Audi has introduced its new Q7. A large SUV, with a seven person seating capacity. The giant 4×4 has four wheel drive, three rows of seats, and is an enormous, quality built vehicle. The Q7 offers the best in exterior good looks, interior ergonomic design and comfort. Audi’s Q7 has two powerful engines and a commanding presence on the road that’s unbeatable. The German built giant is very stylish, functional, and enjoys off-road capabilities. It isn’t on the same level as a Range Rover, but the Audi does offer peace of mind in slippery or less than ideal conditions. Most SUV’s in this class would not be used off road, but the capabilities can bring peace of mind to the driver should driving conditions ever warrant the need for such talents. The Q7 would also be ideal for towing other vehicles, carts, trailers, etc. The Q7 offers great versatility and comfort for both driver and passengers. This vehicle can help accommodate the demanding rigors of an active family, while lending itself to more of a task-oriented role as well. It can be used to haul larger cargo, and can even pull and tow larger items behind.

 Practicality

The Q7 is not a cheap vehicle, but it is competitively priced with other luxury SUV’s. The most economical option available is the diesel version. This will prove to be cost effective at the fuel pump. Insurance is usually priced similar to that of a premium saloon. The Q7 easily accommodates seven people allowing plenty of cabin space for all. The last row of seats however, will more comfortably seat children. There is plenty of storage space within the cabin, and the boot is spacious enough to store a great deal of cargo, and the third row of seats fold down allowing extra cargo space when needed. The controls are easy to read and functional. They are located within reach of both the driver and front seat passenger. Duplicate controls are mounted on the steering wheel for ease and convenience. The Q7 has firm yet supportive seats. The cabin does an excellent job of filtering out road and engine noise. The first two rows provide plenty of legroom and headroom. While the third row is more limited on legroom it does provide adequate headroom. Audi’s Q7 is easily accessible. Doors are wide enough that entry is a breeze. To gain entry passengers must take a small step up in order to gain access to the cabin. Parking the large SUV is not as difficult as it sounds. The Q7 is equipped with large exterior mirrors and flawless power steering. The difficult part of parking the Q7 might be finding a space large enough to accommodate the vehicle.

 Life Style

The Q7 is a large SUV but it is easy to drive. This is partly due to the diesel engine giving it an all around appeal. The Q7 also provides a good driving position, good brakes and suspension, and drives more like a large luxury car than an SUV. This vehicle has terrific family appeal. Even if you don’t need seating for seven people, the third row folds down and can be used as extra cargo space. The cabin is fairly lavish and small children could easily ruin the upholstery. The car comes with the option of an extensive entertainment package. The Q7 would not make a good first car. It is on the pricey side and being a larger vehicle it would be difficult for new drivers to navigate down crowded or narrow roads. The Q7 is no different than other Audi’s. It is well-built from quality materials and plush on the inside. Audi’s image tends to reflect classy, high-quality, sport cars. The Q7 has upheld Audi’s high standards.

 Security and Safety

The Q7 would be a very attractive target for theft, that’s why it comes fully equipped with a comprehensive anti-theft package. A tracking device does not come with the standard package, but might be a wise investment. Airbags are located throughout the cabin and electronic traction and stability aids keep the SUV headed in the right direction. The Q7 has a four-wheel drive system for additional safety and functionality.

 The finishing Touches

 The standard stereo unit is equipped with the usual controls. The controls are duplicated on the steering wheel for driver convenience. The sound quality is good, and there are many upgrades available, including a sat-nav system. The Q7 looks great in black and silver, as well as in most dark colors. Many cabin trim colors are available in both light and dark colors. Chrome highlights add a glamorous touch to any color.

 Summary

Audi’s Q7 is well on its way to being center stage, successfully competing with rival brands. The large SUV is expensive to buy and uses a lot of fuel, but its solidly built with quality materials and sports the Audi name, that’s enough to win over many buyers.

Mitsubishi’s Shogun was one of the first 4x4’s to adopt a car-like chassis. The Shogun boasts good build quality and a choice of a good petrol engine or diesel engine.

