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2018 T5 impressions!

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HVMihnea

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Today I got to sit in a T5. If you guys have any experience with it, I want to hear your thoughts!
First of all, I have to say that I got my hands on it in a dealership (first time I went there in years) - since they were giving my Jetta a small paint job. Two doors with minor damage, one smashed rear bumper and an air filter scored a nice €1k. Insurance paid, don't worry.
Okay, let's see. I own a 2013 T3 V6 TDI, and here are my thoughts:
-short version: same car, just redesigned. No surprises
-my jaw dropped for 2 reasons: the flawless design, and the price. Go on mobile.de and search for a loaded one. Six digits in €.
-it's super beautiful. Dream-car level. It's very boxy and has nothing in common with the T3/4
-90% of the available rims are absolutely stunning
-the steering wheel is weird. It seems small and doesn't feel very nice. I'm not sure if it's just small or it's the gigantic dashboard dwarfing it.
-the drive mode selector (as seen in the Tiguan) includes an icon with a checkered flag. Lol
-the seats are a serious upgrade. The T3 already had very nice seats, but this new one is on another level
-no more lateral support adjustment on the seats, headrest still manual
-materials are 100% the same as on the T3. Your knees will still hit that hard plastic.
-rear bench is the same (ok with the nice stitching)
-the displays are so nice. I am not sure but they look like OLEDs to me. Best screens I've seen in a car. Graphics are really nice as well!
-interior colours are very pleasant. Doors, seats, roof, steering wheel, etc all have just the right colour. It's very pleasant no matter what trim you get.
-the interior lights are really cool
-center console is really small
-closing the doors is not as satisfying as it was on the T3. Doors are still really heavy though, which is nice
-ride height seems lower, but it might have been just the parking height though. One passed by me a week ago and I think mine was taller
-headlights are very nice
-we finally got LED turn signals!
Is there anything I missed?
Well, I can't wait for the prices to go down in 2-3 years. What a beautiful vehicle!
 
#2 ·
Today I visited local dealership to get familiarized with new Touareg myself. My impressions? My very first thought it is no more an off-roader. (See that front bamper ground clearance). An inflated Passat Variant. Rather I would say it is not even a Sport Utility Vehicle for a family. Just a tarmac roads commuter for a rich selfish person. Well shaped, escept the front part which looks too heavy, overloaded with chrome (like a whalebone). Perhaps prestigious thing in China, but looks absurdly pompous here. The main reason why I paid a visit - just to compare, because many people mentioned cheap plastic. No, the plastic is of the same quality as in T4. I found the interior very nice and stylish (it was the R-line version). Agree, the infotainment system is the best one. High resolution, brightness, contrast, response... I immediately found comfortable position for the driver's seat. The steering wheel looks really smaller :) The rear view mirror is very small!!! The only thing I can't comprehand is the pricetag. I will wait for next re-style, to think about. Hope the front bumper will be geographically customized.

P.S. I noticed some option, don't know how to call it and if my T4 front seats can be so programmed? Like a welcoming gesture, briefly: when you open the passenger's door, the passenger's seat slides back fully and return to its original position, when the door is closed.
 

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#3 ·
Thanks for the short but informative review, Njord. I think the styling of this Touareg will win neither any awards nor admiration from most people. There are always the exceptions, though. For many years now VW styling seems to be done by a committee rather than stylists. All VWs have exactly the same styling cues, both inside and out. No originality whatsoever. I think they stopped making really good looking cars quite a few years ago. I'm very happy with my 2009 T2 and plan on keeping it for as long as possible.


As for the seat option, I used to have a 1998 BMW 535i (E39 with the 3.5L V8 ) that had this option where when you shut off the engine the driver's seat would retract all the way back, and also the steering wheel would rise all the way up to make for easy egress and ingress. As soon as you start the engine again, both the seat and steering wheel would go back to their previous position. I think BMWs have always been very advanced in technological features, even in the mid 90s, they offered an optional built in color infotainment screen that included CD-based GPS navigation and front and rear parking sensors, even on the 5 series.
 
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#7 ·
It saddened me to see the end of the Touareg run in the states. I fell in love with the first one to hit the states in December of 2003 at the Miami Car Show. From then on it was a love-from-a-distance until I finally decided to dive in to a new T2 in 2008. I have loved my ‘Keisha’ ever since and have pampered her...she just reached 54k!

My T2 is my 9th VW in 22 years...and I have loved none better than the Treg. I do strongly agree with qurtuba’s assessment of VW’s styling of the last decade - it seems bean-counters decided to shape the cars like Toyotas or Hondas because they sell more cars. No offense to Toyo or Honda owners, but they sell more cars because they were less expensive...not because they looked the best.

