We're looking at the Toureg - probably a 2007/8 model with 3.6 engine, low kms. Husband heard some earlier models had engine problems and wondering if anyone knows what models/year these were? We are a family of 5 (3 kids at primary school) and it will be the husbands car so during week will run to work and back (7 minute drive) and by the weekend be the family car for trips to the ski field, light off roading up the river, sports matches, towing trailer etc. Anyone had one/experience with one or have any other comments? We are wanting to spend no more than 30K ideally. TIA
intrade,
May 5, 12:11pm
well the problem is more like if it was serviced correctly or not and even big fancy sales places in auckland just charge for servicing when they actuarly did not do the service on vw, i dont know how it is in the south island. Now to the usage. i can guarantee you if you buy a diesel it wont last long Diesel must be driven at least 50 km in one continues hit for 45 minutes or longer at least once a week. Also any vehicle wont love you for driving it for 7 minutes and then shutting it off. You should probably better buy a electric hybrid then you be only driving it on power and save a ton on gas like the holden volt ampera is what i would be getting if i was mostly driving just 7 minutes one way.
grangies,
May 5, 5:25pm
"light" off-roading "up the river"
Okey dokey LOL.
rachnl84,
May 5, 5:55pm
I have a 2008 tdi and it's a really nice car and had it 8 months it's been a good car I does a lot of short trips(10 - 15) and seems ok with it I just had the engine and trans serviced and that cost 1400 but which ain't to bad considering I had a FG falcon and the same service cost 1300 I you find a good one they are a awesome car and for 30k you should ours cost 27k with just on 100,000km's on it but be aware if you buy a petrol one it has a hundred litre tank and that ain't cheap to fill up which is why we went diesel and try stay away from the Asian import ones they just don't drive as In my opinion
thejazzpianoma,
May 5, 7:01pm
Those 3.6's are great engines, the only concern I would really have with one is timing chain stretch, which at low km's would really only be an issue if servicing had been neglected or the incorrect oil used. This is easily checked by plugging it in to a suitable VW scan tool, the engine calculates the stretch and gives you a rating.
Other than that, just make sure you run it on BP Ultimate 98 (this is VERY important) never 91 and never a biofuel blend (in my opinion). I can explain why this is so important if you want, ask for an explanation if you have ideas of ignoring this advice!
Get all servicing up to date and keep it that way, make sure the correct fluids are used, in particular the proper VW coolant and oil that carries the appropriate VW accreditation.
None of this is difficult or overly expensive.
About the only engine I would be particularly cautious of would be the V8 Petrol, those did have some problems, although mostly maintenance related.
Best of luck with it, they are a supurb vehicle. Just remember the golden rules, buy a good one, bring all servicing up to date and keep it that way.
mugenb20b,
May 5, 7:29pm
That's what I was thinking too. I can just see plastic trims and bumpers falling off after their first trip.
mugenb20b,
May 5, 7:31pm
For $30k I'd be buying a Toyota Landcruiser Prado.
thejazzpianoma,
May 5, 7:43pm
Funnily enough it's actually the other way around. The DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) fitted to very modern diesels needs to "regenerate" periodically, and I would say this is what intrade is referring to.
In very basic terms, the DPF is a soot trap which keeps the exhaust emissions clean. After a little while it builds up with soot and starts to block. At this point the vehicle detects the blockage (usually by way of pressure sensors) and starts a regeneration cycle.
The regeneration cycle is where the DPF is heated up to several times it's normal temperature (something like 600 degrees from memory) at which point the soot burns off. This is achieved by various means depending on the manufacturer to get unburnt diesel into the exhaust.
The catch with short trips is a vehicle can have a hard time getting itself in to a regeneration cycle, or worse it keeps getting switched off half way through which causes even more trouble.
Not sure all of this is really that applicable here though. The 3.6 is a petrol. The key concern with that engine is to run Ultimate 98 as it's an FSI motor.
Normally I would be concerned about fuel consumption, but given it's only a 7 minute trip it shouldn't be that big a deal, the 3.6 is pretty efficient and even when using more on a cold short run cycle they are not really doing enough of these short runs to wind up with a massive fuel bill. At least not enough for a person laying down 30K on a new vehicle that also needs to be an off roader to likely be worried about.
thejazzpianoma,
May 5, 7:51pm
BTW OP, The Touareg is plenty capable off road, it's got a more capable 4x4 system than most and plenty of ride height. I think as soon as you say "river" people assume some sort of extreme boulder hopping, but that doesn't really line up with your saying light off-roading.
