# is the Q7 TDI avaiable with air suspension in the US?



## nicholi57 (Dec 17, 2003)

i have a touareg and have been thinking about making the move to get the third row...
but i want diesel and i'm not going to give up my air suspension.
can i have it all??


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## gnedge (Sep 16, 2009)

*Re: is the Q7 TDI avaiable with air suspension in the US? (nicholi57)*

Yes, for 2010 model year it is an option. I just ordered one last week http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## vtmikev (Sep 28, 2004)

I am right behind you on Q7 d with air suspension, but what about diffential and axle locks?
I HAVE DEFINITELY DECIDED AGAINST BMW!!!


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## wabisabi (Jul 13, 2004)

*Re: (vtmikev)*

The Q7 is all wheel drive (high range only) whereas the Touareg is four-wheel drive (high/low range center diff). 
You would be going from Off-road = YES to Off-road = I'll get back to you once I finish my latte.
As for the locking front\rear diff, Quattro handles all of that. I had an Audi 90 that had Quattro III which means there was a button by the parking break to lock the rear diff. I think any Quattro newer than that has automagically managed front/rear/center diffs.


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## jwestpro (Feb 6, 2008)

*Re: is the Q7 TDI avaiable with air suspension in the US? (nicholi57)*

you should also consider the mb gl 320 then. It has air lift/drop, similar mpg diesel ratings, considerably more towing capability and a hell of a lot more interior cargo/people space. price is about the same.
the gl is more of a true "suv" whereas the q7, although quite cool, is not quite.


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## nimovw (Sep 17, 2006)

*Re: is the Q7 TDI avaiable with air suspension in the US? (jwestpro)*

My 2c.
I just took a GL 350 for a test drive and space is plentyful even in the 3rd row, but road handling is way to soft for me. It has air suspension, but only the GL 550 has adaptive control.
- If you grab hold of the roof rail you can easily yank the GL back and forth. My old ML430 will loose its rail before it moves








Can the air suspension be added afterward to a Q7?


_Modified by nimovw at 9:15 PM 11-17-2009_


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## jwestpro (Feb 6, 2008)

*Re: is the Q7 TDI avaiable with air suspension in the US? (nimovw)*

that would be "plentiful" not plenty full. Very different meanings.
Adding air suspension to a non air build would likely be very costly, more than buying a proper built model.
The Q7 is tiny for an suv, it doesn't really have any more space inside, maybe less even, than a new A6 Avant or a Passat wagon. It's basically a tall car, not an suv by any means or measure at all.


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## nimovw (Sep 17, 2006)

*Re: is the Q7 TDI avaiable with air suspension in the US? (jwestpro)*


_Quote, originally posted by *jwestpro* »_that would be "plentiful" not plenty full. Very different meanings.
Adding air suspension to a non air build would likely be very costly, more than buying a proper built model.
The Q7 is tiny for an suv, it doesn't really have any more space inside, maybe less even, than a new A6 Avant or a Passat wagon. It's basically a tall car, not an suv by any means or measure at all.

I'm firing my spellchecker








I want a reasonable daily driver that on occasion can take more then 4 passengers and securely tow my trailer to the track (5000+ lbs). The Q7 can do this.
- Auto leveling would be nice, but I have yet to see a single used Q7 with that option.
I don't want an Escalade or Suburban


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## jwestpro (Feb 6, 2008)

*Re: is the Q7 TDI avaiable with air suspension in the US? (nimovw)*

Do you realize the Q7 is really an upgraded car? It barely weighs in over 5000 lbs itself and while it could tow 5000 lbs (near it's listed maximum) it would not do it well or terribly safe.
Regardless of the tow rating of the q7, I wouldn't choose it to be a tow vehicle for 5000 lbs or more. You should know that in towing it's much better to be well below the limits of the vehicle rather than nearing the limits.
If you aren't towing far or over hills, I suppose the q7 would be fine but I'd still prefer to have a better set up for towing a car frequently.
Even my lr3 is rated to 7700 lbs. The new lr4 has a much better power and handling set up.


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## nimovw (Sep 17, 2006)

*Re: is the Q7 TDI avaiable with air suspension in the US? (jwestpro)*


_Quote, originally posted by *jwestpro* »_Do you realize the Q7 is really an upgraded car? It barely weighs in over 5000 lbs itself and while it could tow 5000 lbs (near it's listed maximum) it would not do it well or terribly safe.
Regardless of the tow rating of the q7, I wouldn't choose it to be a tow vehicle for 5000 lbs or more. You should know that in towing it's much better to be well below the limits of the vehicle rather than nearing the limits.
If you aren't towing far or over hills, I suppose the q7 would be fine but I'd still prefer to have a better set up for towing a car frequently.
Even my lr3 is rated to 7700 lbs. The new lr4 has a much better power and handling set up.

