VW Touareg SUV

ikotoyan

right now what are you all getting the best deal for on a touareg?

spockcat

Actually, if you have the navigation system in the Touareg (or even the standard radio), you can connect an MP3 player directly to these radios with an adapter (NOT FM modulated!). This is a far better solution than an in-dash changer. Email me for details if you own one.

jogiba

Anyone tow a full size TT with the Touareg ?

mmee1

I'm moving back to the States after three years in Switzerland. Have loved the Treg ever since seeing one at the 2003 Geneva Auto Show (with paddle shifters on the steering wheel, very nice). Now I'm considering options. What about the Xenon headlights? $700 for better headlights? Any other advice. Thanks.

dev282938

get a touareg with tan interior, prem plus package, diff lock and backup sensors. u need that much. the air suspension is a must. and interior in tan is amazing.

sciencegeek

I'd agree on the air (for both on- and offroad handling/performance), so you'll have to get the xenons.
Other stuff is very much a matter of preference. I, too, think that Premium is preferable but exactly which one depends on your tastes. Then there's the V6 vs V8 issue ...
Interior color is also a taste/need issue: do you have kids who'll make a mess of a light leather? if so, you're better off getting the anthracite. etc. Good luck researching.

touhead

The time has come I found a silver V8 with anthracite interior and the premium plus package. I really love this car, but I must admit I am hesitant. Should I buy? the care was manufactured in July and has a vin number in the mid 1500. Were most of the bugs worked out by then? How does everyone feel? Is the car a dud right now or are the problems limited to just a few very vocal persons? Everyones thoughts are appreciated.

sciencegeek

I'd be a bit careful and do an extremely thorough check.
Probably it won't have a couple of advertised options like the rear sunshades and the hatch assist.
dealer should be eager to sell this unit, give you invoice price, and bend over backwards to show you it's ok.

vwguild

on any V8 with Premium Plus is not realistic...TSBs should have covered all on this early build...Just make sure that they have been addressed...

I have early ones out there that have had Zero problems...

aknewbeetle1

Several recent posts have indicated great prices on new touaregs. I have shopped both Anchorage and Seattle and have been told by all the VW dealers that the T-regs are going at MSRP and nothing less. If I can get the car at the prices shown by a few of the members on this site it would be worth it to ship the vehicle up here. Would some of you good negotiators pass along the dealership name?

qpower

I bought a V6 Xenon Premium II pkg MSRP 38,715 for 34,515 delivered in the Boston area in my choice of color and with the latest build date from Sept. - VIN in the 24000's. It came with the low center headrest and no issues with the tire pressure system, both early issues reported here and elsewhere.

The dealer was Quirk VW in Quincy, MA. Their service was excellent and above reproach in details - they delivered to me on a requested day of Sunday, which is against the norm. They are still advertising Xenon only V6 models for 32,999 delivered with MA emissions pkg. They claim to have 75 units on the lot in all trims.

Good Luck up there in AK!

mmee1

Help me out. I'm getting some mixed messages here. I'm working with my local dealer to have a Touareg waiting when I get off the plane. I really don't want to do the hit every dealer in the area deal, but I don't want to get "MSRP or buy a Durango" either. Give me a realistic "fair" expectation.

8168432

Is there anyone who knows how to get tips and chrome pedal caps for v6 treg?

pldc

I just bough a 2004 V6 premium package 2 , 4 corners air suspension. The engine light came up steady from the beginning, they told me at the dealer it was a normal problem for this car!!!! I had it checked, left there for 3 days, did all the computer tests, and got it back. Back on the road the same day the light comes up again. Now brought it back again for 2 weeks and they tell me they have to change the transmission because it doesn't lock! I don't want to have this car, but when I talk to them they tell me that they have to fix it and basically that's it. They are sorry but this is what volkswagen tells them to do. I think this is a lemon, and I also thing there is too much computerized stuff in it.
What can I do as a consumer to have the car changed or get my money back?

dev282938

are there any other people who can post how much they bought their touareg for OVer invoice price? and what kind of deal they got.
also the dealer name and location?

heeno

Thank God for our dealer, especially the Service Manager. He contacted VOA and told them our Touareg was bad and they should buy it back. VOA agreed. After asking him if we should buy another ( we think the car is great) he suggested we should look at other Volkswagen models or even Audis. When contaced by the VOA Customer Service Rep, we asked them if we should buy another Touareg... "first generation cars always seem to have problems" was thier response. VOA has been exceptional, the dealer very special. As for the person who lost the piston after 1600 miles... to hell with "Warranty Specs" VOA should replace your car not your engine!!!

