Should You Buy a VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG? (Test Drive & Review MK1 3.0TDI)

[@TheAngrychipmunk96]

I swear to god, every time I start perusing the Internet thinking of buying a certain car, you end up reviewing it!! Love the content

[@baffourohene-kena4962]

You must be like me then. Always thinking of buying a new user car 🤣

[@stephenlane9168]

Me too. It’s an expensive hobby. 👌

[@richarddyasonihc]

Funny thing that, I have watched (probably all ) of the High Peak videos and seen Matt review both my previous car and the one I own now. I had to wait nearly a year till he had the current one in his showroom though!

[@jackfruitbananas]

His video convinced me to buy the 5 series GT. Wife wasn't too happy!

[@TheAngrychipmunk96]

@@jackfruitbananas Nice! I've the F11 touring myself, love it.

[@PaulieMD5]

I love the Touareg, it's like a tank, safe car, suitable for the dangerous roads here in estern Europe

[@henryshu6265]

Jesus! That bad!?

[@Vaiyn]

@@henryshu6265 I drive such a tank in Eastern Europe, very nice experience :)

[@MrKeefrichards]

prefer bmw x5 better in every way

[@artaxerxe1]

@@MrKeefrichards it is no match to touareg!

[@DemoNXCros]

@@MrKeefrichards as someone who has owned both that the bmw is only better on the road, the bmw is garbage off road. BMW has a better infotainment system, acceleration.. Thats it

[@Valisk]

"Aston Villa with wing mirrors" genuine LOL!!!

[@andyjamieson9576]

I’ve had the same problem with my AC. It’s called the W.I.F.E fault - it blows hot and cold

[@jamest5149]

Blend door is probably the fault with the AC, it’s a common fault on all cars especially those fitted with dual zone.

[@thisiszaphod]

Another vote. Yep - blend door or its actuator.

[@stuartday1876]

Genuinely thought Blend Door was a predictive text typo, was trying to work out what you meant. Then I realised it wasn't a typo!

[@chappy2121]

As dreary as these are, I wouldn't mind a go in the v10 tdi version

[@MrMarkbrown218]

@@chappy2121 owned a remapped V10 for 2 years, words can't describe the power delivery on it. Regret selling it and now looking for another one

[@willjeffery2661]

I had. 5cyl Touareg in 2014. It was brilliant for towing and would get me through any gateway with a loaded 12ft trailer. It took me all over the UK doing the job I did at the time. The 2.5 I found was powerful enough when you learnt the torque curve of the engine and shifted the gears yourself. It is still in the family now 8 years later with 160 (ish) K on the clock.

[@damilolaakanni]

5 cylinder Touareg...that must be very rare. Was it a petrol or diesel engine?

[@willjeffery2661]

@@damilolaakanni Diesel, the only diesel option originally here in the UK before the V6.

[@M.Ziz-66]

excuse me guys, may i have your opinion about this: i have a plan to buy one of these (touareg), 1st gen. facelift or 2nd gen. (pre facelift), and here's the details: the 1st gen. facelift is v6 3.6, has air susp. but, the diff. lock still only at center, meanwhile; the 2nd gen. (pre facelift) is v6 3.0, no air susp. and the diff. lock still only at center, as well. now my question is, which one of those, do you think, the better one or "platform" if i have a plan to decorate it further to be a decent suv offroader? Thank You Very Much!

[@philipedwards439]

At last, a car I can buy to tow my 747 from Manchester to Abersoch for the weekend.

[@jesusprado6394]

I bought my wife a brand new 2008 Touareg and after owning several different SUVs, well, this one is a keeper. At 92k miles its the best SUV we've owned.

[@mattc1984]

Love your videos Matt. I do think you're being a bit harsh on the old Touareg! Ok so it has very little badge appeal, but as a cheap work horse they are rated to tow 3500kg and they have a centre diff lock/low gear box as standard, which you will not find on an ML, X5, Q7, new model Touareg, XC90 etc. I suspect this isn't where your interest lies, but it's a big plus for anyone launching/retrieving a heavy boat or taking a horse box into a muddy field. You could buy a Grand Cherokee for similar coin if you need these capabities, but I've had them back to back and the Touareg is better built and has less road noise and much more comfortable seating for all. The 3L V6 TDI is definitely the pick and if you get a pre facelift car they have no DPF....blank and map out the EGR valve, remove swirl flaps and they are surprisingly fast and good on fuel. The ride/handling balance is pretty much perfect for something with no air suspension to fix, compared to overly firm X5 or boat like XC90.

