We're SHOCKED And Surprised By How Our Cheap VW Touareg Performed Off-Road!

[@TFLcar]

What Makes This VW Touareg The World's Most Under Appreciated and Over Engineered Car? Find Out Here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZoWrl5yjiNmYjLM

[@ElBoriTheVeteran]

Iive here in Golden and I would love to meet you guys. Im a super fan of you guys.

[@briantracy1324]

Jeep/Chrysler/Fiat people saying a VW is unreliable?? HA HA HA HA HA HA HA !!!!!

[@ahdsh88]

please make Touareg vs Land Cruiser

[@Quietjustrelax]

You guys made me want a touareg now , could be a cool addition to my b5 passat 😋

[@mineaim7066]

I'm a VW dealer tech and I've always wanted one of these. You've made me resume my search for a clean one. Thanks... I think...

[@theworldrecipebook]

I had a V8 version 2005. Was t-boned at 50klm an hour whilst stationary into the pillar between driver and rear passengers doors. Side airbag saved my head head. Walked away with nothing more than a perforated ear drum. Both doors still opened. (car was totalled , other car was demolished) That driver , high on meth, was wheeled of in an ambulance hardly alive. This car saved my legs, head and possibly my life. Totally amazing the fire brigade guys and police attending said. Ill always have one and, they are so much cheaper than equivalents.

[@Haslamhoff]

I owned an 06 V6 from 30k kms to 140kms. I off-roaded it frequently and the only non maintenance issue (oil changes and brakes) were a coil recall (no failure, just preventative), and a noisy (no failure) rear hatch closing motor replaced under warranty. Our 06 Jeep Commander has cost us much more. I think the launch years had bugs which were misty worked out by 06. Best car I ever owned. Never left me stranded.

[@jerrodcorey25]

Please do a Head to Head video with the Cheap Toureg and the new Wrangler Rubicon. That Toureg is amazing off road

[@tanktheram]

Better yet... Touareg vs Grand Trailhawk - head to head. On paper they're nearly identical, aside from the TH having skid plates, tow hooks, and Jeep reliability 😉

[@mavricxx]

@@tanktheram -Jeep reliability meaning...crappy right

[@tanktheram]

@@mavricxx sounds like you haven't owned a Jeep. Between the wife and I we've owned a Commander, YJ, Grand Cherokee, and four JK'S -7 Jeeps total. The YJ required a replacement PCM due solely to age. The Commander had a door wiring harness break, which was an easy fix, and one JK had a fuel pump let go, likely from repeated light on fill ups. Like our experience, all of my friends who own Jeeps have had great experiences. There is a reason they're #1 for resale value right along side Toyota. 😉

[@davidgonzalez-be9iz]

@@tanktheram Jeep and Volkswagen reliability are pretty much the same I have a Volkswagen touareg I take it everywhere and I bet I have a rare one cause nothing's gone wrong with it.

[@solidhamster]

@@tanktheram Jeeps just have resale value because of a brand name. New jeeps like grand cherokee is just an old mercedes ML under the skin. stuff like the cherokee and renegade is just a fiat 500x

[@margoparts6419]

One does not simply underestimate transfer box + diff lock + good ground clearance. Touareg-s are supposedly yeah "sleeper 4x4" not your average mommas-grocery truck. Cool video.

[@ogalief]

Margo Parts They drive like something between a luxury sports car and a pickup truck on the road. Amazing cars. Everyone who’s driven mine can’t get over how nice it drives

[@ronaldreed7698]

Its a formula that FSJ ( full size jeeps) Wagoneer had back in early 80's. I had several and though big and ugly I could out pull most highly modded vehicles.

[@altergreenhorn]

I owned Touareg for several years and yes off road capabilities for SUV are very good. Unfortaly quality of the car in general wasn't near German quality hype. I was forced to change some parts in car wich should last at least 2 if not 3 times more. Thats why I sold this shity hyped German car and never looked back.

[@DreamCarsPro]

First generation VW Touareg is a great car, if you do not take into account the cost of maintenance and repair!

[@TheKacper2001]

If you don't fix it at vw's with is stupid it won't be crazy expensive.

[@yellow98gt]

@@TheKacper2001 Regardless it's the overpriced parts that will cost you

[@TraditionalAnglican]

yellow98gt - So will Range Rover, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Ferrari, Porsche & just about any other luxury car or luxury SUV. Remember, the Touareg is more capable than a Range Rover & more luxurious than the Mercedes SUV.

[@cleetismcdougall5425]

My VW maintenance was extremely reasonable. Warranties cover everything and scheduled maintenance cost is no more than any other car if dealer maintained. After the warranty expired I did maintenance myself and bought parts at the dealer at a discount.

[@ronlheureux7623]

My son and daughter-in-law leased the "Car of the Year", 2000 Toureg. It was the V6 model. It was gutless and achieved on 1 MPG better gas mileage than the V8. The car spent most of its time at the dealership, due to endless quality issues. Then...the right front wheel, along with the brake assembly fell off while driving in town. Needless, to say, they hated that vehicle. Now, it wasn't the top of the line model, but it wasn't exactly inexpensive. The dealer experience was awful, parts were difficult to get, as well. Personally, my experience with VW service soured me on the brand in the late 1970s.

[@LOCOTouareg]

7 years im enjoying this amazing car and it never stops surprising me and others how much it can handle :)

[@LOCOTouareg]

@@thof8287 get newer model and you will never regret it :)

[@thof8287]

@@LOCOTouareg thanks for the advice.. I have a friend that's an Audi VW mechanic he said the Diesels are almost bulletproof reliability..

[@douggreen8944]

@@thof8287 i love my TDI egg

[@markjames2755]

I am happy you all did a review in this car because it's a fabulous car that many people overlook

[@drewhiz7334]

I actually thought this was nothing more than a soccer mom mobile. I'm thoroughly impressed!

[@mmiller1188]

Same! I had no idea these were available with a low range transfer case and a rear locker.

