2004 Volkswagen Touareg Reviews

The VW Touareg V8 is no bush basher.It makes the hairs on the back of my neck sit up and pay attention just thinking of the big luxury VW brushing up against lantana as its Bridgestone paws step over rocky terrain.No, this is a big luxury SUV wagon for the well-heeled.Despite cresting $100,000 on the road, it is good value when you size it up with its natural big-bore luxury competitors: Lexus LX470 ($118,500); BMW X5 4.4i ($111,800); and Porsche Cayenne S ($129,900).And to these eyes and the many who cast admiring glances its way, it is the sweetest-looking big SUV on the market.Rally-style brushed aluminium abounds on the dash and on the truck-sized brake pedal and throttle.It's macho, but it's also stylish. That's the V8 Touareg all over.Sitting in the cockpit there is a feast of instruments and knobs for the technophile...some may call it overkill and others may even be scared by the control options available.The jumble of controls is a little daunting at first, but most fall easily to hand and are logical.And some of the gimmicks are time savers such as the clever transponder in the key which allows the driver to fire up without inserting the key or zapping a remote.That big old steering wheel seems a little truck-like, yet the steering is light and the handling nimble.Rally style is further emphasised by the quick-shifting large sequential paddles mounted behind the steering wheel. They work well if you shuffle your hands, but not if you favour racing-style.The ride is plush and quiet with a fair amount of body language in the tight stuff.All the same, the 18-inch wheels with 255mm-wide rubber stay planted to the road without slip or objection, no matter how awkwardly you handle the tiller.That is thanks to VW's 4XMotion system with a 50:50 torque split and 100 per cent to any axle in need of a little help when the wheels start to slip.It's smooth and subtle.Together with a sophisticated air suspension boasting continuous damping control (CDC) in three settings (automatic, sport and comfort), it's a sure-footed, comfortable ride.There is also speed-sensitive ride height adjustment from 160mm to 190mm, with a selectable 300mm for good clearance over the chunky bits.A howling V8 pours on plenty of power – 230kW at 6200rpm. More importantly, it will pull most anything you've got with its massive 410Nm of torque at a puttering 3000rpm.All this takes more than a squirt of fuel. VW quotes 14.8 litres of premium to 100km, but with a 100-litre tank, at least there is good range. About 675km, which will get you half way from Brisbane to Townsville.And the crew in the back won't moan as they bury into soft leather with plenty of head, shoulder, hip and leg room.

With a starting price of $67,600 the base model V6 really sets the benchmark in terms of value in the luxury off road segment.You're getting a lot of car for your money, with 4XMOTION four wheel drive (including low range), a six speed sequential style auto, climate controlled airconditioning, cruise control and a 10-speaker CD sound system.In addition to front and side airbags, there are curtain airbags that cover the entire window surface between the A and C pillars.The Touareg is one of those vehicles that gives the impression that it has if anything been over-engineered – and that can't be a bad thing.The V6 is not as quick off the mark as the V8 or colossal V10 diesel but it still has plenty of poke for a hefty vehicle.It's the same 3.2-litre V6 that is found in other applications including the showcase Golf R32, but in a different state of tune.Power is rated at 162kW with 305Nm of torque available from 3200rpm.The Touareg weighs in at a chunky 2235kg but is still able to achieve the 0-100km/h dash in a shade under 10 seconds.Top speed is 197km/h.At 1925mm the Touareg has to be one of the widest vehicles were have driven.It is certainly wider than BMW's X5 and longer too, with a wider footprint.This should be borne in mind when parking the car and if you have a narrow garage because it can be difficult to get in and out of.But as such it made the perfect screen for the highway patrol while we were testing the vehicle last week.Our friendly neighborhood policeman was well hidden from approaching traffic as he sat in front of us on the freeway, just waiting to pounce.Handling is excellent for a vehicle this size, although there is more body roll than the X5.This is exacerbated by seats that could do with more sideways support.Inside the layout is classic Volkswagen, with blue lit dash and large, well laid out easy to use switches.Interior space has been sacrificed to front and rear legroom because the load area is smaller than anticipated.It covers a space saver spare wheel that is not suited to off road adventures.The location of the ignition key high on the dash to left of the steering wheel requires a seachange after years of sticking keys in the right hand side of the steering column.But it is just a matter of getting the hang of it and the soft-touch start takes the effort out of turning the key.Ground clearance even without air suspension fitted is a formidable 237mm.That combined with a full low range set of gears and locking a centre differential plus short front and rear overhangs gives the Touareg a high degree of off road ability.In fact, it's got more ground clearance than Toyota's king of the bush LandCruiser 100 Series.A host of electronic aids work to keep control of the vehicle including stability control and hill descent control.The Touareg drinks premium unleaded and has a healthy appetite with a large 100-litre fuel tank.But it is a light sipper for its size, delivering economy of around 14.0L/100km.