Volkswagen Touareg SUV (2010-2018) | owner reviews: MPG, Problems & Reliability

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I have had two V10 Touareg. Liked them both but they seem to go wrong, expensively wrong at about 100K miles. The V8 is quicker, more economical but much "cheaper". E.g. No air suspension, the difference is remarkable, in fact this car is rough on anything other than smooth roads and no rear opening tailgate window, no spare wheel, not even a jack, no built in compressor just an electric pump and dome croc clips..... It just feels like the accountants messed with it. The cheap Toyota Yaris which I have just rented in Italy while the 45,000 mile Touareg is in the shop because the diesel system can't cope with minus 9 centigrade winter weather has a superb rear view camera, does the top of the range VW? No. So my third big engined Touareg will be the last as frankly fed up with German reliability. I probably won't trust a Range Rover and the Lexus is not only small inside but so ugly that it is hard to imagine being able to wake up to it in the morning. It might be slower but a used, big engined top of the range Land Cruiser is looking more attractive every day. I need some off road capability given the mountain tracks in Italy and I wish that JLR products were reliable, but I am not prepared to trust them when I am 1100 miles from home, so Toyota here I come. Handling and performance were very important to me until the third time a Touareg left me high and dry. I don't need to be a boy racer anymore, I just want space, comfort and reliability, I repeat, reliability. PS. I should have known not to stick with the brand when I was quoted about £5000 to change an alternator (engine out sir) on my first Touareg. The alternator was not faulty, the fuel filter was leaking diesel on to it and causing problems. A couple of new washers on the filter housing and washing off the alternator fixed it for a year before the next terminal electronic failure

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Hugely capable vehicle with the added bonus of luxury. Good compromise between road and off road abilities.

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As SUVs go, this is up there with the best. VW may well be more renowned for their family models, but it should be remembered that VW are in house with the likes of Audi, Porsche and Bugatti and can knock out a very useful SUV and executive saloon. The Touareg R Line is equipped with all manner of goodies as standard the likes of which would see another £10k or so added to that BMW X5. Panoramic sun roof, keyless entry and starting, electric remote tailgate, flappy paddle gearbox and an infotainment system that works to name but a few. Engines are shared with the Audi and Porsche SUVs as is the platform so no compromise there then. Fuel economy is no better or worse than the opposition and the power figures would be welcome in many a hot hatch. 550nm of torque and 0-62 in 7 seconds in a car weighing over 2800kg and shaped more like a brick than a rain drop; what's not to like? The R Line is a sporty ride as standard, but is not too harsh on the off road bumpy terrain which it ably copes with unlike much of the opposition. Cost wise, it's cheaper than most of the badge names meaning you get a whole lot more car for your money and pay less for a badge. So it doesn't have 7 seats. Well I count that as a blessing as it means I don't get asked to ferry everyone around who can't fit their entourage in one car or nominated as the transport if going out as a group. If you want an SUV that drives pretty much like an executive saloon on the road, with equal levels of comfort and gadgets, and is a far less common sight than yet another X5, look no further than the Touareg.

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I have had this car from new and to date all is well with engine and gearbox

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I tried everything out there, Merc ML, X5, RR Sport, Cayenne, and kept coming back to the Touareg. It's a brilliant quiet ride, very quick, especially in sport mode, and there's lots of room and storage. I am a bit different to many owners as I use it off road as well and it has tremendous capability. We just had 6" of snow where we live and I sailed past all of the other cars stuck in our area with no signs of any slipping or skidding, even steep hills. I can't find any faults with the car apart from that the R-line not being able to be fitted with side steps or mudguards because of the design.

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Excellent vehicle for the price, I have one issue on the paint work , explained below. I've had the car off road three times and it performed to my high expectations, however I have not yet had the courage to take it on a section of the Pennines that the Discovery and the Freelander easily handled, maybe I'll try the extreme routes in a year or two. Now the paint work, mine is the flat black and disappointing , you get what you pay for and its 'flat'. After 10 years with Mercedes (super finish) it does look dull. but my main gripe is that there are lots of blemishes on the bonnet. These are in the main about 2 mm diameter but there is one patch that is 12 mm. I brought this to the attention of a VW dealer (the car was only 4 months old) and was told it was bird 'mess'. They were not interested since I had purchased the car from a Yorkshire dealer. I will be following this up with VW.

