I have a 2007 Volvo XC 70 with over 250,000 miles. Still runs well but now needs new front drive axles and miscellaneous other stuff. Pretty good in the snow, but not great, pretty good on rutted roads, but not great. Good on the highway but not great mileage. Good cargo capacity but very limited towing ability. Have been looking for a replacement and am intrigued by the Touareg, but have no idea which vintage/model delivers the best bang for the buck. Earliest versions have all the off road bells and whistles, air suspension, etc., but may be of the age where they need a lot of expensive repairs. Latest versions have dumbed down the off road features significantly, but I'm not sure to what extent that has affected the vehicle's capability. Definitely leaning towards the TDI. So, I'm curious what year/model people would recommend. I'm not looking to do a lot of extreme off roading, but I need the vehicle to easily handle steep, slick, rutted out roads, snow and ice, and tow about 4000 lbs. (not all at once). Thanks for any input.
Which Touareg to buy?
JKG3
1 - 13 of 13 Posts
I have a 2007 Volvo XC 70 with over 250,000 miles. Still runs well but now needs new front drive axles and miscellaneous other stuff. Pretty good in the snow, but not great, pretty good on rutted roads, but not great. Good on the highway but not great mileage. Good cargo capacity but very limited towing ability. Have been looking for a replacement and am intrigued by the Touareg, but have no idea which vintage/model delivers the best bang for the buck. Earliest versions have all the off road bells and whistles, air suspension, etc., but may be of the age where they need a lot of expensive repairs. Latest versions have dumbed down the off road features significantly, but I'm not sure to what extent that has affected the vehicle's capability. Definitely leaning towards the TDI. So, I'm curious what year/model people would recommend. I'm not looking to do a lot of extreme off roading, but I need the vehicle to easily handle steep, slick, rutted out roads, snow and ice, and tow about 4000 lbs. (not all at once). Thanks for any input.
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1,131 Posts
hi JKG3
Touaregs tow 7,000 pounds easily all at once, so they will work for your needs of 4,000 pounds not all at once, as long as the Touareg has a tow hitch package on it.
as for snow, ruts, steep grades those have a lot more to do with what tires you have on And your driving skills. Pretty much all Touaregs can handle those conditions.
Touaregs are expensive to fix, parts are expensive, maintenance is expensive too. Not all “mechanics” can work on Touaregs - even VW Dealerships may be lacking a Touareg technician. If you are mechanically inclined, then you will be saving a lot of money - especially with the help of Advanced Search on this forum and assistance from members.
Aside from the above, personally my 07 (facelift) Touareg with FSI V8 (premium gasoline) is by far the best, safest, most versatile vehicle I have ever owned. It is reliable and dependable. I have 120k miles on it and did a cross country trip this past winter across northern usa, and will be repeating it again this summer.
If your concern is repair costs perhaps a newer version with a warranty would suit your needs better, but as far as handling your listed needs - all Touaregs would work for you.
Good luck in your quest.
Touaregs tow 7,000 pounds easily all at once, so they will work for your needs of 4,000 pounds not all at once, as long as the Touareg has a tow hitch package on it.
as for snow, ruts, steep grades those have a lot more to do with what tires you have on And your driving skills. Pretty much all Touaregs can handle those conditions.
Touaregs are expensive to fix, parts are expensive, maintenance is expensive too. Not all “mechanics” can work on Touaregs - even VW Dealerships may be lacking a Touareg technician. If you are mechanically inclined, then you will be saving a lot of money - especially with the help of Advanced Search on this forum and assistance from members.
Aside from the above, personally my 07 (facelift) Touareg with FSI V8 (premium gasoline) is by far the best, safest, most versatile vehicle I have ever owned. It is reliable and dependable. I have 120k miles on it and did a cross country trip this past winter across northern usa, and will be repeating it again this summer.
If your concern is repair costs perhaps a newer version with a warranty would suit your needs better, but as far as handling your listed needs - all Touaregs would work for you.
Good luck in your quest.