For me, my 2004 v6 Passat and the T2s were the last GERMAN looking VWs to cross the pond. While I loved the accentuated interior of the T3s and above...the sharp creases in the front end and hood, just like the passats with the 2 nipples in the front bumper flare, were flamboyant proof the VW ‘design’-team had jumped the tracks. The trademark fat curves of the ‘luxury’ VW cars now morphed into just another Japanese body style. German cars all had a clearly identifiable body style, just like Volvo had its crisp square-back design. Now it seems too many are banking on the Japanese bodies to magically increase sales. I don’t see it working. Build a UNIQUELY styled vehicle that is dependable, out performs the others, and is a blast to drive....that’s the way to sell your brand to the consumer! Producing another look-alike vehicle among the multitudes of others out there will not achieve great success. Sure, your new body design may get someone who typically buys Japanese to look at a VW...but when they see the sticker price they typically crawl back across the road to the Toyota dealership to make the purchase.

I will admit VW has lowered some of their prices a bit over the last 6-8years...but they have also reduced the quality of their manufacturing. While VW was busy lowering the prices of their long-running vehicles trying to catch up to the sales of the Japanese competition, the Japanese imports were busy raising their prices because they had locked in repeat buyers over the years with overall affordable dependable cars. Take a 2004, a 2008, and a 2011 Passat, for example. The 2004’s cabin insulation made the cabin whisper quiet to the outside road noise. The 2008 was a bit noisier, and the 2011 was just plain loud! For us Touareg drivers, look at the interior door panels on your Touareg, and try comparing it to VW’s highly touted Atlas (yuck!). The Treg’s doors are solid thick and well insulated - no echoes when knocked upon. Now look at the doors of the awe-inspiring, NOT, Atlas...thin plastic door pockets with hollow doors! Go ahead and knock on one, I dare ya! I don’t believe there is a fiber of insulation in their doors AT-ALL.

When VW removed the v8 and V10TDI options from the Treg line here in the US, they lost my business. I would have given the new bodies at least a chance to make me happy to say ‘I’ll take it!’ A 3-ton vehicle performes much better with a bit more HP and torque under the hood than the v6 can ever produce. It seems to me VW tried stepping into the luxury auto market with substantial products that had curb appeal and back-straightening performance. They just failed miserably in MARKETING them. My friends couldn’t believe what my Treg looks like inside, nor the power and performance it delivers. The typical response I received was...’it looks great from the outside, but without getting into it all I pictured were the rusted-out Beetles of the 70’s and never would imagine VW could put together something so nice, so I never gave it a chance.’ My favorite VW luxury vehicles are long gone now from the US. So-long Corrado, Phaeton, and finally the Touareg. You are sorely missed and all because VW corporate couldn’t find anyone with an ounce of marketing prowess to make the public feel what I still feel after 10 years of driving my T2. If only they did.

Just my $.02 (that’s ‘two-cents’ for those not familiar) on the subject. Below; my 2004 v6 Passat, my T2, and my SL550. Ok, so I’m not completely devoted to VW...but can you blame me? ???

Peace luv & T2!
Kryspyx
 
#8 ·
The front wheel arch flare seems like a two piece afterthought, looks terrible in the pic.
I hope it looks much better in the flesh, if not a firing squad should be arranged for those that approved the wheel arch design!:frown2::frown2:


TonyB



Njord said:
Today I visited local dealership to get familiarized with new Touareg myself. My impressions? My very first thought it is no more an off-roader. (See that front bamper ground clearance). An inflated Passat Variant. Rather I would say it is not even a Sport Utility Vehicle for a family. Just a tarmac roads commuter for a rich selfish person. Well shaped, escept the front part which looks too heavy, overloaded with chrome (like a whalebone). Perhaps prestigious thing in China, but looks absurdly pompous here. The main reason why I paid a visit - just to compare, because many people mentioned cheap plastic. No, the plastic is of the same quality as in T4. I found the interior very nice and stylish (it was the R-line version). Agree, the infotainment system is the best one. High resolution, brightness, contrast, response... I immediately found comfortable position for the driver's seat. The steering wheel looks really smaller :) The rear view mirror is very small!!! The only thing I can't comprehand is the pricetag. I will wait for next re-style, to think about. Hope the front bumper will be geographically customized.

P.S. I noticed some option, don't know how to call it and if my T4 front seats can be so programmed? Like a welcoming gesture, briefly: when you open the passenger's door, the passenger's seat slides back fully and return to its original position, when the door is closed.
Click to expand...
 
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#9 ·
seafarer28 said:
The front wheel arch flare seems like a two piece afterthought, looks terrible in the pic.
I hope it looks much better in the flesh, if not a firing squad should be arranged for those that approved the wheel arch design!:frown2::frown2:


TonyB
Click to expand...
That lapse in design is the R-line feature. Other versions should be OK. I hesitated to make photos inside show room (the manager was all the time with me). That was a test drive car parked outdoor on the pictures.
Stole real owner pictures from another motorists site. (hope he will forgive my mischief). To have an idea in your distant climes accross the pond, the cabin colour scheme is of the same gray pattern (even wooden parts are same).
 

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#10 ·
The only difference is the absence of panoramic roof...
 

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#11 ·
qurtuba said:
As for the seat option, I used to have a 1998 BMW 535i (E39 with the 3.5L V8 ) that had this option where when you shut off the engine the driver's seat would retract all the way back, and also the steering wheel would rise all the way up to make for easy egress and ingress.
Click to expand...
Hi qurtuba, just to note, the car was inside showroom with the engine off.
 
