[gregtay]

I'm with ya... i was ready to buy an 09 but couldnt find one with air.. so i had to order an 2010.. no air.. so i got frustrated and just picked up an 08 V10.. solved all my problems. I agree that air on a 2010 is likely available as special order.

 

[canon_mutant]

I'm with ya... i was ready to buy an 09 but couldnt find one with air.. so i had to order an 2010.. no air.. so i got frustrated and just picked up an 08 V10.. solved all my problems. I agree that air on a 2010 is likely available as special order.

Sadly, if this was for me, I'd have done the same thing. There were and still are good deals to be had on low mileage V10s.

This is the wife's primary though and since the 08 V8 we drove scared her, I'm sure that V10 would make her eternally nervous.

After all, power wise, she's perfectly fine with our little 2.5T engine in our XC90 208HP/235 lb.ft. That vehicle runs surprising better than those pathetically low numbers would indicate though. Really have been pretty impressed with that Volvo 5 which is why if these Treg roadblocks keep popping up, we're just gonna keep right on driving it.

 

[gregtay]

I picked my V10 up for $45.5K w/ 14K miles, CPO warrenty to 6yr/75K miles, with every option (including rear locking diff, adaptive cruise, lane change assit.)... and it is even white/sienna... after finding that deal i really couldn't justify spending $53K for a v6TDI and waiting till oct/nov to get it.

 

[Arkarch]

I talked with my dealer source - the 'order form' circulating on the VW internal sites is likely not the last say.

The vehicle inventory system has not yet been updated for 2010 so there is a chance that the option could appear. When it is updated, we'll know for sure.

As to the confusion, its possible even VWOA does not know yet. There are many changes and additions to the usual packages on the circulating order form. Bi-Xenon has been pulled from Lux and added to the Technology Package along with keyless. Many more wood options again - Walnut, Vavona, Poplar and Engine Spin; some special limited packages with special colors Saphire Blue w/Anthra,St Tropez interior and Black Magic w/Beige,St Tropez interior; and so on. Since Air required Lux in the past few years, its possible VW is still working out the option structure.

But, if its not there, some speculation in our conversation centered on production efficiencies being introduced by Porsche's involvement. I'll personally speculate it could also be Porsche muscling in on being the high-line specialty maker for the platform; a Cayenne S Transyberia is not too far off the mark.

We should know soon. Others are working contacts and could dig up more positive news on this.

As to my choices - argh!!! I have a vehicle to lease return in three months. Ordering a proper V6 TDI with Air (and RDL) was my plan. I am now seriously exploring loaded V10's and even looking for a V8 with the right stuff - the fuel savings is meaningless to me if the financing cost exceeds that (plus I get to use my wheels and tires).

Its a real shame that when VW finally introduces a great diesel motor without all the wheel size and weight compromises of the V10, they pull the rug out right from under us. I am hoping for a last minute reprieve.

 

[lmitch6]

A dealer mentioned to me that he worked an order for another customer on a 2010, and saw air under an "off-road" package. Don't know how meaningful this tidbit could turn out to be, but wanted to add it to the discussion...hopefully something will work out for us.

 

[canon_mutant]

Sales, Service, and Support . . .

Obviously I've voiced plenty of frustrations since 2007 about getting this wonderful vehicle over here. One thing that has me deeply concerned regarding the almost continuous confusion about this vehicle is the service and support side. It's not just about buying the vehicle and now whether or not you can get it with air? The ownership experience does involve service and support as well.

My dealer, for example, canceled their 2009 TDI demo because they view their business as a low-mid car dealership and they have always struggled to sell higher end vehicles like the Treg and consequently didn't want another $50K inventory vehicle sitting on their lot during struggling economic times. Well, no TDI Treg demo means no TDI Treg business plan so, do/will they have trained technicians to service the TDI Treg and a parts supply chain to proactively support the TDI Treg?

Anyone else have similar concerns?

 

[nickm]

My dealer, for example, canceled their 2009 TDI demo because they view their business as a low-mid car dealership and they have always struggled to sell higher end vehicles like the Treg and consequently didn't want another $50K inventory vehicle sitting on their lot during struggling economic times. Well, no TDI Treg demo means no TDI Treg business plan so, do/will they have trained technicians to service the TDI Treg and a parts supply chain to proactively support the TDI Treg?

Anyone else have similar concerns?

No. VW wrote the book on "import" parts supply. I can go into any VW dealership and buy almost any part I want for say...a '61 VW bus. The last thing I'd be concerned about is buying parts for a current model year. Remember VW just hit #1 worldwide in terms of sales...do you really think the world's biggest automaker will have trouble supplying current model year parts?

