Long time watcher, first time poster. Just thought I might add some comments from a current owner of an R line (around 5000km so far) - same drivetrain but have the benefits of 4 wheel steering and sway bars. Drove all variants of the touareg before committing to the R line. Overall a great car but just a few notes. For reference, I needed a family car and came from a manual hot hatch (rs280 megane). Cross shopped touareg against many full size 4wd/SUV including Q7/8, X5, everest, cx70/80/90, GLE, 300series landcruiser and prado - did test drive most. 1. The driving dynamics were very important to me. Corners very well for a 2 tonne vehicle. Anti sway bars work well. The 4 wheel steering makes a considerable difference - drops the turning radius by 1 metre to just over 10m which is about the same as a golf. Drivetrain is quite powerful even coming from a hot hatch. AWD means GTI levels of 0-100 times. If you know the VAG cars, this is the same drivetrain as the Q7/Q8 50TDI level. 2. Fuel efficiency is awesome for vehicle size and performance around 8-9L/100km but I drive 50% highway. 3. Air suspension makes it ride better than similar sized Japanese counterparts although long term reliability remains unknown. Air suspension means you can also raise and lower the vehicle although a bit gimmicky so far. 4. Quoted boot space is somewhat misleading as the figure quote is when the back seats and shifted to their most forward position. Otherwise comparable to other European counterparts. 5. The ICE versions were superior to us compared to the R because of two points. 90L fuel tank means >1000km per tank. The R did not have a spare tyre which was pretty much a deal breaker for us. 6. I don't get why everyone complains of the haptic steering wheel buttons. Easily adaptable and not nearly as annoying as everyone makes it out to be. Infotainment can at times be laggy and the usual lane keeping and other safety measures need to be turned off manually each time. 7. New ID headlights seemed gimmicky at first but are quite useful particularly when highway driving in the dark. 8. Didnt go with 300 landcruiser as it is still a relatively unproven platform and just a bit too much publicity about engine failures of the new v6 turbo diesel. Also not planning to go hardcore off road and the touareg is much more competent on tarmac. Ultimately made the decision for the touareg as we wanted a competent family highway vehicle with occasional towing. Priced more competitively than other European competitiors and we felt better than Japanese equivalents in terms of ride and interior comforts. Fairly well established platform now (3rd gen has been out for a few years) and overall fairly reliable when I tried to look for common problems online. Just my 2 cents. Hopefully helpful for those thinking about the car from an actual owner.
Thanks for the information. I did test drove the new Touareg in R-line, I liked it. But I always wonder if there is a large gap between Touareg and Q7 / Q8. I didn't have a chance to test drive and wonder if Audi is worth paying extra. Personally I drive 2023 Tiguan.
@alexeyp8864 Personally I didn't see much difference from a driving perspective to the with the Q7/8. Q7 obviously has 7 seats so if that is important to you then that clearly wins out. However, we have child seats and once they were installed in the middle row, then getting to the back row was next to impossible making the 3rd row of seats redundant. Although Q7 has isofix points in both middle and back row which the Touareg does not. Overall I felt the Audi interior was a little nicer and air con controls arguably better accessed. I think the air suspension is an optional extra with Audi for $$$ albeit 3 chamber system which is arguably more comfortable however wasn't worth it for us. I feel Q7 is worth it if you need the 7 seats but the Q8 to me was just too similar to Touareg and cost more for very little extra apart from the Audi badge which isn't worth very much to me personally.
Yeah I favoured the Touareg over the Q7 but got the Q7 instead as my wife preferred 7 seats which I initially think would be hardly used. However, when we had to use the 3rd row to fit the 6th person in, it suddenly made sense to have the 3rd row there when you needed it.
Far from the most exciting looking car, but we ended up buying a 2015 Touareg to suit our needs and it really does get under your skin in the best way possible. It's been cheap to run, very reliable and does so many things so exceptionally well that it's become very hard to replace. Just ticked over 170,000kms on ours and it still feels like a new car.
Why does anyone want to have to touch a screen to adjust the temperature. I reckon most would adjust that more than the drive modes. I would also be worried about Volkswagen lying about warranty support, just like they lied on their emissions testing results.
