Smarty Pick: The Audi 2008 Q7

So last week, I got the privilege of driving one of our Smarty Sponsor’s vehicles – Audi of Charlotte’s 2008 Q7. This full-sized SUV is a beautiful car, inside and out. It competes with mid-sized SUV’s like the Acura MDX, Honda Pilot, and Toyota 4Runner as well as the larger SUVs like the Toyota Sequoia and Chevy Tahoe. It seats up to seven people like the larger SUVS, but it can only hold two car seats per row like the mid-sized ones.

Now let’s get into the features that make this car very mommy-friendly. First and foremost, it has three rows of seats which is a necessity if you have two children and carpool. The third row lies flat, so when you don’t need it raised, the trunk space is very roomy. And even when I needed to use one side of the third row for carpool, I was able to fit my stroller and there was still plenty of room for groceries and other things. (See Picture). There was one negative with regard to the third row seat. My Britax Marathon car seat wouldn’t work.The headrest pushed the seat too far forward and it wouldn’t fit. However the Marathon is a huge car seat and doesn’t work well in Jen’s 3rd row of her Sequoia either. But my Britax Roudabout fit snuggly under the headrest because it is not as tall as the Marathon.

Other mommy-friendly features:

-LATCH system was extremely easy to use. I currently drive an Acura MDX and I have to admit that it is difficult to get to the LATCH system, but not in the Q7.

-Underseat lighting – when you open the car doors, lights come on underneath the front seats which make it very easy to find sippy cups and Goldfish they may have rolled under the seat.

-Trunk Space – as I mentioned above, it is big. Plenty of room for double strollers. There is also a storage bin behind the third row for extra storage. And if you don’t have the kids but need to move larger items, the 2nd and 3rd rows both fold down for large cargo space.

-Power Tailgate – with a push of a button, the back hatch opens and closes.

-Rearview Camera – this model was equipped with a camera on the bumper that is activated when you put the car in reverse. This is a great tool from Mom’s on the go, helping us double-check that there is nothing in our way when we back up like shopping carts and strollers.

-Child-lock – this control is located right next to the main window control panel on the driver’s side door. You can also choose to only secure one back window in case you have an adult sitting in the back with a child.

-Steering Wheel – the steering wheel is equipped many controls, so you do not have to take you hands off the wheel to change the radio dial or volume.

-Bluetooth – the Q7 also comes with Bluetooth so you can program your cell phone. This allows you to use your cellphone hands-free. Another great feature that helps keep moms focused on the road, and not digging in her purse for a ringing cellphone.

Another feature that isn’t necessarily a must for moms, but I couldn’t go without mentioning, is the sunroofs. This car has two, one Panoramic sunroof that is huge and makes the car very sunny and open-feeling. It has a screen that you can keep closed when the sunroof is open to keep the sun out of your kids’ eyes. And then there’s the sunroof for the third-row. This one just vents, but it allows the third row to get some fresh air. The sunroofs made me fall in love with this car.

There are many other wonderful features of this beautiful SUV. I was very sad to return the Q7; I loved driving it around Charlotte. It is very comfortable and easy to drive. So if you are looking for a new luxury SUV, you must check out this Smarty SUV pick. What Smarty vehicle do you drive?