2012-ish Touareg - any thoughts?
Discussion
Hi all,
Use case:
I need a large vehicle (2 kids and a wife with biking habits)
Needs to be very comfortable
Will do 4000-5000 miles a year, mainly on A-roads and motorways, usually minimum distance of 50 miles. We have a Leaf for daily / localish travel.
Needs to be an auto - some of these journeys are round the M25 and a recent 4 hour stint to do 50 miles made it clear that the current manual had to go.
Needs to have heated seats.
Needs to be reliable.
I really would like something that is not a 4-cylinder TDi (I currently have a 2010 Skoda Superb estate, which is great it's not comfortable enough / only just big enough boot / I hate the engine)
Ideal budget approx 10k but could stretch to more if I could find a VW kombi / caravelle in the right spec for the right money (which I can't).
The obvious choice is some kind of van, but anything with mod cons (heated seats, auto) is bonkers expensive unless it's wrecked or has done massive miles.
I'm not a fan of SUVs, but a 2012-ish 3.0 V6 Touareg with about 110-140k miles seems to be an option.
Other things considered:
E350 estate - wife wants an SUV
530d estate - wife wants an SUV and I keep seeing ones for sale with blown engines
XC70 estate - wife wants an SUV and the autoboxes don't seem to have a great reputation
XC90 - endless reports of breaking continuously and expensively
Honda CRV - 2.0 VTEC 150 bhp and an auto seems waaaaay underpowered, although I haven't driven one
Hyundai Santa Fe Premium SE - can get a much newer / lower mileage car, but 4 cylinder TDI yuck.
Audi Q7 - just can't get past the image
Anything I've missed? Any advice on the Touareg at that age and mileage?
Many thanks!
Use case:
I need a large vehicle (2 kids and a wife with biking habits)
Needs to be very comfortable
Will do 4000-5000 miles a year, mainly on A-roads and motorways, usually minimum distance of 50 miles. We have a Leaf for daily / localish travel.
Needs to be an auto - some of these journeys are round the M25 and a recent 4 hour stint to do 50 miles made it clear that the current manual had to go.
Needs to have heated seats.
Needs to be reliable.
I really would like something that is not a 4-cylinder TDi (I currently have a 2010 Skoda Superb estate, which is great it's not comfortable enough / only just big enough boot / I hate the engine)
Ideal budget approx 10k but could stretch to more if I could find a VW kombi / caravelle in the right spec for the right money (which I can't).
The obvious choice is some kind of van, but anything with mod cons (heated seats, auto) is bonkers expensive unless it's wrecked or has done massive miles.
I'm not a fan of SUVs, but a 2012-ish 3.0 V6 Touareg with about 110-140k miles seems to be an option.
Other things considered:
E350 estate - wife wants an SUV
530d estate - wife wants an SUV and I keep seeing ones for sale with blown engines
XC70 estate - wife wants an SUV and the autoboxes don't seem to have a great reputation
XC90 - endless reports of breaking continuously and expensively
Honda CRV - 2.0 VTEC 150 bhp and an auto seems waaaaay underpowered, although I haven't driven one
Hyundai Santa Fe Premium SE - can get a much newer / lower mileage car, but 4 cylinder TDI yuck.
Audi Q7 - just can't get past the image
Anything I've missed? Any advice on the Touareg at that age and mileage?
Many thanks!
The pre-2014 VW group 3.0 V6 TDIs in these cars were plagued with reliability problems unfortunately, the main two being the timing chain tensioners failing and the engine subsequently lunching itself, and the piezoelectric injectors failing, which leads to burnt pistons and very costly repairs.
The 2.5 R5 (5 cylinder) TDI motors were much more rugged and can last 500,000 miles with basic maintenance, as opposed to the V6s that start having problems around 100,000, and usually don't even last until 200k. Unfortunately, the R5 TDI's were only used in the older first gen Touaregs that are now quite thin on the ground and usually pretty rough. This is the best one I could find on AT, it's not bad apart from the blue wheels.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211151...
Other ideas - pre-2009 BMW X5s that used the more reliable M57 engine, as opposed to the later N57 engines
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212122...
Toyota Land Cruiser, but the 3.0 D-4D engines in these are 4 cylinders
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202210241...