[@cottarevan2130]

@@mmiller1188 and even a front locker in Europe I think

[@Haldexify]

Dre Whiz Are you guys serious??? A 4x4 passat would go through that track.. maybe even a raised rwd bmw or honda... lol thats not offroad.. ofcourse the car doesnt slip. Its heavy and road is dry

[@cottarevan2130]

@@Haldexify have you seen any of their other tests of cars up there?

[@driximus]

@@Haldexify Trails never show how difficult they actually are on film.

[@CamarilloVineyard]

A 15 year old car with air suspension that still impresses imagine that! Loved my TDI version until VW bought it back! Great cars!

[@brandondannys-menary3678]

Erik Alan when you say “bought it back” what do you mean? Did they offer you a price that you couldn’t refuse or did they force you

[@EarthRover]

Stuff stuff and More stuff It was a mandatory buy back because there was no fix for the 1st gen 3.0 diesel engines. The 2nd gen 3.0 diesel they came up with a fix for the emissions cheat.

[@dzelpwr]

@@EarthRover, wrong on both accounts. Check out the VW Court settlement website and read carefully. Not only is there a fix for all the first gen 3.0L TDIs but the buyback was in no way mandatory. Out of all the engines involved in the scandal (including both the various generations of 2.0L 4 cylinders and 3.0L 6 cylinders) the only one to NOT get approval is the "Gen 2" 2.0L with MANUAL transmission only. The automatics DID get approval. The Gen 2 engines were found in only the 2012-14 Passats. A pretty small number of engines. They had a fix proposal that did not pass and VW thought about making another proposal, but after seeing how few of them were sold deemed it not to be worth the effort and expense and dropped it. All other proposals passed on the first try. With that having been said, I have a customer who owns a 2013 Passat TDI with manual transmission... IN California, no less. He still has his car even though there is no fix for it. The wording of the agreement was very consumer friendly. You can absolutely keep your car and keep it unmodified, you just don't get any kind of monetary compensation. Obviously, the monetary compensation was so absurdly high that it was difficult for most to say no to. THAT is the reality. The buy backs were in no way mandatory and there absolutely is a fix for even the earliest 3.0L V6 engines.

[@fredbrackely]

@@brandondannys-menary3678 VW offered to buy back your car, based on year and mileage. You could keep your car (with the new emissions modification) and get some cash from VW, or completely sell it back for the full offering amount. As an example, a 2013 TDI Jetta with 80K miles would probably got you $24K.

[@EarthRover]

dzelpwr Good to know. But like you said it would be absurd to not take the money and risk not being able to register it in california in the future. I got more money than I paid for it and I got to drive it for 2 years. Seriously though it was an incredible car only topped by my current 2017 land rover discovery manly because it has a third row seat.

[@vxnova1]

I have a feeling the price just went up for used Touareg

[@karenmarieh.j.3842]

Not sure. I am SUV shopping and towards the start of this video, I was thinking of getting another jeep. Then watching the VW perform I was starting to consider it. At 20:53, and listening to the cost to repair, I decided that I had to pass.

[@Shamano37]

Just don't get your maintenance done at a dealership, they cost 3 times more than any other shop you'd take it to. $120 for an oil change? I get full synthetic for $50.

[@jd-py5nm]

@@karenmarieh.j.3842 repairs and availability of parts and service are the issue. I have a great jeep shop for repairs and mods near me not so much for the vw

[@bdpjumbi]

@@jd-py5nm The Touareg doesn't need mods, and most cities have VW/Porshe/Audi independent shops, which is where you should service a VW anyway. Parts are available via dismantled Touaregs/Phaetons/ Bentley Continentals.

[@IndyRider1974]

Having had one, wait until they experience they impending break down and impending repair bill, that will bring the value back down in a hurry.

[@snwboard13]

Love my 2004 Touareg. It under promises and over delivers.

[@jamesbeaman6337]

snwboard13 I’ll start the bidding at $2000! Jk

[@babyb360]

I would own one of these as a diesel. This is one of the most beautiful SUVs ever!! I get butterflies in my stomach just looking at this SUV. ♥️

[@mi16t]

Nia Lestat w10 diesel

[@LT3Fluffy]

@@mi16t v10. They've got crazy videos on KZbin with the v10 tuned

[@carbonfiber492]

The v10 was good until it needed anything other than just normal maintenance then it’s engine out want to replace the alternator be prepared for the 7k bill

[@babyb360]

carbonfiber492 I honestly wouldn’t daily drive this SUV. The vehicle would be for driven for pleasure. If the cost of engine repair is too great, I’d be willing to LS swap it.

[@JAPonds]

@@carbonfiber492 Haha! You obviously have not actually researched your claims. The water cooled generator is in the V of the engine and the job is easily completed in a few hours by an unfamiliar mechanic completely from the top of the engine bay. The ironic thing is that you consider the alternator to be a maintenance item. On the Touareg, the generator/alternator is kept at ideal operating temperatures due to built in coolant jacket so it typically last over 200k miles before needing replacement.

[@BigBlueGuy]

I never would have thought the Touareg was that capable. It is very impressive!

[@briantracy1324]

17:50 After 60,000 miles the dealer stopped getting reimbursed by VW on repairs and they stopped nitpicking the car to generate service revenue. This car is basically the same as a Q7 or Cayenne ... The best would be a V6 with the lockers and air ride... avoiding the Audi V8 maintenance.

[@lanceguilin]

Yeah, I'm surprised Tommy didn't connect the dots. Cars don't suddenly stabilize after 60k. in fact, more likely than not, they get worse as they age, especially German cars. Hate them with respect to reliability. But the ability of this vehicle going off road is truly shocking. It is indeed like a Land Cruiser.

[@DEEuroworks]

Brian Tracy q7 didn’t have low range or lockers, Cayenne and Touareg only did.

[@redzoom7857]

Fortunately my Toaureg (bought brand new in 2015) has a 10year 100k powertrain warranty. Thus far the only issue was the water pump going at 25k. Currently at 58k trouble free otherwise.