Sorry to sway of topic...
The LR3 is a very nice car and is still on my list of prospects, but I'm worried about their quality rep - how has yours been?
A 2001 Durango weighs 4,689 is rated for ca 7,500 lbs towing and the 5.7liter V8 has 335 ft-lbs of torque. Axel distance is 116". I successfully pulled my trailer/race car with one - very easy.
So if a Q7 weighs 5,512 and is rated for 6,600 lbs towing, has 400 ft-lbs of torque, 118" axle distance - it should be even better? - large car or not


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## jwestpro (Feb 6, 2008)

*Re: is the Q7 TDI avaiable with air suspension in the US? (nimovw)*

I thought this thread question was fully answered - but now I look at the brochure and it only lists air for the 4.2....but the audi build website shows it as an option. Honestly, I don't know why the HECK anyone would post the question here to a bunch of speculators (me included sometimes) when a simple call to a dealer with find you the answer. ???? Therefor the thread deserves no respect to hold true to the OP. Sorry.
-
The Q7 "tow package" does list an upgraded rating of 6600 though with better trans cooling too so that's better than I thought.
-
On to the lr3 and Durango. I think the frame design also has something to do with towing prowess. For various reasons, the payload and tow rating is less for vehicles like the Touareg and Q7 than it would be for a land rover.
Just get a hybrid denali







I hear the Cayenne is coming with a v6 tdi, should be sweet, although small, it will be better than the down graded tdi Touareg v6 tdi.
Again, why not really give the GL a chance, it's about 2x larger inside for cargo than the Q7, really, it is, and it will tow more safely and is available with adaptive air. It's also easy to build many thousands cheaper than the Q7.


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## VDUBfanatic (Apr 17, 2000)

*Re: is the Q7 TDI avaiable with air suspension in the US? (jwestpro)*

As the owner of a 2010 Q7 TDI with adaptive air suspension, I can tell you that the option is readily available.








To the poster saying that the Q7 is a car, I would like to remind you that the Touareg / Cayenne / Q7 are on essentially the same platform. The exception being that the Q7 lacks low-range, and has the electronics from the Audi A6; this is a good thing.
And while the GL320 has better use of interior space, it should for its boxy exterior design. For the record, the Q7 has a cargo capacity of 72 cubic feet, while the A6 Avant is limited to 58 cubic feet, and the Passat Wagon 61. The GL has 83 cubic feet.
JWest - You drive a S4, why the hate for the Q7? Do you work for MB?


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## jwestpro (Feb 6, 2008)

*Re: is the Q7 TDI avaiable with air suspension in the US? (VDUBfanatic)*

no, sorry for it to sound like that. I'm just pissed off at the car companies for limiting our options so much in this market. You have to admit that for the footprint/overall appearance of scale, the q7 is quite small inside, mostly in terms of height. I am however used to 90+ cubit ft of cargo area while my seats are folded flush into the floor in the lr3 - which I hate for other reasons and love for some.
The point about space inside is that it isn't very usable in how short it is for such a large vehicle. Similarly, both the Touareg and Cayenne suffer worse in this aspect.
I want it all and nothing has it yet. I'd buy a G wagon if it were tdi or we'd like the q7 if it had the locking rear or at least low range like the touareg, because at least the q7 is fun to drive, has a good tdi option and ok space. To me, it certainly is a large car, by no means a real suv. That's not hating at all, it's just the slot I see the design filling. It's also pretty much what they designed it as, not rugged, but just cool with some utility.


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## VDUBfanatic (Apr 17, 2000)

*Re: is the Q7 TDI avaiable with air suspension in the US? (jwestpro)*

I agree completely, the limiting of options (vehicle choices in this case) is frustrating. The main reason these limits exist is due to the incompatibility of US and EU / Worldwide standards. A car that is certified for sale in the EU has to go through a multitude of certifications / modifications to make it saleable in the States. Crash testing, emissions, lighting, warning labels - it sounds small, but you have to modify sun visors, fuel doors, and etc.; this is costly for cars that only have so many hundreds / single-digit thousands of examples to recoup their costs. Not to mention exchange rates right now.
For the record, my heart wants a Q7 V12 TDI, while my wallet insists on the 3.0 TDI.








And I also agree that the space behind the second row in the Q7 (3rd row and cargo) for the size of the car's footprint has room for improvement. But the funny thing is that it is the Q7's exterior design, with its sloping roofline that drew me to the car in the first place. (I traded in a 2008 A6 Avant).


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