Towing with used Audi Q7 or Mercedes ML350

[Janet H]

Originally Posted by skyfree

I'm curious about this. I had a 2011 Touareg and it was completely plug-and-play to add a brake controller. No need to reprogram anything. It's the same platform as the Q7/SQ7 and just like the SQ7 all I had to do was to find the socket and plug into it. The battery was disconnected once or twice and I never had to do anything special after.

Maybe a year difference? Mine was a 2008 and I grudgingly parted with it last year. The Brake controller was dealer installed but the computer settings were a chronic problem.. If you read the Touareg forums you can see this issue over and over for these early years.

It was a better tug than the Mercedes I replaced it with. I looked hard at the Audi which is probably a better vehicle but the deal breaker for me was the 3rd row seating which was a standard item and stole cargo space from the rear. I need that space and rarely have any passengers.

Since this is my daily driver towing wasn't the only consideration. I am a touring musician and often have a lot of bulky gear in my car. Losing valuable space to unwanted seating was a no brainer.

Hoping this new ride will survive the 12 years and 200 K miles the VW did but think it may not be as robust.

[dan55]

I tow with a 2019 GLE 400 same size as the GLE 350 different engine. Ours had the hitch and 7 pin plug. There is a plug under the dash that you can connect a brake controller to. I made my adapter cable and use a Tekonsha P3 controller. You need to be care where you mount the controller as there is a airbag for the legs, works great tows our 19’ with no issues.

[dunnet]

We are looking at the Audi Q7 to tow a 21C, are there people on the forum who have experience with this vehicle? Is it a good choice? Are there any issues? Thanks.

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by Small but Sweet

Our pickup date for the 21C has moved to February. We know we can at least go fetch it from Sumas with the Highlander. If we seem to do OK with the Highlander we'd be only too glad to keep using it.

P.P.S. I’d be happy in any of those towing SUVs in the article.

So, did you make a decision and purchase a different tow vehicle? Inquiring minds want to know!

[BobG]

I have a 2017 Q7 that I towed the 17B 3,000 miles in 2020 and a 21NE 4,000 miles from Washington to the desert SW this year. I will start heading for home at the end of the month.

My trailer weight is 4,900 to 5,100 lbs depending on how much water I carry. The tongue weight is 450 to 500 depending. I do not have air suspension or add on sway control and do not use a WDH.

I had problems with the electric tongue jack on the 17B dragging when crossing steep driveway entrances or gutters so I have the manual jack on the 21NE and use an electric drill to operate it. Other than that I have had no problems. Tongue weight on the 17B was 440lbs.

My Q7 has standard suspension, no air suspension, I recommend air suspension. I do not use a WDH or add on sway control. I have no problem with mountains or city driving but I do have mirror extensions which I think are a must have with the 21NE.

I can feel the trailer and at first when heading out with the trailer it is an adjustment for me to get comfortable because without the trailer the car handling is much tighter and nimble. With the trailer, acceleration is not a problem and climbing grades is not a problem. Sometimes on up grade I shift down manually to see if I can increase the mileage and if a long grade I slow down to 55. I got 17mpg with the 17B and I get 16.1 with the 21NE of which some of that is city driving without the trailer.

The Q7 can handle the trailer but I am sure it wears out faster towing a trailer. I only have the one vehicle. There are a lot of considerations in selecting a tow vehicle. Most people select a pickup and I have considered it.

I have not had a sway incident but the trailer and car do move sometimes when being overtaken by a big rig. I think there is a high pressure wave in front of some trucks that pushes the trailer to the outside which turns the car to the inside. It isn't much but I can feel it. I had one incident with the 17B where the car kinda jerked sideways and got my attention. I instantly looked in the mirror to see if the trailer was swaying. It was steady. I don't know if the built in sway control kicked in or what but something happened. I don't tow in strong wind of 30 with gusts to 50mph but 30mph wind is not a problem.

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by dunnet

We are looking at the Audi Q7 to tow a 21C, are there people on the forum who have experience with this vehicle? Is it a good choice? Are there any issues? Thanks.

I once drove our Q5 130 miles on a limited-service spare to get service at the nearest town with a tire shop. I greatly-exceeded both the 70-mile range and 50-mph speed limits labeled on the sidewall.

I clearly frustrated many drivers on Highway 97 heading south into Klamath Falls that evening. One tandem combination half-passed, and then moved right leaving me nowhere to go. It was an expressive gesture and I held my breath as the little rolling donut crossed the carved-out grooves of the rumble-strips and beyond onto the gravel shoulder.



Fortunately, this all occurred without a trailer on the hitch. It turned out the previous owner had gotten a repair consisting of two unpatched plugs which suddenly parted ways with the tire like a squirt of tobacco juice.

While the tires had great tread, they were not commonly available; they might have been Goodyear Eagles. So, I figured replacement might take a couple days until they could get one in, or I'd have to buy a pair of something else.