@@Bobby_Jane fair point about the AC control. Haven't needed the warranty support yet but I think they would be no different to others. Regarding lying about emissions data, you'd be lying to yourself if you didn't think the other manufacturers aren't falsifying other data to regulatory authorities. I suppose VW just weren't as good covering up. At least they didn't falsify safety data like Toyota did.
No odometer when driving is a deal breaker. Only having a trip meter when moving robs you from one of life's simple joy of watching mile stones tick over (even if they are kilometrestones).
How do you justify spending north of $100K for these vehicles when in the Australian market today there are vehicles just as good with all the options and safety equipment for literally half the price
@@69buckleys Fair point. However when we purchased the vehicle there was nothing with 4 wheel steering, air suspension and >1000km range on a single tank of fuel all in one vehicle cheaper than the current Touareg. I suppose it depends on what features are important to you at the end of the day.
The X5 is definitely the better car in almost every way. Picking a Touareg would be limited to the "U" in the SUV stuff - towing and off-roading, which the Touareg does quite a lot better. The X5 would be losing its M-Sport bodykit on the dirt track down to the beach.
Nice review - it’s a bit cringy when you haven’t wiped the touch screen and then demonstrating it. Same as the piano black console. I know it’s a bit of a niggle but it distracts from what you’re saying IMHO. Cheers
If half the car is functional a day after warranty that would be impressive. Save yourself and buy a upmarket Japanese car. Lexus or Mazdas new premiums suvs
This car has not really sold in meaningful numbers in Australia. It is expensive and dangerously priced close to the luxury segment. I would say remove the air suspension and advanced headlights (put them in a seperate package) and cut thousands off the price and thousands of garaunteed future air suspension failure ! This will bring the price down and put it closer to 80 ish k price which is close to the mazda line up
170,000kms on a 2015 Touareg with air suspension and it has been trouble free so far. I'd call that reliable. Fantastic for ride quality and flexibility off road. Wouldn't buy one without it.
100k for a car which depreciates like half after 5 yr!! I'd rather buy a cheap Chinese EV SUV, at least I don't have to pay thousands for maintenance in the 5yr.
VW didn't learn from ID3, those capacitive touch buttons on a vehicle at that price is all style over substance. Nobody wants this new generation of vehicle interaction. Have a look at the new prado for master class of how these controls should be designed
I went to look at this a little while ago but walked away because for the price, it just doesn't feel special enough. The cabin doesn't feel nice (this kid [like all journalists who review VWs] has rocks in his head and probably said what he's said to keep VW happy), it's not very quite at highway speeds, the accelerator feels mashy and doesn't tow well. For the price, you may as well get a Nissan Patrol - it's bigger, looks nicer, has a better engine and is super comfortable.
Absolute BS mate. How could you look at one and have possibly towed with it? I’m 120k into mine, this gen, it’s quiet at highway speeds and tows like a beast with its 600nms. I get 11.5L per 100kms towing a 6m+!boat and trailer. Ain’t getting that in your Patrol. 4 wheel steering is next level.
Long time watcher, first time poster. Just thought I might add some comments from a current owner of an R line (around 5000km so far) - same drivetrain but have the benefits of 4 wheel steering and sway bars. Drove all variants of the touareg before committing to the R line. Overall a great car but just a few notes. For reference, I needed a family car and came from a manual hot hatch (rs280 megane). Cross shopped touareg against many full size 4wd/SUV including Q7/8, X5, everest, cx70/80/90, GLE, 300series landcruiser and prado - did test drive most.
1. The driving dynamics were very important to me. Corners very well for a 2 tonne vehicle. Anti sway bars work well. The 4 wheel steering makes a considerable difference - drops the turning radius by 1 metre to just over 10m which is about the same as a golf. Drivetrain is quite powerful even coming from a hot hatch. AWD means GTI levels of 0-100 times. If you know the VAG cars, this is the same drivetrain as the Q7/Q8 50TDI level.
2. Fuel efficiency is awesome for vehicle size and performance around 8-9L/100km but I drive 50% highway.
3. Air suspension makes it ride better than similar sized Japanese counterparts although long term reliability remains unknown. Air suspension means you can also raise and lower the vehicle although a bit gimmicky so far.
4. Quoted boot space is somewhat misleading as the figure quote is when the back seats and shifted to their most forward position. Otherwise comparable to other European counterparts.
