TTAC Reviews the Touareg TDI
September 12, 2006 – 9:48 pm by Matt Radel
Filed under Volkswagen Touareg
Walter Pabst throws down his 2 cents on the twin-turbo diesel V10. Yum…
Read it here. Probably my favorite part:
“Then again, my Mom’s taxi never had 553 lbs-ft. of torque underfoot. Twist the switchblade key and the 5.0-liter twin turbo’s muffled chattering evokes unpleasant memories of school bus rides gone by. Yes, well, the Touareg TDI’s three-point automatic safety belts and active head restraints are all that’s between you and whiplash when you punch the accelerator. The twin-turbo diesel V10 moves 5825 pounds of fully galvanized steel and aluminum body, 4-wheel drivetrain with locking differentials, Vienna leather hides and Vavana wood trim to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds— and would still do so if you tied it to a tree. The TDI would be even faster if the transmission let the engine wind out properly…”
Mmmmm. It’s a well written review, and it raised many of the same observations and questions I’ve had about the model. I mean really, what is the target market for this beast? At 70k (fully equipped) most are going to look to more prolific models. And nobody will take this thing off-road. I mean nobody. It is an awesome vehicle, but still a little awkwardly positioned if you ask me(and if you’re reading this, I’m guessing you would).
TTAC Reviews the Touareg TDI
September 12, 2006 – 9:48 pm by Matt Radel
Thanks for the clip. Glad you can share my sentiment.
Now that Volkswagen has proven it can build world-beating cars, it’s time to get back to the roots…. I’m not suggesting the return to rear-engine air cooled, but leave the brand snobs for Audi and Bentley.
Volkswagen’s heritage is no doubt the envy of many car makers. The brand is known for building fun, high-quality, efficient cars at affordable prices. The nostalgia and loyalty VW owners hold is unrivaled.
The ingredients are all there: safe and solid Golf and Passat platforms matched with TDI, 2.0T, and 1.4 twincharger engines. Think VW could sell a few Caddy-style pickups these days? Would a canvas sunroof TDI Microbus help rid the world of Honda Elements?
Let me know if I’m outta line here….
I agree Walter. I think VW is aiming at too high a market with the Touareg and the Phaeton(folks here know my opinions about the Phaeton all too well). I was happy when the Passat was more or less the top of the line.
But I think they’re in a state of flux, feeling out the market and expanding the line to compete with the mega makers like Toyota and Honda - I just hope they’ll learn quickly and pull the plug on these akward attempts(I’m not suggesting they kill the Touareg, just keep it dumbed down) when neccessary.
And a TDI Microbus would be friggin’ sweet. Treehuggers rejoice!
Big big problem…..
I am writing car review for Touareg. I am now in my 2nd V-10 Twin Turbo Diesel Touareg (THE FIRST ONE I DROVE FOR 100 MILES BEFORE IT HAD ELECTRICAL MELTDOWN) Even after spending $60,000 and owning the car for two days and driving it just 100 miles, VW tried to force it on me after it had been in the shop for almost a month, turned out it took 7 weeks to fix car and after 30 days in the shop, it qualified for a LEMON and they were forced to give me a new car.
This is such a long story and don’t want to bore you with all the details but I bought the car at Commonwealth in Santa Ana CA and between them and VW corporate, it has been a nightmare. The Service Manager at Commonwealth is the only person worth mentioning that is decent human being
Please know I LOVED this car and in my opinion, there is not another SUV on the market that looks, as good but please do not buy this car on looks alone because you will be terribly disappointed.
BE AWARE: BE AWARE: BE AWARE: BE AWARE:
THE STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT LINE UP WITH THE DRIVERS SEAT OR THE DASHBOARD GAUGES!!!!!
ONCE YOU START DRIVING CAR, YOU MAY EXPERIENCE BACK AND SHOULDER PAIN BECAUSE YOUR BODY IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. IF YOU DOUBT WHAT I AM SAYING, JUST GO SIT IN ONE, THEY ARE ALL THIS WAY AND VW IS DENYING IT. THEY SAY IT IS WITHIN SPEC BUT THE SPEC IS WRONG. THE AIRBAGS ALSO COULD FAIL YOU BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT SITTING STRAIGHT….
I have retained an attorney and contacted LA Times and all the automotive magazines to try and get the word out to potential buyers. Problem is you don’t notice it on a short test-drive, it is only when you start driving for a couple hours a day you start getting all the symptoms. I will fight until the end. VW Corporate up to this point has snubbed me and offered no solution to the problem and I have a so-called luxury vehicle that when I drive, I am totally uncomfortable.
If you want more info, just email me, I am happy to explain this and many other issues like brakes squeak, doors rattle, and parts pop-off easily, etc… If you buy this car, you better buy the bumper-to-bumper insurance and plan on going back and forth to the dealer a lot. Feel free to email me if you would like more info!
Wow. Thanks for commenting Shaun. We do hear horror stories like this every once in awhile, I’m afraid. First time I’ve heard about the out of alignment thing.