Is Volkswagen Really A Cut Above The Mainstream?

This article bothers me. The author's tone is critical of the Touareg for being too good, meanwhile Touareg customers are basically getting Audi quality for a 15% discount.

Author writes "The Touareg team at VW HQ in Germany must not have gotten the memo about cutting costs, slashing prices and competing with Chevy, Ford, Honda and Toyota"

Maybe the author has been asleep for the past 2 years, but loaded up Explorers, Jeep Cherokees and Honda Pilots are all in the mid $40k range and they do not offer Audi quality, design, engine options, or anything that shares development technology with the Porsche Cayenne. Sure there is no $30K trim level without leather and sunroof, but pound for pound, you are actually getting a solid amount for your money in this car versus the non-lux competitors out there. No wonder he writes for the Detroit Free Press. Crap.

The Touareg is in a weird place in the US marketplace, competetive with the premium SUVs but with less badge. I am sure VW USA is pleading for a regular CUV 3 row.

the last thing that VW needs to do is bring down quality to the level of the expectation of the average American. Sorry folks but VW's do well here in Canada so maybe Americans need to start to appreciate better design such as the Toureg;. It is a stunning SUV without going full premium brand

Toyota Land Cruiser starts at 68K, and is far more capable off road, every bit as luxurious, and has 3 rows.

not the same category, not even close to the performance level of a Touareg, Toyota quality (cheap plastic), Touareg is a very capable offroader with variable suspension and full AWD gear. Most people don't need to carry the house with them all the time, so a Touareg is much more practical than a gas guzzling ugly Cruiser which drives like a pickup. No thanks.

Lol. The question was is VW a cut above mainstream.. with a 52K suv in question.

Then the article states

"Many Europeans -- especially Germans -- think of VW as a premium brand, a clear step up from the likes of Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Hyundai and Toyota."

So a 52K suv makes VW a step up from Toyota who offers a 68K off road legend...I don’t think so. Just shows how irrelevant this article is. And you clearly know nothing about a land cruisers off road credentials, or else you wouldn’t have waited your breath. Your right the Tourage and Land cruiser are in different classes..the land cruiser is in a higher class.

My wife has 2008 TOUAREG V8, which we purchased brand new and she loves it. She drove the ML 350 (too pricey), the RX 350 (too many of them in my street which she doesn't like) and the X5 (the next door neighbor has one).
She picked the TOUAREG and we have been extremely happy with it. We have lived all over the US and OCONUS and we understand what VW is all about, because of this we didn't have an issue purchasing one. I do admit that here in the USA, Americans do expect VWs to be a much lower price.

aaah, the jealousy. Is it because VW is taking market share away from Toyota, or is it because VW already left Toyota in the dust in sales, or because it replaced Toyota as the brand with the lowest cost to own, or... I could go on but...

did I mention best resale value?

No.

I think this question should only apply to people who own a VW or have spent over 24hrs in a VW that is less than 3 years old.

Anybody else trying to answer this question is just going to produce some repeat of what he/she read in some article or overheard somebody else say.

Volkswagens (and Audi's) have great designs, nice fit and finish and outside of the new Passat and Jetta have high quality materials. And then they fall apart. Quicker than other brands. And inflict high costs on their owners to keep fixing them. I speak from painful experience. And most I know who have them say the same. I still covet them but it's like coveting a hot women who you know has herpes. You just know the relationship is going to end badly.

Yep. Any VW owner who's bought a VW new and kept for 5 years, how was the last 2 years?

I had my 06 Jetta for almost 6 years before I traded for my Tiguan. No real issues the entire time. I just wanted a new car :)

MarathonBob, you need to get yourself out of the 80s. This is 2012 and of you cared to research, you would realize how misinformed you are.

Nice try. I've had an A6 for 10 years and a 2009 A4, a 2009 Q5... I've had a 2001 Jetta, and driven the Touareg on many occasions. I'm curious how you had such a "bad" experience, when I've had no trouble at all with any of these cars. Makes you wonder. I value your opinion. Sure. But don't speak for all.

I've also had an FX and my wife a few Volvos. Traded in the FX, although it drives great, the cheap plastic interior got tiring, specially when compared to my Audi. Audi's reliability, resale, service, value, performance have all imrpoved tremendously over the last 10 years. Those with opinions already formed about the brand are simply stubborn to admit that Audi is now the luxury leader, with sales slowly but very surely catching up. The only global competitor is BMW, since Audi passed MB in sales as well, but BMW is also loosing market share to Audi, admittedly at a lower rate than the Japanese or MB.

While mine is an opinion, sales, recent quality, cost and reliability ratings seem to prove me right. Toyota is toast (not only due to VW but Hyundai). See ya.

