touaregs....

[danno]

i've been starting to research them, as it may be what i buy next. the questions i havn't answered are:

air ride or not? i'm thinking long term is the compressor going to fail.
v6 or v8? either engine better?? fuel mileage a big difference??


if i buy one shortly i'd get a 04 to 06 most likely with a price range of 20k to 25k. is the overall reliabilty of the touareg pretty good??
thanks for the replys

[Vulcan]

Re: touaregs....

I like the new diesel option but you end up north of $60K...

[Skrilla]

Re: touaregs....

Drove both the 6 and 8 cyl versions....8 by far felt better, and I would assume fuel mileage is not the far off. The compressor conern is something to consider, I haven't heard a lot about faulty or failing systems on a VW however I have heard of it on other makes with a air susp. setup.

I believe you would find a much cleaner 6 cyl example for the money you want to spend, and may be better than just going after the bigger engine, but not as clean a vehicle.

However these were not long term test drives just my $0.02

[dJ]

Re: touaregs....

I would take all 3 out for a ride and see which one makes the most sense. The TDI is going to offer best fuel economy hands down, and probably the most torque as well. Find out which one is going to work best for you. Are you putting lots of km's per year on it, or just using it for leisure and small adventures here and there.

[GINCH]

Re: touaregs....

Find the newest touareg you can find for the amount of money you are willing to spend. I would steer clear away from 2004 and 2005 models. Especially those that are highly optioned. I would look for a V8 as the V6 IMO is underpowered. Fuel economy between the 2 isn't too much different as the V8 has more power to push around the same mass.
Also, would highly reccommend an extended warranty as even the most basic services often require the engine to be removed!
Derek

[R_Ethug]

Re: touaregs....

we looked at them when we bought our allroad.. i like them but the V8s were a bit overpriced or had too high of mileage for the price range..

i didn't want to touch a v6


new i'd go TDI all the way

[GINCH]

Re: touaregs....

I agree with Ryan. The new V6 TDI is amazing. Way out of your 20-25K price range though.

[bonfire]

Re: touaregs....

I drove the V6TDI when I was in Wolfsburg thing was impressive. I got to drive it on their track and on their Off-Road course, I was fairly impressed with its off-road capabilities, considering.

I was talking to the instructor there, and he said they do minimal maintenance other than daily washes. He himself was impressed with the durability and such of the vehicle.

But what is this crazy 'engine has to be removed' thing. That seems pretty sketch.

[R_Ethug]

Re: touaregs....

removed for what? spark plugs? turbo?

[GINCH]

Re: touaregs....

I can't count the number of times I have walked into the back shop and seen the running gear of a touareg on the "gurney". From what I've been told there is very little room in the bay to fix things therefore its easier to remove the engine. Maybe Dan (100% vagitarian) can chime in!
>Derek

[danno]

Re: touaregs....

i would consider the tdi but not if i buy it in the next few months. the wife doesn't want big car payments anymore, as a matter of fact she doesn't even want a touareg she wants a pilot. right now i'm putting 600km a week on the car and will do so for about a year until i share driving with another guy on site.


why would you stay away from the highly option ones, ginch?? thats why i would buy one.


i don't need one yet but the family is going to begin in the next year or so and i'd like to have a bigger car for that. so maybe i can hold out and wait.

[bonfire]

Re: touaregs....

I would assume the whole concept of KISS comes into play. More options, more electronics, more finicky stuff, more glitches, more things to go wrong, more hours, more money.

[Vulcan]

Re: touaregs....

I was in the same boat you were a few years ago....Wife wants an SUV with all wheel drive. I looked at the Mercedes diesel @ $70K, the Accura V6 @ $50K, Toyota Rav4 (too small), Honda Pilot (just found it kind of plain), Mitsubishi @35K....nice vehicle, VW Toureg V6 and the Hyundai Santa Fe @ $33K. After driving them all I bought the Santa Fe. My decision was based on 7 passenger seating (full leather) 247 HP V6, fully loaded options, solid feel and reviews ranking this vehicle as the "best in class" (what ever that means). 2.5 years later I am still happy with the vehicle and I ended up spent around 50% of what the Mercedes and the VW cost. I am not saying that the Santa Fe is as good as the other vehicles but it certainly is a lot cheaper and really how much money do you want to have sitting in your driveway.

[danno]

Re: touaregs....

I was in the same boat you were a few years ago....Wife wants an SUV with all wheel drive. I looked at the Mercedes diesel @ $70K, the Accura V6 @ $50K, Toyota Rav4 (too small), Honda Pilot (just found it kind of plain), Mitsubishi @35K....nice vehicle, VW Toureg V6 and the Hyundai Santa Fe @ $33K. After driving them all I bought the Santa Fe. My decision was based on 7 passenger seating (full leather) 247 HP V6, fully loaded options, solid feel and reviews ranking this vehicle as the "best in class" (what ever that means). 2.5 years later I am still happy with the vehicle and I ended up spent around 50% of what the Mercedes and the VW cost. I am not saying that the Santa Fe is as good as the other vehicles but it certainly is a lot cheaper and really how much money do you want to have sitting in your driveway.

kinda funny but that's the other one the wife likes and was pushing me to look at. i've been debating with myself for a while now about what to get next. i guess i should go sit in some and figure it out.

[bonfire]

Re: touaregs....

Friend of ours had a pilot for several years. Then sold it, then bought the exact same model year, with less miles and more options. They love their pilot, having spent a fair bit of time in it. I like it. Good build quality, well-powered, comfy, the seating for all rows are comfy and have proper belts.