The key thing with the Touareg is its an absolutely supurb every day vehicle as well. I think it's an ideal choice for your stated purpose.
andy.,
May 6, 2:02am
Thanks for everyone's input - we've had a Volvo XC70 and have loved it but they are hard to come by in the price range we are looking in without being high kms or older so we've looked at the Toureg which we've always liked. We're looking at the 3.6 petrol. As far as towing at this stage it would be a trailer with camping gear etc, but would also want something that could tow a boat (16ft type thing) if we got another one at some stage. Husband's work is only about 7-10 mintues drive but is on 80km road. I mention that because it looks like it is dearer than the Volvo 2.5 turbo round town, but cause he's not doing huge kms that's not an issue for us. It will be doing longer trips in the weekend. Husband is a mechanical aircraft engineer and does look after his cars and their maintence to a high level. He's also pretty good at checking them out but there are sometimes issues that it helps to know about. Intersting someone said about the 4.8 as there is one for sale also, but we discovered last night they stopped making them after 2007/8, perhaps why. We'd ruled that one out anyway. By off road I meant ski field roads - we go up to club fields which aren't quite the same standard as commercial ski field roads. The river bank comment I was referring to the likes of Hanmer where we go a lot - there are lots of little swimming holes up there, they are actual roads albeit some pretty rough. We are looking at a few in Auckland as they seem cheaper and have lower kms (much more choice). One has just come in and has had all its checks just completed. They explained the checks they go through and it sounded pretty thorough. We will likely get a mechanical warranty.
BTW thejazzpianoma - you got the gist of my thread spot on!
thejazzpianoma,
May 6, 6:19am
I think your expectations are pretty much bang on. Your husband will likely really enjoy the massive following VW has at an enthusiast level, this means lots of aftermarket parts, expert forums with great "how to" guides, affordable but dealer quality diagnostic software etc.
If he is so inclined he should have no trouble servicing the 4WD system, transmission etc and all other routine maintenance. I would be very happy to have a chat with him and point him in the direction of all the good stuff.
Towing will be absolutely no issue, they are rated for about 3.5 Tonnes from memory! What you do need to be aware of though, is that it should have VW tow stability control. This is fantastic for keeping the trailer on the road if anything goes wrong (it can correct a jacknife like no human). However, you do need to make sure that the trailer plug wiring (car side not trailer side) has been set up with a proper VW wiring loom. If it has been wired to the rear lights (butchery) or just fitted with a universal bypass relay (slightly less butchery) you want to correct that a.s.a.p. Without the loom the car does not know the trailer is connected and it may wind up putting you in a ditch instead of keeping you out of one.
You would be amazed how many don't have the correct loom because even towbar manufacturers are often ignorant of how the system works.
You will find parts are more plentiful and generally priced better than with your Volvo. The transmission is also significantly more robust.
Hope that helps, feel free to run any particular ones you are looking at past me for an opinion if you want one.
Happy motoring!
thejazzpianoma,
May 6, 6:22am
Oh and as an aircraft engineer, you Husband might get a wee chuckle out of this fine looking VW pushback tractor. or perhaps keep the video to yourself in case he gets "ideas".
Just another thought for you too. The "checks" you are referring too sound like you might mean the entry certification inspection for an import?
Yes they are fairly thorough but they don't really cover any mechanical/engine/drivetrain well-being of the vehicle (other than basic rust, brakes, steering etc). So not really much of a substitute for a good inspection, but your husband is obviously very capable there.
With regard to warranty's, I would advise you consider the warranty, it's cost, what it actually covers, maximum claim limits, service stipulations etc very carefully.
With it being a 4WD and European it's going to be very expensive, you will likely find your husband can't do the maintenance on it for the warranty to be valid (another cost) and many of the likely items to give trouble (like air suspension units) are often exempted.
So, you need to do the math and consider what is left that could go wrong that would still actually be covered. The likelyhood of that happening and the cost of such a failure, then compare that to the cost of the insurance, the extra cost of maintenance and the excess plus any claim limit.
In my personal experience with this sort of thing, it has always made more sense just to put that "warranty money" aside as your own warranty fund, one with a guaranteed payout, no excess and full refund if not used.
Having owned a considerable number of "risky" European vehicles I am still tens of thousands of dollars up from having done this over the years.
Don't let me make the decision for you though, just saying that the value isn't necessarily there like it is with say House or contents insurance. So do the math carefully and consider it all for yourself. If you need some help with likely prices for "worst case scenarios" I am happy to help.
