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Good points: Ride, interior features, off-road capabilities, seats,
stereo, tight turning radius.
Needs improvement: Gas mileage, accelerator angle, interior gauges,
complex GPS, CD changer, transmission, night interior lighting.
The Touareg is a sophisticated, powerful, SUV with luxury touches and a host
of unique features. For example, it has an electronically controlled
all-wheel-drive system that automatically switches power between axles and is
quite capable of the hardest off road adventures. The problem is that this
Volkswagen consistently thwarted our attempt to love it by sucking gas in
great quantities, having a six-speed automatic transmission that was abrupt at
times going into low gear, and a gas pedal that was both slippery and uneven
on its impact on acceleration.
There are some great things to love about the Touareg, too, such as the seats,
tight turning radius, and superior stereo.
On the other hand, you must be willing to accept some limitations such as
seating for only five—and the centre rear seat is especially hard—a limited
luggage carrying area that is smaller than a Lexus RX 330, and the cost of
filling the 26.4 gallon tank with premium unleaded. Is the Touareg worth a
look?
Yes, if you need a truly off-road vehicle that can easily be called a less
expensive Porsche Cayenne.
We immediately called this Volkswagen SUV the “Beast. “ It rides heavy, feels
heavy, and has a beastly appetite for premium unleaded. Don’t get us wrong,
this is a good deal for a technological enhanced SUV. For your money, you
get 310 V8 horsepower willing to pull the 5100-pound, five passenger Touareg
around as well as 7000 pounds of trailer. All you need is your gas credit
card. If you only need 220 horsepower. the six cylinder
pulls just as much. Of course, the V8 storms to 60 mph in about 7.7 second and
is much more luxurious.
Mom’s view: This is an interesting SUV with a lot going for it, but it
also has a lot of things that bothered us. For example, the six speed
automatic transmission frequently lunged when downshifting when stopping for a
light as it went into low gear.
The gas mileage was abysmal. It is easy to have your foot slip off the metal
gas pedal when you are wearing smooth soled shoes. In addition, Volkswagen has
apparently programmed the accelerator so that you get a lot of power during
the first third of pedal travel giving the impression there is a lot of
propulsion left. When you push the pedal further down all you get is more
noise and a transmission that is sometimes reluctant to decide whether to drop
down one or two gears.
The Volkswagen also gave me other concerns. I found it difficult to know when
the doors were locked or unlocked. You had to hold the remote key down a long
time to get the rear hatch to open and the rear seat fold down procedure was
not as logical as on other SUVs.
The metal surrounding the interior door handle gets extremely hot and the
small font on the gauges was difficult to read. In fact, why does a SUV need a
160 speedometer anyway?
The optional air suspension worked its heart out trying to level the Touareg
to the point of seasickness. The large rear wheel wells cut into the door
openings making it easy to get the back of your clothes dirty while climbing
aboard.
I also found visibility is limited to the sides and back due to mirrors that
are too small and because the rear seat headrests take up a great deal of the
rear view mirror’s range. Those rear headrests are also a problem when you
want to fold the seat down to make room for longer cargo loads. There is no
storage area for these leather-covered units. I also had problems with the
overly complex GPS unit and the fact that the radio is controlled through the
dash-mounted monitor. There are way too many buttons and knobs to learn how to
use in just a week. Over time, I am sure this would not be such a problem.
That
is a lot of negatives, but outside of the gas mileage, I could live with all
of them because of the ride. With settings from sport to luxury on the centre
armrest, you can dial in your requirements quickly.
The result is a soft ride not unlike that of a large sedan. The 4XMotion is
quite capable of making this Volkswagen a force to be reckoned with off road.
In town the turning radius is tight making parking this short-coupled,
112-inch wheelbase, SUV undemanding.
In traffic the Touareg driving position is quite high,
although getting into it isn’t difficult even while wearing a moderate length
dress. Than there are the other nifty features such as an air-conditioned
glove box, displays that contain a compass and altimeter, as well as latitude
and longitude coordinates, and temperature displays. You also get miles per
gallon and the name of the street you are on as part of this information
barrage. The steering wheel has controls for the information screen, radio
volume, and cruise control and is an ideal size.
Young
working woman’s view: I would have liked to see the availability of a disc
changer in the dash, optional satellite radio, the ability to recline the rear
seats, key locks in the doors, not having to unlock the rear hatch every time,
a passenger seat airbag shut-off, a rear entertainment centre, more rear leg
room, and radio station change controls on the steering wheel.
There is plenty to like with this Volkswagen. The seats are comfortable. On
cold days the Volkswagen has the ability to pump heat into the passenger
compartment even while the engine if off. In terms of safety there are dual
front airbags, front side airbags, curtain side airbags, antilock 4-wheel disc
brakes, brake assist, antiskid system, a tire-pressure monitor, powerful
daytime running lights, seat belts with force-limiters and tensioners, a rigid
roof for protection in roll over accidents, and the ability to sense when the
car has been in an accident and automatically unlock the doors, disconnects
the battery, and turn on the warning flashers. Amazing.
