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What's the difference?
The idea of a Tesla that can tow sounds about as likely as an astrophysicist with three Olympic gold medals, who also moonlights as a hand model.
The EV brand has blazed a trail for every other mainstream and premium car manufacturer to jump on the electric bandwagon, and today they’ve still got the biggest batteries and most impressive range ratings, while also having the most extensive extensive network of charge stations made up of Superchargers and destination chargers, covering every state and territory.
They’re not perfect though, often displaying niggling build quality issues and production delays for upcoming models. There’s also a degree of uncertainty bred by a founder who flits between the modern-day space race, manufacturing flame throwers and offering to send miniature submarines to rescue stranded children.
But there’s no questioning the overall impact Tesla has had on the automotive industry, along with the incredible brand awareness and aspiration it’s generated from non-enthusiast Joe Average consumers around the world.
The Model X is also rated to tow, with a decent 2250kg braked rating and an integrated tow bar that folds out of sight when not in use, which both fits its SUV character and encourages you to give it a go.
You never want to be left behind by the competition, especially in the automotive world, where things change at a breakneck pace. Case in point: The Audi Q7.
If Audi is well-known for its subtle mid-life facelifts that make you question the difference between new and old, then the second-generation Q7 is the exception to the rule.
Make no mistake, the large SUV has been given a major facelift – one that it needed to keep up with its new-generation rivals.
So, has it been worth the extra effort? We put the updated Q7's volume-selling 50 TDI variant to the test to find out.
After nearly 700km of testing with both cars, it’s fair to say that the Tesla is indeed a capable tow vehicle, provided you keep the distances relatively short and plan around charge station locations.
Overall average - Penrith to Bathurst to Penrith
Fuel and energy consumption will always depend on the driving conditions, which is why we chose different routes for each leg of our testing.
Averaged across the two legs, towing the caravan with the Model X used 101 per cent more energy than without, or halved its driving range, which sounds a bit scary.
The LandCruiser by comparison added 63 per cent on average, which is still a big difference, but matters less in the real world when its big fuel tanks would still give you about 760km of driving range, which can be refilled quickly at any diesel-stocked servo.
So you could do a weekend trip with the caravan from Penrith with one supercharge in Bathurst, but it would’ve been highly unlikely to manage the extra 55km if you were leaving from Sydney CBD.
The bottom line is that there’s plenty of things - like smaller camper trailers - lighter than our caravan that will help the Tesla to do the towing job better right now.
Compared to the ‘Cruiser, the Tesla is a lesson in the benefits of a lower centre of gravity and road-focused handling.
As always, bigger batteries and more recharge points will go a long way to rectifying the Tesla’s towing shortcomings, and I'm sure we'll get there eventually.
But no matter what, its acceleration performance under load is simply excellent.
Thanks to our friends at Avida for making this test possible with the use of the 17-foot Avida Wave Tourer Electric Pop-Top single-axle caravan. They can also be reached on 1300 428 432.
The Q7 was at risk of irrelevancy due to the unfortunate timing of its rivals' life cycles, but Audi made sure that wasn't going to be the case.
As far as mid-life facelifts go, Audi has knocked it out of the park with the Q7, so much so that the case can be made it's now the class leader.
In many ways this Q7 feels like an all-new model, which is quite something. More importantly, the positives well and truly outweigh the negatives.
Energy consumption is just one element of a tow vehicle though, with stability, braking and acceleration performance being the most important details.
The big ‘Cruiser is always a safe bet for towing heavy loads, but it's fair to say its off-road ability, tall body and short wheelbase mean it could be better on the road, and the Tesla goes some way to proving that.
With all those batteries mounted nice and low, the Tesla is significantly more stable with 1.7 tonnes on the back than the LandCruiser, in all conditions. It’s also helped by that longer wheelbase.
The Tesla’s airbag suspension is another surprise advantage, and while it can be a bit choppy around town over minor bumps, bigger bumps on the highway are soaked up really nicely and it all settles quicker than with the LandCruiser - even with the caravan on the back.
Tesla is famous for instant acceleration at any speed, and this effect remains when towing. The LandCruiser’s twin-turbo V8 (with max torque available from 1600-2600rpm) has long been a benchmark for tow vehicles, but the Model X makes it feel sluggish by comparison.
You know how caravan vehicles are usually the slow ones up hills? This time, we were the ones doing the overtaking, even up the steep bends heading out of Lithgow. To overtake, it just takes the slightest flex of your right foot.
Clearly there’s a big caveat though when it comes to how much energy it’s consuming while you’re enjoying that performance, and it’s deceptive because it doesn’t make any more noise like a conventional engine when you’re pushing it.
You’d also think the weight of the van would overcome the engine-braking effect of the regenerative brakes, but they are still very effective at conserving your brakes downhill and preventing the car from running away from you, and no doubt giving the batteries a bigger boost at the same time.
On that note, the LandCruiser’s cruise control also does a great job of witholding speed on downhill runs, proactively dropping gears to engine brake enough to keep the Avida Wave in check.
The Q7 is a big beast, but it's not as intimidating to drive as you may think.
In fact, it's very easy to live with, if you don't mind managing its size in certain scenarios, such as finding a park in a busy shopping centre.
The SUV's electric power steering is speed-sensitive, which means fewer inputs are required at low speed, making parking and other manoeuvres easier, while stability is improved at high speed.
While not the first word in feel, this system is nicely weighted and surprisingly direct, endearing the Q7 with some sports-car characteristics.
That said, our favourite element is its independent suspension set-up, which consists of multi-link axles with air springs and adaptive dampers.
Needless to say, ride comfort is superb, with the SUV just floating along, even on uneven surfaces.
Introduce a coarse-chip road or a pothole, though, and the Q7 does become unsettled. But this is probably more noticeable because the ride is otherwise so sublime.
Instead, it's through the corners where it's truly exposed, with body control decent but nowhere near class-leading. Yep, it's here that its 2135kg unladen weight (excluding 75kg for driver and luggage) is really felt.
Flick the SUV into its Dynamic drive mode and things noticeably pick up, with extra heft added to the steering and the suspension firming up and hunkering down by up to 40mm. It's an improved experience in the bends, but not a memorable one.
However, our biggest bugbear is the exaggerated turbo lag served up by the 50 TDI's engine. Below 2000rpm, it has absolutely no go. Above it, though, it hammers.
Being a diesel unit, it doesn't have a lot of revolutions to play with, so you find yourself hunting for its upper reaches when accelerating, even around the town.
Making the most of the situation, the 50 TDI's smooth automatic transmission is responsive to kick-downs, but it's not lightning quick, meaning progress is stunted more often than not.
It also doesn't help that the eight-speeder is tuned for economy and therefore likes to keep engine speeds just above idle. This is particularly evident when attempting to power out of a corner.
When playing in the engine's upper reaches, the 50 TDI well and truly comes alive, serving up punchy acceleration, which is easier to access with the aforementioned Dynamic drive mode engaged. It makes shift patterns more aggressive and prompts more consistency.