Item: Used Volkswagen Touareg 2018-present
Rating: 3
Author: What Car? Team

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q7/4x4/used-review/n813">Audi Q7</a> has long been a favourite of ours, because it just simply covers all the bases far better than any other luxury SUV. Its interior is a triumph, its refinement is top notch and its fuel economy is surprisingly good considering it’s such a hefty beast.

If you’re after a premium SUV and are prepared to buy something a little older, take a look at a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/cayenne/4x4/used-review/n907">Porsche Cayenne</a>. The previous-generation Cayenne is quick, very luxurious and surprisingly good to drive given its height and bulk. Plus&nbsp;it has the prestige of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/porsche">Porsche</a> badge, and is available with efficient diesel engines.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the <a href="http://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">What Car? Newsletter here</a>

<h2 dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/volkswagen/touareg?nearlynew=true&amp;used=true&amp;yearFrom=2018">Find a used Volkswagen Touareg with What Car? &gt;&gt;</a></h2>

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

<h3>Gearbox oil leak</h3>

Oil may escape from a faulty join in the gearbox oil line of Touaregs manufactured from 1 September to 31 December 2019. Speak to a Volkswagen&nbsp;dealer to find out if your car is affected, because the line will need to be replaced to remedy&nbsp;the problem.

<h3>Shock absorbers</h3>

An&nbsp;issue has been found with the front shock absorbers fitted to some examples built between 2&nbsp;and 13&nbsp;December&nbsp;2019. New shock absorbers will need to be fitted by a technician at a Volkswagen dealer&nbsp;to sort the problem.

<h3>Seatbelt buckle</h3>

A problem with the right rear seatbelt buckle could compromise the safety of Touaregs made between 8 August and 5 October 2018. Any example affected by this will need to have the buckle replaced at a Volkswagen dealer.

<h3>Loose steering connection</h3>

A connection within&nbsp;the steering system could work loose over time on a small number of cars built between&nbsp;27 April 2018 and 22 January 2019. Find out from your local Volkswagen dealer if your example is affected by this because the connection will need to be replaced to prevent future issues.

This Touareg didn’t appear in our latest Reliability Survey, because it's still too new. However, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/volkswagen">Volkswagen</a> as a brand didn’t do particularly well, managing only 20th place out of 31 manufacturers.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042">To read more from our Reliability Survey in detail, check out the full results here.</a>

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The VW Group famously spends more money on research and development than any rival – and as a result, perhaps it should be no surprise that our testers rate its cars so consistently highly.

The fact that many of those cars use the same underpinnings also helps, because it means that if they get it right once, they have the foundations to keep on getting it right.

However, the Volkswagen brand faces plenty of tough competition, often from within, because the rapidly rising Seat and Skoda brands that are also part of the group have access to the same technology.

VOLKSWAGEN

TOUAREG

Disappointing interior quality aside, the Volkswagen Touareg is a very capable used luxury SUV. However, there are more practical rivals with seven seats, such as the Audi Q7

Used Volkswagen Touareg 2018-present

<h3 dir="ltr">MPG</h3>

If you want to keep a lid on running costs, you’ll need to go for the 3.0-litre diesel. Compared with the 26.6mpg official (WLTP) economy figure of the 3.0-litre petrol, the 34.4mpg of the 228bhp and 282bhp diesels allows for a far greater range and more palatable fuel bills. None matches the 95.2mpg of the plug-in hybrid R model, but that'll require religious charging and limited use of the engine to get close to this in the real world.&nbsp;

<h3 dir="ltr">Car tax (VED)</h3>

Road tax will be pricey because&nbsp;every version of Touareg costs more than £40,000 when new and therefore attracts the maximum rate between years two and six. To find out more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-tax-changes-in-2019-%E2%80%93-what-do-i-need-to-know/n1153">road tax costs, click here</a>.

<h3 dir="ltr">Servicing</h3>

No Touareg is old enough to qualify for fixed price servicing yet, but Volkswagen servicing will be much more reasonable than it is for more premium rivals.

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Disappointing interior quality aside, the Volkswagen Touareg is a very capable used luxury SUV. However, there are more practical rivals with seven seats, such as the Audi Q7

Prices for a used <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/volkswagen">Volkswagen</a> Touareg at the time of writing start at £28,000 for an early&nbsp;3.0 TDI.&nbsp;A petrol Touareg will set you back a bit more at around £40,000, and will suit&nbsp;those who expect to cover fewer miles.

To keep up to date with used Touareg prices, use our free valuation tool to make sure you are getting the best deal.&nbsp;

Check the value of a used Volkswagen Touareg with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/valuations/">What Car? Valuations</a>

<h3 dir="ltr">Specification</h3>

We’d suggest you stick with entry-level&nbsp;SEL over R-Line and R-Line Tech, particularly because this means you avoid the sports suspension that ruins the ride.

<h3 dir="ltr">Engine</h3>

For those who expect to rack up the miles, the lower-powered 228bhp 3.0 TDI diesel engine makes the most sense, thanks to its&nbsp;combination of decent performance and far greater fuel economy. The petrol engine is best reserved for urban dwellers and those who make mainly short journeys.

