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Anyone towing with an Audi Q7 3.0


isellacuras

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Looking to replace my F150 with an Audi Q7 for my tow rig. Capacity is 7700#. Pretty sure my 2012 VLX is prolly around 6000# lake ready so I feel pretty confident it should be fine. Anyone with real world experience?  Please correct me if I am wrong with my 6000# estimate of my boat/trailer weight. Also considering a Land Rover discovery which is rated a little higher. Really want to consider a Jeep gladiator but I’m concerned with towing ability after lifting. 

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I'd be concerned on the depreciation on the gladiator.  They have not been selling well.

I don't think you'll have an issue with the Q7.  But... Why not look at the TDI?  I'd also look at an X5 diesel (and there was also a Grand Cherokee Diesel a few years back that is a tow-pig that would also make a decent daily driver.)

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What year?  The older gen is better at towing than the latest gen but both do great.  I towed our 23LSV with a Q7 TDI for years (with the 4 corner air suspension.) Did awesome, no issues at all.  Hardly knew the boat was back there.  We also towed with our V10TDI Touareg which was the ultimate two vehicle (they two are almost mechanically identical.. except the Q7 was longer and had the smaller motor.)  I do highly recommend finding one with the air suspension... it will keep your rig 100% level (lowers the front and raises the back) when you hook up the boat and you have almost no impact to handling.  I think the Touareg/Q7/Cayenne family of SUVs are hidden gems as tow vehicles... especially the first gen which were much heavier and a bit more overbuilt (which also means overly complicated.. because that's how Mr. Piëch wanted things.  My dream tow vehicle today is a 2020 Toaureg V8 TDI with all the goodies.. but VW said "no Touareg for you silly Americans, we built you your very own soccer mom 3 row 21 cupholder VW Atlas (yuck)... which is a defeatured Q7 with a weaker motor.  Touareg was a tough sell in the US without a third row and we all see VW as a value brand so they had to pull the Touareg ('cause it can get expensive... like over $100k :-O)

Anyway... good luck!

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2 hours ago, RyanB said:

Gladiator EcoDiesel would be a better tow vehicle than any you listed (other than the F150). 

I heard the stability of the gladiator gets wonky after they’re lifted. That plus the depreciation has me concerned. I can get a decent deal on one but there’s no incentives. We have an Audi store in my dealer group so I qualify for the employee lease which is a smokin deal and the only way it fits my budget. I have a very easy tow to my local lakes and may venture out to some higher elevation lakes in which case I could just rent or borrow a truck. I don’t think I want or need a diesel. 

Edited by isellacuras
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I guess I didn’t read your entire post. I missed the concern about ability after lifting. 
 

I haven’t followed this launch as close as I have others, and haven’t seen the negative reviews. 
 

The Gladiator seems to be selling well around here - I see them all the time. And I assumed resale would be similar to what it is with the Wrangler (not much short of unreal there). 
 

I will say that my specific recommendation of going with the EcoDiesel was as much about the overall driving characteristics as anything. I love my EcoDiesel Grand Cherokee. Might be one of my favorite vehicles I’ve owned. It is not a “tow beast” but it drives well, always is in the right gear, accelerates well with the low end torque, and gets good MPG. 
 

The Audi you are looking at had the 3.0 supercharged engine, correct?  I think that would be fun to drive solo. I don’t think it would make a good long range/frequent/long term tow vehicle. But maybe that isn’t what you are looking for.  

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17 minutes ago, RyanB said:

 

The Audi you are looking at had the 3.0 supercharged engine, correct?  I think that would be fun to drive solo. I don’t think it would make a good long range/frequent/long term tow vehicle. But maybe that isn’t what you are looking for.  

