Towing with used Audi Q7 or Mercedes ML350

[David H]

I have a 2016 Touareg TDI and it was the same, plug and play once connected to the already in place plug located upper left under the dashboard. Bought the factory pigtail from the VW dealer to splice to my Voguer brake controller. All leads on the pigtail were correctly marked and it was an easy mating to the controller harness. Worked perfectly first time.

[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!

[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 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

[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.