The Audi adventure

If you could take a brand new Audi Q7, plus a range of Audi’s finest accessories, out on the open road, where would you go? That’s the exact question Audi posed to three restless adventurers, then they kitted them out and sent them on their way. Here’s what happened:

Lou, ‘Little Green Shed’ blogger and mother of two:

‘I’ve travelled all over the world, but have never been to the Lake District. I’ve always wanted to go, but the thought of starting a six-hour drive with children was a consistent barrier.

‘I needn’t have worried with the Q7; it handled the road with ease and had enough in-car gadgets to keep everyone occupied all the way there and back. On our first night, we took the Q7 off-road and headed for the Castlerigg stone circle to watch the sunset. The colours were incredible and what a vantage point. It’s amazing what you can see when you wander off the beaten path.

‘Next day, we continued our adventure by trekking through to the National Trust Aira Force, a flowing water mass drenched in tranquillity. Unfortunately at this point, the heavens opened on a biblical scale, so we made haste back to base camp!

‘To set ourselves up for the journey home, we used the mobile espresso machine that plugs into the lighter socket. The end result is an excellent espresso shot, ready within two minutes. Bliss. On the way home, as we weaved through the rolling hills, I reflected on what had been a wonderful, if short, weekend. The lakes have so much to see and do that you really need a full week or more to feel like you’ve taken in such a spectacular place.’ ​

Laura, ultra-endurance cyclist:

‘I love getting outdoors. It’s a way for me to reconnect with nature and take a break from the hustle and bustle of city life.

‘I collected the car at about 6am (talk about an early start!) and arrived at my friends’ to load everything up. As an endurance cyclist, I spend a lot of time training alone, so it was great to be able to share this experience with my club-mates. We stopped off a couple of times on the way to Abergavenny; the bike rack has a really useful lock mechanism, so you have peace of mind when leaving the car for ten minutes at the service station.

‘Wales is one of my favourite places to cycle in the UK; there’s a great mix of terrain to challenge yourself with and the scenery is so beautiful. We arrived around midday, and the team managed to squeeze in 120km of trails and road before the sun set. Getting the bikes back on the car was quick and simple; handy when it’s getting dark.

‘Cycling really forces you to push yourself, so by the end of the day I couldn’t wait to return to the comfort of the Q7!’​

John, ‘Everyday Man’ lifestyle blogger:

‘My best mate and I collected the Q7 in the early afternoon. There’s no better feeling than clocking off on a Friday, getting the car packed up and escaping the city before the rush-hour traffic.

‘We decided to test out the car on Loch Lubnaig, a place I chose because of its dramatic landscapes and limitless options for outdoor activities. By the time we got there it was mid-afternoon. Time was of the essence, so we hired canoes from the nearest town, mounted them onto the roof and headed for the water. The Audi roof rack was straightforward to use so there were no problems getting them loaded on and off.

‘Being out on the loch and having a 360˚ view of the surroundings was stunning. It was a pretty good workout for the arms, too! We hit up some bike trails the next day before heading homewards. I’d initially been apprehensive about driving such a big vehicle, but the Q7 was effortless; I was more than happy to take the wheel for the return leg.’

It looks like the Audi Q7 went down a treat, so why not book yourself in for your own test drive here at Jardine Motors Audi? And don’t forget to let us know what you’d do if you had a Q7 for a weekend!