[@lanceguilin]

does your 2015 have lockers and slip differentials? or is it just AWD?

[@redzoom7857]

Lance Guilin just AWD with Off-road switch

[@lanceguilin]

@@redzoom7857 Yeah, that's what I thought. 2015 offers other newer convenience and safety tech but it's not as capable as the older Toaureg with respect to 4x4 off road abilities. Hope your Toaureg remains trouble free for you.

[@fredbrackely]

@@lanceguilin Much like the old Subarus which came with a low range transfer case and a locker.

[@lanceguilin]

@@fredbrackely lol. How did you know I have a 2016 Subaru Forester with CVT.. it sucks compared to the old subies.. lol

[@MtnmanMtnman]

I remember wanting a diesel Touraeg so bad I couldn’t stand it. The price was just out of my reach at the time. I think it’s great how keep coming up with different and original content. I love the bandwidth of content that TFL produces, I am unaware of any other online group that even comes close to TFL. Thank you and Keep up the great work.

[@jaromor8808]

What car community disrespects Touareg? For a real car-guy this is no surprise. Still a great video!

[@tanktheram]

Those who know, KNOW. 😉

[@rayroper3578]

Owned mine from 04 to 21. Equipped as shown except a v6. Offroad was amazing. Bigger tires gave 12.5 inch clearance. $$ maint., mostly electrical. Low range downhill assist was like magic. Low range 1st gear is very slow, that's good. Favorite vehicle in my 53 years of driving

[@tx2sturgis]

Two Touaregs can be bought for one Tesla repair bill. Not too shabby.

[@59ksmall]

I purchased mine with 190k miles, one owner 2002 V8, with complete service records. Transfer case chain stretch, prop shafts and engine vacuum leaks were the main problems. Transfer case was replaced once and I replaced the chain in the second one because it was popping and skipping teeth under acceleration. Prop shaft was replaced twice due to bearing failure. Many vacuum leaks due to the expensive VW plastic hoses used that cracked over time. Also, the vacuum operated variable intake manifold actuators were stuck and needed cleaning to function properly. Oh and A/C issues too. Loved that V8 though! Great power and sound. Thirsty though.

[@jerrodcorey25]

You need to take that ting on the Rubicon trail or something. Just give it some BFG TAKO2's, and some tow hooks. You need to find something, somewhere, somehow, to challenge that beast off road ! ! ! DO IT UP TOMMY ! ! !

[@fredbrackely]

The unibody would be destroyed. There would be bits of it left on the trail.

[@krane15]

@@fredbrackely It cost VW a billion dollars. I assure you, it would not.

[@warummussmeinnameangegeben6502]

That would be stupid. And I would feel sorry for all the quarterpanels, rockers and bumpers of that car. Maybe a little bit Moab would be cool with that.. After they did all the normal tests, then modified with the small things it needs to get an almost perfect ORI score (Standard sized All Terrains, Skid Plates and Tow Hooks).

[@fredbrackely]

@@krane15 LOL .It cost VW a billion dollars in development, and that didn't include smashing it down the Rubicon Trail like the OP suggested. I would have thought you'd have understood when Tommy mentioned it comes with plastic under body covers, much like my MK7.5 R, so I guarantee there would be bits of it left on the trail.

[@krane15]

@@fredbrackely How many manufacturers do you know that have unibody SUVs with the ability to rock climb? A steel skid plate is a minor addition. You can always find something wrong with any care including a RR or a Bentley.

[@EDHBlvd]

1:55 you forgot to mention the V10 TDI (Turbo Diesel) option available in North America. 550 ft lbs of torque baby!

[@yellow98gt]

It won't have those torque figures after the emissions fix. VW had to cheat everyone with there "diesel gate"

[@dzelpwr]

@@yellow98gt, bro, you do know that the V10s were made from 2004-2008 and complied to very different emissions rules than the 2009 and newer SUVs that were involved in dieselgate, right? The V10s were never part of the scandal, nor were any other PD fuel system TDI for that matter (2004-2006 4 cylinders here in the U.S.). Of course what's funny is the PD engines are quite a bit dirtier than the cheating 2009 and newer commonrail engines. That's just how radical the change in regulations are.

[@focuzx4]

Watch vide one they did mention all the engine variants

[@yellow98gt]

@@dzelpwr www.wikizero.com/en/Volkswagen_Touareg There is a quote under development. "However, a limited number of the V10 TDI Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) diesel engines was available in the 2004 model year (before being pulled for environmental reasons)."

[@dzelpwr]

@@yellow98gt, I own a 2004. They were pulled for the 2005 model year due to some regulations tightening, and came back full force for 2006-8 equipped with DPFs (and a few other minor changes, like electric EGRs instead of vacuum controlled, EGR cooler, relocation of the fuel filter to make room for aforementioned cooler). They still didn't cheat, it just meant that due to the change in regulations after the 2004 model year, the 2004 version of that engine was no longer able to meet the 2005 model year regulations and thus they had to add DPFs and change a few other things to get them compliant. And they did. They were never involved in any emissions scandal whatsoever.

[@simjet22]

The 1gens were amazing. Especially when equipped with the v10 diesel. There should be a video on KZbin of one pulling a Boeing 747

[@sparkyire1983]

I've been a happy owner of the V10 for 6 years now. Most reliable car I've ever owned. It just keeps going and going. Never fails to put s smile on your face also when you floor it.

[@tanktheram]

And multiple videos of them pulling hillbilly pickups across parking lots in a tug of war!

[@fabianoelck6899]

The approach, and departure angles you have quoted are for the steel suspension. The air suspension has a max of f 33.2, r 33.6. Note that max suspension travel is reached in the second highest setting, X. tra significantly reduces it. Markets outside of N. America had a third available suspension a jacked up steel suspension that was part of the Touareg Expedition package, which also included under body protection, and a winch.