The 2.5 R5 (5 cylinder) TDI motors were much more rugged and can last 500,000 miles with basic maintenance, as opposed to the V6s that start having problems around 100,000, and usually don't even last until 200k. Unfortunately, the R5 TDI's were only used in the older first gen Touaregs that are now quite thin on the ground and usually pretty rough. This is the best one I could find on AT, it's not bad apart from the blue wheels.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211151...
Other ideas - pre-2009 BMW X5s that used the more reliable M57 engine, as opposed to the later N57 engines
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212122...
Toyota Land Cruiser, but the 3.0 D-4D engines in these are 4 cylinders
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202210241...
A Touareg of that age and mileage will be fine. The comment above just sounds like the usual case of where issues on the internet get blown massively out of scale.
You will be able to afford a pretty nice 7P/T3 for that budget. The engines and gearboxes are great, and much more reliable than any of the counterparts offered by the different OEMs. The only real common problem they seem to have is the centre bearing falling apart in the prop shaft.
As with all VW's, there are quite alot out there which have 0 options ticked. I would definitely look at getting one with the Xenon headlights as a minimum.
Air suspension, factory towbar, and dynaudio were my preferences when purchasing.
You will be able to afford a pretty nice 7P/T3 for that budget. The engines and gearboxes are great, and much more reliable than any of the counterparts offered by the different OEMs. The only real common problem they seem to have is the centre bearing falling apart in the prop shaft.
As with all VW's, there are quite alot out there which have 0 options ticked. I would definitely look at getting one with the Xenon headlights as a minimum.
Air suspension, factory towbar, and dynaudio were my preferences when purchasing.
I've owned a 2012 Touareg.
The boot isn't that big and will be significantly less practical than a Superb estate that's for sure.
The interior, and the exterior TBH, have aged well. Mine was close to fully loaded, air suspension, 360 cameras, heated/cooled seats, heated steering wheel, electric folding tow bar etc etc. Didn't have the 4 zone climate and the upgraded stereo.
It was VW's most expensive model at the time at around £65k.
I had the 4.2Tdi V8, rare but more powerful than the old V10's and well matched with the Aisin 8 speed autos, same economy as the V6 but the highest tax bracket, which is annoying more than anything.
Don't have it anymore but it's probably worth about £12k now.
A Caravelle is night and day more practical though, it's just a shame they didn't put the above running gear into one.
The boot isn't that big and will be significantly less practical than a Superb estate that's for sure.
The interior, and the exterior TBH, have aged well. Mine was close to fully loaded, air suspension, 360 cameras, heated/cooled seats, heated steering wheel, electric folding tow bar etc etc. Didn't have the 4 zone climate and the upgraded stereo.
It was VW's most expensive model at the time at around £65k.
I had the 4.2Tdi V8, rare but more powerful than the old V10's and well matched with the Aisin 8 speed autos, same economy as the V6 but the highest tax bracket, which is annoying more than anything.
Don't have it anymore but it's probably worth about £12k now.
A Caravelle is night and day more practical though, it's just a shame they didn't put the above running gear into one.
The comment about them being very unreliable is more internet talk based, like any car that's getting on a bit, annual fluid changes are a necessity.
The Touareg is a good option, at that mileage you may have to account on replacing some (this will apply to pretty much any full size SUV you look at) suspension components.
I will say with that budget you'll get a very nice Grand Cherokee in Overland/Limited spec:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202209280...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211231...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211221...
ML350cdi Sport:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205035...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212132...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212202...
The VFM pick (but easily on par quality wise) is the FX30d, they come loaded with spec (adaptive cruise heated/Air cooled seats etc) & they're ULEZ/CAZ compliant too.
S Premium:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202209099...
GT:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202204044...
Or if you can stretch the budget by 1k you can get the facelift QX70 (it's still not a looker) which has the benefit of being cheaper to tax.
QX70 GT:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206156...
The Touareg is a good option, at that mileage you may have to account on replacing some (this will apply to pretty much any full size SUV you look at) suspension components.
I will say with that budget you'll get a very nice Grand Cherokee in Overland/Limited spec:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202209280...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211231...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211221...
ML350cdi Sport:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205035...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212132...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212202...
The VFM pick (but easily on par quality wise) is the FX30d, they come loaded with spec (adaptive cruise heated/Air cooled seats etc) & they're ULEZ/CAZ compliant too.
S Premium:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202209099...
