[SS-Traveller]

^^ Oh - that's just the original plastic protective layer peeling off. Something that came from the factory but not removed at all by the previous owner.

[sudev]

Now I have to clean my keyboard of all the saliva that dripped on while I drooled over your description of the fine catch.

Ready for Trail Blazing???

[Turbanator]

just the original plastic protective layer peeling off

oh man ! you have a gem of machine .. any chances of selling anytime soon ??

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by sudev

Ready for Trail Blazing???

When's the next event?

Originally Posted by Turbanator

.. any chances of selling anytime soon ??

Smileys like and missing from your post!

[dkaile]

The moment you said Touareg, Omar Sharif from Laurence of Arabia came galloping in my mind. And what a mean machine you have managed to capture. I remember seeing one of the Touareg's ad when King Kong was released. Truly, It is the King Kong of SUV's...

[Harbir]

Originally Posted by Harbir

I would be interested in the reliability. Jd power vehicle dependability studies rank most German makers below average, including Mercedes and BMW with VW at near the bottom. My own experience with BMW, my sister's with VW, my buddy's with Audi, and various other friends and aquaintances in the US left no doubt in my mind that Germans have extremely serious reliability issues compared to the Japanese. In the case on my BMW, it was so wonderful that I was willing to deal with the infuriating electrical and electronic problems.


I will now buy German only if the vehicle is so appealing to the heart that it causes my brain to switch off.

I mentioned reliability. I did some research. Consumer Reports is a very trusted source of reliability statistics because they compile by far the largest model specific data points and issue a report every year.

the Touareg was on the 2006 list of least reliable cars, which is a prediction of reliability for the 2007 model based on the statistics on reliability (or lack of) of the 2004, 2005 and 2006 models.


Consumer Reports Article - MSN Autos

Along with the Land Rover LR3 and the Range Rover.

and the 2006 S Class as well (which my dad is considering and the reliability is a serious worry, but unlike the 4x4 we are considering, it wouldn't face the threat of breaking down in some remote location)

[Harbir]

and my view on reliability isn't misplaced. On that list of most reliable models, 83% are japanese, 2% are german or english.

On the list of least reliable models, 42% are english or german, 11% are Japanese.

[Turbanator]

On the list of least reliable models, 42% are english or german, 11% are Japanese.

God gave us both - Heart as well Brain , if we consider Human Body as SUV - we need not always run in 4 x 4 mode - i.e sending equal torque to Brain and Heart so sometime we should simply rest one of the part and enjoy either a front drive ( heart mode ) or rear drive ( brain mode ) .

I am with SST on this wonderful buy - whatever comes can be taken care as & when it happens !

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Harbir

...the Touareg was on the 2006 list of least reliable cars...
Along with the Land Rover LR3 and the Range Rover.

Yup, that list has everything covered - MB, LR, Caddy, VW, Volvo, BMW, Hummer, Nissan, Jeep and Ford. And Toyota + Lexus rules the list of *most reliable SUVs*. But I couldn't get hold of an LC / Prado - kya karein!

Originally Posted by Turbanator

...whatever comes can be taken care as & when it happens !

Add to that... *IF* it happens. This one isn't going riding the Mughal Road anytime soon, so in the metropolitan city of Delhi, I have enough resources at my disposal to keep that vehicle running reliably.

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

[*]6-litre DOHC W12 petrol engine (yes, that's 4 banks of cylinders arranged in a W-pattern) generating 444 bhp & 600 Nm

I think visually it looks like two banks, as in a Vee.

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

I was seriously tempted to disappear into the mountains with the vehicle, instead of writing this review!

What, the vehicle did not make you give in to your temptations!? Thats a serious fail in my books.

Enjoy the ride.

Regards
Sutripta

[Harbir]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

God gave us both - Heart as well Brain , if we consider Human Body as SUV - we need not always run in 4 x 4 mode - i.e sending equal torque to Brain and Heart so sometime we should simply rest one of the part and enjoy either a front drive ( heart mode ) or rear drive ( brain mode ) .

I am with SST on this wonderful buy - whatever comes can be taken care as & when it happens !

no doubt.

I can't begin to catalogue the problems that I had the SHO, the 330i and the LotusSport Elise I had, but which I kept and enjoyed regardless.

but to me the Touareg is not in that category.

But I understand that the tastes of the upper class urban Indian is very different from mine.

for me, SUVs are not luxury cars, nor are they vehicles that appeal with style, technology, or sybaritic pleasures. For me a desirable 4x4 vehicle is one that is 1. superbly capable offroad and 2. can be relied upon to not breakdown when I am 5,000km from the nearest dealership.

