I can't speak to the VR6 or its reliability, but I recently picked up the TDI and it is awesome. Well worth the premium over the gasser in my books, if just for the economy boost alone. All the better if you can find a non-fixed version and get a little "cash back rebate" from VW. I'm 6'3/210 and the seating position is totally comfortable; plenty of room to move around. If you get a Lux/Exec with the panoramic roof, you might be brushing the headliner; I've found the seats don't go down as far as I'm used to from previous cars; it's more of an upright "truckish" driving position.

It doesn't seem like there's much to worry about with these cars! Hopefully someone with some more experience will chime in, but for the most part the drivetrain (on the diesels at least) is solid if it's been maintained on time. If you get a fixed version, the extended warranty should cover anything major for a long time to come. Check all the electronics; I've found that the driver's door lock switch only works when it wants to, and my heated seats turn off automatically after a few minutes; minor annoyances at worst, but expensive to fix after the fact!

 

I would expect a large difference between a VR6 and a V6 TDI.

VR6 is a beautiful engine in a Passat or Eos, but in a pig heavy Touareg, I would think it would not be as fun.

 

One of the things that you should consider is whether you drive mostly in-town or on highway. I have a V8 gasser and I am not very happy with acceleration from stop-lights. I have to push the gas pedal almost to the floor in order to keep up with other accelerating cars. Once at speed (40+), there is no issue with acceleration. On top of that, gas consumption is higher during in-town driving. Your experience with the VR6 is going to be more or less similar. So if you mostly do highway driving, VR6 should be sufficient.

The TDIs on the other hand have high torque and they accelerate hard from stop-lights with little effort. Of course they cost more and you will have to find a mechanic/workshop that can repair diesels. If most of your driving is in-town, TDI is what you want. You will have plenty of low-end power and as bonus the gas-mileage will be great.

The 2nd Gen Touaregs are very reliable. If regularly maintained and serviced, repair needs should be minimal (not more than any other vehicle).

Good Luck.

 

The worst type of mileage for any diesel is short journeys in town.

Never buy a diesel for this type of motoring: get a gasser for that.

 

The repairs on that VR are not uncommon, but to have them by that low of mileage is really odd. My 3.6 VR6 in my 2007 has only had the blower motor done out of all those. The valve cover and intake manifold are related as to change the valve cover you need to remove the other and replace both gaskets when done.

Generally the VR6 is going to be better on shorter in town trips where the TDI will not get up to temp. Consistently driving and shutting off prior to warm up an cause excessive engine wear.

The VR6 is a very simple and reliable motor, but doesn't have the power of the TDI. A TDI will be more enjoyable to drive and a VR6 will be the more enjoyable to maintain. The VR6 is also long lasting, one fellow on here has over 400k miles on his (search highest mileage thread.)

I find power adequate for my needs with the VR and the guy with the V8 must have the broken intake manifold runners that plagued the early V8s and caused terrible acceleration. My V8 is a monster on acceleration and I think the older ones were pretty fast too.

 

It seems that there is a bit of confusion here about V6 engines and VR6 engines. They are not the same beast at all, and as far as I know the VR6 (or "Staggered 6") was never used in a Touareg. Here's a good explanation:
"The VR6 engine, commonly referred to as the “staggered six” is a 6-cylinder engine configuration developed by VW in the LATE 1950’s. The name VR6 comes from the combination of German words “Verkürzt” and “Reihenmotor” meaning “shortened inline engine”. It was developed specifically for transverse (Where the engine runs side-to-side while looking at an open engine bay) engine installations and FWD (Front Wheel Drive) vehicles. The VR6 is a highly compact engine, thanks to the narrower angle of 10.5 to 15-degrees between cylinder banks, as opposed to the traditional V6 angles ranging from 45 to 90-degrees."

 

It seems that there is a bit of confusion here about V6 engines and VR6 engines. They are not the same beast at all, and as far as I know the VR6 (or "Staggered 6") was never used in a Touareg."

Huh? VW elected to brand the Touareg's gasser VR6 as a V6. Here is a Touareg motor picture, you can clearly see it is a VR by the spark plug configuration, but the motor has a V6 label on it. There was never a gasser V6 sold with more than one head on a Touareg.

I love the sound of my Touareg's, but the 3.6 gets the most comments on engine note (doesn't help the V 8 is nearly silent.)

