drove buddies V-10 TDI Touareg

[matt-max]

one of my best friends just leased a new vw touareg with the v-10 tdi and 6-speed auto and every option man could dream up.

drove it for a while over the holiday weekend, has about 1500 miles on it now.

it scoots! it charges off the line and just keeps pulling and pulling up to 100+mph. 310hp and 565 #/ft torque iirc.

suspension adjusts 6" up and down either automatically or at your whim. navigation system is awesome as is the entire interior layout and design including the sound system.

it is no suburban size-wise but offers a great alternative to an excursion. he's been averaging 22-26 mpg depending upon speed and conditions, mostly highway commuting of course.

all at the bargain price of $67,000ish...seems like a bargain compared to the porsche cayenne turbo we test drove a couple weeks back as another option...it was $85,000 used! yes, with 450hp it was faster than fast and handled and braked incredibly too. but had less torque than the vw.

but you must act quick as vw only brought in 500 to the usa with the tdi this year.....

anybody know of any performance increasing parts for this thing?

matt

[morgan]

I've been curious about the Touarag diesel. My wife's aunt has one (a gasser), and loves it.

The price and availability of the diesel model is unfortunate. Another case of the auto manufacturers missing the need for a reasonably priced diesel for the average customer.

Also, the fuel efficiency you reported is ho-hum. That would be good for a larger vehicle. My old 82 volvo diesel station wagon (no turbo, straight 6) got up to 36mpg with over 200,000 miles on the odo. Not very fast, but reliable and durable.

Where's the 1/5 ton diesel pickups we were teased about several years ago? Dissappointing.

[Colorado Kid]

Originally posted by matt-max:
but you must act quick as vw only brought in 500 to the usa with the tdi this year.....

anybody know of any performance increasing parts for this thing?

matt I think you answered your own question. Nobody can afford to create performance parts that so few would be in a position to buy.

I thought the Touareg TDI was an interesting thought, but I never expected it to cost more than twice what I paid (brand spanking) for my 2500HD. :eek:

I suppose if GM ever does put the D-max in the Suburban it'll cost $75,000. :rolleyes:

[matt-max]

definitely a lot of technology in the tdi t-reg...twin turbos, 10-cylinders, 6-speed auto, adjustable suspension, etc.

still it is a bunch o' bucks. i'm sure a lot of that is the small numbers too, having to meet EPA and so forth.

apparently the tdi t-reg is selling so well in europe that vw cut the number coming here. i was hoping to find a european firm for modified engine managment.

van aaken is a dutch company i believe, and they were my best hope. we'll keep looking!