pu911rsr

So I'm about to buy a DE car and trailer to take my 16 YO son to track and teach him how to shread 1000 $ bills. I need to buy a tow vehicle as my wife's MDX 140k mile ain't gonna cut hailing a trailer from MT to UT. Trailer + car package wil be less than 4000 lbs and it seems like a Cayenne would be a good choice as DD tow vehicle. So being the cheap bastard that I am thinking a 03-06 Cayenne S. Read about coolant pipes drive shafts, coils etc, anything else I need to watch out for, any reason to buy one year Vs another. Drop me a line if you have one for sale.
Phil

touareg

Head over to clubtouareg.com for info on towing with the Touareg, all the knowledge there will be very applicable, you might even (gasp) think of getting a V8 Touareg used for about half the price of a similar year Cayenne.

Since the platform and towing accessories are the same, that knowledge will transfer well.

Dennis C

Buy the newest one you find in your range, and make sure to get one that already has the factory hitch and wiring. It's a pain to add that stuff...

pu911rsr

I've got no problem with a Toureg, hadn't considered one those. Could do a X5 as well. I'm either going to replace my S6 avant with something decent to drive that can tow or buy a pick up I can use to tow and camp.
Phil

ltc

Towing = Diesel.
A used TDi Touareg would be good.

pu911rsr

I really plan on keeping things as light as possible, aluminum trailex trailer and fairly light car. Thinking about 4k lbs. If I was going to pull a enclosed trailer with a bunch of crap I'd just go out and get a diesel PU, tons of em in MT. Problem with diesels here is fuel is very expensive compared to gas, I know the torque of a diesel is great for towing.
Phil

racer_65

Short answer: Get the '06 Cayenne S, and upgrade coolant pipes to metal if not done already (~ $1500 at dealer).

911 Crazy

Phil, On another note, how is the speed enforcement in Montana? Interstates vs backroads/hwys? Might be picking a P-car up in Seattle and driving east. Have a couple of meetings in MT to attend. Thanks.

pu911rsr

Tim,

There is not a lot of speed enforcement in MT but between the critters and weather you have to pay attention. Where in MT are you going to be, if you swing through Bozeman drop me a line.

Phil

pu911rsr

What's the advantage of an 06 vs earlier Cayenne's.
Thanks,
Phil

911 Crazy

Hamilton and Great Falls on may way east.

endless_corners

i ended up buying an '04 cayenne S with 95k. New air suspension at 80k, same setup as turbo, full leather package done in deep green, nav, lighting package, bose, upgraded seats, bi-xenons with corner lights, so pretty loaded for an S.. for $17k. Single owner car with records.

So the question is.. does the price increase for an equivalent 2006 make potential repairs with an earlier model a wash. my math thinks its near parity.. with that said the 2006 models are anecdotally more reliable.. especially with the torque converter valve body. I jumped on my 2004 because it was optioned so well at a good price.

pu911rsr

I've got my eye on a 03 75K miles for a similar price. I'll look at pricing on 06.
Phil

92C2Targa#119

pu911rsr my 2 cents : I went with a 2010 V6 TDI Touareg. Love it, on road and off and it tows 7000 lbs. Towed a few trailers up to 4000 lbs and up to 27 feet long.
I have had three minor issues with the Adblue system, ERG and a control module changed under warranty.
Stops on a dime for such a big heavy SUV. ~$1300 for brakes.
The ride very is smooth at any speed.
Added a Factory NAV (plug & play) RV Camera.
A used TDI with an extended waranty is perfect.
Love the low end tourque. Average between 20 & 30 miles per gallon.

Good luck with your search for a Tow vehicle.

MadFox

ummmmmmm, there's a reason that 03/04's are called alphas and betas... you might want to STFF! Unless your alpha or beta has got highly documented records and all of the "fun" has been rectified. Be warned.