[@MrJeronimo94]

I had a 2005 Touareg with the 5 Cylinder engine and the manual gearbox. It was the car that i learned to drive on. Loved it. We had it for about 5 year until the air suspension and gearbox broke and essentially cost more to fix than the car was still worth so we got rid of it. Nothing too complicated but we just fancied a change. But appart from that, the car never failed and i was very pleased with it.

[@graemetucker8150]

I had one for 4 years. Its very good, loved it. 4/5 at everything but not compromised like a x5, Disco, ML etc. Even though there were some questionable interior plastics, the build quality and engineering was evident and very good. The Also the MK1 has all the proper 4x4 gubbings unlike a Q7, X5 and more even the more modern Touaregs.

[@hughmarcus1]

The original ones had a Torsen. Do the later ones use a Haldex?

[@richardkhoonk]

Yes Touareg Mk 2 and newer models use Haldex. @@hughmarcus1

[@sunsetgarage755]

@@hughmarcus1 No the ones made after the 2003-2010 Touaregs don’t have a transfer case for low range which is essential for serious off-roading.

[@krisbodurov1497]

My mate has one of these and has been running it for the past 10 years, covered well over 300k miles and its great with no major faults. Off road is amazing as we do go fishing and hunting a lot, its amazing in deep snow when we go skiing in winter. Parts are way cheaper than Mercedes ML / BMW X5 or Any Land / Range Rover. There a lot of cheaper and better quality after market parts as well for the Q7 and this Toureg which is something to look for.

[@HighPeakAutos]

That’s good going

[@212MPH]

You failed to mention they have centre locking diffs and high and low ratio gearing. I've owned 2 over 15 years still got one 140000 miles never goes wrong plenty of room and I've pulled numerous X5s out of the snow down here in the winter. As long as you look after them, and budget for a propshaft centre bearing the most common fault. I'll be keeping mine.

[@davey6024]

That's soo clean! Most the VAG motors from this era iv looked at all seem to suffer from the climate buttons turning white like the paints scraped off.

[@-kilian-]

Dude, I'm that person aspiring and counting down the days to own one of these bad boys

[@johng7396]

I used to have the 4.2 V8 petrol. Had it for about five years with no faults. Only had to replace the battery and the heater fan. A good all rounder.

[@Lukey86]

Ours had a lot of problems with air suspension went though about 3 compressors, injectors went around 150km and new turbo around 120km and also the same problem with the battery drain stated in this video exactly the same solution. A few electronic problems here and there but overall was a decent car eats up miles on motorway did around 6 trips between Poland and England with no issues. V6 TDI 2007 owned from 98km to 220km mileage

[@pccorner101]

Spending 10% of a cars value on road tax is just plain daft.

[@ukvette]

Wife's 2013 is just £260

[@sameerishaque7635]

@@ukvette what? Too much

[@TheAngrychipmunk96]

Wouldn't mind paying £600; this car would cost equivalent of £2,050 a year to tax in Ireland!

[@jb6368]

@@TheAngrychipmunk96 i was just about say dont come to ireland lol

[@paulparoma]

What is plain daft is the road tax you have there in the UK. I know, many places have it, but that doesn't make it less daft.

[@johnneedham6537]

That, ladies and gentleman, is called, "Damning with faint praise".

[@sparkyire1983]

I owned a V10 one of these for 6 years. Best car I’ve ever owned. Had BMW’s, ML’s, XC90’s and range rovers before it. Nothing came close to it. Would buy another one but prices of the V10’s starting to climb. If you get one of these with air suspension, no other 4x4 can beat it.

[@elbattyluego]

Can confirm

[@willcraghead8303]

What are the repairs like on these V10s? I've seen one nearby for sale, but I'm afraid of it not being worth it for a 2006

[@elbattyluego]

Had to change ATF fluid and filter, in 4K km of use, nothing was broken. You need to look for a no drips unit, the cleanest that you can, mine is one owner only with 180k km

[@oguzatasert5468]

@@willcraghead8303 repairs are expensive. I had a V10 for a year between 2013 and 2014. Unfortunately, after 8 months the engine developed a problem and nobody (other than VW) managed diagnose it correctly and that includes RAC. I had to wait 3 months...yes 3 months for a certified mechanic to turn up at my local VW. Appearantly, an average VW mechanic can't touch it as the engine is too detailed and full of electronics. At least that's what I was told at the time. Anyway, it was the turbos that caused engine problem. Total cost £3200 but up to that point because of wrong diagnostics I had paid around £2000 already..like changing EGR valves, two batteries, diagnostics (not free), getting recovery trucks to take the car to different VW dealers etc.. Bad experience, however, I can confirm that the car itself is rock solid, powerful and very comfortable. It was just my own misfortune at the time.