I'll put up with unreliability in a brilliant sports car. I will not put up with it in a 4x4.

but, like I said, its a personal preference. and this is my personal view. It extends to VWs and Audis specifically, even when not looking at SUVs. I have had serious reservations about VWs and Audis especially because of the experiences of my friends and relatives (three examples. The ignition module on a college friend's VR6 GTI failed but VW had no stock because it was a major failure affection all production, and his vehicle was in the service shop for 4 months while VW's supplier ramped up production of the replacement module to supply all the owners. The timing belt on the A4 of a friend of mine snapped at 65% of the specified first change time period, destroying the engine completely, but after the warranty had expired and Audi refused to take responsibility. My sister's VW passat had an engine oiling system failure, causing crankshaft bearing and valve tappet failure at 50,000km but VW refused to take responsiblity). This made me extremely wary of VW and audi products.

Combine that with the fact that VW was nearly at the absolute bottom of the JD Power Vehicle Dependability Survey a couple years ago (apart from Land Rover I think), is still very low, and that the Touareg and passat have repeatedly been rated as two of the least reliable vehicles, I steer very wide of the Volkswagen Auto Group products.

thats not to say that you should. your expectations, emotions, feelings about these vehicles and the brand, your needs, are all very different from mine.

I am not trying to run down a member's choices, or decision making process, or the machine that they are so obviously very proud of.

but I think it IS appropriate to point out reliability information if I consider it relevant.

no offence intended and no hard feelings, I hope.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

What, the vehicle did not make you give in to your temptations!? Thats a serious fail in my books.

Even your vehicle is a serious fail in my books - I was so sorely tempted to take off in that one, fresh out of the showroom, but I ended up reining in my temptations back then too!

[Turbanator]

tastes of the upper class urban Indian is very different from mine.

can be .. if you compare the products available to an average urban class 10 years back & now - Air-conditioners , Microwaves , Washing machines were a luxury restricted to high net Individuals so definitely we have some aspirational products & brands

We live here in land of uncertainties where nothing is for sure , I don't now if you have ever tried locally developed cars against which these Germans will be way reliable .

Yes VW can be unreliable & Toyota be super reliable but we have to see what we are getting here - have a look at Toyota Etios issues on this forum. US is way different - do you think Toyota will be able to sell a Car like Etios in US without Door Gaskets ?

SUVs are not luxury cars, nor are they vehicles that appeal with style, technology, or sybaritic pleasures.

Well many of premium Luxury buyers choose SUVs over Cars - reasons varies - necessity for some due to Road conditions here & status symbol for others more than serious off-roading. But tell me does everyone in US or Europe buys SUV for Off-Roading or there super reliability ? If that's the case then why does Lexus sells more LX than Land cruiser ? I think its not restricted to Indians - their will always be people who will pick Vans over SUV for there practical use .

I think buying a 5 Year old Toureg at about 40 % of original price is VFM given the limited options & aspirations of Growing Urban Indian Class if i may use your words !

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Even your vehicle is a serious fail in my books - I was so sorely tempted to take off in that one, fresh out of the showroom, but I ended up reining in my temptations back then too!

Tempted by Tofu! Sir, you are strange!
Tofu doesn't tempt me too. (I prefer my A/C bike).

Reading the list of goodies in the VW convinces me again that the Germans believe in KICS (Keep it complicated, stupid).

How many KM have you racked up so far in the Touareg?

Regards
Sutripta

[Harbir]

Turbanator,

True, most americans SUV buyers also buy SUVs as luxury cars, not as expedition vehicles. I said upper class Indian because i am in India now. I wasn't a typical buyer there either. Still, the american SUV buyer is not as casual about reliability as the Indian SUV buyer seems to be. A very large reason that VW is a bit player in the US, including in the touareg sales, is due to justified skepticism about VW reliability. There ARE american buyers not concerned about reliability, but they'll either buy big american trucks, or they are brand conscious enough to seek out the BMWs and the mercedes products.

The VW brand does seem to have high prestige value in India and for people willing to accept whatever the reliability levels are, it might be a fair choice.

My point simply is from my own perspective. the Touareg, for all its excellent off road capabilities, has not succeeded in carving out a niche with people looking for capable off road vehicles because the reliability they value so much is not there.

I reacted in this thread on that point based on information I had because the touareg was endorsed enthusiastically in another thread about my specific needs an expectations from a 4 x 4.

if the vehicle appeals to you, go for it by all means, and pay no attention to my comments.

I would not even have commented but for the my skepticism about the celebration of german engineering, which I consider undeserved.

I'll shut up now because I don't want to upset you guys any further.