[@mindspinn311]

The capability of this thing is blowing my mind, and the price you paid! I kinda want one. Nobody will expect this on the trail! It’s the Spanish Inquisition of SUV’s.

[@Lashaitaly]

Nice video. Goog detail oriented explanations. I Love that car. I Had a w12 model in Italy 13 years ago and it was an absolute charm. Actually in Europe VW Touareg always counted as a direct competitor to BMW Mercedes and even Porsche Cayenne. And with w12 power inside, IMO it was just a wee better than any of those above mentioned brands top tier offers.

[@VWRalf]

2004 was the first year the Touareg came to the States and when things went wrong with them, the dealer techs didn't know how to fix them so they shot gunned parts at them and hoped that the part they replaced fixed the issue. The cars had more tech in them that the techs weren't used to and there wasn't enough training. That's why the repair bills were so high. I would say that the alternators weren't even the issue. Charging issues were usually battery cable problems. Also, VW recommended 10k mile oil change intervals. Had the owner not changed the oil every 4-5K miles, the oil change bill would have been half of what it was. I'm at 175K miles with 10K oil changes in my 2006 and haven't had any problems.

[@fatboy19831]

10 k mile oil changes are fine if you do mostly highway driving. If you do mostly city or suburban driving 5k miles is ideal. Once a year if you do very low miles. Dealer recommendations are just that dealer recommendations. Like lifetime transmission fluid in BMW and Audis. Lifetime is 10 years 100,000 miles by the way. You need to replace your transmission fluid at 100k in one of those cars.

[@gericx]

That's the way it currently is here in Panama, no matter the brand, they just want to swap parts even if it's just a matter of re-programming a key fob. Too much technology even for the car dealerships that sell those cars.

[@fatboy19831]

@@gericx Same thing all over. An Oxegen sensor code does not mean to replace the oxygen sensor. There is a complete test procedure you must go through first ( detailed in the code). It could be the connection or anything in line before or after the oxygen sensor.

[@tylerrider4224]

i also have one and its an 04 v6 (wish i would have gotten the v8) but i have never had any issues out of the car!

[@robertartac1853]

After 225000 miles i finally did some real river crossings this weekend. Stock V6, steel suspension, Cooper AT3s and he did really well. I was out there with Rubicons, lifted full size trucks and RZRs and Treg has no problems. Locked up the diffs and blasted through 8 inches of flowing sandy bottom river.

[@MrDylanMitchell]

I'm a car and truck enthusiast and have known about the Touareg for a while. It's a brilliantly designed vehicle and first gens along with some of the first gen Cayenne models had low-range case, and locking differential. There's a rumor VW or Porsche had planned for a Police version and that's part of why first gens are so overbuilt. Cayenne also had a manual for a bit but it may have been V6 only with no low-range. The Touareg is one of the few vehicles that's great on and off road another is the Land Rover Discover Sport. Both have astronomical running costs but have take serious depreciation hits and are a good deal if you can afford to keep them running. Lexus GX460/470's are starting to be affordable, are reliable, and don't seem to hold value as well as most 4Runners or other Lexus's making them a great but. They are thirsty and and handle like a body on frame truck and some came with steel vs air suspension.

[@keithiverson6687]

The cayenne did come with a v8 manual trans and low range t-case, the 08-10 GTS. Super rare, less than 200/year, I own one.

[@drnh4444]

I had a 2003 one of these and it was without doubt the best car I ever owned. Amazing car to drive

[@Juve]

FYI, that V8 is NOT from the S4, the B6 and B7 4.2L were chain engines and Touareg and A8 use a belt driven v8 in that body Touareg. But a great video.... btw, 15 year VW/ Audi tech here....and owned a 2010 Touareg TDI.....loved it! You guys shoulda got the V10 TDI lol......but the v8 is so much better than the vr6

[@kevinbeck9459]

My 2004 toureg is the 4.2 v8 engine that's not a tdi model its a gas engine not diesel

[@scottbloomfield2564]

Shhhh!! As a vw tech you're taking away my access to a very good cheap 4x4. Mines a v8 with air suspension and I put on 17" wheels so have more tire choices. Running Falken wildpeak at 265/70/17 with just slight rub on plastic. The winch is going on this weekend. It's more comfortable and easily driven at high way speeds than any other SUV I've owned. Also just as capable as getting Nevada pinstripes as anything I have owned.

[@fredbrackely]

What are you using to mount the winch, the OEM plate or something else like a modified Jeep mount?

[@scottbloomfield2564]

@@fredbrackely factory bumper bar with tab welded on and universal winch mount. There's a write up on club Touareg just search hidden winch mount.

[@NewBeRVer]

I'm IMPRESSED! I would have never thought! Luv this new series.

[@m_baig1749]

I legit bought a 2011 tousreg back when it was new and still owning it and i never got any fault or a problem. Its still going strong at 260k miles with regular oil changes and necessary services done and no problem at all..by far its the best car ive ever bought

[@zelenizub2036]

Now the obvious tuareg vs land cruiser competition.

[@thehayman7352]

Righteous you truly, down to the center of your heart, believe this can compete with the land cruiser? If you say so

[@thatswiss1385]

Land Cruiser wins Because of reliability 😂

[@FEGTTTSDH]

I don´t know price in USA, but here you can buy 3 Touareg with 1 LC...

[@callawaykilla4]

The tow hook is removable. It lives in there rear area with the compressor. It screws into the bumper at 4 different screw points that hide under small plastic doors. Touareg rocks! They literally have though of everything.

[@Rando31able]

Man I kinda want a vw tuareg

[@andyfleming4441]

I love mine, and love the mantainance tally y'all did. Since buying my 04 V8 in 08, we've put over $16,000 into it over 80k miles (ouch). It's not cheap, but it is awesome.

[@MrTurnermason]

Having owned one of the 04-08 models, I can say that this is my favorite car I have had, a unfortunate off road trip killed mine (water)

[@JamesRussoMillas]

The 1st gen Touareg is the greatest ever. You forgot it can also tow planes!

