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Help with smaller tow vehicle options


Asmodeus2112

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Older Cayennes were hamstrung with a weak hitch. 5000 pounds towing capacity. Also known  for failing coolant tubes (plastic) and a bearing that fails in the drive shaft. 

And the technology was dated when they were new. 

They are fun to drive though. I almost bought one several years back. Sometimes I wish I would have, but my industry is pretty blue collar and really doesn’t appreciate that type of vehicle - just sends the wrong message. 

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1 minute ago, RyanB said:

Older Cayennes were hamstrung with a weak hitch. 5000 pounds towing capacity. Also known  for failing coolant tubes (plastic) and a bearing that fails in the drive shaft. 

And the technology was dated when they were new. 

They are fun to drive though. I almost bought one several years back. Sometimes I wish I would have, but my industry is pretty blue collar and really doesn’t appreciate that type of vehicle - just sends the wrong message. 

IIRC the coolant pipes thing was fixed by 09. 

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This is new territory for me, thanks for your wisdom. Theme for today is going to be german SUV's I think. Wish dealerships were open today. Texas has a law that car dealerships can only be open one day a weekend, so most are open on Saturday.

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19 minutes ago, Nitrousbird said:

So, I am imagining that service/repair on a Porsche is expensive and risky on a higher milage one. Any knowledge on their lifespan? Is 100k about the end? 150k?

 

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5 minutes ago, Asmodeus2112 said:

So, I am imagining that service/repair on a Porsche is expensive and risky on a higher milage one. Any knowledge on their lifespan? Is 100k about the end? 150k?

 

The 2nd generation is better from the research I did.  I couldn't get over not having a truck bed, which is why I have my truck in the driveway instead of a Cayenne.  There are plenty 200k+ examples out there.  

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4 hours ago, Asmodeus2112 said:

There is one of these a mile away at one of the few dealerships that is open on Sunday. Going to check it out!

Just drove a 2015 Q7 S line with the supercharged V6. Really nice. I think we need to look at the Touareg though, it seems like the Q7 doesn't have as much towing capacity. 5500 standard, 6600 with tow package. Also the Q7 has third row seats that take a lot of volume in the back, which we would prefer to have for storage. Still, really impressed with the german SUV if the others are anything like the Q7 we just saw. I secretly want a Cayenne, but need to see one to see if Shawndoggy is correct about size. 

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If you get a German SUV, don't bother looking at one without the factory hitch.  You do not want to try and get one installed aftermarket no matter what a sales guy tells you.  Most of them are very complicated and expensive to put in after market because of the way they are tied into the electronics.  

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23 minutes ago, Asmodeus2112 said:

Just drove a 2015 Q7 S line with the supercharged V6. Really nice. I think we need to look at the Touareg though, it seems like the Q7 doesn't have as much towing capacity. 5500 standard, 6600 with tow package. Also the Q7 has third row seats that take a lot of volume in the back, which we would prefer to have for storage. Still, really impressed with the german SUV if the others are anything like the Q7 we just saw. I secretly want a Cayenne, but need to see one to see if Shawndoggy is correct about size. 

Did the Q7 you drove have the air suspension?  I had both a Q7 (v6TDI) and a touareg (v10TDI) and both had the 4 corner air suspension.  I really think this is a must as it turns these cars into great towing machines with zero rear sag or front lift.  Unfortunately the option was dropped after the 2008 year for the Touareg (technically there are a few 2009 Touareg v6 TDIs with the air suspension... and I mean "a few", after a but of a revolt from Touareg owners VW decided to allow people to order a 2009 v6TDI w/ the air suspension, but it was basically "sold orders only" and I know of only a few dealers that even know it was possible (it was never officially published.  IF you found one of those it would be a unicorn and a great find.  The Q7 continued to offer the 4 corner air suspension.  

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6 hours ago, Nitrousbird said:

To get the 4 corner air suspension on the Cayenne you need a GTS or Turbo.  It was orderable on the base, diesel and S but I have never seen one ordered that way.  Makes a huge difference for towing.  

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22 minutes ago, gregtay said:

To get the 4 corner air suspension on the Cayenne you need a GTS or Turbo.  It was orderable on the base, diesel and S but I have never seen one ordered that way.  Makes a huge difference for towing.  

I saw some on the S, never on the base or Diesel when I was look.  Which is too bad; the Diesel + air would make a great tow vehicle and go for a pretty reasonable price now.

