2005 Volkswagen Touareg Consumer Reviews

love it

Written by: love it on 11/12/2008

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen Touareg V6 AWD 4dr SUV (3.2L 6cyl 6A)

Review

I bought my VW with 24000 and know I have 60000. I dove it from Texas to Chicago with no problems. It is a very expensive SUV to fix, but if you change your own oil, or buy your own parts it's way cheaper. Tires are the worst. I still can't find a place that to get them changed. They run from 700 to 2000 dollars.

Favorite Features

My favorite features has to be the light and Stereo system. I can live with out it.

Suggested Improvements

Brake. to dam expensive.

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Not great but ok.

Written by: SEAN9 on 10/31/2008

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen Touareg V8 AWD 4dr SUV (4.2L 8cyl 6A)

Review

I am a mechanic for a used German car dealer and I bought this trade in for fun, its a late build 2005. BTW 2004 is a lemon, mid to late build 2005+ is a good car. Positives: Interior, exterior, solid vehicle. Negatives: Terrible gas mileage, 6 speed transmission shifts constantly and hard, radio is horrific, small interior, too many electronic gizmos. 4.2L Audi engine is excellent. Its a tough German car not a smooth Japanese car. If you don't believe me go to web VW boards and check the car out, the transmission is the worst aspect of this vehicle but you can reprogram it with some success. Overall nice and somewhat better than some of the Mercedes I work on.

Favorite Features

Overall quality is equivalent to better than some of the competing German brands.

Suggested Improvements

I drove a 2008 toureg 2 at a competing dealership and it shifts better then my 2005 but not on the level as a lexus or toyota. Overall the car is a great highway car but if you need a quick / smooth shifting city car for lots of traffic its a handful and will wear you out.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Sad owner

Written by: Tony K on 08/02/2008

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen Touareg V8 AWD 4dr SUV (4.2L 8cyl 6A)

Review

I had no idea it would eat tires every year! Gas mileage was known, but gas wasn't $4.50 at the time. It's been in the shop so much, my wife wants me to sell it now! Service sucks, they can't order the correct parts half the time so we have to go back multiple times for stupid stuff. I will NEVER buy another VW again. I tried, and it was a failure. They say the car is 'heavy' and that's why it eats tires. B.S. My dad has a huge van loaded with his contractor stuff (much heavier than the Touareg) and he gets 30k miles no problem. I think it's the 4WD system chewing up the tires. I'm actively looking at a replacement even though it will cost me $. I like to keep cars 12+ years but not this time

Favorite Features

Looks great, sounds great. Reminds me of a Porsche.

Suggested Improvements

Fix all the broken crap on the car. Learn how to make a car not eat tires!

1 out 2 people found this review helpful

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2005 Touareg V8 Review

Written by: gabbott on 06/10/2008

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen Touareg V8 AWD 4dr SUV (4.2L 8cyl 6A)

Review

I absolutely love this car and can't wait for the V6 diesel to reach the states. I have driven the Touareg V6 diesel (overseas) and all I can say is wow. 30+ mpg and lots of torque. I compare my Touareg to my brothers 2 X5's (both diesel, 2006 & 2008). The interior layout of the Touareg is far beyond the BMW. Even my brother agrees. The newer larger X5 is a disappointment compared to the older body style. The Touaregs styling is better than both X5's. The Touareg coming in as a overweight still handles very well. The suspension does a very good job of keeping the car at it's optimum performance level. The sound of the V8 is quit p;easing. I have gotten 20 MPG on the hwy at 72 MPH.

Favorite Features

The air suspension is a real nice feature. Control layout is as good as it gets. Setting the suspension to comfort makes an interstate ride very comfortable. Offroad capability is second to none. This is the SUV nobody will test. In Europe they are compared to the Land Rover.

Suggested Improvements

The navigation has a lot to be desired. Mine is the 10 CD version. Fuel economy is not bad for it's weight and towing capacity but a little better would be nice. I found driving the Touareg conservatively uses more gas. You got to push it a bit to get the best MPG (at low speeds, city).

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Very Satisfied

Written by: VWTV8 on 04/26/2008

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen Touareg V8 AWD 4dr SUV (4.2L 8cyl 6A)

Review

Have owned many different makes and models including several sports cars, The VW Touareg ranks right at the top for fun, comfortable, capable transportation. It has proven to be perfect mechanically requiring nothing other than routine maintenance and 3 :( sets of high performance 19" tires. This is a heavy, powerful vehicle that is a little rough on the sticky OEM tires. Highly recommend - you will not be disappointed. 17.8 MPG

Favorite Features

Suggested Improvements

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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Pretty with Flaws

Written by: cabulldog on 03/26/2008

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen Touareg V6 AWD 4dr SUV (3.2L 6cyl 6A)

Review

I really shopped around before purchasing my Touareg. My black exterior really gets people's attention, and my passengers LOVE the interior. BUT, my tires wore out quickly, gas mileage sucks, get-up-and- go doesn't exist without putting it in S, or manual. Radio ate my CD, can't get it back. Passenger mirror doesn't always tilt when backing up. Rubber on inside driver's side door is peeling. Seat belt dinger... can anyone say ANNOYING? Automatic windshield wipers can scare the crap out of you on a sunny day... they'll scape across the window without notice.