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Simply awesome car, comfortable, stable with good handling, lovely to steer, ace grip, great gearbox, loads of space, nice ride, good brakes, costs less than other SUVs but is always overlooked, build quality is great, dealerships good service, would trade mine for a new one at Motorline Gatwick anytime. love this car love love love IT. VW always had Jaguars

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Had various other make 4x4 cars over the years and tried the New RR Sport and X5's. The Touareg is undoubtedly the best all round 4x4 and actually one of the best all round cars on the road today. I am an extremely critical driving enthusiast but I can't fault this car. Mine has air suspension which "makes" the car. The ride is impossible to beat,handles almost like a sports car in sports mode and is very quick,but the torque of this superb engine is what makes the car so enjoyable to drive. That is my complaint! VW have made this car so good to drive I am putting lots of miles on it! it's extremely quiet and smooth with a superb 8 speed gearbox. There is no wind noise,road noise is very low and the elevated driving position is excellent (with air suspension the car can be raised up to surprising heights and off road performance is close to the very best off road brand but without the unreliability problems!) Superb sat-nav with 8" Screen and infotainment system - very easy to work ,a lesson to ALL other manufacturers! Just tried the 262 BHP 2015 model - even better performance, handles and rides superbly but still would suggest the air suspension as the R.Line model now has 20" wheels which give more "bump and thump" than the 19" wheels on my car, however fairly certain air suspension would sort that out. With the discount that is possible at present I honestly believe with the inbuilt quality of this vehicle being as good as anything on the road this car is the best value for money car available in the UK.

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I can't believe how hypocritical your review of the Touareg is. Expensive? It's probably the cheapest large SUV in the market and equipped a lot better even in standard trim than the competition. Not everyone wants the option of 7 seats and is one reason why it appeals to many owners. SUVs aren't meant to be children ferries for the school run. Buy a mini bus if you want to carry that many passengers. The Touareg is every bit luxurious inside as some exec saloons. In sports mode it grips and corners much better than any SUV should with virtually no body roll. The engine has stacks of torque for rapid acceleration and with the combined 3 modes of gear shifting has a style to suit just about everyone. Yes it's heavy on fuel, but no worse than the competition and if frugal fuel economy is that important, why buy an SUV in the first place? Does it have faults? Yes, that damned DPF filter the world insist all diesels must have. The rear door access can be tight for anyone who needs to go on a diet but I can get a baby seat in without a struggle. The rear is far too nice to fill up with crap for the tip run necessitating an urgent clean up to content yourself. The Touareg is a very understated car sold at a loss by VW by all accounts. You'll see plenty of badge wannabe drivers in their X5/Q7/Cayenne/M Class/RX/Disco/RR and they'll all have paid a lot more for their car than the Touareg owner for no better quality and in some cases a lot less specification. The Touareg owner sits smug knowing they're not one of the sheep being led by the nose to waste their money on a badge.

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MK 2 2010-to Aug.2014 Revised Model (Released Sept.2014) Fantastic Car. Mine has Air suspension, radar cruise control and most other extras. Very reliable, extremely quiet, fast, comfortable, excellent adjustable height suspension, excellent driving position, great sat-nav etc. Tyres 32000 and still 3-4 mm! Best all round SUV in the world and one of the very best cars on the road. I am extremely discerning about cars. Very cheap to service for a large car (3 year service plan/30,000 miles £499).

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Awful! Uncomfortable with no lumber support, no rake adjustment for seat height. The infotainment system which is touch screen is very slow and unresponsive. The interface for the iPod is dreadful to use. To get 40mpg you have drive on a motorway at 65mph. It pulls the caravan well though. For a special edition you get a lot of stuff that you don't need. The ML is a far better choice and better economy.

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No issues whatsoever

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1 repeating minor fault, fixed 2nd attempt

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Very comfortable 4x4 that gets reasonable economy on the combined (about 32mpg on city and country driving). The more powerful engine has plenty of power when you need it and because it's a V6 it sounds a lot less griff and is a lot more smooth than the 4 cylinder cars out there. 8 speed gearbox is smooth and quick to change. Can take a second to react to kick down on the pedal so if you need to overtake better knock it into sport or take control with the paddle shifts. On slight downside for me is that whilst the boot feels big it sits quite high up compared to rivals and actual isn't much bigger than a large family hatchback or estate like the Mondeo. You do get some extra space up to the ceiling if needed. The other surprising things are 1) no electric seats as standard on any model, particularly the R Line which was top spec when I got it. 2) the centre counsel surround is a hard plastic Other than that it's awesome

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Overall the car is pretty good, with decent technology and outer looks. However, inside isn't as luxurious as my previous Audi Q7. It has the same engine in as the Q7 but the Touareg isn't as quick off the mark and takes a second for the car to read the accelerator is down. The interior isn't amazing to say it is a £50,000 car as the dashboards leather look looks a little too fake. The front exterior of the car boasts a sporty and mean look whereas the back doesn't quite match; looking rather ugly

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Reliable

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Bought this new - got a terrific deal and the Touareg is fabulous. It is an extremely comfortable, refined long distance cruiser and yet handles reasonably well with quick steering and with 550nm of torque can hustle along very quickly when required and embarrass most of the boy racer types you come across. Off road ability is good and with winter tyres fitted it coped with deep snow on a skiing holiday with no problems. Equipment levels are very high and the parking system with folding mirrors makes parking very easy for the size of vehicle. Only drawback is fuel economy - as low as 25mpg when pushing on, 31 mpg average and 36 to 38 mpg on motorway runs, which is terrific. The Touareg was a much better buy in my opinion than the competition I considered (Shogun, Discovery, Audi Q5 and Evoque) and having driven most of them , I am very pleased indeed that I bought the VW. Excellent and highly recommended.

