compared to the X7 and RR.

Given you might want to try something other than a Q7, the X7 might fit into your expectations.

 

Be aware that Audi is having SERIOUS manufacturing delays on a large number of models.

This info was released on 1/4/24:


Dear Dealer Partners,

We continue to be affected by supply chain and manufacturing challenges.

We are writing to inform you of continued shortages effecting certain V6 and V8 engine variants in the beginning of 2024. This shortage will affect all production of the models below. As such, we have suspended ordering for these variants. We will work to fulfill any outstanding orders with parts that become available as we work through this situation.

At this time, we anticipate the restrictions to ease in Q2 2024. We will continue to keep you updated via the monthly supply chain calls and through your area teams as they become available.

V6/V8 variants affected include:

A6 allroad
A6 55 Sedan
S6 Sedan
RS 6 Avant performance
A7 55
S7
RS 7 performance
A8 L 55
S8
Q7 55
Q8 55
RS Q8

Thank you for your patience in this matter.

Audi Operations
_______________________________________


On 1/19/24, this latest announcement was released:

Latest Order Guide just issued - RS 6 (& all MHEVs) - for MY24 NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR ORDERING -

That means if :

1) You don't have a confirmed Factory Order (at Factory), you may NOT likely get an MY24 order - this could change next month, but ...

2) You do not have a scheduled Production Start, you may be at risk too - even if you do have a confirmed order.

ALL vehicles at Ports will NOT be released for now (no estimate on when they’ll be released)
In Transit to Dealer, i.e. Rail/Truck Loaded - probably okay.
___________________________________


Today I visited the dealer where I have an RS6 Avant on order (factory order with commission number, but still changeable with estimated delivery 07/2024). The dealer confirmed all info above which was shared by a different dealer.

Audi went from saying (on 1/4) that they expected the situation to “ease” by Q2, to stating on 1/19 that MY24 orders are suspended for ALL MHEV.

While the SQ7 model being recommended may not be on the list…their problems seem so widespread that it would give me pause.

OP: best of luck finding a vehicle to suit your needs.

 

Why not a GLS63 AMG? 7 seats and 600hp.

 

Why not upgrade the Q7 to an SQ7? You get a strong performer along with accomplishing your practical requirements. Its hard to beat that twin turbo V8 it comes with!