Our favourite <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/volkswagen">Volkswagen</a> Touareg: 3.0 TDI SEL

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Logical and beautifully built interior, with great infotainment</li> <li>More than enough space for five passengers or, even better, seven</li> <li>Strong performance along with impressive efficiency</li> <li>Composed handling that limits any feeling of unwieldiness</li></ul>

We class a luxury SUV as being anything where our pick of the range costs more than £45,000 – and at this price point, buyers' expectations are high. So, as well as all of the qualities that make regular SUVs such well-rounded choices –&nbsp;such as decent space for passengers and luggage, a classy interior and robust materials – we also want a cosseting ride, the latest driver assistance technology and enough space to really stretch out.

The Land Rover Discovery proves that you don't need to spend a lot of money to get a luxurious SUV, but if you've got a bit more to spend, the Audi Q7 is perennially popular among buyers, and with good reason. Or, at the very top of this market, there are newer additions such as the BMW X7 to consider.

Luxury SUV

The Touareg is a sizeable SUV with big alloy wheels as standard on every version, so make sure you check each one for kerb damage, because repairs can be expensive. Also, if the wheels are showing particularly violent damage,&nbsp;this could be point towards the&nbsp;suspension having taken a knock and becoming misaligned,&nbsp;which could led to uneven tyre wear. All tyres will need to be the same brand and type, too, or there's a risk of damage to the Touareg's&nbsp;four-wheel drive system.

Make sure there are no deep scratches on the infotainment touchscreen,&nbsp;because that will require an expensive replacement. Also, make sure you clean the screen as per the instructions in the owner’s manual; it won’t be covered under warranty in the event of failure if you use the wrong stuff.

If you weren’t already aware, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/volkswagen">Volkswagen</a> Touareg, now in its third generation,&nbsp;is named after the Tuareg people of the Sahara desert.&nbsp;And while this used luxury SUV might not be capable of taking you and your own tribe across the desert, it will have absolutely no trouble whizzing them up and down&nbsp;the motorway, or tackling a food-gathering mission in&nbsp;your local supermarket car park.

So far, there have been only three engines offered in the Touareg,&nbsp;two diesels and one petrol, all of them turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder units. The 228bhp and 282bhp diesels are a touch gruffer at idle than the equivalent engines in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q7/4x4/used-review/n813">Audi Q7</a>, but they're smooth on the move and have plenty of power; in fact,&nbsp;the more potent version is more than a match for many a hot hatch. The 335bhp 3.0&nbsp;petrol that arrived in late 2019 is far quieter and even faster, but that comes at the price of higher fuel bills, which is where the 456bhp plug-in hybrid found in the Touareg R comes in, with the promise of 28 miles of electric-only driving to reduce consumption.

Entry-level SE&nbsp;trim will suit most buyers, with&nbsp;19in alloy wheels, leather trim, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, LED headlights, parking sensors front and rear, sat-nav, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-android-auto/n1194">Android Auto</a>, lane-keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, and a 9.2in touchscreen infotainment system. SEL has adjustable lumbar support for the front seats, while R-Line models have bigger 20in wheels and sports suspension, a powered&nbsp;tailgate, four-zone climate control, and a rear-view camera. Tech editions of SEL and&nbsp;R-Line&nbsp;get&nbsp;you the upgraded 15in infotainment system and&nbsp;12in digital information display.

Black Edition&nbsp;adds 21in wheels, a panoramic glass roof, adaptive headlights, and a 360deg camera system. The Touareg R operates as the highest rung model with 22in wheels and model-specific exterior and interior styling.

All Touaregs&nbsp;have four-wheel drive, so traction from a standing start is never a problem. Grip levels are high and agility is impressive, particularly when the car is equipped with the more advanced air suspension and four-wheel steering setup. This turns the rear wheels slightly to help reduce the turning circle at lower speeds, which helps when parking. R-Line and R-Line Tech models are fitted with sports suspension that’s too firm, thumping over potholes in an undignified manner&nbsp;and jostling&nbsp;you from side to side on country roads that the&nbsp;Q7 would simply breeze down.&nbsp;

Wind noise is well suppressed at motorway speeds, but road noise is a touch louder than in rivals when the Touareg is fitted with bigger wheels. All the&nbsp;engines come&nbsp;with an eight-speed automatic gearbox that shifts without fuss&nbsp;but can be a little hesitant at low speeds. On the plus side, every Touareg can tow 3500kg, even the plug-in hybrid.

Things look&nbsp;quite flash inside, particularly when the car is equipped with the larger 15in touchscreen infotainment system and 12in digital information display. However, the fit and finish aren’t what you’d expect of a car the cost around £50,000 when new because&nbsp;there are inconsistent panel gaps in places and hard plastics used lower down;&nbsp;you won’t find either in&nbsp;the equivalent <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/audi">Audi</a>. There is plenty of padding for your elbows, mind, and there's lots of space for the driver and front passenger.

Rear passengers are also treated to lots of head, shoulder, and knee room, plus enough space for feet under the front seats. You can also slide and recline the rear bench for greater comfort&nbsp;or fold them down in a flexible 40/20/40 split. The boot is big and the loading lip is shallow, but&nbsp;there are more practical luxury SUVs out there because the Touareg doesn't have seven seats.

If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/volkswagen/touareg?nearlynew=true&amp;used=true&amp;yearFrom=2018">used Touareg</a>, or any of the other <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/category/luxury-suv">luxury SUVs</a>&nbsp;mentioned here, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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Used Volkswagen Touareg 2018-present review

Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Volkswagen Touareg 4x4?