TEST-DRIVING the new Audi S7. I drove the A7 last year and was quite impressed. The S7 should just be . . . moreso.

UPDATE: Reader Marc Greendorfer writes:

Interesting review you linked to on the new Audi S7. Likewise for your previous review on the A7.

We recently traded in our fairly new (2010) Audi A5 for a 2012 A7. I loved the A5, but it was my wife’s daily driver and for her 90+ mile daily commute, mostly on freeways, the smaller size and harsher ride of the sports oriented A5 was a problem. So with much regret on my part, she traded in the A5 for the A7.

The A5 had the 3.2 six cylinder with and the a7 has a 3.0 supercharged six cylinder with an eight speed automatic. We were always pleased with the mileage on the A5, especially given the level of performance it provided (usually in the low 20s in the city, high 20s on the freeway), but the significantly larger A7’s mileage is actually better that A5’s. City mileage is about the same but we’re getting a bit over 30 mpg on the freeway. I think a lot of this has to do with the 2 extra gears in the transmission, but it may also be that the 3.0 supercharged engine is more efficient generally. In any event, I was surprised to see the concern about fuel economy in your initial review of the A7, as it’s been a nice surprise for us.

And the rest of what you say about the A7 is definitely what we’re experiencing. It’s a big, comfortable, sporty ride with very adequate power and a lot of welcome tech features. The fact that it’s a hatchback (albeit one with a low roofline) makes it pretty much a do-everything vehicle for us. I suspect we will keep this Audi for a lot more than two years.

Sounds nice. Yes, the hatchback is a very useful feature.