{"id":2247,"date":"2024-12-07T05:40:27","date_gmt":"2024-12-07T02:40:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.magaripoa.com\/?p=2247"},"modified":"2024-12-07T05:40:27","modified_gmt":"2024-12-07T02:40:27","slug":"volkswagen-touareg-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.magaripoa.com\/gari\/volkswagen-touareg-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Volkswagen Touareg review"},"content":{"rendered":"

When\u00a0Volkswagen\u00a0launched the\u00a0Touareg\u00a0in 2003, it proved a hit with owners and reviewers loved it, too. But for some reason this understated SUV has lived in the shadows, probably because it\u2019s not really a class leader in any particular area.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, if you want a full-sized SUV and are keen to buy something that looks discreet rather than aggressive, the big Volkswagen could be just what you need.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite its size, VW\u2019s family look gives the Touareg presence without being threatening. Throw in a classy cabin, great engines and superb comfort levels and you\u2019ve got the makings of a fantastic used buy.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Volkswagen Touareg first arrived in 2002 and was on sale for eight years before being replaced by the current model in 2010. It\u2019s big yet classy SUV is an underrated second-hand buy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Volkswagen Touareg Mk2<\/span><\/h2>\n
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The Touareg Mk2 reached showrooms in October 2010 with a choice of 3.0 V6 or 4.2 V8 TDI diesel engines. There was also a hybrid, blending a 3.0-litre petrol V6 with an electric motor. Diesels came in SE, Altitude or Escape trims \u2013 the latter two differing largely in design details over the SE. From January 2013 there was also an R-Line trim option for the V6 TDI, which brought 20-inch alloy wheels, bi-xenon headlights, keyless entry, a panoramic glass roof and an electrically powered tailgate.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

A facelifted Touareg arrived in 2014 with a reprofiled nose, fresh alloy wheel designs, standard lumbar support for the front seats and an automatic post-collision braking system as standard across the range.<\/span><\/p>\n

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You\u2019ll be doing well to find a Touareg with the 4.2 TDI V8 engine, while the hybrid makes very little sense, as the V6 TDI is more frugal in the real world.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s why the ideal thing to do is to buy the best Touareg 3.0 V6 TDI you can find or afford. All of these Touaregs feature an eight-speed automatic transmission as standard along with 18-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control and leather, plus cruise control, remote central locking, DAB radio and powered windows. Also standard are power-fold door mirrors, heated front seats, touchscreen multimedia, plus automatic lights and wipers. The Altitude gets 19-inch wheels, privacy glass, lowered suspension and a heated steering wheel.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alternatives the Volkswagen Touareg Mk2<\/span><\/h2>\n

The\u00a0Range Rover Sport<\/a>\u00a0comes with five seats only, plus a beautifully built cabin and a rock solid image to go with superb abilities on and off road. Reliability can be poor, though, especially with early cars.<\/span><\/p>\n

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If you need seven seats,\u00a0Volvo\u2019s\u00a0XC90<\/a>\u00a0is for you, although the third row is too cramped for adults on long journeys. The\u00a0BMW X5\u00a0is the class leader dynamically, and unlike the Touareg, there\u2019s room for seven if two are children.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Don\u2019t overlook the\u00a0Audi Q5\u00a0if you need just five seats, or the\u00a0Q7\u00a0if you need to carry seven; both are beautifully built, but costly to buy. Also take a look at the\u00a0Mercedes ML-Class\u00a0and\u00a0Jeep Grand Cherokee<\/a>; the latter is especially accomplished off-road.<\/span><\/p>\n

What to look for:<\/span><\/h2>\n

Cooling fan<\/span><\/h3>\n

If an aftermarket tow bar has been fitted, the radiator\u2019s electric cooling fan probably hasn\u2019t been uprated; factory-fit tow bars bring an uprated fan.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Seating<\/span><\/h3>\n

There\u2019s never been a seven-seater option for the Touareg; all models come with\u00a0seating for five only. However, there\u2019s plenty of space for those occupants.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Coolant levels<\/span><\/h3>\n

Make sure that the coolant level is up to the mark, as water pump leaks aren\u2019t unusual. The only solution is a replacement water pump.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wash\/wipe<\/span><\/h3>\n

The rear window washer can leak, and the constant dripping on to the paintwork can lead to the paint becoming discoloured.<\/span><\/p>\n

Interior<\/span><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s\u2019 pure VW through and through, so the Touareg has a high-quality look and feel and is very easy to use; it just lacks flair. But there\u2019s plenty of head and legroom for five with comfortable seats and a decent-sized boot, too; it\u2019ll stow 580 litres with the seats up or 1,642 litres when they\u2019re folded.<\/span><\/p>\n

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When\u00a0Volkswagen\u00a0launched the\u00a0Touareg\u00a0in 2003, it proved a hit with owners and reviewers loved it, too. But for some reason this understated SUV has lived in the shadows, probably because it\u2019s not really a class leader in any particular area. However, if you want a full-sized SUV and are keen to buy something that looks discreet rather…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2248,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pej6K6-Af","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.magaripoa.com\/gari\/wp-content\/uploads\/vw-touareg-magaripoa.jpg?fit=1013%2C675&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.magaripoa.com\/gari\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.magaripoa.com\/gari\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.magaripoa.com\/gari\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.magaripoa.com\/gari\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.magaripoa.com\/gari\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2247"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.magaripoa.com\/gari\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2247\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.magaripoa.com\/gari\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.magaripoa.com\/gari\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.magaripoa.com\/gari\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.magaripoa.com\/gari\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}