Q7 vs. LR4?

[BVRover]

Hey everyone-

I have a 2011 Q7 TDi and the other day I was getting the 5k service done and meandered over to the RR showroom and ended up bringing home a 2011 LR4 for the night.

I am completely impressed with it and am now considering trading in the Q7 for the LR4.

The LR4 is a better fit for my family and current situation- the fuel economy of the Q7 won when I purchased last fall.

However, we are moving back to CO and definitely feel that we will get better use out of the LR4 than the Q7- even though the LR4 isn't as fuel efficient.

My question is this: After reading some on this forum, I'm a little hesitant now. Granted, you will always hear about complaints and the like on forums....

I hesitate because we will be living in the mountains about 2 hours west of Denver, so if something goes wrong, it's an all day trek to Denver to get it fixed. I would greatly welcome any thoughts, suggestions. If we lived closer to a dealership, this would be a no-brainer.

Thanks everyone!

 

[LRnewbie11]

Reliability aside... Two hours from ANY dealership that could work on your car could be a major pain. No matter what brand it is. My sister had a Saturn suv a while back and the closest dealer was an hour drive. One of the reasons she traded it. That and it was a Saturn and it sucked. But you get my point.

 

[Finlayforprez]

Hey everyone-

I have a 2011 Q7 TDi and the other day I was getting the 5k service done and meandered over to the RR showroom and ended up bringing home a 2011 LR4 for the night.

I am completely impressed with it and am now considering trading in the Q7 for the LR4.

The LR4 is a better fit for my family and current situation- the fuel economy of the Q7 won when I purchased last fall.

However, we are moving back to CO and definitely feel that we will get better use out of the LR4 than the Q7- even though the LR4 isn't as fuel efficient.

My question is this: After reading some on this forum, I'm a little hesitant now. Granted, you will always hear about complaints and the like on forums....

I hesitate because we will be living in the mountains about 2 hours west of Denver, so if something goes wrong, it's an all day trek to Denver to get it fixed. I would greatly welcome any thoughts, suggestions. If we lived closer to a dealership, this would be a no-brainer.

Thanks everyone!

This is a tough question because of the fact you live so far from a Land Rover dealer. Luckily, I live within 20 miles of 3, the closest being 3 miles away. You do hear a lot about Land Rover issues and quirks, but honestly, it's like that at any discussion forum. Before getting my LR4 in February 2011, I had a 2009 ML350 and the forums for that SUV were also talking about issues, where as I had no problems at all. Before going with the LR4, I test drove a lot of vehicles including the Q7. It was a great SUV, but very different than the LR4.

All that said, you have to decide if it's worth it considering the fact you will live far from a dealership. That would be an issue for me as I'm not very handy and I just don't feel comfortable being so far away. I am super paranoid about car trouble (which is probably why I have 3 different roadside assistance memberships) so being far from a Land Rover dealership would be a problem. We do have a number of people on this list that live far from a Land Rover dealership and they are fine. I guess the other thing to consider is how long you will keep it. I only keep my cars for 2-3 years and that's it.

Best of luck and keep us posted!

Regards, David

 

[Daniel Hull]

I will jump in with my 2c.

I'm not sure you can expect that much of a reliability difference anyway. All vehicles have gotten much better, so the difference between the best and the worst is really not enough to base your selection on, in my opinion of course. And, while typically better than Land Rover, Audi's do have their share of problems as well. A lot of the problems I hear discussed on this board are minor things that could be put off until it is convenient.

I find the Q7 and LR4 to be almost polar opposites, so it should be fairly clear which one suites your needs better. The Q7 is beautiful and great on the road. The LR4 definitely compromises road performance and a sculpted exterior but delivers a combination of functionality that you can't get in any other vehicle. The RRS may come close to splitting the difference if you don't need the rear seats. If reliability is your top concern then conventional wisdom is to look to the Japanese.

2 hours west of Denver...you are living my dream!

 

[DonMitsu]

I would think the reliability of the LR is comparable to the Audi. Is there an Audi store in the Mountains? I would agree with the above post if you're concern is reliability and you want a good mountain car maybe look to the Lexus GX or Toyota 4Runner. But IMO the LR4 is the most functional off road capable vehicle on the market. the Japanese Vehicles are either too small or can't easily navigate the switchbacks that are all too common on the trails in Colorado.

 

[ougrad1]

If your just needing a competent 4x4 for colorado and are so concerned with reliability you should get a lexus gx460 as it's very good offroad and very reliable. The q7 quattro will be ok if your not planning on going offroad and need it just for snow, dirt and gravel.

 

[crewcabrob]

I think Glennwood Springs has both an Audi and Land Rover dealer. If you are living along the I70 coridoor, then 2 hours west of Denver is close to equal distance to dealers. Audi has a dealer out on Wadsworth that I have been to in the past.

I've owned Audis in the past. Loved the cars dearly. I always told myself, "if I could own just one vehicle, it would be a Land Rover." It has it all, competence, luxury, amenities and will take me from Redeo to Moab and not be out of place either destination.

Rob

 

[bgsntth]

I'll echo the sentiments expressed here. I do not think the Q7 will be any more reliable than an LR4. Our 2008 FFRR is the most reliable vehicle we have owned, including a Lexus GX470, and our LR3 was more reliable than our Cayenne GTS.

Key factors for me are the dealers. I just had the RRS serviced, it was completely detailed while being serviced and they loaned me a 2008 Jaguar XJ Super (glorious). I actually plan my services around wash cycles and what cool vehicles they have in the service fleet. Our Porsche dealer is pretty good too, and much better than are Subaru, Mercedes, and Lexus dealers.

 

[alexcorral]

If you can find an Audi dealer closer, go for the Q7. I personally will live a couple of blocks from my dealer. All else equal, go for the LR4.