Used Audi RS7 for sale: everything you need to know

Like its fellow German carmakers BMW and Mercedes-Benz, Audi has spent the last couple of decades massively expanding its range of performance models. Where once just a single car wore the RS badge, you’ll now find it on almost every model in the range. Some wear it better than others, and the Audi RS7 is one of the more convincing models.

It helps that the Audi A7 was already a striking and very desirable car, so slotting in a high-performance V8 engine and sharpening the styling further has worked a treat. The RS7 has never been a cheap car to buy new, but used RS7s are now easy to find and at much more tempting prices.

The BMW M5 has long been the high-performance saloon to beat, but the RS7’s sleek fastback styling also suggests a few other alternatives, including the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door and the Porsche Panamera - as well as electric models like Audi’s own e-tron GT, and the Porsche Taycan.

Should you buy an Audi RS7?

Perhaps you like the idea of the Audi RS6 Avant, with its twin-turbocharged V8 and the reassurance of all-wheel drive, but aren’t sold on the estate car body. The Audi RS7 then could be the car for you, nearly identical under the skin to Audi’s appealing fast estate, but with a sloping roofline and more rakish styling.

This is the second generation of RS7, unveiled in 2019 and launched in 2020. If the styling isn’t quite as novel the second time around, Audi worked hard in the interim to improve the way the RS7 drives, and just like the RS6 it’s no longer a one-dimensional machine focused purely on speed. It’s genuinely involving to drive, pairing huge performance and grip with more communicative controls, and even rides pretty well considering the enormous alloy wheels that all RS7s possess.

The range is mainly split between the regular RS7 Sportback and the RS7 Sportback Performance - the latter getting even more power at a mid-life refresh. Both are monstrously quick and sound great, despite the muffling effects of petrol particulate filters.

You’d expect a great cabin from Audi and you get that too. The A7 (and therefore RS7) adopted a lot of features that debuted in the Audi A8 a year before, such as a twin touchscreen centre console, and while no touchscreen is perfect, the RS7’s is more intuitive than many. With that raked roofline you naturally don’t get quite as much rear seat headroom, nor as much boot space as an RS6, but at five metres long the RS7 is hardly small and its boot is still larger than that of most estates, making it surprisingly practical.

The RS6 is probably the alternative you’re most likely to consider, but if you’re taken by the RS7’s performance than the all-electric Audi e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT are worth a look. So too are the petrol Porsche Panamera and electric Porsche Taycan, while the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door features an even more bombastic take on the RS7’s formula.

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What’s the best used Audi RS7 model to buy?

You’re unlikely to feel short-changed by not getting hold of an RS7 in Performance specification. The regular RS7 is already very powerful and there aren’t many cars that will keep up with it in a straight line, and other than its alloy wheels being an inch or two smaller than those on the Performance (often remedied through the options list by the original buyer), there’s not a lot of visual difference either.

That said, enough buyers opted for the Performance that it’s currently the only version available new, so if you find one in your budget, there’s little reason not to go for it. Don’t ponder trim levels too long either - Vorsprung models do get one or two items of desirable kit but little that’ll improve your daily enjoyment of the car, while special editions like the Carbon Black are purely visual, so don’t pay over the odds for one.

Used Audi RS7 fuel economy and performance

• Audi RS7: All current-generation Audi RS7s use a 4-litre, twin-turbocharged petrol V8 connected to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, and power all four wheels. At launch the non-Performance model made 560PS, good for a 0-62mph time of 3.9 seconds.
• Audi RS7 Performance: At launch the Performance developed 605PS, but this has since been boosted to 630PS. The earlier cars had a 3.7-second 0-62mph time while the later models reduce this to 3.4 seconds, with combined economy of up to 23.3mpg.

What used Audi RS7 trim levels are available?

The Audi RS7’s trim levels vary primarily according to the occasional special edition here and there. All RS7s are well equipped so the main differences between models tend to be in the details rather than anything fundamental, though it’s worth bearing in mind that all ‘Performance’ models, special edition or otherwise, feature the more powerful versions of the 4-litre V8 standard to the RS7.

• The Audi RS7 is already one of Audi’s range-topping models so it’s no surprise to find a comprehensive equipment list. Standard kit includes 20-inch alloy wheels, selectable driving modes, all-wheel drive with an electronically-controlled rear differential, RS air suspension, matrix LED headlights, heated sports seats, Audi’s MMI infotainment system, and 14-speaker Bose sound.
• The Audi RS7 Performance has changed slightly in specification over the years, but current models offer similar specification to the non-Performance RS7 above, but add a head-up display, 22-inch wheels, matrix LED headlights with laser main beams, front seat ventilation, and an Alcantara-trimmed steering wheel.
• The Audi RS7 Performance Carbon Black is mostly a styling package on the RS7 Performance, swapping dark grey exterior trim (such as mirror caps and bodykit elements) for a matte carbon finish, a matte black finish on the 22-inch wheels, and carbonfibre interior inlays with blue accents.
• The Audi RS7 Performance Vorsprung adds power closing doors, adaptive cruise control with several lane-changing and avoidance functions, RS Sports Suspension, night vision, a panoramic glass sunroof, and a similar black pack to the Carbon Black edition.

Used Audi RS7 dimensions and boot size

The Audi RS7’s dimensions are:

• Length: 5012mm
• Width: 1911mm (without mirrors), 2139mm (with mirrors)
• Height: 1419mm

The Audi RS7’s boot size is:

• 535 litres
• 1390 litres with the rear seats folded (to roof)

Used Audi RS7 road tax

As the current generation of RS7 arrived in 2019, all models are subject not just to a flat rate of VED from the second year of registration onwards (the first year is dictated by CO2 emissions), but with list prices approaching and exceeding six figures, they also attract the government surcharge, for a flat rate of £570 per year in the second to sixth years of registration. This is similar to most of the RS7’s combustion-powered rivals.

How much is it to insure an Audi RS7?

No surprises here: The Audi RS7 sits in the maximum group 50 for insurance across the board, which is similar to most of its equivalents from other marques - some BMW M5s are in group 49, and the electric Audi e-tron GT is also group 50. Insurance rates will of course vary slightly depending on the model and your personal circumstances.

Read our full Audi RS7 review