Joined
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135 Posts
my 2 cents...
any touareg, with proper tires, will outperform your XC 70 in every category you mentioned
yes, pre-2011 models with air suspension and lockers will outperform post-2010 models
tdi is smart choice if you can afford diesel (i rarely drive mine, my daily is an e-golf)
2008-2010 are, in my opinion, the best 'value' for your needs
any touareg, with proper tires, will outperform your XC 70 in every category you mentioned
yes, pre-2011 models with air suspension and lockers will outperform post-2010 models
tdi is smart choice if you can afford diesel (i rarely drive mine, my daily is an e-golf)
2008-2010 are, in my opinion, the best 'value' for your needs
Thanks for your input. It's a little confusing trying to figure out which model year to go for. I'd like to have as many of the off-road bells and whistles as possible, but I'd also like to have the 8 speed transmission, as opposed to the 6. According to Edmunds, the 2011 TDI model is the first year with the 8 speed transmission, and the last year with specific Hi-Lo and center differential controls, so that sounds like the year I want. But, if I watch a video review of the 2011 model, all I see in the video is the dumbed-down "On road/Off Road" knob, and no other controls. The video reviews may not be showing everything, are is the On road/Off road knob is all those controls in one switch? or maybe Edmunds is wrong?...I don't know.
2009 2010 VW Touareg TDI forum and buying guide with FAQ, reviews, invoice pricing, and revisions and differences
2009 2010 VW Touareg TDI forum, FAQ, buying checklist with reviews, invoice, MSRP price
www.myturbodiesel.com
2011 VW Touareg TDI forum and buying guide with FAQ, reviews, mpg, and revisions, differences vs. 2010
2011+ VW Touareg TDI forum, reviews, mpg, differences, and buying guide with invoice and MSRP price
www.myturbodiesel.com
You simply canot get both of what you want. It is an either/or situation. You either spring for a 7L w/ 6-speed transmission and Low Range xfer case/air suspension, and the associated difficulties of ownership with aging and difficult to source parts that are likely to fail, or you spring for a 7P w/ 8-speed transmission and no xfer case or air ride available (less to go wrong, and a newer platform with arguably more parts in circulation)
you basically said you don’t “need” the low range stuff (most don’t) so just look at 2011-2017 Touaregs and look for the car with the best combo of options, age, and mileage that you can afford and get it!
I bought mine in January after 3ish months of research and one of the driving forces in my decision was a single statement made by someone on this forum: “buy the best Touareg with the most warranty you can afford.”
ergo, I found a 2016 TDI Exec (fully loaded) with only 30K miles that had an in-service of 2019 so it had 7 years/70K miles of factory powertrain remaining as well as 7 years/90K miles of extended emissions warranty.
all-in I paid 64.6% the cost of MSRP for a car with about 70% of its warranty remaining, which I view as a decent value given the current used car climate and the fact similar cars were going for 5-10K more than what I ended up paying.
best of luck
Joined
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135 Posts
@Golf Wang that was a perfect synopsis, and congrats on the 2016 smart buy! I'm planning on getting a 2016 TDI Exec and installing air suspension...as soon as the recession hits, prices gonna TUMBLE
love It! I look forward to your “build” thread for the air retrofit. I want to do that once my car is paid off… though I will likely just spring for Bilsteins and GTS springs / sway bars
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9,470 Posts
The eight speed Aisin has a first gear that is nearly as low as the low transfer case of the earlier models
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9,470 Posts
Prove me wrong
As you wish.
Gear ratios
09D
4.148 2.370 1.556 1.155 0.859 0.686
lo 2.7:1
final 3.9
0C8 4.970 2.840 1.864 1.437 1.210 1.000 0.825 0.686
final 3.273
Do you want me to link you to an online gear calculator so that you can plug the numbers in to validate results?
1st is "close" when in HI range.... you clearly got mixed up between them.
Gear ratios
09D
4.148 2.370 1.556 1.155 0.859 0.686
lo 2.7:1
final 3.9
0C8 4.970 2.840 1.864 1.437 1.210 1.000 0.825 0.686
final 3.273
Do you want me to link you to an online gear calculator so that you can plug the numbers in to validate results?
1st is "close" when in HI range.... you clearly got mixed up between them.
Joined
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9,470 Posts
You right you right. Pretty darn low first gear regardless
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