2025 Audi RS 7

The full name is the 2025 Audi RS 7 Performance. That’s because there was a version that had 591 horsepower, but Audi decided to add the Performance model and then discontinue the other one. All those cleanly designed Audi SUVs and electric vehicles might give the impression that anything with a 4-ringed badge is more sedate than searing, more about niceties than velocities. The RS 7 covers all those bases. It’s civilized and sensible, with the dynamic potential of a supercar.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of midsize luxury cars, including the Audi RS 7.

The HomeLink remote garage door button is now integrated into the rearview mirror, and the free Audi Connect Nav trial subscription period is increased from six months to three years. This generation of A7, the car on which the RS 7 is based, debuted for the 2019 model year. A new generation of A7 is expected in the next year or two, which may or may not include a high-performance RS version like this.

Not that the RS 7 is really a bargain, but it’s substantially less expensive than rivals like the BMW M8 Competition Gran Coupe, Mercedes-AMG GT 63 4-Door Coupe, or Porsche Panamera GTS.

Before buying a new RS 7 luxury midsize high-performance car, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. Resale values are a fraction below the class average. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

The RS 7 streaks from standstill to 60 mph in a breathtaking 3.3 seconds. And sounds absolutely awesome while doing it. This is made possible by 621 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque emanating from a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine. To compare, the BMW M8 Competition Gran Coupe cooks up 617 horsepower and hits 60 mph in three seconds flat. The Mercedes-AMG GT 63 4-Door Coupe has 577 horses in its stable and matches the RS 7’s time.

The new-for-2025 BMW M5 sedan is really a different kettle of fish. It has an impressive output of 717 horsepower. But it’s a plug-in hybrid, so the extra weight means it’s no faster to 60 mph than the RS 7. The Porsche Panamera GTS, meanwhile, has “only” 493 horsepower and reaches 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. These tenths either way may not mean much in the real world. After all, every car here is objectively fast.

Even though the RS 7 has an adaptive air suspension, it’s still tuned to ride on the composed side — take it to a track and it will impress, remaining precise through fast corners. Yet anyone who buys an RS 7 (assuming their preferences tend toward the sporty) would still be able to use it for the daily commute as well. The RS 7 comes with all-wheel drive as standard, making it a car for all seasons. It also has all-wheel steering, which contributes to that uncanny cornering ability, while providing superb maneuverability in tight spots like parking garages. The RS 7 offers the options of a firmer sport suspension, along with ceramic brake discs. Go for these if there are many track days planned, but the standard RS 7 is way more than capable on public roads.

Fuel Economy

The RS 7 achieves 17 mpg in combined city/highway driving, which is some appetite for gasoline. Then again, the BMW M8 Competition Gran Coupe and Mercedes-AMG GT 63 4-Door Coupe return exactly the same figure.

If the exhaust’s bark and the blurred scenery weren’t already giving it away that you were in an RS 7, the RS badges on the flat-bottomed steering wheel and embossed into the fine leather of the sport seats should remove any doubt. We think the RS 7’s cabin is fantastic, with excellent materials and exemplary build quality. Then there’s the restrained design, keeping controls to a minimum. No worries here — the voice-activated commands work well.

During the process of turning an A7 into an RS 7, Audi removed 17 pounds of sound insulation. Dual-pane acoustic glass for the side windows is fitted as standard, however, and we haven’t found the interior to be particularly noisy.

This is a midsize car and 37 inches of rear legroom is perfectly fine for adults of average size. The RS 7 is also a hatchback, with 40/20/40 split/folding rear seats offering versatility for carrying people and/or cargo. Behind the rear seats is a luggage area of 24.6 cubic feet, more than any midsize sedan’s trunk.

If the usual Audi exterior design approach comes across as kind of bland on occasion, then the RS 7 makes believers of us once again. It’s sleek and assertive at the same time. And we especially love those optional Y-spoke 22-inch alloy wheels. The hatchback also adds plenty of practicality. Not many cars are this fast and this useful.

Virtual Cockpit Plus
No longer new technology, but Audi’s standard Virtual Cockpit Plus still impresses us with its clarity and ease of use. This digital driver information display has incredibly sharp graphics and, despite a wealth of information available, doesn’t require hours of practice to master. Most of the time, it’s white characters on a black background, but one RS 7-specific twist reverses that arrangement (if desired).

Powered liftgate
Sorry if this is being boring, but we like how Audi hasn’t forgotten that the RS 7 is also a luxury car in addition to being supremely fast. Convenience features like this really add to the day-to-day joys of RS 7 ownership.

Driver Assistance package
We suspect that most RS 7 drivers will want complete control and not use this optional package’s adaptive cruise control much. But we still recommend this $2,000 bundle because it also includes blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, plus intersection assistance. If it saves just one collision, it would probably have paid for itself.

Night Vision
Using infrared technology to show animals and pedestrians that might otherwise be difficult to spot in the dark, we might usually consider this feature a bit of a gimmick. But at the speeds of which the RS 7 is capable, anything that gives the driver more reaction time is clearly a good thing.

Head-up display
Like the Virtual Cockpit, no longer cutting-edge tech, but we like to see crucial information projected onto the windshield so we can keep our eyes more focused on the road ahead. This is part of the optional Executive package that also includes power-closing doors and remote parking assistance.

Bang & Olufsen Advanced system with 3D sound
It’s an expensive option ($4,900), but we think this 19-speaker/1,820-watt array sounds absolutely awesome. The RS 7 comes with a slightly less earth-shaking B&O system as standard.

The RS 7 deploys a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 that generates a mighty 621 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque. This goes to all four wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission. A mild hybrid system also smooths out the fuel-saving stop/restart function and maximizes efficiency in general.

The regular Audi A7 and the 444-horsepower S7 each have their own reviews.

4-Year/50,000-Mile Warranty

Audi’s new-vehicle and powertrain warranties last four years or 50,000 miles, whichever happens first. This is common among European luxury car makers. Audi also includes four years of roadside assistance.

Safety Ratings

The RS 7 itself hasn’t been crash-tested by any agencies in the United States, but the A7 (on which the RS 7 is based) has. Earlier A7 model years have been named a Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Last year’s version has top scores of Good in the three crash tests carried out by the institute. The A7 hasn’t been tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).