[@rupertmayo99]

Agree. My V10 was dogged by oil problems, but was astonishing to drive, with air suspension. Now onto a V6 which I love despite being a little more vanilla. But again, air suspension really transforms this car.

[@Chazb5046]

Spent the last two weekends travelling across the whole country looking at clapped out/rotted out discovery 2s. I’ve given up. Probs going to get a Touareg now. Thanks for the great content!

[@HighPeakAutos]

Good stuff

[@Tsvetan_Dikov]

Yes, definitely! It's on same platform as Q7 and Cayenne, but without the expensive price tag for the brand. Very reliable suv and it's capable offloader.

[@jamest5149]

Darkside Developments are doing a great job of increasing interest and prices of these toerags

[@Alexander_l322]

They’ll have to do an awful lot to get me interested. I’d much rather an X5 or XC90

[@ukvette]

Dark side are amazing with Touaregs. They will remap my wife's Touareg to over 300 hp. TQ. Is already amazing.

[@TassieLorenzo]

@@Alexander_l322 SpeedAcademy did a good job of making them seem not so great on the other hand. Now happily motoring with a Toyota 4Runner. :)

[@Spacer-l3j]

@@TassieLorenzo if it's not at least 3.0... nah

[@ryanp6138]

Cheers!

[@stevogarnham6869]

I had a 3.0tdi v6 for about 3 years was not bad never let me down would still have it now if I still needed a bigger cat keep up the good work

[@philstaples8122]

The blowing hot and cold thing is the HVAC flap motor sometimes called a blend door (flap), the part is pretty cheap but I think the dash has to come out so labour won't be cheap, there may of course be a cheaper way to do the job.

[@artaxerxe1]

It is very easy to change it: through the glove compartiment!

[@SFlightline]

@@artaxerxe1 Might just need to reset the flap positions on VCDS. A common issue with VW AG cars... Takes about 15 mins max.

[@ramonbs6075]

@@SFlightline what is the VCDS?

[@EinkOLED]

My neighbour who is a 747 captain needed his jumbo jet towed to the airport, so my Touareg proved proved useful.

[@shadow-Sun]

I owned one of these when it was launched around 2004 and the pronounciation Twa reg is quite correct as is the origin you stated, I too used to get annoyed at this but only when it was salesmen or dealers as they should know better . Never had any issues with mine felt quite luxurious at the time but the engine was in my mind around 25 % under powered I had the diesel 2.5td . It could be hustled along but you had to work it to get performance out of it . I found it was a good all round family barge for lazy journeys up and down long motorway miles . A decent alternative to big suvs of the day not a great car but a "competent " family wagon I'd say . The new versions from 2019 onwards (I think ) are what this car should have been 12 years ago , but that's how cars are if you're lucky the model eveolves and matures into something superb .

[@kalvds9345]

Its known as the Tough T in the US as it is a fantastic off road vehicle, especially if you have one with adjustable air suspension and locking diffs! While it doesnt come with under body protection, it was designed that all its vitals are tucked up into the body.

[@pantoffelslippers]

Matt, I know this is an older video. Would love to see a review on a second generation Touareg. Also the v6 tdi and/or the 4.2 v8 tdi. Here in south africa, they also came with an “Escape” package or trim level which adds low range and some off road stuff. Over here, quite a few of these cars are actually used in off road conditions. Shot!

[@gregkovari7162]

Had the same AC issue with my Volvo. In my case it was caused by the faulty seat heater. Once replaced, all was well. This saved quite a bit of money as the dealership was ready to take the dashboard off.

[@Lonewolf_rider]

AC problem is that its low in gas. The condensator is probably fitted on the right hand side so it's always colder at that side because the air has to travel to the other side it's heating up.

[@HighPeakAutos]

Thanks for the advice

[@stevefood7389]

My Dad had a 3.0 one of these from new. He liked it's comfort, pace, space and high driving position. We went on an off road day with vw and it was very impressive. Thank god it was a company car though, it cost a bloody fortune to run. On top of the fuel consumption and consumables, it went wrong numerous times throughout it's 3 year warranty. Just after 3 years the gearbox and 4 wheel drive system went wrong throwing up a £6500 bill (10 years ago!).

[@stevefood7389]

Think his company's lease firm gave up on it at that point and auctioned it for spares/repair. For a 3 1/2 year old car with under 65,000 miles that is just awful. He's had numerous jags, mercs and fords, but the vw was by far the least reliable of the lot.