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This is a truly great car. As it is said in the motoring press about the Golf, 'you don't need any other hatchback, so don't bother looking', the same should be said about the Touareg as a large SUV. It is a great ownership proposition. Having had large BMW's, Mercs, Porsches and Audi's for years I had overlooked this car. Now having had one I can't believe it took me so long to realise what a brilliant car it is. There is nothing not to like.

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The caveat first: acquired as a replacement for an A3 S-Line saloon from a limited company car list so obviously a very different vehicle. Extremely comfortable on any journey even with manual gearbox, poverty spec cloth seats and no lumbar adjustment. The Ad Blue scenario is a bit of a pain having to top up every so often at £10.00 a pop but it's returning over 50mpg with enthusiastic driving which isn't bad for a heavy vehicle. It looks a bit utilitarian in S guise both internally and externally although the fittings are of good quality, not quite up to Audi standard for touch and feel. Excellent Sat Nav, however a pricey option at nearly £800, these things should be standard now as should parking sensors. Panoramic sunroof makes the car feel huge inside and because the sunroof goes over rather than inside the vehicle it doesn't impede on headroom for those of us with long bodies. After 2 months and 6000 miles the engine feels strong and responsive and surprising quiet. Avoid Atlantic Blue in S guise, looks great in R-Line with R-Line wheels though.

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I changed to the Touareg from a Volvo XC60. I must say having owned this for 2 months i'm very impressed. The engine and gearbox work together extremely well giving very punchy acceleration when needed but very smooth and refined at all other times. The steering has good feel, and handles very well for a car this size, and doesn't feel that big to drive. I do quite a bit of urban driving with the odd long stretch of motorway, and am averaging 28mpg, which is only slightly less than my XC60 D5 which was not as powerful and only 5 cylinder and for a car this size and this powerful i think is very acceptable. I would recommend at every level - the Touareg in my view is a very underestimated SUV!

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I have been a Touareg owner for the past 6 years and decided to purchase a new one, assuming it would be the same build quality as my previous car - it isn't! Within 200 miles from new, the car developed an irritating rattling noise. The salesman who was eager to sell me the car, has totally ignored my complaint, which says a lot about VW's aftercare service. I have also written to VW Customer Services directly and am still waiting to hear back from them after a week. I also keep getting error messages on the display regarding the Start-Stop System. After 1,600 miles, I feel that I may have been happier with a Korean SUV that costs half the price of the £52,000 Touareg I acquired. In my opinion, if you buy a VW, expect faults and poor after care/customer service. VW have deteriorated in my experience and are no longer a force to be reckoned with.

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Here are my very initial thoughts after just 1 day in my new Touareg. While it's way too early to give a balanced view, since my 2011 BMW 5 series M Sport Touring is still sat on my drive aswell I thought it may be useful to others to know my first comparisons. I'm excited about the Touareg, have wanted one for years, but the interior is not as high quality as my BMW and I will miss it for a while. Hopefully I will get to enjoy the Touareg for what it is. So the disappointments are - leather interior. I upgraded to Vienna in the Touareg and it's not as nice as the standard Dakota in my Beemer. Plastics, switches, Windows. As my wife has a golf I can honestly say the Touareg is not more upmarket so disappointing after the BMW. Lastly navigation, stereo and vehicle info. All seem way inferior in the Toureg than the BMW. What I like about the Touareg so far is the drive, good size (felt the X5 would have been too big), and the looks externally. I'll post another review once I'm a few months in. For now I want to counter what the guy from Leicestershire has said about the Toureg being cheaper than premium brands. Actually this is not likely to be true. Despite me negotiating 20% off the list price for my Touareg, given it will depreciate heavily it will cost me more over 3-4 yrs than if I had bought an X5. I'm ok with that since the Touareg is half Porcshe Cayenne and drives great so far (better than the X5 IMO).

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Great tow car, lots of standard features, extremely good handling, I have even been on a race track, unbelievable for such a heavy car, and probably as good as many saloon cars if not better. Economical for its size, far more so than my previous Touareg even though it's faster and more economical, and cheaper road tax. The only downside is that mine has lowered sports suspension, a bit hard, I wish I had gone for the air suspension. I drive to the south of France annually, and find it comfortable, and effortless towing my caravan. The 8 speed auto box is smooth and can be used in sport, or manual mode, it climbs long hills with ease.

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