The expression "you get what you paid for" doesn't apply that often to cars since some are overpriced and automakers have hidden agendas. But it seems to be true for the Volkswagen Touareg, according to this detailed UK review.
You may not think of the Touareg as a "cheap car," since it's the most expensive thing in the Volkswagen range. But actually, it's the least expensive SUV that's derived from this platform. So is this the same as a Bentley Bentayga, but for a third of the price? Of course not.
The interior is the first thing that gets criticized since it's not as good as other models in this price range. According to Mat Watson, the biggest issue are hard and scratchy plastics on various surfaces inside the cockpit, including the lower part of the door and the center console.
It doesn't rattle or anything, but VW should have used a different steering wheel design than in the Golf, which costs significantly less. The upside is that the brand new infotainment system is better than anything else VW has and on par with Audi or BMW. Space on the rear seats and in the trunk trails slightly behind the Audi Q7, but not by much.
Other niggles include the automatic gearbox. It's the same 8-speed ZF unit as in many other SUVs, but every company does its programming, and VW's is a little bit laggy to respond. It could also explain why the Touareg has been shown to be slower than officially suggested, which doesn't help its case against potent rivals like the new BMW X5.
As for the things which are good, these include the air suspension and the rear-wheel steering. The Touareg is also very good at reversing a trailer, though we doubt many owners have horse boxes, boats or caravans.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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