Light off-road duties in a Q7 vs Jeep? - buying decision

I am debating between the Q7 TDI (would wait for the 2014 redesign) and the newly redesigned 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel that releases this spring. I would get the adaptive air suspension in either case. My intended use is as my primary vehicle, including commuting to work and weekly trips to the ski resorts (I'm in Utah) and mountain biking in the summer. For these things, the Q7 is more fun to drive than the Jeep based on a test drive of the Q7 compared to driving my brother's 2011 jeep. The added space in the Q7 would get used by my family and is an added benefit. The "fun-to-drive" aspect, small 3rd row, and extra trunk space is what would make me want to get the Q7 instead of the Grand Cherokee.

Here's where I'm not sure the Q7 would be OK. We will be towing a 5000 pound travel trailer 3-5 times per summer to places like Moab and other high-dessert Utah areas. I'm sure the Q7 will tow well. Once there, however, we often have to drive on rough washboard roads, sometimes
with dry-ish creek/stream crossings to get to trailheads for mountaineering/hiking/biking. No extreme rock crawling, just rough, rocky dirt. Having higher ground clearance (with the air suspension) lets one get closer to the trailhead in some instances. My brothers Jeep with air suspension handles these ridiculously well. The washboard road is comfortable compared to doing the same road in our minivan which felt like it was about to lose all its bolts. Even after 2 years of punishment, his Jeep doesn't have any rattles and is quiet even off-road. Will the Q7 with air suspension also do well on washboard, rocky roads? Will it "shake apart", or is it still designed to handle that type of off-road abuse?

Thanks for your input.

I would go with the q7 over the jeep for one main reason, it is the first year for the grand cherokee diesel, that along with jeeps first year track record on vehicles is more than enough reason to go with the q7 tdi IMHO.

full disclosure: i own a jeep TJ and love the thing, so it is not an anti jeep bias

Audi is also planning on releasing the Q5 with the 3.0 TDI later this year. you may also want to look into that. same engine on a vehicle that is ~1000lbs lighter. This jeep configuration has been available over seas for several years now so it's not a totally new engine combo. I don't think the engine is being changed at all other than tuning tweaks for better emissions. What will be new is the 8 speed auto that will be linked up to the engine. Only time will tell how bullet proof this tranny will be.

tailspinshea said:

Audi is also planning on releasing the Q5 with the 3.0 TDI later this year. you may also want to look into that. same engine on a vehicle that is ~1000lbs lighter. This jeep configuration has been available over seas for several years now so it's not a totally new engine combo. I don't think the engine is being changed at all other than tuning tweaks for better emissions. What will be new is the 8 speed auto that will be linked up to the engine. Only time will tell how bullet proof this tranny will be.

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Interesting to know, but I think the Q5 is a little too small. It has less cargo capacity than the Jeep behind the 2nd row and that was one of the attractive things about the Q7 in that it actually had more. When we go camping, we have our minivan stuffed to the gills. We will need less junk as the kids get older, but I think the Q5 would become limiting. Also the tow capacity currently is only 4400 for the Q5. Althought he engine will be capable of more, we'll have to see whether they increase the capacity in the TDI or whether it is a chassis limitation. If they increase the towing capacity, though, I will definately check it out.

At this point, I am strongly leaning towards waiting for the 2014 Q7 TDI - I just hope that they will still offer the adaptive air suspension. It is no longer available with the Toureg but still is in the Cayenne, so hopefully they will keep it in the Q7. I hear it is great for towing and know it would be useful at times on our trips.

Have you considered the BMW X5 with the 3L diesel? Driving characteristics are much different that that of the Q7... starting with the torque. The X5 can get out of the way much better than the Q7. Its been a while since I've driven a Q7, but I remember that they drive as big as they look. Big down side to the X5 is capacity - 3rd row is pre-teens only and adaptive suspension doesn't raise and lower the vehicle like the Audi.

jdelscott said:

Have you considered the BMW X5 with the 3L diesel? Driving characteristics are much different that that of the Q7... starting with the torque. The X5 can get out of the way much better than the Q7. Its been a while since I've driven a Q7, but I remember that they drive as big as they look. Big down side to the X5 is capacity - 3rd row is pre-teens only and adaptive suspension doesn't raise and lower the vehicle like the Audi.

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No, I had not. I didn't realize that it had the option of a 3rd row. I will have to check it out in person. The specs show it to be quite a bit smaller than the Q7, but it certainly deserves seeing.
I will probably wait until next year because the Q7 2014 redesign is supposedly going on a major diet, shedding 300-400KG (660-880 pounds)! With the same or slightly more powerful engine, I think that the Q7 will no longer drive quite so big!

if the q5 is too small then the x5 will be to small as well. very nice vehicle but not exactly a lot of room imho.