5. The ICE versions were superior to us compared to the R because of two points. 90L fuel tank means >1000km per tank. The R did not have a spare tyre which was pretty much a deal breaker for us.
6. I don't get why everyone complains of the haptic steering wheel buttons. Easily adaptable and not nearly as annoying as everyone makes it out to be. Infotainment can at times be laggy and the usual lane keeping and other safety measures need to be turned off manually each time.
7. New ID headlights seemed gimmicky at first but are quite useful particularly when highway driving in the dark.
8. Didnt go with 300 landcruiser as it is still a relatively unproven platform and just a bit too much publicity about engine failures of the new v6 turbo diesel. Also not planning to go hardcore off road and the touareg is much more competent on tarmac.
Ultimately made the decision for the touareg as we wanted a competent family highway vehicle with occasional towing. Priced more competitively than other European competitiors and we felt better than Japanese equivalents in terms of ride and interior comforts. Fairly well established platform now (3rd gen has been out for a few years) and overall fairly reliable when I tried to look for common problems online.
Just my 2 cents. Hopefully helpful for those thinking about the car from an actual owner.
Thanks for the information. I did test drove the new Touareg in R-line, I liked it. But I always wonder if there is a large gap between Touareg and Q7 / Q8. I didn't have a chance to test drive and wonder if Audi is worth paying extra. Personally I drive 2023 Tiguan.
@@alexeyp8864having driven the Q7 I wouldn’t bother with one if I was only gonna get the turbo diesel and didn’t use the 3rd row
@alexeyp8864 Personally I didn't see much difference from a driving perspective to the with the Q7/8. Q7 obviously has 7 seats so if that is important to you then that clearly wins out. However, we have child seats and once they were installed in the middle row, then getting to the back row was next to impossible making the 3rd row of seats redundant. Although Q7 has isofix points in both middle and back row which the Touareg does not. Overall I felt the Audi interior was a little nicer and air con controls arguably better accessed. I think the air suspension is an optional extra with Audi for $$$ albeit 3 chamber system which is arguably more comfortable however wasn't worth it for us. I feel Q7 is worth it if you need the 7 seats but the Q8 to me was just too similar to Touareg and cost more for very little extra apart from the Audi badge which isn't worth very much to me personally.
Great to hear from such a well-informed owner! Thanks for commenting.
Yeah I favoured the Touareg over the Q7 but got the Q7 instead as my wife preferred 7 seats which I initially think would be hardly used. However, when we had to use the 3rd row to fit the 6th person in, it suddenly made sense to have the 3rd row there when you needed it.
I've got the 210Tdi R Line. Absolutely fantastic vehicle . Not a single issue so far. Its now about 13 months old .
Far from the most exciting looking car, but we ended up buying a 2015 Touareg to suit our needs and it really does get under your skin in the best way possible. It's been cheap to run, very reliable and does so many things so exceptionally well that it's become very hard to replace. Just ticked over 170,000kms on ours and it still feels like a new car.
Love the fact it does have an integrated screen rather than a cheap floating huge screen and the great dials.
Love the space saver spare.
The R PHEV trim makes the front end of this look more palatable.
Why does anyone want to have to touch a screen to adjust the temperature. I reckon most would adjust that more than the drive modes. I would also be worried about Volkswagen lying about warranty support, just like they lied on their emissions testing results.
Unfortunately that is where most manufacturers are moving towards. I think it’s dumb as well
@@Bobby_Jane fair point about the AC control. Haven't needed the warranty support yet but I think they would be no different to others. Regarding lying about emissions data, you'd be lying to yourself if you didn't think the other manufacturers aren't falsifying other data to regulatory authorities. I suppose VW just weren't as good covering up. At least they didn't falsify safety data like Toyota did.
still much prefer the last generation exterior
Laggy screen response.. Its 2025, VW. What a shame
No odometer when driving is a deal breaker. Only having a trip meter when moving robs you from one of life's simple joy of watching mile stones tick over (even if they are kilometrestones).
Okay
How do you justify spending north of $100K for these vehicles when in the Australian market today there are vehicles just as good with all the options and safety equipment for literally half the price
Drive one
@@69buckleys Fair point. However when we purchased the vehicle there was nothing with 4 wheel steering, air suspension and >1000km range on a single tank of fuel all in one vehicle cheaper than the current Touareg. I suppose it depends on what features are important to you at the end of the day.
no there isn't. oh, you mean buy one of those Chinese EVs?