[@Haldexify]

James Russo Are you guys serious??? A 4x4 passat would go through that track.. maybe even a raised rwd bmw or honda... lol thats not offroad.. ofcourse the car doesnt slip. Its heavy and road is dry

[@karlsandin4515]

I can tow a Cessna 172 by hand , so

[@thivakarsaravanamuthu4744]

A prius can tow a plane too man ?

[@MehmetSafakAlbayrak]

@@karlsandin4515 search Touareg 747

[@louie4316]

If you want to be even more impressed hitch a 7000lb trailer to it and drive it up the mountain. Take lots of pictures at the dumb founded stares you'll get. VW Cayenne..oops sorry Toaureg. Best SUV I ever owned.

[@japopo5533]

Yes they should have it do the Ike gauntlet what the 7000 lb trailer

[@fredbrackely]

@@japopo5533 100% agree - Ike Gauntlet this VW and show-up some of the trucks.

[@tanktheram]

IKE Gauntlet!!!!!!!

[@sjmacko]

I owned an 07 Jeep Commander with tow package/Hemi and a 2012 Touareg at the same time... Guess which one always got 4x4 and tow duty? The Touareg would pull the Jeep sideways. Pulling 5000 pounds, the VW easily braked, accelerated, and cornered in the mountains better than the empty Jeep. To the point that it was silly...

[@louie4316]

@@sjmacko I agree with you. We used to own a 2016 Coachman Freedom Express camper it was 29Ft and a good 5600Lb dry. Back then I was a rookie at backing up that thing into my driveway, I remember getting a bit frustrated while trying to straighten it out while reversing then I put the Touareg into drive quickly and pulled out onto the road and I heard my wife yelling "OH MY GOD!" ( she was outside guiding me in) I slammed the brakes. She told me I dragged the whole trailer onto the roas with the trailer wheels locked! I didn't give the electric brakes on the trailer a few seconds to disengage and it pulled that camper like it was nothing. The Touareg is truly an over engineered masterpiece. A beast, too bad it didn't sell well.

[@wuslon70]

Had a gen 1 Touareg (facelift model, V6 Diesel) for 4 years and over 90000 km. I went off-road a lot. I never had one issue ,and another single service besides the planned ones. One of the best cars I’ve ever owned.

[@bernardhossmoto]

The Austrian Army has issued a bunch of these as replacements for the aging G Waggon.

[@simicm.9946]

I've had my 2006 V6 3.2L Touareg for the last 10 years, 2nd owner with 398000 kms on it. My daily driver for work, visited construction sites and off roading, in snow no problem...lover it. I live in Ottawa Canada so you can imaging the winters. Over the past 10 years I've replaced; 1. Crank shaft twice 2. Battery 3. Fan blower 4. Ac compressor 5. Coolent fan 6. Wiper assembly, my fault, didn't clean snow properly. 7. Oil & filter every 10-13k (german synthetic). 8. Tires 9. Head light bulbs multple times

[@David-rx2to]

Wow. You got me looking for used Touaregs now. With some A/T tires and a roof top tent, this thing would be a great overlanding vehicle...assuming the previous owner took the hit with all the repairs!! Love that air suspension!

[@iroquoispliskin6077]

David V6 is the best.

[@David-rx2to]

Isn't the V6 a diesel? I'm a gas man...Touaregs have a gas V8 available, but they are not so popular. A quick search shows 30 Touaregs for sale within 200 miles of me, and only 2 were V8's...and had high mileage too :-( Was there a gas V6?

[@iroquoispliskin6077]

David There was a VR6 and after looking into it there were 3.2 & 3.6 versions. Not sure if there is much mechanical difference other than displacement but the VR6 is generally a reliable engine with a great powerband that responds well to light modification. Parts are more affordable compared to the other options.

[@David-rx2to]

Thanks...I gotta do some more research!

[@chihweiteng253]

We got a MY2014 Touareg with the terrain tech package (low range transfer). It really goes everywhere and with very little drama. Swapped out the 20inch wheels for 17 inch. An awesome machine.

[@carloscarpinteyro332]

What a great "real world" review!! I am not surprised actually, I've heard that they were were the most overlooked "mountain goat" type of vehicle. This vehicle is a sibling of the porsche cayenne. I presume that their 4 wheel drive system is an evolution of audi's xlnt quattro format. Many people don't know, but, it was the germans that developed synthetic oil, as a result of the bombing raids on their petroleum facilities during WW2. I first read about synthetic oil in a 1975 popular science magazine article, and was so impressed with the tests, that I will only use that oil in any of my vehicles, because of it's engineering roots from the germans. the germans developed the jet engine, all of which use synthetic oil. In 1972, Al Amatuzio by being in the military, flying jets, took note of this, and founded the Amsoil Oil Company. My concern with your car, is that as it racks up mileage towards 150 k miles, is that all of that electronic wizardly will start to fail, and then you'll experience those "bentley prices" to get it fixed, but hopefully those parts were engineered for a longer life span. Great review, young man!! I really liked the Jeep Comanche review, as well. I owned one in the past, and, I liked it, even though I had a problem, similar to yours with the peugeot sourced 5 speed manual transmission.

[@rodmartinez4959]

I love mine! Got 31" all terrain and its almost impossible to get stuck with diff lock off. Very good review. And deff correct on the cost to maintain. Change that center drive axle. Bearing! EPS makes a permanent bushing/housing...

[@shanem9631]

When people say "worst car ever made" I'm like "do you know what a Yugo is" 😂

[@Kumar-bg6nr]

People saying this is the worst car ever made probably drive a 98 Civic or some shit Toyota that they think is "reliable".

[@asertiv1]

Great video. The tourareg is a great offroad sleeper. I hear vw has the most engineers of any automaker. That shows here and also lends to the reliability concerns. Good job Dieters, I think. The onboard air compressor is just plain cool. I hope the SUV holds up. Keep up the good work.

