Filip Brabec, product planning manager for Audi of America, told us while describing the 2007 Q7’s comfort and convenience features: “We even have cupholder test drives.” Oh, how the once proud and steadfast Germans have bowed to Americans’ insatiable thirst for beverages on-the-go. We didn’t stop by the local 7-11 for a Big Gulp to conduct our own cupholder test, but we did climb into every row of seats to see whether the Q7 is good to shuttle three couples and a picnic for an evening at the Hollywood Bowl.

Notably, 10.8 cubic feet of cargo space is available behind the third-row seat – enough for cheese, crackers, bread, pasta, and a few bottles of your favorite Pinot. But room for adults in the third-row is scant. If lanky adults occupy the second-row seats, forget about putting anyone much taller than five-feet back there. And if you can con anyone in your sextet to take the rearmost jump seats, make sure they’re limber, because entry and exit constitute a warm-up at the local gym. Once they clamber aboard, they’ll find the third-row seats very low and very flat, but with surprisingly good foot space. Though it’s tempting to offer to drive your new Q7 to the Bowl so you can show off your new set of wheels to friends, we’d recommend letting the couple with the minivan drive instead. Mainly, the Audi Q7’s third-row seat should be reserved for kids, or adults you dislike.

The second-row seat is for people you like. It sits a bit low, but offers good thigh support once you get settled. Leg room is good, foot space is generous, and when you order the optional four-zone automatic climate system the rear seat riders get individual controls mounted on the back of the front center console. If you’re toting toddlers, the Q7’s optional manual sun shades are perfect for blocking light that might reach sensitive eyes.

Obviously, the front seats are the place to be. You sit tall behind the steering wheel on a multi-adjustable driver’s chair, with clear sightlines everywhere except through the rear window, which is obscured a bit by the second-row head restraints and significantly if the third-row is raised but not in use. The driver faces a handsome instrument panel, and Audi offers decent storage space in the doors, center console, and glove box (check out the elegant opener for that last item). But the Q7’s control layout needs a major overhaul. For a vehicle touted to be a “performance SUV,” Audi asks the driver to lower her eyes too far from the road to operate the climate, audio, and MMI systems. Cognitively, finding the right MMI key, referencing the display screen, deciding what to do next, and how to do it, is far too distracting while underway. Good thing it’s a voice-controlled system, with selected auxiliary controls mounted to the steering wheel spokes. Does Berlitz offer a course in MMI?

Audi hits a home run when it comes to using the Q7 for hauling cargo. The third-row seat quickly folds flat without removing the head restraints to create a sizeable 40 cu.-ft. cargo area, though vertical stacking is compromised by the fast D-pillars and tapered roofline. There’s a deep cargo compartment under the floor behind the third-row seat and above the spare tire well. Our Q7 4.2 test sample also featured Audi’s adaptive air suspension, which could be lowered 2.8 inches for easier cargo loading and unloading. Like the third-row seats, the second-row seats drop quickly and easily without removing the headrests. Maximum cargo volume is a healthy 88 cu.-ft., putting the 2007 Audi Q7 solidly in mid-size SUV territory by our informal standards.