 

In the U.S., the "VR6" has always been available in the 2011+ models - it's been the "base" engine from the start. It's also the "upgrade" engine in the big Atlas SUV and large Passat sedan here. 3.6 liter VR6. The 3.0 "V6" is the diesel, and maybe also in the gas-hybrid that was available. But it can be confusing, as the badging on U.S. models in fact says V6 - mine does too. But it is a VR6 under the hood.

The cars are very comfortable - definitely on par with the BMW X5 and Merc ML/GLE. The Volvo XC90 might have it beat in terms of seats though.

 

In the U.S., the "VR6" has always been available in the 2011+ models - it's been the "base" engine from the start.

The VR6 was first introduced in the 2003 or 2004 Touareg with a 3.2 liter version. In 2007 the VR6 was changed to the current 3.6, but received variable intake runners. In 2008 the variable intake runners were no longer offered and the intake manifold changed to the current dark grey color.

The current 3.6 has been used in a number of VW vehicles (including a short stint in the base Q7 Audi).

So the VR6 has been a Touareg option it's entire life (up until being discontinued in the US in 2017).

 

Spiegelglatt and others

This is what I was referring to - can you take a look at the Carfax and tell me what you think. It seems like a very low price for an Executive.

Can't post the link but it is at Baker Buick in Charleston, SC

 

My mistake, gassers aren't my thing, but the hybrid was a true V6, I believe.

 

I'm 6'3" and about 250 and I fit with plenty of room in the Touareg. I agree with the poster who mentioned one sits a bit higher (truck like) but I am very comfortable in the seat. I had a 2005 V8 CPO that was virtually trouble free. I sold it to my son just recently with 76K miles. The interior, paint, carpet has all held up extremely well. It is still a beautiful car, so from that view point, I think you will be very pleased with whatever Treg you end up with. As for power plants, I would go with a V8 over a V6 gas. Acceleration is not going to be great in any Treg, but I would guess the poster is correct that the higher torque TDI would get one off the line quicker. That said, I didn't buy my Touareg as a street racer. I bought it as a luxury SUV that will eat up the miles on the highway, as well as go off-road where ever I like. It is somewhat exclusive, and as you can tell from this web site in particular, it has a cult following. It is definitely not cookie cutter. I am looking to buy another Treg, and will go with a TDI. I had never owned a TDI until I bought my wife an Audi A7 3.0 TDI. What a peach of an engine. I love it, and would be very happy with a diesel Treg. Good luck in your search.

 

6 months ago I purchased a 2013 Exec with 53K miles so the price seems to be in line with what you are looking at. Mine was driven to Florida during winter months, so never saw snow. It is literally like new inside and out and was well worth the price I paid. Hard to tell from new. Mine did not have all of the things changed out like the one you are looking at, so not sure what to think about that.

 

Oh yeah, I always forget about the handful of Touareg Hybrids, as those are pretty rare. ALSO the only gasser with a TURBO .

Going over history of maintenance I see "Crankshaft Oil Seals Replaced."

Based on the valve cover job it seems it was leaking oil...which is odd in my experience.

Also the headliner was removed and replaced...made me wonder why so my thoughts:

A lot of problems all within a few thousand miles is likely due to new owner going after stuff the previous owner did not as it appears after sale.

20k miles trouble free.

Lastly, the water pump may have been part of the issue some VR6 3.6 motors had with the factory not doing a full gasket around the pump...but these generally leaked in the first few thousand miles.


Seems acceptable considering there was really three issues that resulted in multiple visits (I think). 1) A bad blower motor was misdiagnosed as an interior rattle and the dealers pulled trim looking for the culpret before realising it was the blower motor bearings. 2) water pump issue and 3) oil leak from crankcase gasket that could have been misdiagnosed as leak from valve cover.

I think this is likely a safe bet, I am not sure what years had what factory warrenties but was this a 100k mile engine / drivtrain warrenty?

Price seems fair. If it has the 100k warrenty I would go for it if you like it.

Oh, and these ALL go through dash blower motors...super easy to replace except your back.

 

Oh yeah, I always forget about the handful of Touareg Hybrids, as those are pretty rare. ALSO the only gasser with a TURBO .

Actually there were no gassers offered with a TURBO since the Hybrid was a supercharged V6. I still feel the Hybrid was only done so VW could get that motor in a Touareg.