[@fredbrackely]

One thing not mentioned on here is the crash safety record of this vehicle. They absolutely aced IIHS and NCAP testing.

[@Dickusification]

They are built like tanks

[@warummussmeinnameangegeben6502]

A little bit of Moab would be cool with that at the End.. After they did all the normal tests, then modify it with the small things it needs to get an almost perfect ORI-Score (Standard sized All Terrains, Skid Plates and Tow Hooks).

[@bicimotoworld4115]

Tommy: the kind of guy that puts the seatbelt on to drive a car 5 inches on a roller 😂

[@CarswithNash]

Mr. World Probably to avoid having the seatbelt dinger going off during the video.

[@MLW65]

The wall was close by...

[@davidseinen3483]

Mark Domnick I was looking for this comment lol

[@martinscocan5221]

@@MLW65 he already hit the wall with the model 3 tesla!!

[@patemblen3644]

A good driver, who's mental auto-pilot routine includes the seat belt

[@cbrbird]

Repair history very similar to my 2001 Golf TDI which had everything electronic break in the first five years. Since then, solid as a rock. 305,000 km with oil burn at a litre/8000 km and never had a mechanical issue in the drivetrain...

[@scmclane]

I've caught up on the series and one thing that you don't seem to mention is the Touareg shares a platform with the Porsche Cayenne and the Audi Q7. The Porsche was less offroad capable and the Audi offered 3rd row seating. They each had their place in the market but shared many capabilities, features, and options. Porsche used their own 4.5L V8 while the Audi and VW shared the 4.2L V8 which was in fact out of the Audi S4 - although it was tuned appropriately for the SUV. The Touareg (and the other two) were lightyears ahead of their time and until 2004 no Volkswagen every utilized the kinds of advanced features seen on the heavily optioned Touaregs. As this video points out, they all benefitted from updated factory parts being phased in. The Alternator on these is also water cooled which drives that price up - but thats the price of technology. I am on my second 2004 V8 Touareg and hope to keep on in my life for a good long time. We'll never see another vehicle as capable off road as these early Touaregs.

[@kevincraftsbcs4488]

The performance of this machine is incredible. I can’t wait to see what else it can do especially with dedicated off road tires. It is fascinating that oversees it had both front and rear lockers. I have an original 300,000 mile + VW Vanagon Syncro with a locking rear differential. It is pretty unstoppable off road, and was also offered with both front and rear lockers overseas. The reliability issues for both of them may have been a factor early on, but once everything has been sorted, and with proper knowledgeable service, they both will run for 300,000 plus miles. Thank you for this wonderful, exotic, and fascinating addition to your fleet.

[@dwightdavis5894]

Heck!. You make me want a Touareg!

[@AngelRodriguez-lq3zv]

I’m 18 yrs and this is my first car and it really speaks for itself!

[@1biggun712]

Great presentation Tommy! 😁👋👋👍

[@robertrichardson9953]

He's getting better every day. Maybe he'll finally take over Roman's place

[@nathanc1542]

I had this same exact model. Awesome when it worked. I had nothing but trouble with it. I went through two batteries (and just so you know there under the driver seat) and two computers. Still didn't fix the battery drain problem. If you buy one, make sure you buy some jumper cables or a jump pack!

[@majorcalvary6515]

I like Touareg. It sells very well in China. Toured was literally same vehicle as Porsche Cayenne. Porsche offer more sporty options and engine options. They were built at the same assembly plant in Poland.

[@broncobros2022]

I was thinking these were built jointly with Porsche

[@sickjohnson]

When the Touraeg first came out, I rented one for a winter xmas trip up north, what shocked me about it was how well it cornered...blew my mind to say the least! No doubt it is exceptional off road, because of it's brother they Porsche Cayenne...remember all the videos Porsche put on their website to promote the hell out of really showed how crazy they went after Range Rovers for off road respect.

[@ZHY554]

Sorry, all I could think about at the end is the "Doug score 😂"

[@willb3018]

You have to settle for ORI😉

[@johndiaz7240]

Always enjoy you're presentation thanks. Over 30 yrs my 62 Land Cruiser hasn't costs me anywhere near as much to maintain .

[@sun80chon]

So basically techs at dealership put together touareg better than factory

[@dzelpwr]

Former co-worker of mine was a VW dealer technician when they first came out for the 2004 model year. He said it was common for those early production Touaregs to come in and have 4 pages of recalls and updates to work out the bugs. First model year teething issues and a vehicle that is built radically different than what VW, Audi and Porsche had ever made prior to that point.

[@dzelpwr]

I'll add a little anecdote from a friend and fellow technician. This guy has been a die hard VW fanatic since he was a kid, technician working on VWs since the 80s and eventually other makes as well. A friend of his who was working at a Toyota dealership in his area (St. Louis-ish) was showcasing either the new 4Runner or Land Cruiser, not sure which, and they had amassed a number of competitors' products to showcase how superior Toyota's 4WD/Off road prowess was. His friend took my friend aside and confided in him "Since I know you're such a big VW fan, I'm only going to tell you this. We had a Touareg in this comparison group as well initially, but it was too good. We had to make that one go away." That was a story I heard over a decade ago and for whatever reason it stuck with me. Now I own an early Touareg myself and am starting to scratch the surface at its capabilities off road. And enjoying every moment being in the thing. Fantastic on road as well. Really is an off road sleeper that also happens to be amazing, quiet and comfortable to drive on road and at speed.

[@zipskippy433]

Humble Mechanic who owns, works on, and loves these had a discussion on these, from a mechanic's perspective. Good stuff.

[@daemn42]

Should have tried that rough rocky top stretch without the diff locks first. Probably still would have made it. Cliffhanger 2.0 next? FWIW, I've had my 2004 VW R32 on a very steep (not rocky) 4x4 road with opposite corners off the ground, and it pulled itself up with nothing but Haldex coupling front to rear and the EDL system. Done right EDL can be pretty effective. Look at Toyota's A-TRAC.

