Feb 29, 2008
2008 Volkswagen Touareg 2
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Volkswagen twice has tried to push its brand upscale in the past decade — first with the sport-utility vehicle with the funny name, the Touareg, and then with the Phaeton, an ostentatious luxury sedan. The latter failed, exiting the U.S. market after the 2006 model year. The Touareg has had its ups and downs in the sales race but soldiers on for 2008 under the label Touareg 2.
In truth, there’s a lot to like about the Touareg. Without a hint of shame or regret, it excludes the sizable market segment that demands a third row of seats. It’s a beautifully proportioned, car-based SUV with lots of Porsche Cayenne DNA. And few SUVs are more rugged than the Dakar Rally-tested Touareg. Watch those commercials showing Land Rovers slam-banging across the Veldt and keep in mind that the Touareg can keep pace without breaking a sweat while towing more than 7,500 pounds.
We were impressed by our 2008 Touareg 2’s smooth, composed ride, agility and interior comfort. The car is well thought out, too. VW didn’t just load up an ordinary truck with leather and electronic gadgets. Attention to detail is evident throughout.
On the debit side, the 280-horsepower V-6 engine’s performance fell somewhat short of effortless, perhaps owing to the car’s considerable weight: 5,086 pounds. Fuel economy is mediocre at 14 mpg city, 19 highway and the Touareg requires premium gasoline. Still, most high-end SUVs are no better, and the Touareg distinguishes itself with an unusually large 26.4-gallon fuel tank.
For those who find the V-6 too anemic, VW offers a 350-horsepower V-8. What really sets the Touareg apart, however, is the optional V-10 diesel. This bad boy churns out 310 horsepower while getting slightly better fuel economy than the V-6. It doesn’t come cheap, however: It starts at $68,340, almost $30,000 more than the base Touareg.
It could be that the Touareg succeeded where the Phaeton failed because the price of admission, while high, isn’t wildly out of line with everything else VW sells. The bottom line on our well-equipped Touareg 2 was exactly $40,000. Its long list of standard safety, comfort and performance features was about what you’d expect from Mercedes-Benz or BMW. VW threw in a number of no-charge options, including heated front seats, power sunroof and parking assist.
The Touareg gets good marks for safety from the rating agencies, but Consumer Reports noted its reliability record is much worse than average. To put that into perspective, however, the Hummer H2, Land Rover LR3, Mercedes-Benz M-Class and Volvo XC90 fare no better. Among high-end SUVs, the Cadillac Escalade, BMW X5, and all of the Japanese models have respectable reliability ratings.
The Touareg makes the most sense for singles and small families who actually intend to take their SUV off road but want comfort, safety and versatility, too. Those who need more seating and cargo room and can do without the rock-climbing capability may find what they’re looking for elsewhere.
Steven Macoy (smacoy3070@cs.com
) is a longtime car enthusiast and full-time editor who lives in Bethel, Conn.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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