 

I thought it was the last of the Generation 1 facelift / T2 3.0 Tdis that suffered the incomplete gasket goo ring on the water pump during engine build and dropped their pink coolant big time.

I think the Hybrid also had the 4 motion replaced with a Torsen centre differential and also had the 8 speed box before the Generation 2 / T3 cars. It was a car whose performance certainly put a smile on your face when flooring the loud pedal but an immense frown at the gas station pay point! You really paid to play with that model.

But back to all those faults - I think I would probably pass on this car and if my type of motoring allowed then I'd get a diesel.

 

I'll go ahead and recommend the TDI, which I have.
1. It is faster than the VR6
2. Economy
3. Reliability
Now, if you pay a lot more for the TDI, the economy bonus dies. With used cars, it all comes down to luck. For example, my 2013 V6 TDI has never had a single issue, and it's currently at 178k km. In my experience, 3.0 (be it L6 or V6) engines are the most reliable. And the V6 TDI has mountains of torque, which come in quite handy.
I wouldn't go for a hybrid simply because there are none around and if something goes wrong, I don't know where you will go looking for parts. I bet the dealership is not your favourite place.

 

Thanks, all of you for your responses - they have been very helpful. I was able to sit in a Touareg today and was quite impressed. I actually fit in it which doesn't happen often and even with the seat back, I was able to sit somewhat comfortably. A good amount of cargo room to for its size. It seems like it is a well built SUV but was dwarfed by the Nissan Armada next to it - now that is an ugly beast.
Keep all the thoughts and comments coming - I'm learning a great deal already.

 

Just a data point on the VR6 vs. TDI acceleration. We have a 2015 TDI and just completed a road trip from SoCal to Reno and back.

Acceleration from a stop has always been pretty decent. Yeah, I have to be on the throttle a bit, but no complaints. However, I imagine a VR6 would have a little more getup when passing. Most of our drive was up 395 in CA, much of which is just a single lane in either direction. We drive at a brisk pace, so we did quite a bit of passing. I found myself having to floor it during passing maneuvers, and even then the pace of acceleration was a bit leisurely. Adequate, but it'd be easier on the nerves with a bit more power on tap towards the top end. Found myself wishing we were in my Golf R on a handful of occasions, but the lack of passing power is really the only complaint. It's otherwise a fantastic road trip machine.

I'm not built quite like you are (only 6'1 ~185, although I've been up around 250 before) but I don't think you'll have any issues with comfort or space. There's tons of room inside.

 

Just a data point on the VR6 vs. TDI acceleration. I imagine a VR6 would have a little more getup when passing.

The 3.6 VR6 in the Treg is likely the slowest motor of them all..except the original R5 and the original 3.2 VR6. Not that it is morbidly slow, it isn't bad, it just isn't known for being fast.


But as others have said: don't buy a VR with out driving the TDI.

I am a bit of a TDI skeptic given it being an orphaned vehicle and the fact that the emission stuff seemed to always be a common thread theme in regards to different issues like HPFP, add blue system issues, and now the recall stuff..and on and on.... BUT I hear they are a hoot to drive (part of the reason I love my VR6 and V 8 is that ignorance is bliss).

 

I wouldn't call the VR6 slow. It gets to 60 in under 8 seconds. Yes, a V6 Camry will beat it, but that's not the point. It doesn't feel SLOW. The main complaint with the VR6 is the fluttering/rough spots in the 1100-1400 RPM range. The VR6 in general is known for being an engine with "character", but at the price point, VW should have ensured that the VR was smoother across the entire rev range. But it's never scarily slow. I would guess the TDI would feel much faster in the 10-40 MPH speeds with all that torque though.

 

I have a 2016 TDI Lux. It’s a fun daily driver due to the torque. I expect a gasser might beat it off the line from a stop but after that the TDI would leave it in the dust. Most of my driving is in the speed range where the TDI is just flat out fun.

Also, if you are going to do any towing, the TDI is by far the best option. That’s why I bought mine. Everything else is just a bonus. I needed something that would fit in my garage, tow 6000 pounds easily, had luxury options, two row seating, and got good mileage. There are very few options, and the Touareg TDI is the best of them.

 

The V6 TDI is awesome.
I reversed my 700kg trailer with 2600kg payload up my 1/5 drivway today in low range reverse..... Only needed 1050rpm.