heathtrost

I have a Nissan Armada today which I tow my boat which is 4,000 lbs.

I am looking at a 2011, 2012 Q7 for towing. Based on my research I see folks having good response to using the Q7 TDI with air suspension.

I am curious what other people recommend?

Does it have to be the TDI model or would a different model work as long as it has the towing option?

I do realize I need to ensure it had the towing option when it was purchased.

TheInfamousDrew

I'm curious too. My boat with trailer, fuel, and gear weigh about 5,000 lbs.

Greystoke

The TDI model has 460lbft of torque starting at a very low rpm. This is ideal for towing as it reduces downshifts and increases the mpg attained.

Grey

J. Patterson

Get the TDI. It is amazing how well it tows. IMHO air suspension is not a necessity. This photo shows that even with too much tongue weight the rear suspension does not compress excessively. After taking this photo I did move the car rearward to better distribute the weight, but I did so because the FRONT of the Q7 was unloaded too much and this would affect braking. I've towed this setup to VIR a couple of times through the North Carolina mountains and it handles well and keeps up with traffic even on long inclines without aggressive downshifts and excessive engine rpm. This trailer and car was probably very close to 5000 lbs.

Gavin0478

Remember you should only have around 150kgs of nose weight when towing.
I tow a 2000kgs twin axle caravan with my tdi all be it the 4.2 twin turbo v8 so power is not a problem, but when I had my A6 it had the 3.0tdi and that had plenty of pulling power.

J. Patterson

Good point but in actuality, proper tongue weight varies relative to trailer weight. 10 to 15% is the recommendation)
When towing a 5000 lb trailer, tongue weight should be 600--700 lbs.

Tongue Weight and Its Role in Safe Trailering and Towing | GMC

Gavin0478

I was just going off the big Audi sticker in the boot with the picture of a tow hitch on.

J. Patterson

FWIW, We tow a boat too. One nice thing is that when backing down a boat ramp the Q7 senses that a trailer is connected (via the lighting hookup) and changes the brake bias so that the front wheels do not lock and slide.

heathtrost

For those towing without the TDI, please give size of engine your using.

DEEZ11

I'm pulling a 21.5' Mastercraft with my APR tuned TDI with air suspension- Pulls it so well i forget I'm even pulling anything and gets around 15mpgs while towing to boot. I'm coming from a V8 pathfinder that I used to pull it before and the TDI is a night and day improvement.