Hrmmm... the author get's paid to write reviews like that? Hell, I can write like that... Well having three Tregs since it came out in 2004 I think it has changed quite a bit at least technically. The drivetrain is quite different, the electronic systems are quite different (thankfully)... I do miss the smooth torquey pull of the V8, but don't miss the gas mileage. Though with the TDI I'm often giddy when I fuel up at the mileage I can put on between fills, close 700 miles a tank! And the TDI does pull off the line quite well.

I think the specification page is wrong, no Bluetooth???

 

Found this review of the 2014 TDI Sport today. 2014 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Sport review | Digital Trends Reviews

This review hits on a few things right on the head and completely misses others. First of all, the interior in my t1 does NOT look cheap, infact IMHO, it looks better then the T3 interior....just my opinion so no one get offended please. Also he says he doesn't like the cubby on top of the dash B.S, that cubby is the best thing they ever did to it lol. Overall a mid-grade review

 

Pretty nice little review.

 

The cubby looks better then the open hole in the dash on the previous Gens imo. At least I don't have that hole given I have the Euro bin in place even though it holds very little, finishes the dash off. I have mixed feelings on the T3 after having spent roughly a week in one myself while on vacation this past Feb. For me for what my current ride has in it compared to what you get in the T3 does not compel me to want to buy one currently. Yes I know the mileage is better, slightly more room and some added features. It is missing the two key features I have in my '10 that I still want in a Touareg. Until for me when VWoA allows us to do special orders of the two key features I want in a T3, I will be holding onto my current TDI. I know I am a minority in wanting those features, but I still want them. I want my air and 4Xmotion!!

 

The cubby looks better then the open hole in the dash on the previous Gens imo. At least I don't have that hole given I have the Euro bin in place even though it holds very little, finishes the dash off. I have mixed feelings on the T3 after having spent roughly a week in one myself while on vacation this past Feb. For me for what my current ride has in it compared to what you get in the T3 does not compel me to want to buy one currently. Yes I know the mileage is better, slightly more room and some added features. It is missing the two key features I have in my '10 that I still want in a Touareg. Until for me when VWoA allows us to do special orders of the two key features I want in a T3, I will be holding onto my current TDI. I know I am a minority in wanting those features, but I still want them. I want my air and 4Xmotion!!

I hear you, very loud and clear!! I want those features back as well. The air suspension is just pure awesomeness lol. The T3 is highly polished but they need some wow factor.....I have to be honest, the features it has now are what cars in 2003 had.....they need to catch up with the times....the longer they wait, the more damage they do. They can't sit there and give below budget car features and demand a premium price for everything....it just doesn't make any sense.

 

Cubby is useful. I also had the Euro cover on my T1. The review is good and touches on one if my likes: understated looks.


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I don't think very many people buy X5's or Ml's or Xc90 or touaregs or mdx's or buick enclaves or.....etc for towing or going off road. People buy a 30k ram 1500 to do that stuff. Your telling me that its fair to charge what they are charging and give a quarter of what everyone else has is because it can tow and is capable and has engineering? i disagree.....but to each his own. Your happy with your purchase and good for you, I'm glad you are. I am just saying that i would not spend that much on a current treg. the only reason i mention kia is because they have cars for 15k with cooled seats and here the touareg costs more then 4 times that and doesn't.....it just doesn't add up to me. But to you it does, so fair enough.

On a sidenote, i won't be buying a new touareg or car that costs as much as a new touareg any time soon so all im saying is just a debate here lol

 

People buy and X5 because it is an incredibly safe bank vault of a vehicle that handles better than most anything out there. You also get some exotic engines in the thing.

people buy an XC90 because it is an incredible pacakage space wise and is incredibly safe.

If you've been inside either you'll realize they don't really do the gizmo thing. A BMW in fact is very minimalistic in design and features as a rule.

 

The Touareg also costs a lot because of the exchange rate. It's one reason why VW built a plant in Tennessee so the mass-produced vehicles can compete with the Kias of the world.

The Touareg is the only VW that's not really a VW. I like the T3 more than my T1 and my V8 was great.

My only beef has been not offering all features. If a buyer is willing to order and pay for it, then there's no excuse. Then again, maybe VW feels that in NA, you have to step up to Audi or Porsche to have access to additional goodies.

It's why I jumped on the v711 software update, installed the Euro mats and also paid $16 for a warning triangle:

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The Touareg also costs a lot because of the exchange rate. It's one reason why VW built a plant in Tennessee so the mass-produced vehicles can compete with the Kias of the world. The Touareg is the only VW that's not really a VW. I like the T3 more than my T1 and my V8 was great. My only beef has been not offering all features. If a buyer is willing to order and pay for it, then there's no excuse. Then again, maybe VW feels that in NA, you have to step up to Audi or Porsche to have access to additional goodies. It's why I jumped on the v711 software update, installed the Euro mats and also paid $16 for a warning triangle: Sent from AutoGuide.com App

That is very true, the exchange rate deffinitely has a MASSIVE effect on price, im not arguing about price, its a good price, im just wishing the T3 was more on the same level as other luxury SUV's in terms of options, like you said, even if they cost extra (which on almost EVERY single luxury suv, these things cost extra, it wouldn't be a bad thing). Has anyone been inside an optima lately? IMHO, that thing puts the passat to shame......

 

Btw, what does that triangle do?

 

Folds into a reflective triangle and stand. Used for road emergencies. Required in Europe. Slot/holder is there on T3.