bigkittyfriend

I am considering buying a Touareg in the Seattle area. So far no one wants to go below $37,000 on a v6, Xenon, w/Prem. Package I. This seems high. What are others out there paying for a similiar vehicle?

aknewbeetle1

As gpower (msg 1376) noted, Quirk VW in MA is selling the T-reg far below MSRP. Unfortunately, shipping from there to Alaska will add 2850 to the cost and that is when the great deal becomes marginal after you factor in the risk,

Is anybody on the West coast seeing good pricing, or are all of the lucky folks over on the East coast?

vwguild

Edmunds.com Town Hall Policy forbids from from posting anything on these boards that even hints of a solicitation...

jeeto

So I my be experiencing the first of my troubles. (knock on wood)

My in-dash cd player seems to play the start of a song and skip to the next. Has anyone had this issue?

califjohn

T-regs in the local (San Jose) paper for about $32K or so. These are almost certainly strippers to get you in the show room, but I suspect the internet/fleet guy/gal in those stores would be ready to come close to that percentage over invoice on better equipped and even V8 mods. They seem to be hungry and the cars do not seem to be moving. I have only seen 2 T-regs on the road in this area but have seen 6 or 7 Cayennes. I have been interested in both of these since I took my wife's Audi in for service and sat in a Cayenne S. It was a great interior IMHO and best of all I actually fit inside with plenty of leg room, and a comfortable seat belt. I was very impressed. Later, at a VW store I looked at the T-reg but the salesman was more interested in chatting up the receptionist than answering my questions so I left. By contrast the Porsche salesman was ready to pull the Cayenne off the floor and hand me the keys! I just didn't have the time then but I will go back.

vwguild

Please tell me you were on Stevens Creek Blvd. and not the Capitol Expressway...

huyqp

got a V8 wheat with teak interior in houston about 3 weeks ago. Very happy with the truck. It came with miniheadrest, rear window shades, hatch assist, glovebox manual shelf, but no flashlight. My options are air suspension and xenon. Paid $1K above invoice, two of my friends brought V8 at $500 above invoice. Truck has been flawless except one small glitch with one of the sensor that the dealer forgot to reset prior to delivery. Got that taken care of without fuss. Got hook up with a vagcom and disabled the DRL and obnoxious seat belt chime today. Overall I'm very happy with my choice. I decided against the premium plus package because of the less then excellent nav which is CD base and doesn't even show street name except the one that you are on. I don't care for the nappa leather, and convenience package doesn't really add much more useful stuff except the keyless entry, which is cool I have to admit. Thus I saved about $3-4K just getting the air/xenon vs the premium plus package. I can alway buy a stand alone Nav/GPS and able to move it to different cars with the money I saved. If you want to play dvd for the kids, you can't do it with the factory unit anyway. You would be better off getting an aftermarket one in the back, either built in or portable.

If you want more informative discussion, go to the other forum, you can email me if you don't know where. I don't think I'm suppose to name any name here on edmunds.com

avery1

What is your email? Also what is the story with the miniheadrest? Thanks.

huyqp

Early version of the car come with regular size headrest in all three rear positions. This can severely limited vision through the rear view interior mirrow. The current shipping version come with a smaller size center headrest. And this make a substantial different in the rear view mirror. If your car come with the regular size headrest, don't worry, just contact your dealer and they should have VWOA send you a smaller size for free. And you get to keep the bigger middle one for fun Some people even order the mini ones for all three position.

Sorry I didn't publish my email, it's there now.

avery1

With the smaller headrests can you put down the back seat flat without removing the headrests? It seems I remember looking when the Touareg first came out and you couldn't do that.

jpvwaudi

I know it sounds juvenile, but today we dragged a V8 Touareg against a Jeep Overland in the snow (about 4-6 inches) in a deserted parking lot. Apples to Apples, the cars should run about the same. Both trucks in full time 4wd. The Jeep lost the rear off the bat; the egg took it big time. Kudos to 4XMotion. I wanted to include an allroad, but they laughed at me.

huyqp

don't know, haven't try yet, I'll try tomorrow and get back with ya'll

rc7762

Get out of that parking lot and go head to head with that jeep while doing some real 4 wheeling and let me know how you make out.

