2011-2013 X5 Diesel vs 2011-2013 Q7 Diesel

[A7TDI]

Hey all, I recently sold my 2014 Audi A7 TDI as I need to move to something with more space and ground clearance for work (lots of highway, construction sites, etc).

I loved my Audi and the TDI was fantastic, the car was reliable and I had no issues with it.

I've always alternated between Audi and BMW in the past, but I've never owned an SUV, have had an M3 before, S4, etc.

From what I read the X5 seems like the better choice for me, what I like about it is that it drives sportier and it has a smaller footprint than the Q7 and is lighter.

The Q7 on the other hand has higher ground clearance/sits higher, I am fairly comfortable with working on it as I was with my A7 and the interior is nicer.

The good thing about both is that they both have the ZF transmission, both are seemingly reliable and both cost approximately the same for similar years miles.

What would you choose and why? This will be a "drive into the ground" type of vehicle as i do a lot of highway driving.

 

[bioburner]

2011-2015 Q7 has Aisin 08C trans. The passenger cars (Q5, A6, A7, A8) have the ZF. Aisin has a separate removable Trans Control Unit as opposed to the internal one in the ZF.

 

[nayr]

Aisin > ZF

You can get Q7 w/Air Suspension if you look hard enough, now that gives you clearance and nice performance..

I love my Q7, its a great vehicle.. if your putting alot of milage on it and construction sites you'll probably want to put real truck tires on it.. which wont screw with fuel economy and performance nearly as much on a diesel vehicle... I've got 50k miles on my truck tires and got 8/32 left.

 

[A7TDI]

Thanks for the feedback especially the clarification on the transmission.

2011-2015 Audi Q7 Automatic Transmission Fluid and Filter Change (8-Spd 08C Aisin TR-80SD)
https://www.blauparts.com/blog/audi-q7-transmission-fluid-change-8-speed-08c-aisin.html

And am I correct in assuming that 2013-2015 is when Audi switched to 2 timing chains instead of 4, so 2013-2015 are the ideal years then?

 

[nayr]

They got the biggest turbo yeah.. here peep this site: https://www.myturbodiesel.com/d2/1000q/q7/2010-2011-audi-q7-tdi-forum-faq.htm

 

[A7TDI]

Thanks so much, that was a great link and cleared up everything.

The price difference between a '11-'12 and '13-'15 is pretty significant.

In the real world how does the older '12 and under 4 chain TDI engine hold up reliability wise? Should I hold out for a '13-'15 or can I get an older one and enjoy trouble free driving if it has been properly maintained?

I am not opposed to either, because the vehicle will be driven a lot there will be very little little residual value in the end because of the mileage I will put on, so the lower upfront cost is preferred, but I am not opposed to paying more if the '13-'15 are significantly more reliable.

 

[nayr]

the earlier gen is easier to modify and build up for more power.. the HPFP is on the front drive, and can be converted to CP3, and EGR can be fully removed.. on 2nd gen EGR makes up significant portion of cooling system and has to stay largely in place, and the HPFP is rear driven and completely hidden under the intake manifold.. CP3 retrofit is off the table, gotta upgrade and harden CP4.2 at significant cost.

With Stock Turbo the 2nd gen tuned is better, w/aftermarket Turbo the 1st gen tuned would be better..

The 2nd gen's got some oil leak issues, but they are covered by extended emissions warranty.. the block width front to back is smaller so you got more room under the hood to work on the belts/water pumps w/out going into service position.

2nd gens never got bought back, never got maintenance neglected, sold back to VW/Audi then parked in a field for a few years before they fixed it and dumped it at auction.. so there's that too, likely explains most of cost difference..

The late 1st Gen TDI's got an 8spd and I'd go for that over the 6spd at least if you go for first gen

 

[Burnt]

Does the 2014 Audi A7 TDI go under gen 2? I was planning to blank out the EGR and take out the DPF, but if that is part of the cooling system....

 

[nayr]

yeah, you can blank out EGR just fine, even remove EGR valve entirely.. but the bit w/the coolant running through it cant go anywhere w/out a bunch of custom machine work.

 

[Burnt]

If I blank it out, will I need a custom machining? Are there kitsch already out there?

 

[nayr]

You can put blanking plates on the turbo and intake and close off all flow, or simply tune the damn thing away without any custom machining.. there are blanking kits you can get.. custom machining is required to remove the EGR.

 

[Burnt]

Kind of off topic, but are you making decent power with all the mods you have? I was thinking to buy a downpipe from Ebay, coming from Poland. I already have Malone Stage 2, but I havent noticed a large increase in power. I bought EGR and DPF deletes with malone, but havent flashed to those yet, just Stage 2.

 

[nayr]

I think so yeah, I mean tuning a diesel is not like gassers.. yer not unleashing the kraken here, its all fuel, boost levels dont change.. powerband is bigger and it never hesitates to gimme power which is what I expected.. keep it in the torque and it pulls nice and hard.

I deleted mostly for EGT's and towing.. the sounds are nice too.. I wouldn't expect any massive differences with it deleted or not.

 

[Owain@malonetuning]

The M57s pick up around 100-130hp/150-200lb-ft with an exhaust and tuning, won't see that from a tdi.

 

[007_e350]

Hey folks, question on EGR on 2013, if I just remove the connector, won’t it stay blocked with having to do anything ? It’ll throw a code that can get coded out Second question, the NOx sensor bank 1 sensor 2 keeps popping up, no difference in performance, should I just leave it alone ? Would diesegate cover it ?

 

[nayr]

Dieselgate would fix nox sensor, If you code out EGR you dont even have to unplug it..