[@HighPeakAutos]

That’s terrible

[@basharalnasser]

I've owned my 2009 Touareg with the 3.6L V6 since 2017 and I am very happy with it. I had a 2005 before it and loved it too. People who own and daily drive these SUVs really do enjoy them, even with the many irritating "quirks and features" they have, some of which were actually by intentional design (e.g. rear hatch struts hidden in the roof, making them a nightmare to replace when they go bad, which they do). I would have loved to have one with the W12, though. That would have been the ultimate car I would ever buy. It just scares me when I think of maintenance costs on a W12 model when the V6 is not exactly cheap to maintain. Oh.. and you forgot how many Americans pronounce it: Toorag 😁

[@patrickneumann2022]

I had one of those a altitude model and turned out to be great no problems ever... The aircon problem you have is the electronic flaps inside the dashboard obviously the passenger side is shut. Listen if it makes a noise when you turn the ignition on.

[@navaraboy3000]

We have owned a 2005 2.5tdi from new, having done 85k miles about 15k of those towing large trailers. Always ran it on all terrain cooper tyres and is fantastic in mud and snow. Apart from normal service items (oil and brakes) all it has has had is a new prop shaft as a preventative measure as known fault (£230 fitted myself) one reversing sensor and the transfer case motor (£80 fitted my self). Interior has held up and like new and no rust. We will keep until it is no longer viable to maintain, see it lasting another 10 years.

[@SelfReflective]

Yeah, but he says the controls are "hollow".

[@TomCollins-k5j]

just bought a mk1 2.5 tdi in green, for 400 quid, 6 months test . Drives lovely. oil and coolant leak, doesnt overheat ,sus oil cooler. typical cayenne/ toureg propshaft bearing was toaSTED - sounded like someone hitting the centre armrest with a mallet. hence the price . in the process of doing a jimmy fix , google it with the heater hose.. these cars never seem to rust, they always look immaculate? so unsure if to sell this on for a quick profit or to keep the beast

[@pimi891]

First gen touareg was one of the best SUV of its time. Imo it was ahed of its competitors. I used to have the tt V10 tdi stage 1 and I loved it. So much torque. One small correction though. This generation of touareg was not offered with a diesel V8. The next gen was and also the Audi q7

[@christophernewman5027]

"Aston Villa with wing-mirrors" Bloody hell, Mat; l'd just taken a mouthful of tea!

[@HighPeakAutos]

😂

[@heijimikata7181]

What a quote. Aston Villa…Jack Grealish…Everytime I heard of Villa, Grealish always pops up.

[@RichardEnglander]

I want one of these with the factory off road pack, comes with the under body protection and proper diffs. I really like how they look, not too fussy and all that.

[@andrewbaldock6420]

Hi, I had a 56 plate V6 TDi which I absolutely loved, but it did have persistent and expensive climate control problems, so I wasn’t surprised at the vent issue, albeit it wasn’t an issue I had, so apologies for not being overly helpful with specifics. I also only got 16mpg around town, but 30s on a trip. I would consider the newer version, which is much cheaper to run. Thanks for a fantastic programme. Andrew

[@paulbradford8240]

We have a 2014 3.0 diesel R-Line Auto with 8 speed tiptronic gearbox. It was two years old when it came to us from my father-in-law. It is a nice comfortable car to drive and to be a passenger in. Plenty of room in the back and the rear seats adjust. The car drives better when the gears are used in my opinion, so I will drop down one or two gears coming up to a bend for a smoother, more level ride. The paddle gears on the steering wheel work well for this. As you say, it pulls like a train. I'm not sure I'd want to drive at the top speed, but you have to be careful as putting your foot down to overtake can easily see 100mph rushing towards you. Very responsive. I have a few gripes with the buttons and controls. If you need the air recirculation and aircon on if it's wet and steamy inside, you don't want to be taking your eyes off the road to find the buttons. The same with the fog lights. You rarely use them, but they should be visible at all times. I found myself struggling to find them recently, then remembered they are hidden by the steering wheel (in it's normal position) down to the right hand side below and to the left of the light switch. ICE is good as is the navigation system. There is a lot of stuff built into the car and a comprehensive 500 page handbook! For us, the biggest issue was its towing capability. It wouldn't tow and empty horse trailer (Ifor Williams), from a wet ever so slightly inclined field. Now, you could put off road tyres on it, but if your are only rarely going off road, it's a waste. The Touareg replaced a 2007 Hyundai Terracan 3.0 TDI Ltd. That was a great car. It never stuck on a wet field. It wasn't as refined as the VW, but was less than half the price when new. The Terracan was rated to tow 2800kg, but didn't flinch towing twice that on our land. As a run out car, it was very high spec with a dvd player in the roof for the rear passengers and wireless headphones. Our daughters loved that. Recently, I happened to see the people that bought it from us five years ago. They are very happy with it. The only reason we didn't replace it with another Hyundai was they didn't have anything with that towing capability. However, upon reflection, we didn't need to tow that often and have sold the horse trailers! So if I had the money, I'd probably go for something else.