Not selling Touareg TDIs does not mean they can't service them...every dealership has at least 1 Touareg specialist. And all VW shops are subject to ongoing continuous training for service personnel. TDI is not new...VW has been putting out TDIs since the mid '90s, and they've been bringing diesels over here since the late 70s.

As for the dealer not wanting another $50K car sitting in inventory, how is that bad? Its an independently run business and its their money...if they would rather 3 Rabbits (that will sell this week) sitting there instead of a $50K Touareg (that won't sell soon) then who can blame them? Besides, anyone who seriously wants one that badly will just order it sight unseen anyways. It not like they had my Treg sitting there when I bought it...I just bought it and waiting a few months for it to show up.

 

[canon_mutant]

No. VW wrote the book on "import" parts supply. I can go into any VW dealership and buy almost any part I want for say...a '61 VW bus. The last thing I'd be concerned about is buying parts for a current model year. Remember VW just hit #1 worldwide in terms of sales...do you really think the world's biggest automaker will have trouble supplying current model year parts?

Not selling Touareg TDIs does not mean they can't service them...every dealership has at least 1 Touareg specialist. And all VW shops are subject to ongoing continuous training for service personnel. TDI is not new...VW has been putting out TDIs since the mid '90s, and they've been bringing diesels over here since the late 70s.

As for the dealer not wanting another $50K car sitting in inventory, how is that bad? Its an independently run business and its their money...if they would rather 3 Rabbits (that will sell this week) sitting there instead of a $50K Touareg (that won't sell soon) then who can blame them? Besides, anyone who seriously wants one that badly will just order it sight unseen anyways. It not like they had my Treg sitting there when I bought it...I just bought it and waiting a few months for it to show up.

Thanks Nick. Lots of good information. I think my point about the whole business plan thing is that done right I would think they could sell allot of these TDI Tregs as the economy recovers. A luxury SUV capable of 30+ mpg? Without even a demo to show anyone, it will only be those of us that obsess over them and thus know already about them that will order and buy them.

On the service front, though you only hear the horror stories and I'm sure there are good service departments out there, it is obvious from some the the service horror stories I read that the techs involved obviously were clueless or were simply working for shady dealerships that intentionally try to charge for a bunch of unrelated stuff.

Given the manner in which this whole introduction has been handled, hopefully at least you can understand my concern.

 

[nickm]

Without even a demo to show anyone, it will only be those of us that obsess over them and thus know already about them that will order and buy them.

I totally understand your concerns, but I think you hit the nail on the head...these are specialty "unique" vehicles that someone already knows about before walking into a showroom...nobody is getting into a $50K VW by accident, I mean its not like a Benz dealership where someone clueless walks in and says "I like that one".

Perhaps that's why Winterkorn is looking at getting a highlander competitor on the showroom floor by next year...he wants people walking into the VW store looking for an SUV...I can guarantee you 99.9% of people would walk out the door when presented with a $50K TDI. I like it, you like it, but most people really dont care that much about vehicles!!

 

[schubie]

On the service front, though you only hear the horror stories and I'm sure there are good service departments out there, it is obvious from some the the service horror stories I read that the techs involved obviously were clueless or were simply working for shady dealerships that intentionally try to charge for a bunch of unrelated stuff.

Being in one of the CA+NE states that hasn't had a 50-state legal diesel for a few years, this is a concern of mine, as well. One of the larger VW dealers locally (Donaldsons) has spoken to the issue of training techs, but that was in the context of the 2.0. He didn't even know the V6 required urea... and other dealers around here just act like deer in headlights on the question.

 

[skycamscott]

For what's it's worth, I was just talking to a dealer who also said "no air on the order form for 2010's." She is going to dig deeper to see if it's included with any packages but she didn't think so.

 

[gregtay]

Here is what i have been told my my dealer who researched this for me (but as other said.. this is preliminary and could change...) When they dropped the V8 in the US market for 2010 they felt the Air option needed to go since it added too much to the price. Basically they believe that a fully loaded V6 would get to expensive is "all the options" to compare with other cars that people would cross shop.. but i think that really depends on who the buyer is. If it is someone comaring the Touareg against a Highlander or Honda Pilot... then sure.. they are going to have a hard time swallowing the price... but we all know that the Touareg wasn't designed for that buyer (but unfortuantly in this world that is where the majority of sales come from.) The "other" type of buyer.. likely the ones on this forum cross shop the Pepper, Q7, RR Sport/LR4, etc... and they DO want the air option and they DO see the value in the V6Tdi vs the big V8's in the competition... but sadly in todays market i don't know if there are enough of "us" to justify that direction in marketing the car. Sad.. but it seems to be true.