Correct. It will be my wife’s daily driver but will be replacing my truck. I will take over her 18 MDX and eventually replace that with another MDX or a TLX A-Spec AWD. I have to have an Acura because work pays for it but wife is tired of Acura’s since that’s pretty much all we/she has had for the last 18+ years. That along with the fact that she doesn’t like driving my truck makes it hard if not impossible to switch cars for certain occasions. One more thing to complicate things is we have a 100# German Shepard that we have to squeeze in the back seat of the truck with the kids when we take a lake trip or a road trip of any sort with the truck. It just seems to make the most sense. That’s why I narrowed it down to the Q7 and Doscovery. The 7700 and 8200 pound towing capacities and mid size stature make them feasible on paper. We like the discovery a little better but the cost difference between the two makes the Audi a stand out. I have a flat 4 mile tow to my local lake, a 2000ish elevation climb to a half dozen other lakes within an hour and a half drive.  I don’t frequent the high elevation lakes around here but have the resources to borrow a truck if need be.  

Edited by isellacuras
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My buddy traded a Tundra for a Q7 TDI (2015 I think) and says it tows what he tows (5k-ish lbs. boat) as well as the Tundra.   I'd make sure it has the factory hitch (you don't want to try and add one later to a German SUV) and make sure that the hitch is rated for the tongue weight you want it to carry.

The Discos are sexy but I question their general reliability based on the admittedly small sample of friends who have owned them.

I am not sure about the 3.0l with the new turbos, but the 3.0l supercharged engine was seriously detuned for reliability.  The turbo 3.0L should have plenty of power for occasional towing in any event.  And the latest generation Q7 gets generally fantastic reviews.  

Good luck.  

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35 minutes ago, jjackkrash said:

My buddy traded a Tundra for a Q7 TDI (2015 I think) and says it tows what he tows (5k-ish lbs. boat) as well as the Tundra.   I'd make sure it has the factory hitch (you don't want to try and add one later to a German SUV) and make sure that the hitch is rated for the tongue weight you want it to carry.

The Discos are sexy but I question their general reliability based on the admittedly small sample of friends who have owned them.

I am not sure about the 3.0l with the new turbos, but the 3.0l supercharged engine was seriously detuned for reliability.  The turbo 3.0L should have plenty of power for occasional towing in any event.  And the latest generation Q7 gets generally fantastic reviews.  

Good luck.  

Done deal. I looked into the diesel but they don’t sell them in California. The 2020’s aren’t in yet. I got a 19 premium plus with A few bells and whistles and the supercharged 3,0. Turbo doesn’t come out til 2020. I think it will work for us. If not, I can always get a truck. They had to dealer trade for it so I will pick it up tomorrow or Friday. 

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Nice! 

Yah, if you want a TDI you need to get one of the call-back vehicles that were retrofitted to comply with EPA regs.  I don't think VAG is importing any new vehicles with that TDI engine (at least they weren't a while back).  I have the supercharged 3.0L gasser I'm my S5 and think its a fantastic engine.  

 

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14 hours ago, isellacuras said:

Done deal. I looked into the diesel but they don’t sell them in California. The 2020’s aren’t in yet. I got a 19 premium plus with A few bells and whistles and the supercharged 3,0. Turbo doesn’t come out til 2020. I think it will work for us. If not, I can always get a truck. They had to dealer trade for it so I will pick it up tomorrow or Friday. 

You know the drill when you do pick it up!

SC 2020-01-23 at 9.21.35 AM.png

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On 1/22/2020 at 5:03 PM, jjackkrash said:

My buddy traded a Tundra for a Q7 TDI (2015 I think) and says it tows what he tows (5k-ish lbs. boat) as well as the Tundra.   I'd make sure it has the factory hitch (you don't want to try and add one later to a German SUV) and make sure that the hitch is rated for the tongue weight you want it to carry.

The Discos are sexy but I question their general reliability based on the admittedly small sample of friends who have owned them.

I am not sure about the 3.0l with the new turbos, but the 3.0l supercharged engine was seriously detuned for reliability.  The turbo 3.0L should have plenty of power for occasional towing in any event.  And the latest generation Q7 gets generally fantastic reviews.  

Good luck.  