Like I95SPEEDINGTICKETS stated "Anybody else trying to answer this question is just going to produce some repeat of what he/she read in some article or overheard somebody else say."
All these comments on this site are from people talking out of their crevices since most cannot even afford any of the cars they are bad mouthing. Just a bunch of haters or TOYOTA salesmen on this board.
We purchased my wife's TOUAREG on December 2008 at Tom Bush VW in Jacksonville and we haven't had any issues at all (current mileage 34K). Before this purchase my wife had a 2002 PASSAT station wagon which we also purchaed brand new, put 95K on it with no major issues except when the check engine light came on at 77K because of the oil sludge issue on the 2.0T engine which VW made the repairs at no cost since it was a recall. Great car which we drove from Jacksonville in 2002 to Monterey California and back to JAX on 2005 due to a transfer to NPS.
This said, my 2009 LS 460 had already its front brake rotors replaced twice at 85K. What gives?
BTW My friend just purchased a new JETTA for his daughter, I will keep you guys posted on how the car performs.

USNA1999

You will get used to the idiots who just deboost out of envy.

They have an inbuilt hate for anything VW/Audi and will not accept anything less than total agreement with them that VW/Audi is the work of the Devil himself.

Mention BMW though and suddenly the choir appears in white robes to sing their hymn proclaiming it the chosen one.

I guess to them "Jesus would drive a BMW"

Please don't tell me that you're comparing VW against BMW? LOL!!

NO

Oh really ?

VW Golf Beats the 1-Series hatch in every test conducted since the 1-Series was first introduced. {Not including the new 1-Series} and in every real life comparison i have done.

Do not know if it is available in the USA but id take the Pasatt CC over the base 320d in the UK or Europe.

Still think BMW is Untouchable ?

And i have owned and driven lots of BMWs in my lifetime.

Love them to bits but do not Worship at the BMW Alter.

Different Manufacturers have produced great vehicles and i am smart enough to give praise when it is warranted.

I see lots of people driving 318i or 320d with fake leather trim, no options whatsoever just so they could claim they drive a BMW.

My brother has a CC GT, 2.0TDI, Auto Headlamps, Wipers, Heated 2-Tone Leather Seats, Sat Nav, Auto Boot Opening....... all for less than the Base 320d.

Sure the 320d handles better, but i promise you most people do not have an extra £15k $22k just so they can take a corner at an extra 10mph .

And dont get me started on the Golf. It so comprehensively beat the previous gen 1-Series, that i am surprised BMW still kept it.

Where is BMW mentioned in this article? lol. The article talks about VW, it mentions Toyota, Honda, ford. There is not one word about BMW, then I95 and Vulcan come, and start talking about Audi/VW, and comparing them to BMW. Too funny, insecure much?

I was responding to Lesux's Question ?

Maybe you should learn to read.

Before that i was speaking to USNA1999 about the general trend of conversations on this site.

Again learn to read before commenting.

Some people aren't aware that VW is considered a premium brand in Europe. VW actually sells more cars in Europe. When I was doing the paper work for my A6 I recently bought, the salesman said the VW Toureg is built in the same plant and alongside the Porsche SUV. Interesting.

LOL VW fanboys are so obnoxious on this site.

Here is a German comparison done by a German magazine comparing three German SUVs that they think belong in the same comparison. It includes the Volkswagen Touareg, BMW X5 and Mercedes ML. It appears that people in Germany think that the Touareg belongs in the same category.

http://www.autobild.de/artikel/suvs-mit-diesel-im-vergleich-1939476.html

I suggest you get your hard hat on.

It's gonna get pretty rough in here...... How dare you tell Americans what Germans think of German Manufactured Vehicles ?

Don't you know America invented the terms "Luxury" and "Reliability" ?

I mean look at the Lincoln Town Car and the Cadillac Escalade and you will see Luxury Defined.

Don't think this was that type of a comparison. Would an American publication compare a Ford Explorer or a Chevy Traverse with the X5 or the ML?

In the UK the Touareg is definitely a premium vehicle - it's the less obnoxious alternative to an X5, ML, XC90, Cayenne etc.

VW is overall a semi-premium brand, with a fantastic reputation here, and in my opinion, deservedly so. If you told someone you'd just got a new VW of any sort, they would be (in general) impressed, they're almost an automotive default of what a great car is. I've just had a new Golf diesel for a couple of days, and I have not driven a nicer car in my life. So refined with a great interior, very comfortable. Friends were very complimentary about it too.

I95SPEEDINGTICKETS like I stated, "All these comments on this site are from people talking out of their crevices since most cannot even afford any of the cars they are bad mouthing". Just a bunch of haters with no experience working/living around the globe and probably with no higher education. LoL for the "obnoxious".

Agree 100%

I guess we just have to feel sorry for the ignorant fools basking in their compounded stupidity.

BTW Enjoy your vehicle and every once in a while log on and entertain yourself with the fantastically inane comments from the Primary School kids commenting on vehicles they will probably never afford to own.