Mitsubishi released three very different versions of the Shogun in order to appeal to a wide variety of buyers. The Shogun Pinin is more compact and affordable, while the Shogun Sport is aimed to please families as an all-round family vehicle, and the Shogun is designed to be a true 4×4 that can go anywhere yet deliver impressive levels of luxury and comfort. The car’s exterior design is much more stylish than that of its predecessor. The seven-seat model offers impressive level of versatility. The third row of seats can fold completely away or removed to create more cargo space. Inside the cabin is well-equipped and has been enhanced and given a fresher more modern look. The controls and dials are all functional but the car’s switchgear still delivers a plastic-type feel. The Shogun is a true off-roader and it’s a refined on-roader. For buyers who are looking for a true off-roader the Shogun may be the car for you. It delivers a refined on-road experience but is no match for some of the major brands.

 Practicality

 The Shogun provides good value for the money and should deliver good insurance rates and prove to be reliable. The car should also provide decent resale value. The Shogun provides more than adequate passenger space. Head and legroom are good all-round and the seats can be arranged to better accommodate passengers or removed completely to create additional cargo space. The car’s controls and dials are all logically placed and functional. The Shogun does not present anything too complex. The car’s displays are large and easy to read. The Shogun presents excellent levels of comfort, cabin space is excellent and the car’s seats are supportive yet comfortable. The car delivers a good off-road experience and decent levels of refinement on the road as well. The Shogun provides easy accessibility to the car’s cabin. The doors are large and open widely to provide a large aperture. Passengers can easily get comfortable once inside the cabin. Parking the Shogun is easy. Despite the car’s large size it is fairly easy to park. The car provides a high drive position and visibility is good all-round. The car is also easy to maneuver at lower speeds.

 Life Style

The Shogun provides a good driving experience. The car focuses on being a true off-roader and then on providing a refined on road experience. The car performs extremely well in 4×4 mode, but it can be less refined than some of the major competitors.This would make an excellent all-round family vehicle. The car provides good passenger space and versatility. The car is large enough to cope with all the rigors of family life. This is not a good first car. It is too large and too costly for what most first time buyers need. The Shogun is also not the easiest car to drive and inexperienced drivers may get in over their heads rather quickly. The quality of the interior is very good, and the car’s build quality is excellent, but the car will still be seen as a budget buy. Practical buyers will appreciate all that the car has to offer, image conscious buyers are more likely to move on to bigger name brands.

 Security and Safety

The Shogun does not come with security as standard and an alarm system and engine immobiliser will cost extra. The car’s safety features include items such as ABS and twin front airbags. The sheer size of the Shogun means that it will fair better than most in an accident.

 The Finishing Touches

The console boasts a Multi-Information Center Display. The Information Center houses the display for the car’s climate control features and audio controls. The unit includes a CD player with six speakers. The car comes standard with leather upholstery and airconditioning. The cabin provides exceptional overall quality and metallic paint is offered as standard on all Shogun models.

 Summary

The Shogun is available in three different versions. Mitsubishi has created a version to appeal to most buyers. Whether the buyer needs a workhorse, a family car or a luxury 4×4 to appeal to the executive market. The Shogun provides loads of versatility and practicality for a very reasonable price. The car comes decently equipped and provides buyers with good value for the money, take a look at www.BuyYourMitsubishi.co.uk for an idea on some of the offers. The Shogun delivers an excellent off-road experience and a fairly refined on-road ride as well. Many competitors beat the Shogun for on-road refinement and this may cost the Shogun some buyers.

Skoda’s Superb represents one of the best values in the car market. The Superb drives like a limousine providing a smooth ride and high levels of comfort. This level of quality and refinement usually comes at a higher price. The Superb is popular among commercial drivers due to its comfort levels and smooth ride.The exterior design is modest rather than flashy so much so that the car may seem a little plain. It will take a close look to notice the car’s extra length. The Superb is aging slowly and should enjoy high resale values. Cheaper Superbs represent good bargains for buyers but the more costly models offer even better value. They are loaded down with kit and luxurious creature comforts. Many have suggested that Skoda’s build quality has surpassed that of Volkswagen. The Superb delivers an extra smooth ride. This is facilitated  by its long wheelbase and excellent suspension settings. It is not sporty or racy, but for motorway comfort it is unbeatable. There are some prestigious rivals out there that deliver comparable quality and results, but it’s important to know that the price is almost double of what buyers will pay for the Superb.

