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There’s a certain stigma that goes with driving an SUV in these increasingly “green” times of ours. Crawl up into the cab of an oversized gas-guzzler these days and you subject yourself to the most humiliating type of scorn known to man: Environmentalist Scorn. Hop behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Touareg, however, and you can tell the greenies to stuff it.
On a recent trip to the Green Mounatins of Vermont with my girlfriend, I test-drove a 2009 Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI, and I couldn’t have been happier with its performance. The VW Touareg TDI is different from most SUVs found in the U.S. Like many of Europe’s SUVs, it runs on ultra-low sulfur diesel instead of gasoline and its fuel economy would make even the most ardent Prius driver take notice. With a 26.4-gallon fuel tank and an estimated 25 highway miles to the gallon, you’ll spend a lot less time at the filling station and more time exploring back roads. That said, we drove nearly 600 miles on just over three quarters of a tank of diesel.
The 3.0-liter, 221 horsepower, six-cylinder diesel engine, producing an impressive 407 foot-pounds of torque at 1,750–2,250 rpm, was up to the task whether we were climbing 3,848-foot Mount Equinox or bombing down gravel country roads in search of off-the-beaten-path locales.
The Touareg TDI isn’t just a burly workhorse, mind you. It’s interior boasts leather upholstery and a built-in navigation system came in handy when exploring the rural mountain towns. A lot of thought went into the positioning of all the controls, too; I felt like I was in the cockpit of a fighter jet.
On top of all that, VW offers a no-charge Carefree Maintenance Program on its entire 2009 model line, with no charges for the schedule maintenance for the length of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty—three years or 36,000 miles.
If you’re in the market for a clean, efficient and well-appointed SUV with power to spare, you’ll do well to consider the Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI. —John Taranto
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Price:
$32 Retail
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Copyright © 2009 Bonnier Corp. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
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Reviews (3)
No thanks.
Don't give a care about any enviro stigma - I will keep my Suburban that gets 20 mpg on the hwy and can carry a serious load without reducing the mileage.
The Touareg was in need of the TDI diesel motor as they couldn't pass a gas station with the gas motor. The TDI motor is one of the better small engine diesels in the world but it has some annoying characteristics. The turbo lag, particularly from a starting position can be more than annoying, it can be damn dangerous at a busy intersection. Mine was in a Passat of 2005 vintage.. perhaps they have remedied the problem. The Blue tech diesel found in some Jeeps is a Mercedes product that has consistent power across the spectrum and has torque that could drive a industrial unit. These advanced diesel units make the gas jobs look bad with respect to true economy and green considerations. America's reliance on gas is largely because there are so few diesel pumps at the urban garages and the oil companies are too cheap to do the change overs.
No Kody, diesel is available everywhere in America. Most Americans do not like the noise, hard winter starting, soot and smell of diesel. Now diesel costs more than gas in most areas. Power and mileage is less with diesel.
Post a Review (200 characters or less)
The Touareg was in need of the TDI diesel motor as they couldn't pass a gas station with the gas motor. The TDI motor is one of the better small engine diesels in the world but it has some annoying characteristics. The turbo lag, particularly from a starting position can be more than annoying, it can be damn dangerous at a busy intersection. Mine was in a Passat of 2005 vintage.. perhaps they have remedied the problem. The Blue tech diesel found in some Jeeps is a Mercedes product that has consistent power across the spectrum and has torque that could drive a industrial unit. These advanced diesel units make the gas jobs look bad with respect to true economy and green considerations. America's reliance on gas is largely because there are so few diesel pumps at the urban garages and the oil companies are too cheap to do the change overs.
No thanks.
Don't give a care about any enviro stigma - I will keep my Suburban that gets 20 mpg on the hwy and can carry a serious load without reducing the mileage.
No Kody, diesel is available everywhere in America. Most Americans do not like the noise, hard winter starting, soot and smell of diesel. Now diesel costs more than gas in most areas. Power and mileage is less with diesel.
Post a Review (200 characters or less)