HiI had asked about Tahoes and got lots of great feedback - not sure thought if I want another gas guzzling SUV - even a nice one. Am wondering if I stretched my budget a bit if a TDI Touareg wouldn't fit my bill. I am seeing 09s and 10s with 56-78 K for under $35,000 - which is a bit more than I wanted to spend but if it is as good a car/truck as some say it is...I want something that I can drive lots daily (kids to hockey all over hell) - get good to great MGP and still pull my 30' light weight TT - I'm guessing loaded up around 6000lb a few times each summer. I live in Alberta so have some hills to contend with and need something great in the snow/ice - especially this year.Have been doing this with an 04 Durango with the 3:55 rear rated for 7150lb with no real complaints - except of course that it sucks its fair share of gas.What do you think of the Touareg TDIs - would it's 3 inch shorter wheel base be all that noticeable - I have dual cam sway bars that helps out the Durango. Not in my opinion the nicest looking vehicle - but at 29 MPG highway it could be a look I could learn to love.Thanks much for the thoughts

I'm sure it would pull OK but it has a short wheelbase and that sometimes makes a TV unstable. For that kind of money you could get into a real truck.

tow capacity is fine, it'll be the lack of payload capacity and max tongue weight that will be the limiting factors.

The TDI is an excellent engine. Beyond that I am not sure you would want to tow a 30 foot trailer with one. Issues with wheelbase, tongue weight, and the simple fact that there are real tow vehicles for the same money that will do a better towing job. But in some ways I guess it depends on how much towing you plan to do and how far. I would not consider it for a 30 foot TT.

See if your payload will fit a trailer with 15% of it's GVWR as tongue weight PLUS weight of you, passengers and cargo in the vehicle. I'm guessing it won't.

Volkswagen does not have a great reputation for initial quality or long term reliability. Check Consumer Reports before you buy.

Touaregs - what do you think - especially the TDIs

nevadanick
Explorer
Dec 09, 2013
Oil changes every 10k along with fuel filter at local dsl shop is a 2-300 depending on the other filters. Tires at 30k were 1600 as they are runflats and not alot of choices. Its been a great car. Def every 10k also.
gschindel
Explorer
Dec 09, 2013
Thanks. I did think about the gl but was thinking it would be very expensive to maintain. What had your experience been?
bikendan
Explorer
Dec 09, 2013
nevadanick wrote:
What about a Mercedes ? Our GL350 has a 7500lb tow rating, gets 25-30 mpg but does go down to about 15-16 towing and has been reliable as a rock.

what's your GL's payload capacity and tongue capacity?
nevadanick
Explorer
Dec 08, 2013
What about a Mercedes ? Our GL350 has a 7500lb tow rating, gets 25-30 mpg but does go down to about 15-16 towing and has been reliable as a rock.
Jarlaxle
Explorer II
Dec 08, 2013
TDI VW uses the Bosch CP4 series HPFP...run away!
gschindel
Explorer
Dec 08, 2013
Farfenugen! Thanks for all the warnings. Will look elsewhere.
JustLabs
Explorer
Dec 07, 2013
My sister's Touareg was a pile. She was constantly battling issues with the AWD and the brakes.

She drove it for a couple years and dumped it.
bmanning
Explorer
Dec 07, 2013
Hate to pile on, but I looked closely at Touaregs a few years back and avoided them solely based upon their reliability track record.

Loved their design, styling, interior, and performance, but I know myself & the first time it spent a week at the dealer for a multi-thousand-dollar repair I'd have beaten myself up with no mercy.

I'll stick with boring, ridiculously reliable Land Cruisers.
jus2shy
Explorer
Dec 07, 2013
As nice and capable that Touregs are (they're heavy for their size), they are very pricey to keep operating compared to US couterparts. I personally looked at buying a 2010 Toureg back in 2010. I asked to see the service manual and the dealership did not want to show it to me. I went to the service center and pretended to actually own one and asked about maintenance at certain mileage intervals. Pretty involved and pricey. Heck, even on the brake pads you have to change out these wear sensors as well. It's just an expensive vehicle to maintain and operate overall once it gets above 60,000 miles.
Acei
Explorer
Dec 07, 2013
Do pay attention to the payload of Touareg. I once considered it but its payload is seriously lacking, especially when compared against the likes of Tahoe and Expedition. Unfortunately, Jeep Grand Cherokee suffers from the same fate as well. I really don't understand why they offer such a big tow capacity but small payload. You will be lucky to pull half as much as what they claim because of the payload limitation. To certain extent, the new Durango's payload isn't great either.