2004 Volkswagen Touareg

Tom Collins
The Auto Answerman
560 ESPN Radio
Denver

Vehicle Type: Mid-Size SUV
Base Price:
Price as tested N/A

Pros:
Excellent Road Manners
Off-Road Capability
Comfort
Towing Capacity

Cons:
Underpowered (V6)
Complicated Controls
Noisy Roof Rack

Overview:

The Touareg (pronounced Tour-regg) is an all-new SUV from VW, built on the same uni-body platform as the Porsche Cayenne. Two trim-lines are available, V6 and V8. Our test vehicle was the V6 model. Low-range gearing and air suspension are available for serious off road driving. Competitors include the Lexus RX 330 and the BMW X5.

Under the hood:

Our Touareg came equipped with a 220-horsepower 3.2 liter V6. It’s a smooth running and quiet engine but it’s underpowered in a 5000+ pound SUV. The 4.2 Liter V8 making 310-horsepower would be a more satisfying choice. Fuel economy is listed at 15/20 for the V6 and 14/18 for the V8. A smooth shifting 6-speed automatic is standard with sport and automanual modes. Towing is listed at a hefty 7,716 lbs on both models.
The 4XMotion 4WD system features a low-range for off road driving. A locking differential is optional along with an air-suspension that raises the standard 8.3 inches of ground clearance up to a maximum of 11.8 inches. These last two options make the Touareg a serious off-road player.

The Driving Experience:

I didn’t have a chance to take the Touareg off road but spent plenty of time on I-70 on the way to Avon and back. The V6 handled the Eisenhower Tunnel with no problem as long as you kept the RPM up around 5000. Like all Volkswagens, the Touareg handles great on the open road. It’s stable as can be on the hi-way and it’s easy to speed in this vehicle. Before you know it you’re going 85 and it feels like 65 in most vehicles. Precise steering and excellent brakes enhance driver confidence. Large 17”wheels on the V6 helps ride and handling. The V8 gets 18” wheels. The Touareg is quiet most of the time but over 65 MPH our test vehicle emitted a roar coming from the roof rack. This may have been correctable with some adjustment but I never got around to experimenting with it.

On the Inside:

The Touareg has an up-scale interior and its nicely fitted. The instrumentation is well laid-out with small but complete gauges including Amps and transmission temp. The climate control and stereo is another matter. Like a lot of European vehicles they’re unnecessarily complicated. Thank goodness it’s not nearly as bad as BMW’s I-drive. The 10-speaker stereo with CD sounds good and the automatic dual-zone climate control is a nice bonus. The standard tilt/telescoping steering wheel lets you tailor the driving position. The heated leather seats are very comfortable. Rear seating is a little cramped for 5 but I didn’t get any complaints during out 4 hour round trip. The rear cargo area is on the small side, and while its carpeted floor looks nice, it’s too slippery for small loads like our case of Coke that kept sliding around. The seats fold forward for additional cargo space.

Safety:
In addition to standard ABS and Electronic Brakeforce distribution, the Touareg comes with hill descent and incline rollback control including stability control. Front passengers get side and full-length head-curtain air bags. Tire pressure monitoring is standard. This long list of features makes the Touareg one of the safest SUVs on the market.

The Bottom Line:

The long list of standard features along with excellent off road capability combined with stable on-road handling make the Touareg an attractive package. Word is a V-10 Turbo diesel engine making a whopping 553 pound-feet of torque will be available next year offering more power and better fuel economy. Overall, I would recommend the Touareg with the V8 engine. Drive one before you buy another mid-size SUV.