 Practicality

The Superb has a low asking price, service charges, and insurance rates. The V6 option will be the only one that doesn’t give you decent fuel economy. Resale value will be a bit lower than you might hope.The cabin is large and occupants will have ample room to move about the cabin. The boot generously sized and will accommodate a days shopping easily, though oddly shaped items may be difficult to load. The gauges are all easy to read. Complementing the logical placement, are lights that illuminate the dash. This is helpful when embarking on long journeys as it makes the cabin more comfortable and relaxing. The dials and knobs are functional and don’t clutter the fascia. The cabin offers plenty of head and legroom. Front passengers will fare slightly better than those in the rear as far as legroom is concerned, but this shouldn’t be a problem. The seats are wide and offer lumbar support they also adjust for height and tilt. The Superb is very accessible. The wide door apertures allow for unrestricted access into the cabin. The seats don’t sit too low, so reaching into them is unnecessary. The boot’s lid opens wide, allowing for larger items to be loaded without much fuss. Parking the Superb is easy as long as you are going forward. The boot is difficult to see past, making parking sensors a necessity.

 Life Style

 The car’s long wheelbases provide comfort and stability. The Superb performs best cruising along on smooth surfaces. The automatic gearbox is available with both V6 engines, but the standard manual works well too. Acceleration is modest due to the car’s weight. A Superb could make a practical family car. It could be used for many family oriented tasks. It would provide adequate family space, but there are probably more logical family cars available.The Superb would not make a good first car. It is way too big and wouldn’t be trendy enough for most young drivers. There are definitely better first cars available. The Superb is one of the best quality cars on the market. Skoda is better known for their smaller cars, and many buyers may not be ready to accept the firm as a producer of larger vehicles. The Superb is just as the name implies, a superb vehicle to drive.

 Security and Safety

The Skoda gets high marks seeing how it comes with a comprhensive security pakage, an imbobilezr, VIN label on the frame of the windshield, and an alarm system that monitors the inside of the car are all included. Just as all the other UK Skodas, the Superb is autamaticaly registered with the ISR. A unique locxator number is on all the windows which makes that specific car locatable at any time. The car comes standard with six airbags, front airbags fo the driver and passenger, side impact bags, and curtain bags, which provide a sort of protection curtain between the passengers and the side windows.All rear seats in the Skoda come with head restraints and fixtures for two Isofix child seats.

The Finishing Touches

The car’s standard audio system comes with an eight-speaker sound system with a single CD player. Higher models include a a cassette deck. At this level you also get a six-CD changer. The system provides good sound quality. The standard Superb includes climate control with additional vents to the rear seats, front and rear electric windows, heated external mirrors and a multi-function computer. Comfort level models include alloy wheels, improved upholstery with a leather-wrapped gear knob, gaiter and handbrake and steering wheel stereo controls. There is also an umbrella built into the rear left hand door.

 Summary

The Skoda Superb isn’t a bargain basement alternative to better quality executive models. It’s a less expensive alternative that is just as functional, comfortable and practical as the more expensive rival brands.

Launched in 1989, Lexus is the luxury car division of Toyota, and is Japan’s largest manufacturer of luxury cars. Lexuses are renowned for the level of comfort and luxury they provide, not to mention their legendary reliability.

The Lexus IS, introduced in 1999, is Lexus’s answer to the BMW 3 Series and the Audi A4. A compact executive car, the IS offers good performance, stylish looks and rock-solid reliability, making it an excellent choice on the used car market. The second-generation model, launched in 2005, is even better.

Launched back in 1991, the Lexus GS is the company’s medium-sized executive car, designed to compete with the BMW 5 Series and the Audi A6. New models were introduced in 1997, 2004 and 2011, and the GS remains a popular choice on the second-hand market due to its luxury, reliability and classy image.

The Lexus LS was the first car Lexus sold in the UK, and is the company’s flagship luxury car. Launched in 1989, new models were introduced in 1994, 2000, 2006 and 2012, and the LS remains one of the most sumptuous and luxurious cars on the road. Don’t expect the levels of prestige you get from, say, a Mercedes S-Class, but don’t discount the LS on this alone. Running costs will be very high but used prices are low, making the LS a clever second-hand buy.

The CT is Lexus’s first foray into the family hatchback market. Launched in 2010, the CT offers legendary Lexus reliability in a small and compact package, making it a good used choice for those looking for a cheap way into Lexus ownership.

Other popular used models in the Lexus line-up include the SC roadster and the RX 4×4 SUV.

To find a great deal on a used Lexus near you, you’ve come to the right place. Use AutoOnline.co.uk to find the perfect deal.