I have a 2011 touareg tdi which is based on the same platform (also cayenne). Not sure what the primary duty will be for you, but mine has been an all round fantastic machine. Great in snow, not too squishy not too firm. I bought mine to serve as baby mobile/long distance cruiser (for business and to visit family in cbus)/pull an enclosed trailer with up to 4 bikes wherever they needed to go/serve as a sufficiently nice ride for when I have guests for business. It's been an extremely solid machine for all those purposes. The q7 is modified to allow 7 passengers with a slightly smaller trunk area (I think) but was also elongated to accommodate if I remember right. The base level of interior quality is even better than the touareg, which is already excellent. I would have preferred to get the q7 but the towing capacity was lower on the 2011 due to the modified chassis and I wanted a less fancy brand because I was trying to not be too flashy. I cross shopped the x5, q7, and in a moment of weakness, the g wagon and cayenne (various versions). The q7 is a great choice.