Actually adding a the OEM hitch to the Q7 isn't all that bad, pull the bumper cover, pull off the non-tow bumper bar and replace it with the tow hitch version.  You need the new number cutout cover which really depends on which trim you have. I have done it twice. And for US vehicles they all come equipped with the extra coolers, etc.  The factory hitch is about 10x more expensive then something you would find at the hitch shop.. but worth it to get the rating.

 

Oh.. and Audi finally announced we will get a real Q7 in the US again... SQ7, 500HP turbo V8. Finally.  Wish they would bring the RS version (which they are doing with the Q8.)

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On 1/22/2020 at 5:44 PM, isellacuras said:

Done deal. I looked into the diesel but they don’t sell them in California. The 2020’s aren’t in yet. I got a 19 premium plus with A few bells and whistles and the supercharged 3,0. Turbo doesn’t come out til 2020. I think it will work for us. If not, I can always get a truck. They had to dealer trade for it so I will pick it up tomorrow or Friday. 

But "the turbo" they were referring to the new US market SQ7 twin turbo V8 @ 500 HP & 586 ft/lbs. Not as epic as the ROW SQ7 TDI engine, but at least it is something. Yummy and the way German cars were meant to be.

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6 minutes ago, gregtay said:

But "the turbo" they were referring to the new US market SQ7 twin turbo V8 @ 500 HP & 586 ft/lbs. Not as epic as the ROW SQ7 TDI engine, but at least it is something. Yummy and the way German cars were meant to be.

Do you have a link to that release.  Just bought a 2020 SQ5, delivered last month.  My wife wants a SQ7.  It needs to tow the boat!

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2 minutes ago, dlb said:

Do you have a link to that release.  Just bought a 2020 SQ5, delivered last month.  My wife wants a SQ7.  It needs to tow the boat!

https://www.audiworld.com/articles/sport-meet-utility-2020-audi-sq7-and-sq8-suvs-coming-to-the-us-delivering-premium-performance-and-utility/

The new Sq7 will put a smile on your wife's face.  My wife had a loaded S-line Prestige Q7 TDI and when she went to replace it (it was bought back after we put 65k miles on it due to diesel gate.) She just couldn't stomach the new Q7 design when it came out and we have never loved the 3.0 gasser. So she jumped over to a Jeep SRT 'cause it puts a smile on her face at every street light (fit and finish isn't Audi quality.. but she was willing to look past that.) She has been think about "what is next" and I think the new SQ7 will be a nice fit:).  Sort of the perfect car to do everything.

 

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4 minutes ago, gregtay said:

https://www.audiworld.com/articles/sport-meet-utility-2020-audi-sq7-and-sq8-suvs-coming-to-the-us-delivering-premium-performance-and-utility/

The new Sq7 will put a smile on your wife's face.  My wife had a loaded S-line Prestige Q7 TDI and when she went to replace it (it was bought back after we put 65k miles on it due to diesel gate.) She just couldn't stomach the new Q7 design when it came out and we have never loved the 3.0 gasser. So she jumped over to a Jeep SRT 'cause it puts a smile on her face at every street light (fit and finish isn't Audi quality.. but she was willing to look past that.) She has been think about "what is next" and I think the new SQ7 will be a nice fit:).  Sort of the perfect car to do everything.

 

Thanks!

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2 hours ago, gregtay said:

Actually adding a the OEM hitch to the Q7 isn't all that bad, pull the bumper cover, pull off the non-tow bumper bar and replace it with the tow hitch version.  You need the new number cutout cover which really depends on which trim you have. I have done it twice. And for US vehicles they all come equipped with the extra coolers, etc. 

Mounting the hitch isn't the issue I was concerned with, it is the wiring harness, trailer control module, and having to recode it.   My understanding is the wiring needs to be  re-threaded and the new electronics for the hitch must be added and wired in.  Then you need to re-calibrate all sensors located in the rear bumper, including the camera.  My buddy was looking at one without a hitch and was quoted $2500 for all this so he passed and waited for one with a factory hitch.  Messing with German wiring and electronics is above my comfort level, but I'm not that big of a gear head either.    But maybe its not so bad if you know what your are doing.  