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13 minutes ago, gregtay said:

Did the Q7 you drove have the air suspension?  I had both a Q7 (v6TDI) and a touareg (v10TDI) and both had the 4 corner air suspension.  I really think this is a must as it turns these cars into great towing machines with zero rear sag or front lift.  Unfortunately the option was dropped after the 2008 year for the Touareg (technically there are a few 2009 Touareg v6 TDIs with the air suspension... and I mean "a few", after a but of a revolt from Touareg owners VW decided to allow people to order a 2009 v6TDI w/ the air suspension, but it was basically "sold orders only" and I know of only a few dealers that even know it was possible (it was never officially published.  IF you found one of those it would be a unicorn and a great find.  The Q7 continued to offer the 4 corner air suspension.  

I don't think it did, but I don't know for certain. There are so many options. The Q7 we drove was advertised as a TDI, but was actually the S line, so a 3.0T supercharged. This Q7 had a receiver hitch, but I don't know if it had a tow package. Seems that Gen 1 Q7 which is up to 2015 tows 5500 standard, or 6600 with the tow package. Gen 2 is rated to 7700. 

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I saw some on the S back when I was looking as well.

FWIW, I test drove a Q7 TDI when I was deciding what I wanted.  I don't know if it was just that one, or all of them, but that thing was an absolute DOG.  I can't imagine towing with it.  Much different than the EcoDiesel Grand Cherokee I have now.

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If looking at the Q7, the 3.0T motor is probably good.  Same motor in my wife's S4 and it scoots decently stock.  Pulley swap and a tune would resolve any power concerns...

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4 hours ago, Asmodeus2112 said:

Were there problems with the air suspension on the Touareg? Seen a few mentions of this.

I had the same system on my Q7 and my Touareg and I never had a single issue.

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4 hours ago, Asmodeus2112 said:

I don't think it did, but I don't know for certain. There are so many options. The Q7 we drove was advertised as a TDI, but was actually the S line, so a 3.0T supercharged. This Q7 had a receiver hitch, but I don't know if it had a tow package. Seems that Gen 1 Q7 which is up to 2015 tows 5500 standard, or 6600 with the tow package. Gen 2 is rated to 7700. 

You could get an S-Line TDI... my q7 was a Prestige S-Line TDI with air suspension.  S-Line is basically a sports appearance package.

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4 minutes ago, gregtay said:

You could get an S-Line TDI... my q7 was a Prestige S-Line TDI with air suspension.  S-Line is basically a sports appearance package.

I like the idea of 7700 lbs towing with the Touareg/Cayenne. If I can make sure the Q7 has the tow package then 6600 should be ok, but I need to find the GCWR. What do you think if the supercharged 3.0 6 instead of the TDI? I'm trying to keep the budget low too, so I'm not sure I'm going to find the perfect combination, so I think it would be better con compromise on the air suspension than the motor?

Edited by Asmodeus2112
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2 hours ago, Asmodeus2112 said:

I like the idea of 7700 lbs towing with the Touareg/Cayenne. If I can make sure the Q7 has the tow package then 6600 should be ok, but I need to find the GCWR. What do you think if the supercharged 3.0 6 instead of the TDI? I'm trying to keep the budget low too, so I'm not sure I'm going to find the perfect combination, so I think it would be better con compromise on the air suspension than the motor?

The supercharged 3.0 is one of the best engines Audi makes.  Stock is severely detuned for longevity and its still got lots of power.  (A chip, intake and a few supercharger mods can easily push it over 500HP.)  There are 3 guys who have TDI Q7s at my work and they all really like them.  I think either engine would be fine for towing your boat.  

Edited by jjackkrash
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I'm having trouble finding GCWR for the Audi Q7. There are threads on forums about this, and 

1 hour ago, gregtay said:

I had the same system on my Q7 and my Touareg and I never had a single issue.

Have seen a Q7, but not a Touareg yet. What is the difference in cargo space in back between Touareg and Q7? Cayenne if you know...

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17 minutes ago, bretcole said:

Find a 2004-2009 Touareg with the 4.2 v8.

Ideally you find a 2008 4.2 v8. The 2008 was the MCR and they called it a Touareg 2 starting in 2008, tons of improvements. 2008 was the last year for the 4.2l... so that would be the only year with a T2 + v8. I’d stay away from 04 models.. lots of issues when they came out.

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