Yep - that's my problem with the X5. I belive its larger than the Q5, but not by a lot... much smaller than the Q7. I'm not sure how it compares to the Jeep, but I'd think it'd be nearly equivalent. Anyway, we can't haul crap in it - we still use our Passat as our wheelbarrow. There is a reason BMW calls it a SAV rather than an SUV. Still, the grunt in the X5 is unbelievable. Step on the hammer and away you go in a roar. That's what sold me. We have the third row, but only use it occasionally. However, if the Q7 gets lighter and some modest improvements are made to the low end torque in its next iteration - it may match the X5's performance.

I would go with the Jeep. There are going to be times, especially when towing, that using low range will be a MUST to make it through.

LRTDI said:

I would go with the Jeep. There are going to be times, especially when towing, that using low range will be a MUST to make it through.

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Do you mean low range as in 4-lo locked rear differential type situation or as in low gear going up a steep mountain road? Because surely the Q7 can do the latter, right? I don't foresee needing a locking rear differential for towing, but am curious to know which situations you are thinking of, especially if you have personal experiences in the matter.

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Wow! Doesn't look like the lack of 4-lo is all that limiting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zERGl0H2B9Q

Still doesn't answer how well it handles a washboard road, but the Q7 certainly can get around.

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albertdc said:

Wow! Doesn't look like the lack of 4-lo is all that limiting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zERGl0H2B9Q

Still doesn't answer how well it handles a washboard road, but the Q7 certainly can get around.

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That is impressive! But dang, I would not take that expensive of a vehicle off roading. I guess these people have a lot more money than I do haha.

Hopefully you asked the same question on a Jeep forum....

Low range with a fluid-coupled automatic gearbox isn't really as critical.

I don't think I'd have the balls to take something that expensive off road like that, LOL.

FWIW, at Lexus training we had a video the then-new GX470 and some of its competitors on a little off road course setup going through their paces. The GX had the kinetic suspension option, and it was quite capable given it was still sporting a live rear axle. But there was no T'reg present in the video. The instructor told us they had one there, and it embarrassed everyone else's product so bad (including the Lexus), that they sent it away. That included the MB G-class, the BMW X5, a Volvo XC90, Infinti QX (Pathfinder), and even one of the Range Rovers (I forget which one). The latter of which surprised me, actually. I would have figured the Rover would have come out on top, or at least near the top.

How much stuff do you need to haul for kids? We camped all the time with 5 kids and two adults. We towed with a 1964 Dodge station wagon, a 1967 Polara wagon, a 1970 Fury sedan and a 1975 Gran Fury. Single axle 1967 HiLo trailer. Before that a pop up tent trailer. We had a cupboard for each kids clothes about 12x12. Pocket knife and some books was about all we kids took on a trip. Sticks are at any campground. The challenge is finding a big cardboard box. We did not have lots of toys as kids. Bicycles, baseball gloves and bats, a basketball was about it. Lots of books if we rode ourselves to the library.

Anyway nothing useful to add to the conversation as I drive to a parking lot and tent camp. Off road adventures are reserved for the mountain bikes we are bringing.

Seeing as this thread got resurrected, I should give an update.

I bought a used 2012 Q7 TDI Prestige with adaptive air suspension in April last year. I love it! We used several times for camping last year, renting a 27 ft long travel trailer (~5500 pounds). We go to southwest Utah and other areas around the state. We often drive on decent dirt roads at the end while towing the trailer to get to isolated camping spots, and then will drive on rougher dirt roads getting to and and from hiking/biking areas. For fun, I got to choose some routes that our friends in a Rav4 had no chance of doing safely, but of course nothing as extreme as the video above. The Q7 with air rides much better on the rougher roads than the Rav4 or our other friends' Toyota FJ. Maybe not quite as smooth as my brother's Jeep with air suspension, but my Q7 is much better/more enjoyable in everyday driving than his Jeep.
I don't have pictures of the rougher portions of road, but this gives some idea as to how remote we are getting. I had to tow the trailer a few miles down a progressively narrower dirt road. Eventually, I backed the trailer and car up a small embankment into the camp site. I am standing in the road (not crouching) for that second photo so you get an idea of the elevation change.
The Q7 TDI is fantastic at towing, even at altitude in Utah thanks to the turbo. I am very satisfied at it's handling in "light" off-road situations and feel good knowing that it is capable of more if the need arises. I did have fun putting it in "lift" mode to crawl up and park on some slick-rock (which is very grippy counter to its name), but the photos don't do the parking spot justice so I haven't attached them.





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Holy cow, that is good size trailer you are towing. Your tow vehicle is pretty impressive. We never had a fancy trailer like that when we were kids. Certainly not such a neat tow vehicle.