[@followthetrawler]

I've had 3 Touaregs from new, loved every one of them and its sad that VW have stopped importing them now. I now have an F-Pace and hate it with a passion. Had buyers remorse from the second week. Lockdown stopped me dobbing it in and getting another Touareg. I will be going for a secondhand 3.0TSi as soon as I can get rid of the Jag.

[@darrenwilson8042]

I've only gone and followed your previous advice - Put a deposit on a Duster 1.5d Laureate. On a 13 plate literally one lady owner - have seen the V5 and its done 60k. Really clean with fdsh will come with fresh MOT and service and new front tyres with 3 month RAC warranty and at £4750 I think it fits in your approximate valuation. Hopefully its a good buy.

[@wolfgangezeh2221]

Yayyy!! Wow, has been looking out for an upload off you.

[@HighPeakAutos]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@Tuffluk]

Great review Matt. I think that car looks great both inside and out but better still is your professional informative comprehensive video. The editting and visuals are great too and commentary clear and never repetitive. Try looking at other peoples reviews and you will realise how good Matt is. My only complaint is that Matt. hasn't posted a review for over a week I think!

[@jpdom1]

With the aircon blowing hot on one side. It is most likely the actuator not switching over it is just a plastic geat that moves. It might have broken so will not adjust.

[@4xSr]

I've got the same AC issue. Otherwise great all around car, except it's not economical. Cheap enough to not feel bad parking under a tree or actually going off the paved road. Not sure what I'd replace it with so I'm keeping it for a while. Got the airride and locking diff and so far snow, mud or shallow water were never an issue.

[@blackadax9370]

Agree with you about the quality of the interior but I had a v8 and it was a beast

[@fizzlepop9451]

Owned an 07 Touareg Altitude for 9 years after giving up my Maserati 3200 GT and thinking "What next?" Loved it. Started getting expensive after 135,00 miles

[@joao_spinola]

I would buy a tesco van before the touareg, same size and cheaper to run😂

[@paulparoma]

Tesco makes vans?

[@joao_spinola]

@@paulparoma Call the costumer service

[@paulparoma]

@@joao_spinola I don't have any costumes that need servicing.

[@joao_spinola]

@@paulparoma So f off mate

[@tomscott9938]

..and full of food.

[@stevendavenport364]

I think my wife has the same fault. She blows hot and cold as well. If you find a cure please let me know. Thanks for another great post.

[@steveh545]

had a second gen V6 TDI. for about 1 yr. Top spec, really comfy, and handled really really well (for an SUV). Got tired of bumping my head getting in and sold it. In the US, it's a bit of an odd car. Mine retailed for about $65K, which put in in competition with lots of 'fancier' SUVs. They never really caught on here, then the whole diesel thing. I bought used, and didn't really lose any money selling it a year later. The Q7 TDI probably outsold it 10 to 1 (a wild guess).

[@gabrieln3613]

I can add a few things from my experience in US with my 2014 Touareg, Base model with 3.6 L V6 gas engine (same engine shared with Porsche Cayenne exactly, except for how they tune it). Worth remembering that not only the Porsche Cayenne & Audi Q7 come off the same assembly line on same platform but also does the Bently Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus, not bad siblings to have. I towed across the US a 28' RV Travel Trailer at 6,900 lbs loaded (3130 Kilograms?) and still was 800 pounds under the maximum tow weight of 7,700 lbs. A Range Rover, Ford Explorer, Mercedes, BMW X5, Toyota Highlander, etc. would have all broken and their weakly 4 to 5,000 lb capacities. Of course agree with your assessment that on the interior it is not as luxurious as an Audi Q7 or Cayenne but you get to keep $20,000 dollars or whatever the difference is. It's the best car I have owned so quite happy with its comfort and handling. Actually on the pronunciation, I have a friend from Spain (yoga teacher in France and she speaks 5 languages) and her dad was a Touareg Tribe person.....desert nomads. They are called "blue men" since the blue natural dye in their distinctive bright blue garments comes off some on their face, as they traverse the deserts. She gave me the native language pronunciation....yours is pretty close! I cannot phonetically write it out. At 92,000 miles so far only front brakes, battery have been touched......oh, and yes a tail light bulb. I believe your "all-rounder" is nice way to describe, except for towing, nothing I know of comes close and still drives like a Porsche. In US we would have to go up to a huge Chevy Suburban, Ford Tahoe, or trucks to match this compact towing machine.

