2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Review and Road Test – The Diesel Driver – The Joy of Diesel Driving
DRIVING THE VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG TDI
In my week with the Touareg, driving on a variety of city and suburban streets as well as on highways and twisty parkways, I found the combination of the Touareg’s taut chassis and limited body motions made me smile. Steering was exceptionally responsive and accurate and the car transmitted more than sufficient road feel. Brake-pedal feel was good and I found the brakes to be more than responsive enough to stop a vehicle of this size.
The time-tested V-6 turbo diesel, now mated to the eight-speed Tiptronic automatic, was smooth and responsive. The 408 pound-feet of torque meant overtaking on the highway was a non-issue as the transmission responded swiftly to toe taps for kickdowns.
Little if any diesel noise was audible in the cabin at idle with the exception of very cold days (the unusually cold March weather in the Northeast gave me a chance to find this out first hand). Most of my driving was in urban areas and, in the course of a week, my fuel usage averaged 10.3 l/100 km (22.8 mpg), which exceeded the EPA estimates.
Inside the cabin, it was clear we were in one very expensive Volkswagen. Everything was beautifully appointed, the materials were soft to the touch and elegant, the new front seats are great for long-distance driving, there is more legroom front and rear, and the rear seats recline.
I found the new 6.5” touchscreen cockpit control system easy to use. The system comes with a 60 GB hard drive with 18 GB reserved for music. A 7” 15:9 aspect ratio display in the dash works in conjunction with this provides ancillary information.
Other nice touches include keyless start-stop and entry, adjustable ambient lighting in the doors and footwells, a 360° view for parking, and a magnificent panorama sunroof. The tailgate can be set to open to a pre-determined height to ensure it does not scrap the roof of your garage.
In addition to the Dynamic Light Assist mentioned earlier, Volkswagen has added numerous other safety features to the new Touareg, but sadly these too are not (yet) offered in the U.S. The list includes Cross Traffic view camera (provides the driver with a 90° view of what’s to the left and right of the very front and rear of the vehicle), Lane Assist (warns the driver through a mild vibration in the steering wheel that he is straying from his lane), start/stop technology (shuts the engine off at traffic lights but the EPA doesn’t take this into consideration in its fuel economy calculations), and Side Assist (an advanced blind-spot warning system that detects the closing speed of approaching vehicles).
The diesel’s improved fuel economy comes at a cost, namely $3500 more than the base gasoline Touareg V-6, but the gasser won’t be able to go 600+ miles between fill-ups. In a year where fuel prices are seemingly only going up, the 21% better fuel economy will eventually make up the difference in cost.
Still, the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg makes a compelling argument for its class: it’s a fun-to-drive, ultra fuel-efficient SUV that looks good and handles well.
| 2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Executive |
|
| Base price/price-as-tested | $57,500/$58,320 |
| Drivetrain | Front engine, all-wheel drive |
| Engine | 3.0 liter V-6 diesel |
| HP/Torque (pound-feet) | 225 / 406 |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic |
| Curb weight (lbs) | 4974 |
| Wheelbase (inches) | 113.9 |
| Length x width x height (inches) | 188.8 x 76.4 x 68.2 |
| 0-60 mph (seconds) | 6.9 |
| City/highway fuel economy (mpg) | 19/28 |
THE 2011 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG TDI
DRIVING THE 2011 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG
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