GT:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202204044...
Or if you can stretch the budget by 1k you can get the facelift QX70 (it's still not a looker) which has the benefit of being cheaper to tax.
QX70 GT:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206156...
lord trumpton said:
I do love the looks and seemingly good value of the infiniti vehicles - but I heard numerous times that parts are an issue?
Never been a problem for my family & friends between the specialist & the Nissan main dealer the longest we've had to wait for a part is 24 hours (water pump & hose for a Q50 35h) I will say that pretty much sod all has gone wrong with them.Obviously the Mercedes based ones are even less likely to have any potential parts issues.
ZX10R NIN said:
lord trumpton said:
I do love the looks and seemingly good value of the infiniti vehicles - but I heard numerous times that parts are an issue?
Never been a problem for my family & friends between the specialist & the Nissan main dealer the longest we've had to wait for a part is 24 hours (water pump & hose for a Q50 35h) I will say that pretty much sod all has gone wrong with them.Obviously the Mercedes based ones are even less likely to have any potential parts issues.
Love the slightly off centre styling too
ChocolateFrog said:
I've owned a 2012 Touareg.
The boot isn't that big and will be significantly less practical than a Superb estate that's for sure.
Absolutely this. The boot isn't that big and will be significantly less practical than a Superb estate that's for sure.
We borrowed an X5 while we were on holiday and was staggered how small the boot was. I also looked at buying a Jeep Grand Cherokee until we opened the boot, it’s tiny.
Most 4x4’s will be less practical for cycling than your Superb. The only ones I can think that may be ok would be the XC90 or XC70.
I looked at similar cars decided in the end needed 7 seats (well needed the size of 7 seater boot when the seats were folded down) so went for a XC90. Picked up a 2012 XC90 R-Design 2.4 5 cylinder 200ps diesel. Did 7000 miles in it this year and its been fine, few electrical gremlins here and there that seem to come and go.
The auto box is "ok" bit sluggish but not the worst I've driven, but its certainly not a DSG. If you don't need Diesel try and find the 4.4 V8 XC90, real peach of an engine.
I looked at things like;
Touareg V6, V10
Q7 V6, V12 (insane)
The auto box is "ok" bit sluggish but not the worst I've driven, but its certainly not a DSG. If you don't need Diesel try and find the 4.4 V8 XC90, real peach of an engine.
I looked at things like;
Touareg V6, V10
Q7 V6, V12 (insane)
Edited by the-norseman on Saturday 24th December 09:48
Currently selling our caravelle, it's on the caravelle community on Facebook with a full listing and photos. It's over budget as they all are but a decent van also come with a bike rack 😉.
It is a manual though, I deliberately chose manual because of the age of vehicle in my mind it was less to go wrong.
You won't find a cheaper caravelle for the age though as we just want it sold rather than trying to get rich off the VW scene tax.
It is a manual though, I deliberately chose manual because of the age of vehicle in my mind it was less to go wrong.
You won't find a cheaper caravelle for the age though as we just want it sold rather than trying to get rich off the VW scene tax.
Rowe said:
You will be able to afford a pretty nice 7P/T3 for that budget.
You'd think so wouldn't you? But there are very few private sales around, and quite a few have been sat at dealers for months at inflated prices.Rowe said:
As with all VW's, there are quite alot out there which have 0 options ticked. I would definitely look at getting one with the Xenon headlights as a minimum.
Air suspension, factory towbar, and dynaudio were my preferences when purchasing.
I'm definitely seeing that. Trying to find one with Xenons / towbar / comfort seats is not proving easy. I can't find any with air suspension, but at this age I'm not too worried.Air suspension, factory towbar, and dynaudio were my preferences when purchasing.
I drove a 2016 R-line yesterday which was very impressive, but the ride was too hard, so going to try a 2012 SE with a few options on today. The hunt is on...
I know you mentioned not wanting a 4cyl, but I'd consider driving the Land cruiser, compared to the Toureg is a little more off roader than car to drive but they are very reliable and seem to hold their value alot better than the Toureg so potentially a better long term investment
Also, keep an eye out for the diesel cayenne, same platform and engine and seems to be a few 2009 models on your price range too
Also, keep an eye out for the diesel cayenne, same platform and engine and seems to be a few 2009 models on your price range too
Edited by Roboticarm on Monday 2nd January 08:40
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