#12 ·
I agree with everything you said. And that's a very nice trio you've got there.


The B5.5 Passat was my most favorite of them all. My father currently has a 2016 Passat (and we don't even get the European model. We get the cheaper, plainer American version).





Kryspyx said:
It saddened me to see the end of the Touareg run in the states. I fell in love with the first one to hit the states in December of 2003 at the Miami Car Show. From then on it was a love-from-a-distance until I finally decided to dive in to a new T2 in 2008. I have loved my ‘Keisha’ ever since and have pampered her...she just reached 54k!

My T2 is my 9th VW in 22 years...and I have loved none better than the Treg. I do strongly agree with qurtuba’s assessment of VW’s styling of the last decade - it seems bean-counters decided to shape the cars like Toyotas or Hondas because they sell more cars. No offense to Toyo or Honda owners, but they sell more cars because they were less expensive...not because they looked the best.

For me, my 2004 v6 Passat and the T2s were the last GERMAN looking VWs to cross the pond. While I loved the accentuated interior of the T3s and above...the sharp creases in the front end and hood, just like the passats with the 2 nipples in the front bumper flare, were flamboyant proof the VW ‘design’-team had jumped the tracks. The trademark fat curves of the ‘luxury’ VW cars now morphed into just another Japanese body style. German cars all had a clearly identifiable body style, just like Volvo had its crisp square-back design. Now it seems too many are banking on the Japanese bodies to magically increase sales. I don’t see it working. Build a UNIQUELY styled vehicle that is dependable, out performs the others, and is a blast to drive....that’s the way to sell your brand to the consumer! Producing another look-alike vehicle among the multitudes of others out there will not achieve great success. Sure, your new body design may get someone who typically buys Japanese to look at a VW...but when they see the sticker price they typically crawl back across the road to the Toyota dealership to make the purchase.

I will admit VW has lowered some of their prices a bit over the last 6-8years...but they have also reduced the quality of their manufacturing. While VW was busy lowering the prices of their long-running vehicles trying to catch up to the sales of the Japanese competition, the Japanese imports were busy raising their prices because they had locked in repeat buyers over the years with overall affordable dependable cars. Take a 2004, a 2008, and a 2011 Passat, for example. The 2004’s cabin insulation made the cabin whisper quiet to the outside road noise. The 2008 was a bit noisier, and the 2011 was just plain loud! For us Touareg drivers, look at the interior door panels on your Touareg, and try comparing it to VW’s highly touted Atlas (yuck!). The Treg’s doors are solid thick and well insulated - no echoes when knocked upon. Now look at the doors of the awe-inspiring, NOT, Atlas...thin plastic door pockets with hollow doors! Go ahead and knock on one, I dare ya! I don’t believe there is a fiber of insulation in their doors AT-ALL.

When VW removed the v8 and V10TDI options from the Treg line here in the US, they lost my business. I would have given the new bodies at least a chance to make me happy to say ‘I’ll take it!’ A 3-ton vehicle performes much better with a bit more HP and torque under the hood than the v6 can ever produce. It seems to me VW tried stepping into the luxury auto market with substantial products that had curb appeal and back-straightening performance. They just failed miserably in MARKETING them. My friends couldn’t believe what my Treg looks like inside, nor the power and performance it delivers. The typical response I received was...’it looks great from the outside, but without getting into it all I pictured were the rusted-out Beetles of the 70’s and never would imagine VW could put together something so nice, so I never gave it a chance.’ My favorite VW luxury vehicles are long gone now from the US. So-long Corrado, Phaeton, and finally the Touareg. You are sorely missed and all because VW corporate couldn’t find anyone with an ounce of marketing prowess to make the public feel what I still feel after 10 years of driving my T2. If only they did.

Just my $.02 (that’s ‘two-cents’ for those not familiar) on the subject. Below; my 2004 v6 Passat, my T2, and my SL550. Ok, so I’m not completely devoted to VW...but can you blame me? ???

Peace luv & T2!
Kryspyx

View attachment 217309
View attachment 217311
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#13 ·
Just saw one in the Frankfurt airport this week, looks great. It's a disappointment that VW is not offering this car in the United States.

The Atlas occupies the spot in the USA model lineup formerly held by the Touareg, and is a completely different vehicle compared with the Touareg. Touareg and Atlas clientele are looking for different things in a vehicle. The Atlas seems marketed at people wanting a big vehicle with less concern about how it drives. The Touareg in my view is a driver's vehicle in the tradition of the three German carmakers. The Atlas is not such a vehicle, it seems to be Americanized to the extent to have lost most of its German DNA. The Atlas seems to be targeted at would-be buyers of the Honda Pilot. The Touareg occupied in the United States a nice price point alternative vs BWM and MB.

I have changed brands, and would have likely purchased a 2018/2019 Touareg had it been available in the US.
 
#14 ·
Just a polling. What would you prefer personally? An all new prestigious and luxury Touareg or a Highline Tiguan for you and white pearl Sportline for your better half, plus some Visa balance. Or two Tiggas for you (black to commute on working days and white for weekends joy).
I selected adverts randomly (you may find cheaper offers and pricier ones).
 

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