Favorite Features

Looks great, comfortable front heated seats.

Suggested Improvements

Better quality stereo (give me my CD back!). Fix tire and break wear problem. Improve gas mileage.

7 out 10 people found this review helpful

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It's a Keeper

Written by: SanDeigoTouareg on 02/10/2008

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen Touareg V6 AWD 4dr SUV (3.2L 6cyl 6A)

Review

It's been almost 3 years with my Touareg... it's a keeper. Granted, you cannot be a person on a tight budget for an SUV like this, but it's worth every penny in price, maintenance, and fuel. I truly feel like I can go wherever my heart desires with the Touareg. Yeah, brakes and tires require changing more frequently than expected, but it's a worthwhile trade-off for the performance and amenities on this SUV. Highly recommended. The key is to make sure you can afford to maintain it. If you cannot afford to maintain it, don't buy it. If you can, you will love it.

Favorite Features

Parking sensors, motorized fold-in mirrors, seat and mirror setting memory, auto-darkening rear view mrror, AWD, adjustable/removable roof rack, great sound system, auto-sensing windshield wipers, and so much more!

Suggested Improvements

Navigation system, brake life, acceleration from stop, CD changer up front (vs in the back).

5 out 5 people found this review helpful

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Great Vehichle

Written by: Sandeep on 12/11/2007

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen Touareg V6 AWD 4dr SUV (3.2L 6cyl 6A)

Review

THis is our 2nd touareg. The 1st one was a buyback because of electrical problems that were never ending. However, we still loved the car and agreed to take a replacement Touareg. The 05 Touareg has met all our expectations is probaly the nicest SUV we saw while we were looking to make our purchase. We compared it to the BMX X5 and X3, Lexus, etc. However kept coming back to it. Even after our initial lemon Touareg, this is still our favourite vehicle and am glad we stuck with it. The 05' has been problem free since we have had it.

Favorite Features

Bi-xenon lights, MP3 player. STABILITY! We have gone through some close calls and cannot believe how well it handles. Awesome in snow and off road. Better than any other SUV we test drove.

Suggested Improvements

Gas mileage. Eats gas like I drink water. It's painful with todays gas prices. It wasn't this bad when we purchased it, but the new higher gas prices are hurting the wallet.

6 out 6 people found this review helpful

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Touaregs are tops

Written by: Mike Bronkowski on 10/02/2007

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen Touareg V8 AWD 4dr SUV (4.2L 8cyl 6A)

Review

The best vehicle I have ever owned. Great looking inside and out. You feel safe and secure inside it. A joy to drive. Great handling, perky engine and powerful drivetrain, solid construction, roomy interior (front seats) cozy seats and a smooth ride. Going to the gas pump often is offset by the car performance.

Favorite Features

The automatic and self adjustable suspension system. Put it in sport on those mountain roads and this SUV hugs and zooms aroudn the curves. Put it in comfort mode and enjoy a cushiony ride. Great feature.

Suggested Improvements

The transmission occasionally seems to slip a bit from 1st to 2nd if you are indecisive and baby the gas pedal (it wants to go!).

5 out 5 people found this review helpful

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Great Ride!

Written by: MATT MCGLASHEN on 08/04/2007

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen Touareg V8 AWD 4dr SUV (4.2L 8cyl 6A)

Review

It gets about 15 mpg , not bad for a V8 and heavy vehicle. Great drive, great audio system, very luxurious inside. There have been several reliability issues, but I think after 2004 many things have been fixed. The power window switches are white plastic, painted black, the paint comes off easily. The air suspension had a new compressor put in at 22,000 miles and the tires are getting work out (19" Pirellis), gonna try Michelin next. A seatbelt seized up in the rear, and one headlight had a bad connection. I still love this car! It gets lots of compliments.

Favorite Features

Good looking design inside and out, good power and handling. Great audio system, decent milege for the size, great wheels (19"). Great towing.

Suggested Improvements

Tires that wear longer, a better navigation system (with street names), bluetooth connectivity, iPod adaptors, oil changes that aren't $300 from the dealer... synthetic oil is great, but not that great. Dealers' service departments need to be upgraded, and the warranty should be 100,000 miles

4 out 4 people found this review helpful

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