I even put it on my Passat B6:

And my sport seats on my B6 (car was lousy though but also added the Euro cup holder with sliding cover...not available in NA):

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The Optima is a POS. May have more gadgets but its a tin can. The Touareg...any of 'em are tanks.


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Yeah, the seats my B6 Passat were great. Still around on the CC. Extremely comfortable. In fact, the B6 interior lives on in the CC. The current Passat is different, it's only made for NA market.


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Agreed, Nick.

It's not like there aren't plenty of choices out there. But 1. It's simply human nature, we want what we don't have (more so if we once had it), and 2. With the myriad of choices out there in this price range, once you're vehicle of choice starts to catch-up, the competition is taking a step ahead on one or another feature. Or the price differential kicks in to ruin it all.

I can guarantee, if the T3 had Air, 4x, flip out rear hatch, etc. there'd be just as many complaints about what it was still lacking, or the price, as we see here already.

 

Ben, there's a Touareg for everyone. That's a good thing.


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An ass for every seat in other words.

 

I agree we always want what we don't have. Wasn't trying to be argumentative, was just trying to make the point that vehicles that cost a lot are that way because of their capability and/or quality, not because they have gadgets in them...As BenTDI describes, you feel it right away.

 

I had read that those in charge of the very recent Jeep Grand Cherokee practically fought over giving the newest version an on-road bias as opposed to its traditional off-road bias but the off-road bias remains. That despite the overwhelmingly small percentage of JCG's that ever see dirt, the powers decided to NOT to make the truck better on-road.

The powers at VW decided and I'll wager that the majority of owners, like me, prefer the way the T3 is and what it has now versus what the T1 or T2 had and that most owners won't even know existed before.

 

Well, I look at this way, you have three engine options and three trim levels. That's a lot for a model that is a niche seller and rarely gets advertised. I look forward to driving my TDI every day.


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At least from the other side in the Jeep GC that we were discussing above, there are now 3 motors and like what 5 different trim levels with all manner of individual options, those things are crazy!

I agree, it seems that VW just can't justify advertising to try and sell its $45-55K trucks at all.

I agree again, I also look forward to driving my TDI both day and night and more at night.

 

Jeep is doing what the American makers (ok, foreign-owned now) have always done. It's crazy but it works for Jeep. I see so many on the road here. Very popular.

I think VW doesn't need to advertise the Touareg. The money and payback on ad dollars is in Jettas and Passats. I truly think a lot of buyers willing to drop $50-60k on an SUV consider the badge as critical and VW doesn't have that cache/perception here. To me, that's a plus...I get a premium SUV without shouting to the world 'look at me!'


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I dunno guys, they've sold 700,000 Touaregs so far since they started selling them in late 03. Not bad for a relatively high priced vehicle that gets no advertising and rides on a mainstream label.

If it were my business I'd say they are doing just damn fine with the Touareg...they are keeping their buyers within the VW brand rather than having them go buy an ML or X5 if the Treg did not exist.

Sure the Jettas and Passats are bread and butter, same as the $25-$30K C class and 3 series are bread and butter for those brands...

 

The powers at VW decided and I'll wager that the majority of owners, like me, prefer the way the T3 is and what it has now versus what the T1 or T2 had and that most owners won't even know existed before.

I completely agree. There is so much talk here about the features that VW removed, but for some of us, that's precisely why we bought the Touareg. I didn't want an SUV that drives like an SUV, but I wanted something that could tow 5K plus pounds. Didn't think I'd find it until VW came out with the T3. I had driven T2's before and realized they were nice off-road vehicles, but didn't care for their road manners. The T3 fixed all that. Drives almost as well as some of the better cars I've driven, and certainly better than any SUV I've ever tried. Air and 4X are things I'd rather not have. I had air on an allroad and would never want the complexity and repair worries of a system like that again, especially since I keep cars for a long time.

I don't see that VW had much of a choice when it came to moving to the lighter better handling T3. Sales of the T2 were dying. Sales have since doubled off the lows, so it's hard to say that VW made the wrong decision moving to a more on-road bias in the vehicle.

 

I completely agree. There is so much talk here about the features that VW removed, but for some of us, that's precisely why we bought the Touareg.

Good point - Everyones ignoring what they added:
-Better handling & driving dynamics on road
-Better NVH
-Better size
-Better seats and interior
-Better paint
-Better panel gap
-Better transmission
-Better engine performance
-Unbelievable fuel economy

 

I concur. I miss nothing from my T1 V8. Nothing.


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As I understand advertising one only does it for items that are not selling or they made to many and need to dump some. Why do it and spend millions on it if you sell what you make. You can go into any metric dealer and buy one to two year old brand new vehicles that did not sell for one reason or another. I worked for a AMC dealer 82 to 85 and they were just junk back then and the Grand Cherokee had really low sales and if you ever drove one you knew why. Doctors bought them for their wives a lot back then and I think they were in the 16 to 20 K price range back then. Years later when we had a frame shop where I was the foreman I remember everyone that had a front end hit tore the axle assemble out and did a lot of damage to the cowl and firewall. They really were not a well built vehicle. Knowing this we bought a 2003 Jeep Liberty to pull behind our Motorhome. I have to say it was good for what we used it for and had good off road ability for a open axle 4x4 and good power but got awful fuel mileage. And the warranty was a joke. They even had a weasel clause for the return fuel line leaking and we had to pay for that at 40k and it was still under the 7 -7 warranty.

 

Haven't read all the posts but did read the review. I like that he "gets it".


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