[@mitchelreasoner4329]

I have a 2012 tdi and i cant believe how nice it is! Honestly it has a way nicer interior than the Cayenne of that year and the Q7. Once I tuned and deleted it the car is amazing with 135k miles no problems but the emissions systems. Car pulls like a dream. You added you had a travel trailer, did you install a break controller for trailer breaks for that?

[@eddy45686]

I have the X5 4.0d 2011 would you advise trading it in for a 2014 facelift 3.0v6 tdi ?

[@gabrieln3613]

@@eddy45686 I am by no means a car expert. When I was learning about the Volkswagen Touareg I stopped into a foreign repair dealership that specialized in range rovers, BMW and Porsche. They told me that range rovers are the highest maintenance followed by BMW and I heard the same asking around a couple of other times. I spoke to several Toureg owners that reported Good experiences with their maintenance and reliability. I couldn't say that I would recommend trading your BMW though if you've had good success with it.

[@brushrescue1701]

I'm 4x4 response north-east ..and I love my V10 TDI

[@tmill2001]

Have a v10 for over a year and it's nice on and off road! Like all used cars look around and get the nicest shape one.

[@Glenfiddich101]

Actually I have owned two of these beasts in my time and I have always pronouced it properly. The first one which I bought as a used car was the base model which was the mark one 2.5L but it lacked power and I saw others on the road which looked nicer and with a better finish and so nine months later I ordered a brand new which was a 3.0L V6 VW Touareg Altitude, the only thing which I felt miffed about was that it was back in 2006 and the later part of 2006 meaning that my brand new car was a 56 plate and it took 13 weeks to build, yet I took purchase of my new car only to find out that just a few days earlier they launched the new shape of headlights with the curved under trim whereas I had the straight box version, I complained about this on its arrival and they did offer me to rebuild another one but with the thought of waiting anouther 3 months and my existing car further depreciating and for just having the square shaped headlamp I decided to go ahead with the order, after all it stood out and was a head turner and everyone loved the look of it. The best part of driving a car for me is from the inside because the interior is what does it for me, you don't drive a car from the outside, you drive it from inside and if it's pleasing on the eye when you drive as the Altitude version is with its muscular gear stick and it's decent sized satnav screen and a Plethora of switches and buttons which when dark outside are all illiminated more than the Eifel Tower or your grannies Christmas tree. The bad points of this car is that it lacks power, 225 BHP just isn't enough for a car which weighs close to two tons and just because it is built on the same chasis as the more desirable Porsche Cayenne doesn't make it a Porsche at all. The extra wide tyres seem to be a magnet for picking up nails and the tyres aren't cheap to replace, I regularly went through around 6 tyres per year due to picking up lost nails and screws and at around £250 per tyre that's not cheap no matter how nice the car looks. These days I drive Merecedes ML 350's and I've had two different ones, now heres a car I cannot fault. Glen !!

[@richarddyasonihc]

I have seen quite a few comments which suggest that you would be a good TV car presenter. I love your subtle digs and jokey comparisons - my favourite is still the one about the rear window of an XJL being in a different post code.

[@toco789]

“Should you buy?” “Erm I guess, yes and no. Meh 🤷🏼‍♂️”

[@scroggins100]

With regard to cars that are underpowered; In the RAF we had a similar problem with an aircraft called the Jet Provost. The earlier Marks were termed "constant thrust/variable noise".

[@HighPeakAutos]

Haha I might use that

[@philabrahams383]

If you experience the symptom of the AC blowing hot or cold air on one side but not the other and it's accompanied by a clicking or ticking sound, it probably means a gear in the temperature blend door actuator is faulty and the actuator needs to be replaced.

[@S111-j4x]

I have a 3.0 tdi v6 auto 2007 had the dpf and swirl flaps removed and a sensible Remap approx 265bhp pulls like a train runs on premium diesel seems happy

[@1superocky1]

still got it ? going OK?

[@eastwood978]

Why an old MK1 Touareg the later model 7P 2010 on are miles better. We have a 2014 and it is excellent, reliable comfortable & fast. An easy car to DIY service to. I like it being a VW as it sits under the radar and isn't noticed which I prefer as not the flash look at me type. At 63k apart from service parts & tyres, I cannot actually think of anything that has gone wrong or had to be replaced.

