2022 Audi A7

Audi A7

Audi’s A7 fastback has always been the sort of car you buy with your heart and justify with your head later. It’s not a saloon, not an estate—just its own thing. That’s appealing, especially if you’re tired of seeing the same old shapes on William Nicol every day. Here, it faces off against heavy hitters like the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé, Mercedes-Benz CLS, and Porsche Panamera, all fighting for a sliver of South Africa’s executive car buyers who want four doors without looking like another Uber Black. On paper at least, the market’s microscopic: two used cars, one for R209,995 and another for a wallet-busting R1,799,995. That R1,004,995 median says it all—there’s a basic 3.0 TDi at one end, and a ballistic RS7 at the other. Both are diesels, both automatics, and honestly, that’s smart with fuel prices as mad as they are. If you pack smart, the 3.0 TDi Quattro S tronic at R209,995 is the sensible buy—2011 registration, 99,250 km on the clock, and with proper maintenance, those diesels keep chugging. The RS7 Sportback 4.0T FSI at R1,799,995, though, is a different league—brutal, rare, and priced to make sure only serious buyers call. There’s no new stock, so it’s pre-owned or nothing. Here’s what sets the A7 apart: the interior punches well above the BMW’s, and even with that raked roof, rear comfort doesn’t come at the expense of headroom. That matters, because if you’re dropping this kind of cash in South Africa, you want style that doesn’t make your passengers complain every time you run to Sandton.