Volkswagen Touareg Review

2010 Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI SUV Shown

The Volkswagen Touareg (pronounced Tour-egg) was a midsize SUV designed to provide rugged off-road ability as well as a refined everyday driving experience. At this mission, it succeeded, as very few SUVs in the Touareg's price range could match its go-anywhere ability or luxurious five-passenger interior.

Engineered to offer the same type of on-road driving dynamics that VW drivers had come to expect, the Touareg was co-developed with Porsche and shares the same basic architecture with the Cayenne. The Touareg was technically replaced for 2008 by the VW Touareg 2 but despite the name, there are relatively few differences between the models.

Most Recent Volkswagen Touareg

The VW Touareg, which debuted for the 2004 model year, was technically produced for one generation. Used SUV shoppers will want to take note that many upgrades were made to the 2007 model, so prior Touaregs are probably not as desirable.

For '07, Volkswagen offered three different engines for the Touareg. First up was a 3.6-liter V6 engine that produces 276 horsepower, while a 4.2-liter V8 delivered 350 hp. The range-topping Touareg V10 TDI had a diesel-fueled turbocharged V10 displacing 5.0 liters. It was rated at 310 hp and a stout 553 pound-feet of torque. Each engine was connected to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Throughout its life, the different engines served as the basis for the Touareg's trims, with the V6 as the base model, the V8 as the midlevel choice and finally the V10 as you moved up the ladder in both price and content. The 4XMotion permanent four-wheel drive was standard, and low-range gearing complemented the optional height-adjustable air suspension. When combined with the optional locking differential and tough unibody structure, the Volkswagen Touareg had substantial off-roading ability.

Getting to less treacherous destinations, such as the mall, soccer practice or a night at the ballet, was made enjoyable by the Touareg's smooth on-road ride and a luxurious interior that included standard and available features such as leather seats with memory, multizone climate control, navigation, premium audio entertainment and adaptive xenon headlights.

At its debut, VW's SUV came with either a 220-hp 3.2-liter V6 or a 310-hp 4.2-liter V8. Many owners consider this V6 to be underpowered, so going with the contemporary V8, especially now that depreciation has set in, probably isn't a bad idea. A handful of V10 TDI models were also imported for '04.

The V10 was dropped for '05, while the original V6 received 20 more hp. Changes for '06 included upgrading the optional CD-based navigation system to DVDs and adding an available rearview camera, an auxiliary multimedia MP3 connector and a 115-volt power outlet (in place of the previous 12V source) in the rear cargo area. The V10 engine also made its return to the U.S. market very late into the '06 calendar year.

In our reviews of the Volkswagen Touareg, we found that fuel economy was a significant weakness. In VW's effort to offer Range Rover levels of off-road ability and luxury at the same time, the Touareg was both heavier and thirstier than most of its segment competition, particularly the lighter-duty crossover SUVs. Only the diesel model is able to offer 20-plus mpg in real-world driving. Mediocre second-row seat comfort and a lack of a third-row seat option are other Touareg shortcomings, especially since the latter feature has become very desirable in the midsize SUV segment. The Touareg 2 replacement doesn't do much to correct these shortcomings.

SELECT A SPECIFIC VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG MODEL YEAR*

* Edmunds.com maintains vehicle data as far back as 1990.