[@alexmeraru4364]

Check under the dash for a small motor which actions the flaps that commute from hot to cold. Had that on an audi A4 and a kia sorento

[@kimamey]

Thanks for putting us straight about the pronunciation. It's not obvious from the spelling in the same way as the Nissan Qashqai which I believe is also a nomadic tribe. I don't see how anyone could come up with 'toerag' though. It reminds me of a time coming out of a restaurant into the car park and my wife who is Thai asked about an unusual shaped car, a 'Nissan Junk'. I pointed out her error but I'm not sure she was taking any notice.

[@jonathanfarber]

We had one for a few years, loved it apart from the thirst and the rate in which it gobbled tyres. Foolishly we bout a brand new one from VW Warrington and it came with a full training day - the morning was at Oulton Park where i took the V10 out - insane car. In the afternoon it was off-roading near Beaston. We were looking to chop in the current XC60 for one of the new Touareg but ended up with an XC90mk2 mainly because of the cost-to-equipment and refinement.

[@ravennexusmh]

I'm still have a hankering for a pheaton(v6 not W12). Yes I'm crazy, good thing I do my work cause I'd hate to pay someone to work on one

[@thecynicalafro160]

For me, this gen1 facelift with rline and fender flares (r50) is the best looking suv in its era. And hands down best looking Touareg ever

[@alexshmelyov2722]

"I can't imagine anyone sat at home, counting down the days to own one" I sure did! But here in Colorado, the turbo diesel can breathe better than any naturally aspirated car and the fact that it came with a ton of offroad features, slapping some beefy tires lets you crawl straight up any mountain! So you can run 100+ on the highway and 4wheel with the best of wranglers with no sacrifices. Plus like you said.. the prices are coming down significantly so you don't feel bad scratching up paint or hitting some rocks on your $60k Porsche knockoff since you spent less than 10k on it. It's just such a marvelous all-arounder!

[@HighPeakAutos]

Thats very true. Good point

[@paulparoma]

My mechanic friend used to say, "There are expensive German cars and there are cheap German cars." He considered the VW a cheap German brand, but some of them are far from cheap, especially the Touareg. I realize it's a serious vehicle, but can't imagine wanting one.

[@matthewsmith2787]

Vw are not cheap cars, they are expensive to buy and run

[@paulparoma]

@@matthewsmith2787 Duh.

[@Thelakedr]

On your question about one side hotter than the other when you're running your HVAC I had a 2010 Touareg and I had the same issue the AC system was leaking but still had enough pressure to make the driver side cold but the passenger side would be much much warmer once I repaired the AC everything worked as it should.

[@GeoZeppelin1979]

the V8 4.2 with rear diff lock.........now that one kicks ass in every sense

[@neonskyline1]

I bought a 3 year old one to tow my 3.5 tonne trailer, the propshaft didn't like it, plus it had a dodgy water pump design which in turn led to the turbo getting damaged

[@louisjames1062]

Good for towing, usually see these with galactic miles and a caravan on the back. They are good value for money and reliable or cared for, re the heating, it will be passenger side temp blend motor, easy to change and cheap. If you have vcds on a laptop it will confirm this under hvac module

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

A V10 TDI would be a great review at some point

[@Alexander_l322]

You fill the tank then! 😭🤣

[@thetechlibrarian]

I always wanted to drive one

[@michalrajnic758]

Wasn't the 5.0 v10 essentially 2 of the 2.5l 5 cylinders bolted together? Apparently not a reliable engine

[@danielmarshall4587]

Have a look at Darkside Developments channel they've got a V10 and have a few vids where they're SPANKING-IT up hill and down dale. Not really a review as such ....but might give you some insight.

[@matthewgibbons4525]

@@michalrajnic758 Carwizard, the American guy, said that repair costs are pretty frightening on the V10. Part of it is that the engine has to come out, I think, for a fair number of jobs; such a big unit crammed in that there's not much working room in the engine bay.

[@willienelsongonzalez4609]

“Aston Villa, but with wing mirrors” … brilliant! 😂

[@nadnuts]

No no and no, I had one, it cost me a lot in repairs though it had done only 50k miles, and the repair isn’t cheap

[@stevenmurray6890]

Truth - big repairs big bills

[@andyyoung6574]

@@stevenmurray6890 no more than any other 4x4.

[@MacintoshMen]

"The New Beetle 4x4" - Thanks, now I can't unsee it ever again haha

[@Motormouth...]

Funny, telling us how to pronounce Touareg but mispronounce Porsche....hmmmm. Good video though.

