[clan_salmons]

Let me qualify this post by saying I am not an expert at towing. We purchased our 3023 last year and that is the limit of my towing experience. I can say that I did a ton of research on tow vehicles. We wanted a vehicle large enough to safely tow the TM and small enough that we felt comfortable in the grocery store parking lot. The Q7 was on our short list, but we really didn't need a seven passenger vehicle. The Q5 was just too small for the size TM we wanted. I did get a chance to drive a Q5 2.0T for a day and was impressed. I thought the 8 speed would be hunting for gears all the way home as I came through some mountains. I don't think it ever downshifted excepted when I punched it. The torque out of that little engine was surprising. I immediately looked it up when I got home.

Since you are looking at a "cousin" I couldn't help but post our experience with our 2009 Cayenne 3.6L v6 with 290hp and 273lb torque at 3000 rpm. It has the same basic heritage in the drive train as the Audi. AWD with a 40/60 torque split. The Cayenne pulls the TM with ease. I use sport mode to boost throttle response and extend the shift points. I can pull away from a stop light right along with the traffic. On a 700 mile run fully loaded (40gl water tank) though Virginia mountains last year I averaged 14.5mpg. Handling was superb with absolutely no sway in turns or meeting tractor trailers on 2 lane roads. The six piston Brembo brakes (not sure about the Q5 here) did not fade in hard (oops,there's my turn) downhill braking and the TM stayed right behind us without a wiggle. Yes I could tell that I had 4,000+ lbs back there, but at no point was I concerned that I was under equipped.

Comparing the Q5 to my Cayenne I noted the following:
Wheelbase 110.5 vs 112.4
Shorter, but I am also towing a 23 footer.

Payload 1,047 vs 1,731 lbs
You will need to watch this. Tongue weight, passengers and gear come out of this number.

Tongue Weight 440 vs 600 lbs
You'll need to be very careful here. Search the forum for actual weight measurements for 2619/2720 models to give you an idea how big you can go. TM's have their axle further back to improve stability. Don't forget to consider water. My 40 gallon tank is in front of my axle and at 8.3 lbs/gal you can really load up your tongue weight. A WDH would be essential here.

Curb Weight 4,475 vs 4,762 lbs
I would have never thought that the Q5 I drove weighed this much. Of course the diesel adds a bit, but it really felt much lighter. Coupled with the AWD and Audi's stability controls, this gives some pretty good footing.

Torque: 428lbs at 1,750 rpm. Hands down winner here, especially with the 8 speed transmission. I've read reports of diesel Cayennes getting well over 30 mpg with this combo.

As you can tell I thought the Q5 was a great vehicle. You need to check to make sure the factory hitch is a Class III. It should be with that tow rating. I would also check with the dealer about what Audi thinks about WDHs. Touaregs and Cayennes say no, but we do it anyway.

Hope this helps a little. Please read the disclaimer at the top.
Oh and if you do get the Q5, be ready for the "You can't tow that with that!". It's fun to tell people about the virtues of a TrailManor.

Stan