2013 Audi S7 review

The 2013 Audi S7 receives an EPA-estimated 17 mpg city and 27 mpg highway.

Beautiful to look at and sit in, the 2013 Audi S7 nevertheless left me with mixed feelings, much as it’s kissin’ cousin the S6 did. There’s nothing wrong with the handling feel or chassis dynamics; the engine is magnificent, capable of hurling one like a sixth grader’s spitball, but the dual-clutch automatic exhibits enough weird behaviors to spoil much of the fun.

At tip-in, there’s enough rubber-banding to make one think they're in a regular automatic with a loose torque converter. The effect is akin to what I’d imagine a plague corpse being catapulted over a city wall might experience…were it not a corpse (shame too; it’s kind of fun in its own way). Upshifts and downshifts are performed quickly enough, but in sport mode they’re oddly timed and surprisingly harsh, as if the gearbox suddenly began channeling the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR while the rest of the car remained an Audi.

In the end, what’s absent is the mechanical, visceral nature of the powertrain found on the S4. Much if it can be traced to the use of a dual-clutch sequential manual versus a traditional manual transmission, and I suppose it’s also related to the type of customer who purchases the larger Audi sports sedans versus the A4/S4 buyer. But as far as driver’s cars go, the S4 (and S5) simply deliver more of the direct lever-connected-to-gears connection I prefer.

Damn if it isn’t pretty, though.

EDITOR WES RAYNAL: I have mixed feelings about the Audi S7. Love the exterior shape; I think it’s just stunning. I mostly love the interior as well. It’s comfortable, classy and beautifully built. So why do I say “mostly” about the interior? Because I’d like it a whole lot better without the head-up display that sort of sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb on top of the dash. 

The base 2013 Audi S7 comes in with a base price of $79,695. Our tester cost $94,570.

And then there’s the transmission. Yes, that’s where I cool off -- sometimes. There’s the rubber-banding reported above making launches from lights uneven. But it’s not really that per se, it’s that the feeling is intermittent. Sometimes the car will cruise away smoothly from lights. Sometimes there’s a hesitation as if one is slipping the clutch on a manual transmission car. The whole experience is just weird. It seems the less you boot the better it is, but again, sometimes it just acts up. Trying the various setting didn’t seem to help. The transmission’s intermittent weirdness continued throughout the weekend.

Once underway the thing is fantastic. The engine is smooth and there’s definitely enough power here and more than enough grip -- it’s one of those rare birds that feels lighter to drive than it actually is. For gobbling up tons of highway miles I can think of few cars doing it better. 

Overall, I like the S7 a lot. I just wish the transmission was more seamless and there was no head-up display to make the interior a bit tacky.

Other than that, this car is very nice. 

ROAD TEST EDITOR JONATHAN WONG: We’ve warmed up to Audi’s A7 around the Autoweek office since it arrived on the market. The exterior sheetmetal is elegant, the rear hatch offers some added utility, it has a beautifully done interior and with the 3.0-liter supercharged V6, it’s a fairly entertaining car to drive.

In the S7 we have more power with the turbo V8, sharpened handling, sportier styling touches and an interior that has some of the most supportive and comfortable in the business. 

Compared to the A7, the S7 packs 110 more horsepower (310 versus 420) and 81-lb-ft more torque (325 versus 406). Audi says the S7 gets to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, while the A7 needs 5.4 seconds. 

In place of the eight-speed torque-converted automatic in the A7 there’s a seven-speed dual-clutch sequential manual in the S7, which happens to be my only big sticking point to the car. I’ll get into that more later on.

The 2013 Audi S7 is equipped with a 4.0-liter turbocharged V8.

On the outside, the S7 gets specific fascias, silver mirror caps, side sills and exhaust outlets. 

The cost to upgrade from an A7 Prestige to an S7 (which is only available in Prestige trim) is $12,650, which isn’t too crazy if you consider how quick a sticker price can jump on European cars if you go a little bonkers with options. Is it worth it? I think it is, but the darn dual-clutch transmission is putting a damper on the party for me. Like the S6 I drove before this S7, the muted throttle response at tip-in drove me crazy over the weekend. Maybe with some programming alterations Audi could smooth things out. Or at least I hope they can.

Once you’re moving along, things are fine with quick up- and downshifts especially when the Audi Drive Select system is set to Dynamic. Dynamic also quickens steering response, increases weight and the S7 stays firmly planted around corners with little roll.

The engine is a good piece with the 406-lb-ft of delicious torque available at just 1,400 rpm, which is kind of soiled by the slow throttle tip-in response. Throughout the rev range power is strong, which is nice. Slowing matters is also easy with good brakes that easily scrub speed off with a firm pedal feel.

The really great thing about all these luxury sports sedans with adjustable chassis and throttle mapping settings is that at the push of a button you can turn the car from sharp and eager to a car that’s comfortable to docilely rolling around when you’re just puttering home from work. With Audi Drive Select in Comfort, the car can be relaxing with a cabin that’s well isolated from wind noise and only a little bit of tire noise from the 20-inch summer tires finding its way into the interior. The suspension damps out road imperfections well and steering feel is lighter.

The 2013 Audi S7 has pitfalls in the transmission department.

In typical Audi form, the interior is nicely done with top-notch materials and the aforementioned front sport seats are comfortable and supportive. Audi’s MMI interface remains my favorite one among luxury makes with the controls within easy reach on the center console. 

The S7 is a nice car with an attractive silhouette, a hammer of an engine, a chassis that can be both tight and fairly entertaining or calm and comfortable and an interior that’s just a nice place to spend time in. If Audi remedies the throttle tip-in, the S7 would be near perfect. Now, let’s get our hands on the RS7.

2013 Audi S7 Prestige

Base Price: $79,695

As-Tested Price: $94,570

Drivetrain: 4.0-liter turbocharged V8; AWD, seven-speed dual-clutch sequential manual

Output: 420 hp @ 5,500-6,400 rpm, 406 lb-ft @ 1,400-5,200 rpm

Curb Weight: 4,508 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA City/Highway/Combined): 17/27/20 mpg

AW Observed Fuel Economy: 15.7 mpg

Options: Bang & Olufsen sound system ($5,900); innovation package including cruise control with stop and go, pre-sense plus, active lane assist and side assist, head-up display, night vision assistant, cornerview camera system, power folding mirrors ($5,600); LED headlights with LED running lamps ($1,400); 20-inch alloy wheels with summer tires ($1,000); carbon atlas inlays ($500); Phantom black pearl effect exterior paint ($475)