2012 Audi A7 3.0T Prestige

No, the A7 may not hold quite as much cargo as the European-exclusive 2012 A6 Avant, but it does manage to blend additional practicality and stunning design into a single package. I used the A7 the other day to pick up two large roof vents for my house and it turned a number of heads in the Home Depot parking lot. This is the second A7 we've had in the office recently, and it's the more opulent of the two. This example carries nearly $20,000 in options over a base A7, much of which is tied to the Prestige trim ($6330) and a number of tech features. The innovation package ($5800) includes LED headlamps, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning (those amber LED warning lamps really catch your attention), among other things. Add another $5900 for the dramatic Bang & Olufsen audio system. If its 1300 watts and digital signal processing weren't enough to grab your attention, the artistic pop-up dash tweeters certainly will be. Unless you're wowed by the latest in gadgetry, adding these to your A7 order doesn't necessarily leave you with a vehicle that feels like $20,000 more car. To Audi's credit, the Premium and Premium Plus trim grades drive just as nicely (especially when equipped with the $1500 sport package) and provide passengers with an equally sumptuous cabin. The affluent and tech-savvy may prefer the Prestige's extensive content, but the lesser A7s are just as impressive and much less expensive. Evan McCausland, Associate Web Editor Like the A8, the Audi A7 can be equipped with an amazing array of options, and this 3.0T Prestige came with just about every box checked, adding over $20,000 to the base price and bringing the total to more than $80,000. The coolest option has to be the $5900 Bang & Olufsen surround-sound system. It sounds expensive, of course; more importantly, though, it looks expensive. Hit the power button for the stereo and two small, elegantly designed speakers pop up from the near the A-pillars. I was so enthralled with their operation that I turned the stereo off and on repeatedly. The rearview camera, which is part of the $6330 Prestige trim, is far less exciting, but with the A7's extra-wide C-pillars it's a near necessity for safely reversing in this big car. Jennifer Misaros, Managing Editor, Digital Platforms