[@HighPeakAutos]

You're the first person to comment on that. I was expecting that to be picked up much sooner haha

[@wildgeesemediaagency]

I'm pretty sure you do not pronounce Volkswagen correctly while having a go about Porsche pronunciation lol

[@flyinghigh245]

@@wildgeesemediaagency You would only understand if you have a Touareg and believe me I understood this person just fine.

[@BackwardFinesse]

Cannot manage Jetta, either, try “Yetta”.

[@hugoferreira2274]

I had a friend with a V10 manual was amazing to drive. Well had Air suspension too. So did help with the rode. The sane with the V8 petrol 4.2, air suspension makes a big difference on the ride. Have been on a couple of 3.2 and 3.6 and yes you can notice the difference

[@ABN17]

Good one mate, hilarious!! I was after the 2017 Touareg review.

[@kirotodorov4397]

Porshe SUV is based on touareg , I love my V8 06 . Anywhere you love to go , you shouldn't be worried with Touareg...looking for the Diesel engine 3.0 ..year 12 and up .

[@kustu]

Great video! However I have to say that I think Touareg is better in off road than Range Rover Sport.

[@markspark899]

When I put all my heaters on cold the middle right hand one is always warm too! Always been the same in the 2years I've owned it and always was curious about it

[@bengreen6980]

Loved my Mk1 2.5 it was like navigating an arm chair.

[@ukvette]

Wife's 2012, Manchester to Canterbury, and back, 42 mpg. You tested an old, out of date Touareg, low power engine, no blue motion, no stop start, Why didn't you buy a later model? 2014 for example?

[@s4b1n123]

Regarding the AC blowing cold on one side, and hot on the other - it's probably the flap motor that adjusts the air mix on the left side. Should pop-up when you do a VCDS scan. You can also try to run adaptation on the climate flaps. Can't remember the exact procedure, but there should be some videos online how-to.

[@johndevenny6723]

HOT/COLD AIR VENTS Im pretty sure I know why your air vents blow warm one side cold the other. V.A.G group vehicles have Silica bag in the coolant reservoir. Check side of the reservoir. Look for MIT SILICA. This is to prolong coolant life to match long life oil, Now! bits of sand from casting the engine block process still in water jacket erode the silica bag. the silica escapes and gets trapped in the heater matrix. Hope this helps. Greetings from Ireland!!!

[@Makiwarakicker]

Could be caused by the passenger temperature sensor just inside the duct. Needs to be scanned to get a precise code. If it is its a cheap part to fix.

[@bartektwardowski]

Well this video by you changed my perspective on the touareg. The 5.0 tt v10 tdi idea is neat tho

[@pavo45]

had that problem with my Audi a6 turned out to be a air distribution control needed changing. sometimes restarting the car would re set things then after a while on side would run hot again

[@d48248]

Hot & cold air common fault with vw group 3.0 tdi. HAV control valves, can be cleaned. Better replace. Edit wrong part number thafs for the petrol sorry.

[@eggythumpnonce9082]

We had a r50 v10 diesel come into our VW dealship absolute monster of a car

[@GreenOval_Adventurers]

Its the blend motors behind the dash id say, I know on Range rovers etc i think you can hear a clicking noise when you turn it off, ( not sure from memory ) but im nearly sure. But its definitely the blend motors id say.

[@CTE-6000EagleVeryHeavyFighter]

Touareg, in my opinion, is one of the best looking SUVs ever made. Saw a really early V6 TDI lying at the dealership with a shattered windshield and a wheel missing. Felt really sad about it since knowing India, it'll probably be scrapped.

[@glenjefferies4055]

I had EXACTLY the same fault with a Range Rover Vogue thought it was going to be expensive but all it needed was a top up of the air con gas !!! Bizarre Hopefully you’ll find out yours is as simple 👍

[@HighPeakAutos]

Thanks! Fingers crossed this cures it

[@mrtonysantos]

some dual zone climate controls will blow different temp to passenger side when there is no passenger... it's their way of mixing the air

[@stuartday1876]

The dual zone on my Q7 is like that. The blower motor stopped working, so I took it out and cleaned it up and greased it. Motor works fine now, but dual zone has never been great since.

[@HighPeakAutos]

Thanks for the tip

[@bigfarma6757]

A few years ago I fancied one of these ..until I drove it . Incredibly dull . It’s just a Passat with big wheels . An amazing car to drive with very high spec is the new Kia Sportage . I was very pleasantly surprised when I drove it .

[@tonywelch8760]

The air cond issue is the TX valve. I had exactly the same issue on my V10. Great review. Great car. Thank you

[@matthewking5612]

I drove a V10 version in 2005, very impressive.