The next morning, a fellow at the shop in Klamath Falls put on what he referred to as a truck patch. While I had my doubts, he invited me into the shop to watch the process. In the end, it held up so well I continued to keep that tire in service.

Although this was all caused by a substandard repair, I figure that a road hazard inflicting sidewall damage could leave me in the same position today.

So, yeah, driving without a full-size spare is now an "issue" for me, so much that I discarded the Q7 as the presumptive heir to the Q5.

Now, I'll keep looking for vehicles that can accommodate a full-size spare for as long as I can find them...

...so I can get stranded by some other thing the next time!

[Small but Sweet]

Originally Posted by Civilguy

So, did you make a decision and purchase a different tow vehicle? Inquiring minds want to know!

Well, we figured we’d be fine to at least bring the 21C home from Sumas with the Highlander. We were expecting that we’d need a bigger tow vehicle, and by that point we wanted it to be a Lexus LX. By the way we always buy used vehicles for cash so it would have to be an older one. So we went to fetch the 21 using the Highlander.

The Highlander did/does a fine job so we are keeping it. 1, we like it and we trust Toyota/Lexus; 2, we didn’t relish the thought of selling and buying vehicles right now with the crazy car market. 3, we now know that our total “camping-ready” tow weight is 4075lbs and tongue weight (from memory?) 425lbs. So we are reassured by that, and the towing experience has been fine. (HL limits are 5,000 and 500 respectively). The down-sides are poor mpg towing and the small fuel capacity so lower range.

Along the way we did test drive a Mercedes. I loved the ride and the car but we wondered why the used ones were so cheap. It’s rated very poor reliability by Consumer Reports (at least for the model years we were interested in). Then the Audi which is also a lovely car, started to sound complicated and frankly we were nervous about a European car. And I’m European LOL.

[gklott]

Originally Posted by gklott

Can also recommend GLS450 or preferably the GLS580.

Attached shows our current daily and tow vehicle, 2020 Mercedes Benz GLS580. Bought it certified pre-owned with 18k miles. We've towed our E19 more than 5000 miles with it since late January, and it tows like a dream. Powers up any mountain highway, and has excellent downhill speed control. The 4WD and variable clearance opens up many boondocking sites.

You might also consider the MB GLS 450, which is more readily available new or used. The v6 turbo has plenty of power and torque.

Whichever daily and tow SUV you choose, recommend getting an Escapees SmartWeigh to ensure you have weights correct.


73/gus

[gklott]

Originally Posted by Small but Sweet

Along the way we did test drive a Mercedes. I loved the ride and the car but we wondered why the used ones were so cheap. It’s rated very poor reliability by Consumer Reports (at least for the model years we were interested in).

You found a CHEAP used car these days ??

Which MB did you test drive? We've not experienced the poor reliability issues that you mention.

We've towed our E19 40k miles using an Infiniti QX80, which is strong tow vehicle. If you are not comfortable with European cars, and OK with Toyota, consider the Infiniti. The QX80 tows our 30 ft Airstream classic.

73/gus

[BobG]

I forgot about the spare tire issue. That becomes an issue with me when thinking about going to Alaska or some of the sparsely populated areas of the States. It is a gamble and would not be fun dealing with if the sidewall failed.

The small puncture or slow leak from a nail is not difficult to deal with. I have had several of those. The car comes equipped with a compressor and some slime that can be used for a larger puncture. So far all I have had to do is add air to the tire and continue. The dashboard "low tire pressure" warning and the run flat feature allows me to catch the next off ramp or find a parking lot to deal with the flat. Then, depending on how fast the leak is I make an assessment to add slime or just add air and either search out a tire repair shop or continue on home. I did get a flat crossing Phoenix with a 17B on my way home to Washington. I took an off ramp, found a parking lot, added air and continued on my way. Next time I added air was Boise.

I do agree that it would be a lot more prudent to have a spare tire. The other thing I have worried about is when the tire repair shop is repairing a run flat tire, do they know how to do it without damaging the tire.


A blowout would result in a bad situation but if I could get off the highway I would then push the button for road assistance and someone would come load me up and take me to a repair facility.

[Small but Sweet]

Originally Posted by gklott

You found a CHEAP used car these days ??

Which MB did you test drive? We've not experienced the poor reliability issues that you mention.

We've towed our E19 40k miles using an Infiniti QX80, which is strong tow vehicle. If you are not comfortable with European cars, and OK with Toyota, consider the Infiniti. The QX80 tows our 30 ft Airstream classic.

73/gus

I think it was last Fall or late Summer when we were car-shopping, or maybe earlier than that? It was before the pricing got so crazy, for sure.

It was a GLE. I loved it, and really wanted it on the spot were it not for this:
The trouble with CR reliability ratings is that they are based on statistics, and any one sample of the vehicle might do really well but you have higher odds of getting a tricky one.