[@dzelpwr]

This, right here. The electronic rear diff lock is so very rarely genuinely needed. Glad to have it when it is needed, but under 95% of most off road scenarios, the EDL (part of ABS/ESP programming) works fantastic without having to electro-mechanically lock the rear diff. Also likely why it got dropped as an option on the later Touaregs.

[@carldeithloff9412]

Love the Toureg!!!! Tommy, great job on this video! You hit the nail right on the head. People never realized that this car (Early models) were on the same platform as the Porsche Cayenne. PS My sister had the same 04 VW Touareg in black.

[@Landoram]

It's going to be a fun series and I'm just glad it's your money on the line and not mine! Offroad=stress->things break->high costs with German vehicles in the USA

[@dzelpwr]

@Autos Y Cultura, it's not really a crossover. It is quite possibly the stiffest unibody SUV on the planet. The fact that it's a unibody won't be an issue at all. If there's one things Germans are good at, it's basic structural integrity of their unibodies and the steel used in them (or aluminum in the case of some Audis).

[@dzelpwr]

@Autos Y Cultura, believe me when I say the unibody is the least of this vehicle's concerns going off road...

[@ocracoke2013]

I have owned a 2002 & 2006 Touaregs. On asphalt, it is fast as hell. The interior in nicer than a Land Cruiser from 2000's. The electronics are usually the biggest complaints. Kind of like a "check engine light" won't turn off, which most Ford trucks do from then. My biggest complaint is the VW dealership would not install a towing hitch, so I followed a video on KZbin and did it myself.

[@isaac62rebel]

Why is it I happen to see one lifted with offroad tires on my way to work today

[@nafsucof]

in addition to ads now google can do real life placements for your interests!

[@TheCriminalViolin]

Honestly, I have to say, if there is any vehicle that deserves the badge of Ultimate Off-road vehicle, I say it's this car. When it's healthy, and functioning correctly, that thing treats everything like it's seen it a 1,000 times over before and it scoffing at the idea you'd ever assume it would find it a challenge. Also gets bonus points for being the most likely to make Jeep Wrangler fanatics cry or get pissed off at it for dominating the trails over their vehicles.

[@jonlao8319]

Your a fan of DDE if you know the song in 5:00

[@jefferysmith3930]

I worked for a VW dealership in FL when this car came out. I doubt VW does anything like this now, but back then when they were flush with cash, the launch for this car was in Phoenix AZ. I got to fly out there and for 2 days absolutely hammer these cars both on and off road. I geeked out because 1/2 the cars were German spec with German number plates as there weren’t enough US cars available at the time. We drove them around Firebird raceway with BMW X5’s and Mercedes ML’s for comparison. And I mean we flogged them around the track. Something that big just shouldn’t be that fast and handle so well. I about rolled a Mercedes ML going around a corner that the Touareg just walked around. Then they bused us out to an off road course they had set up in the desert on the Gila Indian reservation. They had an entire air conditioned little tent city set up in the middle of the desert. We experienced everything you did and more. Moguls where 2 wheels were off the ground, departure and breakaway angle tests, Hill climb assist and descent assist is awesome on this car. It will stop on a steep hill and just sit there, with the transmission holding it in place and creep down a steep grade without touching the brake. You name it, we did it. Some of the most fun I’ve ever had in a car. I came away totally sold on the car......then we actually got them at the dealership. Oh boy! The early models were absolute Service whores that were plagued with problems. But that was then. Several years on with the bugs sorted out, some aftermarket support and if you can do some of the work yourself, I can’t think of a better all around on/off road vehicle. But only worth the trouble if you’ll actually use it off road. No one in FL did so they were just thirsty, expensive, over engineered tanks in that environment. Seeing the kind of money people spend adding accessories to Land Cruisers and Land Rovers and Jeeps these days to make them more off roadable, I don’t see how the Touareg can be knocked anymore for being to expensive to maintain. It certainly isn’t expensive to buy. Thanks for showing the old beast some love

[@abrahamg4005]

I owned a 2004 V8 Touareg a few years ago and yes the maintenance cost is high, but if you want luxury comfort and off-road there really isn’t a best option that the first gen Touareg.

[@yellow98gt]

The Lexus LX470 is the better option

[@fredbrackely]

LR4

[@TheFoxyy18]

Really like the new mixed order sort of editing guys, switching back and forth from the trail, to the slip test, to the whiteboard and back keeps the video engaging and more fun to watch, great work!

[@koton_bads]

I never clicked this so fast

[@busardr1452]

That 4.2L V8 is one of the toughest around so you shouldn't have any issues with the engine. The air suspension is another story though but you may have good luck and I hope you do have good luck with this vehicle. Looking forward to more videos on the Touareg.

[@grayv3]

The belt drive v8 was in the a6, s6 avant, a8 & s8. The b6 s4 used a new timing chain design

[@BATworkshop]

I had a 2004 V10 TDI touareg for years. it was one of the best vehicles I have owned. it off road ability was comically good. and of course the power of the V10 diesel was absurd making the fact that it had a low range even more absurd and I loved every second of it!

[@cmspaz]

I owned a V10 TDI example for around 2 years, absolutely loved it. Even when I was shopping for one, I thought it was nothing more than the engine equivalent of the Hulk stuffed into a cushy SUV... Owning one opened my eyes to the truth: While crossovers are designed to be a jack of all trades, master of none, the Touareg was never designed to compromise on anything, no matter how or where you drove it. I turned laps on track. I towed my actual track car. I pulled people out of ditches in winter. I daily drove the piss out of it. The one thing I didn't do, and trust me, I regret it, was take it off road, though I have a suspicion that the torque of the V10 would have made low range completely unruly. VW has a fairly thick brochure about how every aspect of the vehicle was designed around maximum capability, on and off road. You can approach a 33 degree incline dead on without scraping either end. You can ford 2ft of water with zero ingress (air suspension only). I had more ground clearance than a buddy's lifted FJ. These things are probably the MOST underrated and under-appreciated vehicles ever sold.