Also. with your husband being an aircraft engineer and it being VW. If you got incredibly unlucky and did have something major and expensive fail, he could come on here or a VW forum for a chat and chances are there will be a very cost effective way of repair, be it a much cheaper replacement part, better repair method etc.
meow_mix,
May 6, 7:17am
No, no, no, no, no!
You never ever buy a VW Touareg second hand, you can learn this the easy way or the hard way.
These "cars" should be given some kind of award for the most unreliable vehicles ever produced.
Buy something decent like a second hand Nissan Murano or Nissan Pathfinder.
andy.,
May 6, 7:34am
Cheers for that - he did buy a diagnostic tester for the Volvo and usually managed to get parts from overseas cause they are so expensive, so he'll no doubt do the same. Will let him know he can come on here with any future issues/questions (he's a TMMB virgin hence me doing all the asking, he wouldn't know where to find it)
The one we're looking at doesn't have a towbar ATM but we got a quote today for $900 through the outfit the dealer uses. Husband's gonna check on the wiring so thanks for that, we might decided to get it done here yet. We also want to get roof racks but original rails are $1600 each, so will try and source some from somewhere else. He's going up to AKL this week for work so will check it all over. Went to check some out in town today and take for a drive (in Chch and they sold the only 2nd hand one we'd found here, this morning! Next two coming in are pre-orders). VW dealership only had a brand new model. cheers again
meow_mix,
May 6, 7:39am
If you can't afford a brand new Touareg, then *ahem* maybe you can't afford one at all.
wsnownz,
May 6, 7:39am
Bit of a contradiction there, no?
andy.,
May 6, 7:44am
In what way? Engine, particular year/model? Or are you talking European cars in general?
thejazzpianoma,
May 6, 7:56am
If you are going to fit your own towbar and want to do it economically. What I have done in past is get a good local manufacturer to make one up and then I have ordered the wiring from PF Jones in the UK. They basically make a clone of the proper VW wiring harness and they seem to be OK quality. Not too big a deal to fit either.
Last VW Towbar I did cost about $500 all up that way, but it wasn't a fancy removable one or anything.
Just be aware too, even if a dealer uses a particular company, doesn't mean they are doing it right. Believe it or not even some of the really fancy franchise dealers do some terrible things. I am just a little suspicious at that price that's all, good deal though if it is all done right.
The other advantage of running the wiring yourself is you can do a nice careful job, trim pieces etc have to be removed and not being in a rush can be a good thing when doing that.
With regard to scan tools, if your husband wants to look up VCDS, that is by far and away the best system out there. I have the setup called "micro can" it's about $400 which might seem a lot, but the interesting thing is if you sell the VW later and want to sell the cable, you will get most of your money back very easily.
Micro can will do pretty much all late model VW's, the license is in the cable itself and you get the very latest software anytime for free. Well worth the investment IMO, it's amazing what it can monitor/diagnose even things like the little electric actuators for the heater vents etc.
Anyhow, happy shopping, I have been taking some breaks from the messageboard of late so if you ever have questions and I am not about just ask for someone to track me down.
meow_mix,
May 6, 7:56am
I've heard some of the most serious horror stories with Touaregs, worse than all other cars put together.
I've been lucky enough to drive a few as well, a couple had the V10 diesel engines, they accelerated like a sportscar, I was worried all the torque would break the gearbox.
But they had lovely interiors, bright HID headlights, everything, nice cars, but no good second hand.
meow_mix,
May 6, 8:20am
You have probably been mesmorized by The Jazz's hypnotic aura, so I can't help you now. He will tell you to buy a 10 year old Euro car and then keep ALL servicing up to date, including cambelt, waterpump and purple antifreeze which will cost a fortune.
For $30K the world is your oyster, you could get a seriously nice machine and not some malfunctioning Touareg.
Jazz is on a mission to get a further 1% of Kiwi drivers into Euro cars as it is safer and more asthetically pleasing for all of us, I just can't help feeling upset when he mentions a Touareg.
andy.,
May 6, 8:43am
Ok - I challenge you to find one on here you'd suggest given the criteria I've mentioned. I warn you it would be a hard sell though, we've had several European cars between us now and no issues.
cagivachick1,
May 6, 8:48am
our managing director had a toureg unreliable wasnt the word for it and the local vw dealer couldnt fix it, it was almost given away
meow_mix,
May 6, 9:06am
As I suggested earlier, a Nissan Murano, but it depends on how much you want to tow.
richardw13,
May 6, 10:10am
Go Japanese for something really reliable. One of the Toyota SUVs should do you well.
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