You can actually live with the luxury SUV the Volkswagen Touareg offers. To hide the car’s mass, the sleek design creates dramatic creases in the bonnet and taut surfaces around the sides. The 3.6L 280-hp engine in the Touareg has a starting MSRP of $49,495 and is powerful. You can smoothly transition to your destination with the aid of the 8-speed automatic transmission.
All-wheel drive (4MOTION), a hands-free Easy Open liftgate, premium touchscreen navigation, keyless entry with push-button start, park distance control (park pilot), and autonomous emergency braking are incorporated as standard features.
In This Article...
Is the Touareg a decent car?
The larger 15-inch touchscreen and fully digital instrument cluster are now only available on the R-Line Tech trim, which makes the lesser grades feel less in keeping with the Touareg’s premium reputation. This change took effect in April 2021. Electric front seats with a memory function for the driver’s side, keyless entry, and high-beam assistance are further features of the R-Line Tech package.
The omnipresent VW Group Black design pack, 21-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic roof, and air suspension are all added in the Black Edition. The regular Touareg range has starting prices of just under 47,000 and currently goes up to just over 64,500, with the Touareg R fetching a hefty 72,000 price tag. Given that the Porsche Cayenne e-Hybrid has the same powertrain for approximately $1,000 less, that might be a tough sell.
The Volkswagen Touareg has developed into a posh SUV with the potential to compete with high-end rivals for comfort and craftsmanship. Even though there isn’t a seven-seat version of the cabin, it is more than functional for a family of five. The cabin is wonderfully constructed and loaded with equipment. Additionally, the driving experience emphasizes the cabin’s comfort, which goes a long way toward defending the vehicle’s high price.
The Touareg is a wise choice if you want a big, plush, high-end SUV with the newest technology. Just a shame that many of the appealing features aren’t included as standard equipment.
Engines, performance and drive
Because it continues to use the tried-and-true V6 diesel, the Touareg performs well.
The Volkswagen Touareg is a fantastic all-around vehicle even though it’s not the class’s sharpest vehicle. In fact, it continues to be among the strongest and most refined automobiles available by staying with a variety of tried and true V6 engines.
We have only used the stronger of the two six-cylinder diesel engines thus far. It is a strong performer with 282bhp and enough of power and torque reserves, making it ideal for rapid overtakes or steady highway cruising. Additionally, it is exceptionally silent, which lessens the boredom of lengthy, boring drives.
Although the Touareg shares a basis with the Porsche Cayenne, Bentley Bentayga, and Lamborghini Urus, it’s obvious that VW prioritized comfort over pure driving enjoyment. Yes, the new Touareg is an improvement over the previous model, but the otherwise outstanding package is marred by the numb and slightly unpredictable steering. However, the clever four-wheel steering arrangement makes it surprisingly maneuverable, and the air suspension-equipped test vehicle we drove had minimal body roll. Although the DSG gearbox occasionally feels a little reluctant, this is hardly a deal-breaker.
The VW Touareg: A luxury vehicle?
The first-generation Touareg was an impressive off-roader, unlike the majority of SUVs produced from cars.
Compared to the Passat wagon, the load area is slightly less, and several controls are too confusing.
Acceleration is sluggish because the 3.2-liter V6 consumes premium fuel and has trouble moving the Touareg’s 5,200 pounds.
The V6 acquired 20 more horsepower for 2005, and a 3.6-liter engine took its place in 2007.
Which year did the VW Touareg last?
This year, Volkswagen has two new crossovers, one with three rows of seating as standard and the other with three rows as an option. Its oldest model, the Tiguan, has limited space, which is one of the reasons it is being discontinued.
According to Motor Trend, Volkswagen will stop selling the Touareg in the US after the 2018 model year. Although a new generation based on the Audi Q7’s platform is on the way, they won’t be sold in the United States. They will continue to exist in other regions. Volkswagen emailed to confirm the report.
The Touareg’s position in the lineup is a major justification for dropping it. The Atlas, a three-row large vehicle created expressly with this market in mind, is now part of VW’s US inventory. This year’s updated Tiguan offers the choice of two or three rows, and its improved interior offers more cargo room than the Touareg does at the moment.
If those reasons weren’t sufficient, its sales need to be the deciding factor. Since December 2012, VW has not sold more than 1,000 Touaregs in a single month. The manufacturer only sold 4,223 of them in 2016. In contrast, the new Atlas managed 4,023 sales over the course of two months. Since a few years ago, the Tiguan has experienced consistent, excellent sales; in fact, 2016, with 43,638 sales in the US, was its greatest year ever.
The loss of the Touareg won’t have a significant impact on VW’s US lineup because the company is introducing a handful of electric vehicles and at least one additional crossover. Although it was a very good journey, it will be sad to see it leave because better and larger things are coming.
Serving Tallahassee, Valdosta, Thomasville, Quincy, Bainbridge
Both the Tiguan and the Touareg are fantastic options for anybody shopping for a new SUV. Both cars have appealing SUV characteristics, like a higher ride position, a strong engine, optimal handling in bad weather, and more load room than a regular car. Whether a client chooses a small SUV with precise handling that rides like a car because it is based on the Volkswagen Golf platform, or a larger vehicle that might use a little bit more gas but is more roomy and powerful than the alternative, depends on what is important to them.