@@guser7137 Chinese EVs are good but limited dealer support outside of major cities and they can't really tow anything substantial.
@@dicksonlam738 so what is the 50k vehicle that meets or exceeds this one?
So you admit that VW is a luxury brand now?
Premium is not luxury.
Have to be a real bad experience of previous bmw ownership to not choose x5 for the same money as the rline. Like real bad.
The X5 is definitely the better car in almost every way. Picking a Touareg would be limited to the "U" in the SUV stuff - towing and off-roading, which the Touareg does quite a lot better. The X5 would be losing its M-Sport bodykit on the dirt track down to the beach.
love it
Nice review - it’s a bit cringy when you haven’t wiped the touch screen and then demonstrating it. Same as the piano black console. I know it’s a bit of a niggle but it distracts from what you’re saying IMHO. Cheers
just the reality of owning the car. especially the piano black.
Why? Blame the manufacturer for using that cheap material and taking away buttons
@@steverogers7211 mate your iPhone has swipe marks. Is that therefore cheap?
Only thing that stopped me from getting a this over the q7..an extra 2 seats.
Modify as I also plan so when I buy it in 2026
If half the car is functional a day after warranty that would be impressive. Save yourself and buy a upmarket Japanese car. Lexus or Mazdas new premiums suvs
This car has not really sold in meaningful numbers in Australia. It is expensive and dangerously priced close to the luxury segment.
I would say remove the air suspension and advanced headlights (put them in a seperate package) and cut thousands off the price and thousands of garaunteed future air suspension failure !
This will bring the price down and put it closer to 80 ish k price which is close to the mazda line up
The air suspension is not guaranteed to fail, it's a very reliable system. My current vehicle has it, as will my next.
170,000kms on a 2015 Touareg with air suspension and it has been trouble free so far. I'd call that reliable. Fantastic for ride quality and flexibility off road. Wouldn't buy one without it.
@@olly1oo6 I drive a Cayenne S Diesel, and with low suspension settings and sport mode it defies physics - coming from a 911 driver
Prado & Everest are different vehicles…would not take the VW SUV off road. A lot of coin really for a brand that drops resale value rapidly
@@sebrechichi7736 yeah right. Spent a week on Fraser Island in mine much to the fury of all the Toyota drivers.
It's a Touareg, not a Twarrag .😊
100k for a car which depreciates like half after 5 yr!! I'd rather buy a cheap Chinese EV SUV, at least I don't have to pay thousands for maintenance in the 5yr.
What . ?? Its the same price as a Y62 Nissan Patrol. Well, Well.
Should be $70k. At current pricing they will be lucky to sell 200 per year in Australia.
Still too expensive...
VW didn't learn from ID3, those capacitive touch buttons on a vehicle at that price is all style over substance. Nobody wants this new generation of vehicle interaction. Have a look at the new prado for master class of how these controls should be designed
VW is walking back capacitive touch buttons on some models, we wouldn't be surprised to see the Touareg follow suit.
Wow, $8,000 cheaper 😂
Volkswagen products just keep giving!😂
Overrated and over priced German garbage.
Back of the car looks great but that front grill... 🤮🤮
Too expensive for a car
Too expensive for your car, a lot of people happy to spend more than you on one.
I went to look at this a little while ago but walked away because for the price, it just doesn't feel special enough. The cabin doesn't feel nice (this kid [like all journalists who review VWs] has rocks in his head and probably said what he's said to keep VW happy), it's not very quite at highway speeds, the accelerator feels mashy and doesn't tow well. For the price, you may as well get a Nissan Patrol - it's bigger, looks nicer, has a better engine and is super comfortable.
Absolute BS mate.
How could you look at one and have possibly towed with it?
I’m 120k into mine, this gen, it’s quiet at highway speeds and tows like a beast with its 600nms. I get 11.5L per 100kms towing a 6m+!boat and trailer. Ain’t getting that in your Patrol.
4 wheel steering is next level.
😂 How good is that Jap fuel economy? 20 to 30L per 100kms. What a POS!
Haha! A Patrol doesn’t look nicer than anything.
Say Touareg correctly thumbs down for that
He is pronouncing it correctly.
Vw should leave Australia
Like Ford and Holden😂😅