Edited by jjackkrash
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1 minute ago, jjackkrash said:

Mounting the hitch isn't the issue I was concerned with, it is the wiring harness, trailer control module, and having to recode it.   My understanding is the wiring needs to be  re-threaded and the new electronics for the hitch must be added and wired in.  Then you need to re-calibrate all sensors located in the rear bumper, including the camera.  My buddy was looking at one without a hitch and was quoted $2500 for all this so he passed.  Messing with German wiring and electronics is above my comfort level, but I'm not that big of a gear head either.    But maybe its not so bad if you know what your are doing.  

Oh right.. I did forget about that PITA part. It has been a few years, can't remember if we added a new computer of just needed to recode the existing "convenience module."  I have a VAGCOM cable so I could do most of the recoding myself.   I think in one case we just needed to recode and the other we needed to replace with a newer module and I had to pretty much take apart the rear storage area of the car to get to it. Thanks for the painful reminder :-O.  But once we were done it worked like a charm.. well not till you realized you needed a special Audi 7pin adapter otherwise the trailer lights wouldn't work correctly.  Love the Germans.  But if you disconnected the trailers harness while the car was locked the car alarm would go off to scare people away.. so at least they thought of that.

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I’m always down for a little project but sounds like y’all are a little more crazy than me. I have a little know how and lots of connections to help with this kind of stuff but getting the car with the $650 tow package was a no brainer. 

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On 1/22/2020 at 3:23 AM, isellacuras said:

Looking to replace my F150 with an Audi Q7 for my tow rig. Capacity is 7700#. Pretty sure my 2012 VLX is prolly around 6000# lake ready so I feel pretty confident it should be fine. Anyone with real world experience?  Please correct me if I am wrong with my 6000# estimate of my boat/trailer weight. Also considering a Land Rover discovery which is rated a little higher. Really want to consider a Jeep gladiator but I’m concerned with towing ability after lifting. 

I don't know if the Q7 has an airbag rear suspension but my very similar BMW X5 does and it pulls fine.  All I did was add the hitch and something like this for light wiring https://www.etrailer.com/Wiring/Tekonsha/119190KIT.html

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2 hours ago, minnmarker said:

I don't know if the Q7 has an airbag rear suspension but my very similar BMW X5 does and it pulls fine.  All I did was add the hitch and something like this for light wiring https://www.etrailer.com/Wiring/Tekonsha/119190KIT.html

What’s your x5 rated to tow? I was recently looking at the x5m vs gle 63 amg and the x5m is only rated to tow around 1500 lbs. Whereas the amg is rated for over 7k. 

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I don't know about the M.  That's made to go fast.   Fast SUV?  My regular X5 is rated for 6000 lbs towing and has the rear air suspension which comes with the optional 3rd row seats.

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On 1/24/2020 at 5:31 PM, minnmarker said:

I don't know if the Q7 has an airbag rear suspension but my very similar BMW X5 does and it pulls fine.  All I did was add the hitch and something like this for light wiring https://www.etrailer.com/Wiring/Tekonsha/119190KIT.html

Q7 can be optioned with 4 corner auto leveling air suspension. 

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Nice new ride!  Sorry I'm late to the party, but I have been towing with a 3.0 Q7 for a couple of years.  I am towing a VTX which is close to 5000#, but I've been very satisfied with it.  I'm not going to be the guy telling you that "you won't even know the boat is back there" because I think that's an idiotic statement to make, but that's for another thread.  Mileage is about 11mpg with the boat behind me, and I average about 21-22 overall without.  Love the SUV, fits the whole family, lots of gear, and my 75# dog too.  The technology is great.  I have really become reliant on the adaptive cruise, lane departure warning system, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, overhead cam view parking, etc.  They really did a nice job on these, and the reliability has been outstanding.  The only complaint that I have is that I needed new tires (mine came with the Pirelli all season 21" tires) before I got to 30,000 miles.  Other than that it has been flawless.  I hope you enjoy yours as much as I do, congrats and good luck!

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