Jeep wrote the book on 4WD - Nuff said!

sivi1

i own a s class mercedes diesel and would love to see vw diesel. my m-b gets 21 mpg city and it weghs 5000#. more torqe than any gas engine,and better mileage than my pathfinder and my maxima which weigh much less.

jpvwaudi

The Touareg will blow the doors off of a Jeep in the bush. Let me count the ways:

Better ground clearance
More HP
shiftable automatic
Hill descent control
offroad ABS
stability control
lockable center diff
lockable rear diff
wider track
stiffer chassis
greater approach/departure
breakover angle........shall I continue?

califjohn

on Capitol Expy (nor on Stevens Creek). While I have you on "the line" so to speak perhaps you can answer a question. I have been following both the T-reg and Cayenne on other owner sites and there seems to be an inordinate number of electrical problems with the VW that do not seem to be reported for the Porsche. Is this just a function of more T-regs built so more chance for problems, or more careful assembling of the very expensive (!) Porsche?

rc7762

If all of that makes you sleep better at night go with it, Get it out there in the bush with that jeep and let me know or point me in the direction where I can read some true test results of how this thing outperfomed a Jeep in the bush.

rsholland

I'd be happy to... in about a month; as the Touareg just won 4-Wheel & Off-Road's "4 Wheeler of the Year" award. Should be on the news stands latter this month. It's the February issue, if I'm not mistaken.

Now these folks from 4-Wheel & Off-Road are about as hardcore off-roaders as you're likely to find anywhere, and have a long history of putting down anything with independent suspensions; and yet the Touareg won their top award this year.

Not sure if a Jeep was in the competition, as I've only heard that the Touareg won; but I suspect there was, as they almost always have a Jeep in there.

Bob

kullenberg

Bob;
If you haven't driven one, I highly reomend that you do so. I drove a V6 about a month ago, and was hugely impressed. I'm going to pick up a V8 model next week, and bring it home here to the mtns for a day. They are outstanding vehicles, particularly for the price.
Cheers
Pat

vwguild

I would place most of the blame on the Techs...In this regard I am blessed...
Other issues may be haste in getting the job done, not having the computer resources readily available to access "VESIS" and get TSBs promptly, pride in a job done well may be lacking...

I may be mistaken, but I am under the impression that all of the electronics are installed in the Porsche before they are shipped to Leipzig for powerplants, seats, etc.

rc7762

I will be interested in reading the magazine, I agree that some of the off road publications put the vehicles they test through some difficult paces to see what they really can do off road.

That was my point in my last post, I just think it's pretty bold to compare a first year 4X4 suv from a car company that is taking a first shot at this against a company that has been developing and refining off road vehicles prior to the second World War without some real facts.

Thanks again for the information,

Rick

chchoi

Touareg owner, do u usually drive in D mode or S mode (Sports)?
If don't do much off road driving, what benefit do I get from the air suspension for driving on pavement road?
I test drove both V6 and V8. It seems V6 has more engine noise.

rsholland

I've driven the V6, not the V8 model. I like everything except the MSRP, and the fact that there's no full-size spare (yet).

Bob

bulsara

Has anyone, experienced this message in a brand new T-Reg, from the tire sensors: "Defective Wheel on Board" and then later on, it goes on to say "Flat Tire". Took it in twice to dealer and they cannot find the slow leak, which reduces pressure by up to 10 pounds over 1-2-3 days. They just re-inflate to 40.5 lbs all around, and reset the computer to 39.5 lbs and message comes back. Otherwise happy, but this is really bothersome in first 200 miles.

Any fix advice or knowledge welcome...from anyone.

HELP!

Bulsara

rsholland

From UK's AutoExpress:

Touareg Gets Even Tougher

t's time to head for the hills! Volkswagen is developing an extreme version of its all-new Touareg, aimed at establishing the car as the world's greatest off-roader. Plans for the radical machine were revealed to Auto Express at the Paris Motor Show, where the standard edition of the all-wheel-drive VW made its official debut.

Set to offer beefed-up air suspension, a more robust transmission and extra body protection, the Land Rover Discovery rival will launch early in 2004, priced from around £35,000. Proposals to distinguish the car from the regular model include cladding the exposed bodywork with plastic armour and mounting a spare wheel on the boot lid. Bigger roof rails could also feature, as well as different wheels.

