2008 Volkswagen Touareg 2 VR6 Review

The Touareg 2 offers up more power, more safety equipment and subtly revised styling over its predecessor.

The Touareg's fourth year is celebrated with a few tweaks here and there, more power and a slew of safety improvements to keep it relevant in the ever-expanding SUV and crossover utility vehicle market.

At first glance, indeed at first turn of the wheel, the Volkswagen Touareg 2 presents few surprises to the average buyer, seeming very much like just another five-seat crossover looking for a home. Even the revisions to the 2008 model year aren't extensive: It looks very much like the first Touareg, and it offers the same lineup of six- eight- and 10-cylinder engines. But wait, what's this on the center console? A low-range selector? Surprise! The Touareg 2, like its predecessor, offers actual off-road ability to go with its smooth and sophisticated European looks. For some buyers, learning that the small Volkswagen ute has a low-range is like finding a $100 bill in the pants you just picked up from the cleaners.

Yet even if you don't go off road the Touareg 2 offers significant upgrades over the "1" it replaces. There is more safety gear loaded within. The engines have all been revamped for more power, torque and better fuel economy. Yet after a week with an entry-level Touareg 2 VR6, we were left with mixed feelings. On one hand, we liked the ability to go off road, yet still drive something with enough European snob appeal to ask the valet to park it in a good spot. On the other hand, that ability comes at a cost, more than its $40,000 price tag suggests. See, that four-wheeling gear isn't cheap, and to keep the price down - if you consider 40 large "down" - Volkswagen had to cut corners here and there, making the Touareg feel more downgrade than we expected.

Is it a good buy? Ask yourself this: Do I want to go off road and have a German nameplate? If you answered yes, then the Touareg may be your thing. If not, well...

Page 2

Despite the "2" in its name, the 2008 Volkswagen Touareg 2 is what the industry calls a "minor model change," and what everyone else calls a "refresh." Still, Volkswagen packed a lot of technology into the 2, the vast majority of it under the slightly refreshed sheetmetal. Aside from the more powerful set of engines which we'll discuss later, there are additional functions added to the stability control, all of which are designed to improve the Touareg's driving dynamics and increase its safety envelope.

The Hydraulic Braking Assistant charges the braking system fully if the throttle is suddenly disengaged, which the vehicle's computer interprets as an impending collision. Active rollover protection (ARP) uses the stability control to enhance rollover resistance, and the brake system is designed to apply more brake pressure in cases of brake fade. Understeer Control Logic improves the vehicle's dynamics if it understeers in a corner, that is, when the front tires lose traction. Another safety supplement is the ESP dry braking function, which engages the brake linings with the disc at repeated intervals, thus wiping away any water that may accumulate when the road is wet.

The Touareg also has what Volkswagen calls ABSPlus. It's designed to enhance stopping not only on pavement, but off, too. It works by temporarily locking a wheel when on dirt, which is actually more helpful than keeping the wheels spinning. By locking the wheel, a small amount of dirt, rocks and other debris forms in front of the tire, acting as a wheel chock, and helping to slow the car by as much as 20 percent faster, according to Volkswagen.

Page 3

The Touareg family is broken into three members, separated by engine. The base model - and the one we tested - gets Volkswagen's narrow-angle V-6 engine, known as the VR6. The engine itself receives a horsepower bump thanks to direct fuel-injection technology. It's mated to a full-time four-wheel drive system with a locking center differential and driver-selectable low-range gear. It comes standard with the Touareg's new-generation safety equipment detailed above, a conventional spring suspension, and 17-in. alloy wheels.

New for 2008, your $40,000 (including the $680 destination charge) are the revised nose - with new headlights, grille opening and more chrome - and revised rear - with LED taillights, a new roof-edge spoiler and redesigned tailpipes. Inside is a redesigned instrument cluster with new lighting, redesigned 12-way power adjustable driver's seat, and standard Sirius satellite radio. The Touareg also gets a standard power rear liftgate. Order the $2,900 Lux package and the VR6 gets "Cricket" leather, walnut wood, a front sliding center armrest, 12-way passenger seat, and adjustable HID-headlights. The Lux Plus package costs $6,300 adds keyless entry and start, Volkswagen's upgraded Dynaudio sound system, four-zone automatic climate control and heated rear seats to the Lux package. The $3,350 Technologie Package throws in an upgraded sound system, rear view camera, auxiliary input jack in the center console, six-disc CD changer in the cargo area (not in the dash), and an in-dash navigation system. Our test car had none of the above, nor did it have the $1,950 adaptive cruise control, $500 trailer hitch or $700 locking rear differential. Also not on our test vehicle was the $2,750 air suspension option (which requires the Lux package) and ability to lower the Touareg to 6.3 inches and raise it to 11.8., nor did it have the upgraded $1,200 worth of 19-inch wheels and tires.

Step up to the V-8 version and you pay $49,000 (including destination) to get a direct-injection 4.2-liter V-8 rated at 350 horsepower, up from 310 in the previous model. In addition to the VR6 model's goodies, the V-8 adds many of the items from the Lux package, leaving just the additions from the Lux Plus package at a lower price ($3,400). V-8 models also get the 19-inch wheels standard. Still, we were surprised to see that navigation, an upgraded audio system and heated rear seats were still optional at this price.

The V-10 TDI diesel offers up a 5.0-liter oil-burner that pumps out 310 horsepower and a whopping 533 lb.-ft. of torque in the 43 states in which it's available. For $69,000, you get more standard features, such as a multi-color trip computer, the air suspension, and power seat memory. However, you still have to pay extra for the navigation system, heated rear seats, upgraded audio and keyless entry and start. Clearly, value isn't the Touareg's strong suit.