[@steverohrbaugh290]

There are actually tow hooks / tow eyes in the T1s. There are 4 removable flaps in each corner of the bumpers that reveal Screw-in points for a removable tow hook/ eye. Have used these to recover and pull out some rather full-on 4x4s that were stuck mutch to their shame . . . after passing through.

[@cafn8ed74]

That looks insane in x.tra mode. Impressive climbing. Well done, Tommy.

[@einirjonsson2674]

It's got one long timing belt and two short chains that connect the camshafts. 40 valves, believe me

[@gavinmcdonald9967]

I own a v10tdi with all the bells and whistles. The amount of places I’ve gotten into and had to pull other modified 4x4 is amazing. Yet I can drive it every day and never be the wiser how well of a weekend fun car it can be

[@ayo30s]

This is awesome cos I’m a VW Guy and my friends and family, well... don’t understand why. I’m glad it did great, hope it serves u well, 👍🏾👊🏾✌🏾🇳🇬🇺🇸

[@jwaschke]

Jesus, I keep learning more and more about this Pandora's box of a rig. Got mine 2 months ago, had to fix the air ride system and replace the power steering hose, outside of that and regular maintenance fluid swap - it's fun to own! Goes like a scalded cat, can tow with the big kids, and feels like an Audi on the inside. Takes a lot of hate like you said from folks who don't love VW, my woman and I love ours (even though it expensive as hell to fix)!

[@midealautoclub]

I have a 2006 Touareg, this video makes me want to go get one more.😁

[@aaronthompson4408]

For spare parts or what? The only reliable VWs I've seen are golf and jetta.

[@midealautoclub]

@@aaronthompson4408 I would drive it. Mine has been very reliable. VR6 engines are very well built. Only things I had to replace is the flex pipe and center support shaft mount. Keep in mind I live in Canada and mine is exposed to lots of road salt.

[@aaronthompson4408]

@@midealautoclub fair enough. I'm in Minnesota so I'm familiar with salt.

[@richspartikus]

I loved, loved, LOVED my Touareg!! It was awesome on the road and off-road. It handled everything I dared do with it and then as soon as I get back on the pavement I threw it in Sport mode and used the V8 for speed. I loved it! But then it wouldn't start one day and it needed a more expensive repair than I was willing to make at the time. *sad face

[@ryanmitroo3979]

Pls stop the clickbait icons. Your content is great, you don't need to stoop to clickbait icons. Pls stop!

[@RyanRKJ]

They will not. You are going to need to accept that.

[@dchawk81]

Roman is regressing maturally. He thinks he's 13 now.

[@TFLcar]

Guys, this is what the KZbin algorithm rewards. It’s not our rules but the current state of this platform. Please watch this video and you’ll understand what KZbin’s algorithm has done to headlines: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nHnWkmx6ptJ8mpo

[@Creating_Space]

@@TFLcar no need to justify it, just keep making quality content. I don't really care if you have click bait titles or thumbnails because I'm going to watch the video anyways.

[@zachf355]

agree with ryan. i love your vids but clickbait is just plain stupid its like a tabloid lol

[@C_R_O_M________]

The key is their drivetrain. It’s got the best 4x4 system on the market (along with top-of-the-line, top-tier Jeeps). Their shortcomings is their limited (read non existent) suspension articulation and limited choices for off-road tires. I got a 2005 V10 TDi with both central and rear locking differentials (manufacturer’s option) since 2013 and loving it.

[@fomocore]

If there's an eyelet in the spare tire compartment there's a knockout in the bumpers to screw it in those are recovery points

[@DigitalImageStudio]

Yep, surprised he missed it.

[@dumbestoyster]

My '04 Passat Wagon was the same. Way over engineered. It had a 5 link front suspension, the fwd 5spd shared a transmission with a Porsche Boxter. It came with the option of a W8 with a 6spd AWD. Its My favorite car. But I'd take a '05 1.8t 6spd AWD Wagon.

[@jsmaldokj]

Touareg was one of the greatest suvs off all time

[@fgeiger41]

Always loved the Touareg ! Thing is a luxury beast. They really missed out by not doing the pickup version they showed as a concept. I started saving when they showed it

[@aalarcone]

they do have a pick-up , the Amarok, but it is not available on the U S market .

[@fgeiger41]

@@aalarcone yep. I've seen it tested but that original concept was hot. It was shown with the v10 tdi. Would've been a beast

[@BMW-pk6nh]

It’s the best SUV every made by VW I loved that SUV from the day it was launched I always looked at this SUV as a High end Luxurious SUV and it’s a gorgeous Aggressive Crossover SUV and yes they are expensive to maintain

[@martinhough541]

AWESOME SUV / Off roader Looking at 2011 with 304000km on the clock😉

[@jayjobes5344]

Did not surprise me. Great video by the way. I drive another under appreciated European SUV, the first generation Mercedes ML 430. I off road the heck out of it here in the mountains of Idaho and it is a beast. So it does not surprise me that VW did well. Tommy, try a first generation ML from mercedes (W163 chassis). Body on frame construction, full 4 wheel drive system with an incredibly low ratio low range, 11+ inches of ground clearance, skid plates, and 2 amazing engine choices. Mine has 188,000 trouble free miles, and I mean REALLY trouble free. I bought it with 90k. I looked at a Tuareg when I bought my ML, but I could not flat tow it behind my RV like I do my ML (same goes for the Cayenne). I am keeping it for the long haul and exploring the high country.

[@mcalebeb]

I’ve seen a Tiguan, & European Jetta wagon do amazing things! 4motion is surprising. So upset we don’t get the new model! It’s a steal compared to the Q5/Cayenne

[@simjet22]

Caleb Brown these are not equipped with “4motion”. 4motion is VW’s awd system no low range

[@edipires15]

There's no European Jetta Wagon... There's the Golf Variant and the Passat Variant

[@noxh6711]

I have a 2011 touareg with 4Xmotion,it never let me down,I love it