Options under consideration include a 'snorkel' exhaust system to help the car through very deep water, as well as custom winches and sand filters. Revised anti-roll bars and additional armour-plating underneath complete the mechanical upgrades, while inside, the machine is likely to offer a no-frills interior that puts practicality first.

The car will, however, keep its advanced GPS-based navigation system, as well as the digital displays which detail the condition of the suspension and gearbox. Erwin Pape, the Touareg's development chief, says: "We were late to arrive in the SUV market. The Touareg has to be more than a 'me-too' vehicle. We have to prove it can do the real thing." With the engine line-up set to include the awesome 313bhp V10 diesel we tested in issue 722, plus VW's forthcoming W12 unit, it seems certain that the car will have no shortage of power.

Traction - already first-rate thanks to a computer-controlled brake, throttle and stability system - will be further enhanced by aggressive off-road tyres being developed. Interest in this ultra-functional SUV has come from a number of sources, including the military.

Bob

califjohn

for the response. I thought that might be the case as well (electronics installation location). In any event I hope that the glitches in T-reg's electricals go away as more experience is gained.

knockoff

Whatever happened to the V8x off road version of the T-reg?

knockoff

I too have been looking across the Cayenne & t-reg gulf... you think you can swing a better deal on the Porsche?

artgpo

This past Saturday, I went with my son-in-law to test drive the Toureg V-6 and V-8 and Volvo XC 90. He decided he liked the Toureg V-6 with the air suspension. The dealer had exactly what he wanted in the color he wanted. After returning to the dealer from the XC 90 test drive the VW guy offered to let us take the T-reg home to see about fitting it into the garage. We stopped for lunch. That's when I discovered that the keyless entry system was not working. I had to open the door with the key and then try to disarm the system. It locked after going through this opening process. We brought the vehicle back to the dealer and negotiated the deal while the car went into service. After much ado, they could not get the keyless remote to work more than three times after reprogramming. We decided to wait until today when all their "certified" techs were working. Sure enough, we went over to take delivery and the car was still in the shop. We were about to walk when the salesman offered $500 off the deal (making it 2-1/2% over invoice)if we would give them the opportunity to make a fix. I was called by the sales manager this afternoon and told the car was fixed and ready for delivery. I said I would come by to check out the fix before my son-in-law comes by tomorrow and signs the papers. Guess what? No fix.

Anyone familiar with this problem? If they cannot fix this problem what about something else breaking in this very complex vehicle? Any thoughts?

vwguild

The only thing that I can attribute this problem to is the Service Dept...To be specific they should not have touched your Son-in-Law's T-Reg with no Certified Tech available...

The only Service we do on Saturdays is Maintenance, ie., Oil changes, etc.

Hope all taken care of tomorrow..

artgpo

Fortunately, my son-in-law has no money in this car nor has he signed any paper work.

Vwguild, is this a known problem with the Toureg?

sbcooke

I would walk away now. Doesn't sound promising at this dealer. Reprogramming remote entry should be able to be done on a Saturday...heck I reprogrammed my MDX after finding old Acura CL instructions on google. It took me a total of 45 minutes, 30 of which were web surfing.

mmee1

I've spent way too much time reading through these discussion boards. Now I'm stuck. I love the Touareg, but I want one that works. Anyone have any stats? Out of 100 new T-regs, how many spend more than one night in the shop in first three months? Are there ratings of the various service departments at different dealerships? Thanks.

markcincinnati

I keep reading the posts, I read the car magazines and I read the replies from our friend VWGUILD -- no one probably wants to hear this point of view, but I say it to those who think that the pioneers are the one's with the arrows in their backs.

If you are in love with the Touareg and are "concerned" that you can't get a 100% functioning one -- well, just wait for the 2005's to come out; it is, if you fall into this camp, likely that many of the dealership issues will have been worked out and it is also likely that the vehicle will have some to most of the problems worked out.

Of course, there is also an opportunity that even though the first round of "bugs" are gone that there will be some new bugs.

If you are still using Windows 98 (or, gulp, 95) perhaps a new Touareg is not for you. On the other hand if you can't wait to get the latest and greatest version of Linux well, you decide.

Rumor mill has it that the Touareg is a great car with few problems, despite what is posted here. Ask VWGUILD, my guess is that many of the niggling problems are dealer related.

And, just like a kidney stone: "this too shall pass."