HOPEFULLY (and this has been said in other threads) the 2011 Touareg will be a car build for Germany and the rest of Europe and we will be lucky enough to get it in the US... and NOT another cross over SUV designed for the US market with 15 cupholders, lame towing ability, lame offroad ability, and floating comfy suspension.

My sister is looking for and SUV right now... and she is buyer type #1... could care less about all the things you and i care about... most important thing to her... easily putting a kid in a car seat in the third row. I almost told her to get a mini-van.. but thankfully she thinks they are lame. I have her sold on a Q7... no need to air or even a trailer hitch.. and the V6 motor works great... as long as it has heated seats.

 

[EARL97850]

We all have to be careful not to be close minded like the others you speak of. Just because someone does not agree to the same requirements of a vehicle that you do should not automatically condemn them as wrong. They simply have other requirements, and they share the same likes as well because they chose the same vehicle you did.

My reasons for liking or disliking the Touareg or any other vehicle may or may not agree with your ideas but that my friend is what this word "CHOICE" is all about. You might want to read up on it.

Cya

 

[Vegas Matt]

...they felt the Air option needed to go since it added too much to the price.

So, let me get this straight: Air suspension adds too much to the bottom line at $2700 or $2900 (plus the damn Lux pack on a V6, since VW refuses to give you Bi-Xenons without it), yet they shove these other $5000+ Limited and Tech packages down our throats? What, like they don't raise the bottom line just as much or more so than the air suspension would?

Sorry, this just doesn't pass the smell test. The PACKAGING of options is the problem here. If you look at an order sheet from 2004, there were a ton of options that were available a la carte. For instance, you could get bi-xenons and air suspension with nothing else! 2005 brought this wrath of packaging options together to us, jacking the prices up for simple options people want by requiring them to pay for a bunch of crap they may or may not want.

I still feel very strongly about this. If you are going to take the time to order a vehicle, you should be able to get it however you want it. Forget option packages. If air suspension and xenons need to go together for the auto-leveling functionality, then so be it. But, don't make me pay for power seats I'll never adjust and leather that I could give a damn less about just to get the air suspension.

I'm with Earl, there is a lot of merit to Choice, to being able to choose what you want. By forcing packages and deleting options, that takes choice away from the very people who should have it most: The CONSUMER who gives the manufacturer money to pay the bills. Because, in the end, they do still have a choice: to spend their money elsewhere.

Matt

 

[CREG]

Just a thought...

Did anyone ever think that maybe they're not offering air so that the new Audi A5 can have that card over the Treg? Since the A5 shares the Touareg/Cayenne platform, Volkswagon, being the entry level model, surely was told they would need to trim down the Touareg, I mean, how else would the Audi get a toehold in the market unless it had more to offer than the Touareg? Porsche was only able to leap-frog the Touareg by offering engine packages the Touareg couldn't, eg Twin Turbo V8, Stick shift V8. Just my opinion... :-|

 

[canon_mutant]

Yes and sadly if VW "chooses" to punt air for 2010 then I likely am going to "choose" not to buy one. Don't know what I'll get instead but the whole thing that attracted me to this vehicle are the very things that will start disappearing in 2010 and likely be gone on the 2011.

Dying breed, we are . . .

Kia Sorento anyone?

 

[lmitch6]

I agree with you canon...no air is kind of a deal killer for me.

 

[CREG]

I agree with you canon...no air is kind of a deal killer for me.

I'm quite sure Audi is looking for a natural progression of persons like all of us to graduate to Audi being that we couldn't get Ethe options we wanted in a VW. Isn't it ironic a lot of our fellow members list a lot of Audis, myself included.

Like you said, I would definitely shy away if they "Dumb" the Touareg down.

 

[nickm]

Did anyone ever think that maybe they're not offering air so that the new Audi A5 can have that card over the Treg? Since the A5 shares the Touareg/Cayenne platform, Volkswagon,\:-|

The Q7 shares the Treg platform..the Q5 is much smaller and less capable and not in the same league as the Treg...I'll assume you mean Q5 since the A5 is a coupe.

 

[nickm]

On the air...95% of people didn't pay for the $3000 "fancy suspension". No surprise to me that VW said its obviously a feature not in demand.

VW moved upmarket with the Phaeton and Touareg, and now they are repositioning downmarket...I'm sure the studies they have done will show that those who can afford a full jam V8 or V10 Touareg will likely move up to a Cayenne if they really want big power and A/S. The V6 TDI is also coming in the Cayenne and I have no doubt that Porsche is more than happy to take your money on that option...I know I have no interest in either a V6 gas or V6 TDI (not enough power), so my options come replacement time are limited to a Cayenne or something different.

The bargain was good while it lasted!! now I know how Phaeton owners feel when they had to replace their "expensive" 100K VW with a $220K Bentley!