I
enjoyed the drivability and power the “Beast” brought to our testing area and
in daily use. I liked it better than the new Volvo SUV and the Mercedes M
Class SUV. I liked it better than the V8 competition from the American
manufactures, too, because it was much more sophisticated and calming to drive
in a variety of situations.
It is priced much better than the BMW and Porsche, but handles just as well.
Only the Lexus promises to be competitive, but they are not as off-road ready
as this Volkswagen.
The question to ask yourself is whether or not you need a large SUV in your
life.
College
going male’s view: This is a car that takes a while to get to know. It can be
seductive at first, with its powerful purring engine and elegant interior.
The glow of its dash lights at night rivals a meteor
shower and there’s enough buttons to play with to keep the conversation going
on those long, blind date rides home. However, after the novelty wears off what
you are left with is a high maintenance, but elegant, fun loving vehicle that
can create a sense of lust or disgust with potential buyers depending if they
can afford her expensive taste in petrol. Besides, it would be difficult for
me to explain to the parents why my car has a deflated spare tire that
requires the use of the included air compressor before it can replace a flat.
Yep, the Touareg has an onboard compressor and hose for that purpose.
There is profusion of interesting items to enjoy with this Volkswagen. The
power seats are easy to adjust. The ignition switch is located high on the
dash and is simple to find, although it should be lighted when you enter at
night to make it simpler to locate. There are lighted vanity mirrors,
excellent cup holders, a nicely padded steering wheel, and a powerized
steering wheel that lifts and telescopes. And, for those in the backseat our
test car had an elaborate air conditioning control system that was trimmed in
wood and looked very first class. At night, the Touareg has small red lights
that indicate where the interior light switches are located over the rear
doors. This is a great feature. In fact, you should test this car at night
because it has a powerful set of headlights, too.
As
in most relationships there are ups and downs and we are not talking about the
air suspension here. There is the remote key fob that you had to hold down a
long time before the trail gate released, an almost inaudible click to tell
you if the car is locked, and the remote has limited range.
The small cargo area behind the rear seat is less that that of a Lexus RX 330.
The rear seat mechanism needs to be mastered before the seat backs can be
tucked to expand the space to a fairly level 71 cubic area of storage.
If you don’t have an owner’s manual don’t even try to master the technique to
tilt the rear seat bottoms.
Would I buy one? No. I am not in any position to care for an expensive vehicle
and, despite its obvious allure and promise of good times in distant places, I
find this Volkswagen too upper middle class. I want the new Volkswagen van
more and can hardly wait for its arrival. So cool and beachy, too.
Dad’s
view: The VW's 4XMotion AWD with low-range gearing and a locking centre
differential, ABS and antiskid systems is no toy. It is a hefty vehicle with a
soft inside. The most notable element about the Touareg is the 4.2-liter
engine that produces 310 horsepower, but you have to wait until the unit
reaches 5000 rpm to harvest that thrust.
To move quickly you must shift the automatic transmission yourself. That is
uncomplicated with the shift lever being mounted readily at hand. A problem
does emerge though, when you have a drink in the centre console cup holder as
the container interferes with your reach.
On the highway, the Touareg provides a satisfying ride, although the optional
19-inch wheels making a fair amount of noise over some surfaces. The compact
39.1 turning radius is great, but you can hear and feel the drive train
binding during tight, parking lot turns. The Volkswagen is responsive, but
don’t expect the term sporty from a reviewer when it comes time to describe
its cornering.
Just as well, because the leather 12-way power adjustable seats are fairly
flat and slippery. Driving- wise, the anti lock brakes were especially good,
but the pedal feel was not really linear. Steering, with the rack and pinion
system, was better than most and highway travel was exceptionally relaxing,
except when there was a strong side wind.
The
optional air suspension adapts the suspension to driving conditions and
vehicle velocity by lowering the body as speed increases. It can also be
raised when needed.
The Touareg's ground clearance goes from about eight inches up to as much as
11.8 inches with the a twist of the centre console mounted switch. But with
the Touareg at its full height you better be wearing a kidney belt because
there is no give to the suspension.
Interestingly, this is the same chassis that is used under the Porsche
Cayenne.
Family
conference: Before ordering a Touareg, we recommend highly you do your
homework. You can get a locking rear differential, air suspension, xenon
lights, larger tires, an electronic park assist, and other expensive options
that can drive this Volkswagen to a very expensive level.
However, even the base unit is loaded with hill holder, descent control, and a
unique centre knob that enables you control the locking differential, among
other things. You also get heated front seats, a sunroof, tilt/telescoping
steering wheel, five power outlets, tire-pressure monitor, a leather-wrapped
steering wheel with built-in controls for audio, cruise and trip computer, and
rain-sensing wipers.
We recommend you take a look at the V6 model first. It still gets poor gas
mileage, averaging about 16 mpg in mixed use, but it offers most of the useful
features of its more powerful brother and is more nimble and costs several
thousand dollars less.
There is a lot going for the new Touareg, such as the ability to go off road
with ease and a sophisticated suspension system. There are also plenty of
features, such as automatic dimming rear mirrors, independent suspension, and
a flip-up rear hatch window that enhance the ownership experience. If we had
the gas money, this Volkswagen would be a be an enjoyable ride, and its always
fun to control a “beast.”
Written by The Car Family |