Performance
When comparing the two cars’ base models, the smaller Tiguan has a 2.0 L inline 4-cylinder engine that makes 200 horsepower and 207 lb.-ft. of low-end torque. An automatic transmission with six shiftable speeds is connected to the engine. This is the only engine that is offered for the Tiguan, regardless of the trim level the client selects. Additionally, all-wheel drive is a drivetrain option.
On the other hand, all three trim levels of the Touareg have a bigger V6 engine as standard equipment. It generates 266 lb.-ft of torque and 280 horsepower. Being a V6, it has a bigger displacement of 3.6L and is connected to an 8-speed automated transmission with shiftable gears. The Touareg’s basic drivetrain also includes all-wheel drive. It will rely on the customer’s preferences for engine type and fuel efficiency as to which vehicle they choose. Both cars, for their size and engine type, provide outstanding power ratings.
Size Difference
The size of both automobiles will be the first aspect of their look that the customer will note. The Tiguan is significantly more compact on the outside. The Touareg’s wheelbase is 113.9 inches, or approximately 9 1/2 feet, whereas its wheelbase is 102.5 inches, or approximately 8 1/2 feet. The Tiguan is 174.5 inches long, or roughly 14 1/2 feet, whereas the Touareg is 188.8 inches long (15.7 feet). Additionally, the Touareg boasts 32 cubic feet of cargo space as opposed to the Tiguan’s 23.8 cubic feet.
Safety
The 2017 Touareg has not received a rating from the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), only the Tiguan has. Out of a potential five stars, the 2017 Tiguan received an overall rating of four stars. The Tiguan obtained the highest rating possible for four out of the five crashworthiness categories, and was given a “marginal grade” for the small overlap front region, according to ratings from the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety), who has only tested the 2016 vehicles. Better results were achieved by the 2016 Touareg, which received the best scores available for each of the five crashworthiness categories.
Both cars have ABS, airbags, traction control, and stability control as standard safety features. Other trims of both cars provide more sophisticated safety features, and both cars offer the same kinds of safety technologies.
Will Touareg visit us again?
Volkswagen has been observed testing a pre-production model of its mid-size Touareg SUV.
After 2017, the Touareg ceased to exist on American soil before the third-generation model was introduced. The SUV is currently undergoing an overhaul that should be unveiled in early 2023, but it won’t be coming back to these shores.
The prototype suggests that the update will be minor. Expect an updated front end with brand-new headlight, grille, and front fascia designs. Although these components are highly covered in camouflage, we can see that the front fascia’s air intakes mirror those on the most recent Tiguan.
What Volkswagen has in mind for the powertrains is unclear. There will probably be a reduction in the number of diesel options currently available and a possible increase in plug-in hybrid alternatives. It’s possible that the top-of-the-line Touareg R, a plug-in hybrid, will perform better. Its current 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 and electric motor system produces 455 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque.
Is Touareg upkeep expensive?
A Volkswagen Touareg’s total annual maintenance and repair costs of $937, compared to an average of $573 for midsize SUVs and $652 for all vehicle makes and models.
the typical annual sum for unplanned maintenance and repairs for all model years of a car. A vehicle’s greater average cost alone does not imply that it is less dependable. For instance, your car’s parts and labor may be pricey, especially if it’s a European luxury model, but if there are few serious problems and frequent service visits on average each year, that’s a sign of a dependable vehicle.
The typical annual frequency at which a vehicle is taken in for unplanned maintenance and repairs. This metric is produced by monitoring millions of distinctive automobiles over a number of years to ascertain the typical yearly visits for each make and model. Controls were included to prevent small, routine shop visits, such those for oil changes.
The severity element of dependability calculates the likelihood that a repair will cause a significant problem. The cost of a repair is assessed to be excessively expensive given the unscheduled nature of the repair if it is three times the average annual repair cost for all models. Due to their more expensive labor and component expenses, premium and luxury brands have a higher barrier.
The finest Touareg engine is…
The majority of reviewers agree that the VW Touareg’s engine options deliver good performance, but almost all agree that the 5.01-liter V10 TDI is the best option overall. Despite this, many claim that the V8 gives greater value and good power given the TDI’s hefty pricing.
What does the Touareg represent?
The Touareg, Volkswagen’s first-ever SUV, was introduced in 2003. In a news statement, they explained why they chose to adopt the nomadic North African ethnic group’s name: “Touareg” literally translates to “free folk” and is the name of a tribe that lives nomadicly in the Sahara.
Do they still produce Touaregs?
The Touareg is still produced by VW in Europe. Although VW has no plans to bring the Touareg back to the United States, the SUV is nonetheless causing a stir abroad. VW just unveiled the improved hybrid powertrain in its 2021 Touareg R model. The good news is that we aren’t totally excluded from the automaker’s developments into electric vehicles. The first electric VW SUV should arrive in 2022.