Consequently, the Touareg is able to stop more suddenly than might be imagined, even if emergency braking is a decidedly unnerving experience. Performance varies according to the engine selected. In V10 TDI guise, the Touareg will accelerate to 60mph in less than eight seconds, allowing it to outrun many a 'warm' hatch. Given the massive momentum generated by moving something tall, with a gross vehicle weight of more than 3,000kg, at speed, such rapid acceleration is rarely advisable, even with some powerful brakes to fall back on. That said, the torque on tap is staggering and drivers are unlikely to have experienced anything comparable to it before. If ever a car felt strong to the point of invincibility, it is the Touareg. Commendably, all buyers are entitled to a full day's off-road tuition to help them get the most from their vehicle. It's resistant to roll when on-road, too. A well-heeled farming family would probably take to a Touareg readily if they didn't happen to be dyed in the wool Range Rover or Land Cruiser fans.
It's rather too classy to be a natural rural workhorse though, so most Touaregs look likely to find homes in the stockbroker belt as vehicles for people who like to pretend they live in the country. However, it's too large to be a practical choice on the school run, so it does run the danger of falling between two stools. Few cars could be a worse choice for a novice driver. Quite apart from the fact that inexperienced hands, such a battering ram of a vehicle would be extremely dangerous to other road users, it is unaffordable, uneconomical and has a high insurance group. Initial fears that buyers would baulk at the prospect of buying a 4x4 from a maker associated with hatchbacks and saloons have proven unfounded. As if to pre-empt such fears, Volkswagen has pulled out all the stops to ensure the Touareg communicates quality and class to owners. Unwittingly, Porsche has also helped to make the Touareg look like a fine proposition - it feels like a far more confident and comprehensively thought-out product than the Cayenne.
There's even a degree of reverse snobbery pulling up next to a Cayenne in a Touareg, knowing that one has spent less for a superior vehicle. Climbing up into the elevated cabin requires a good deal of effort that will be immediately off-putting to some potential buyers. This is a serious 4x4, not a family-oriented 'soft-roader'. Doors and tailgate (with separately opening window) are as heavy as they look. Even though they offer a good deal of hydraulic assistance when opening and closing them, they still require a fair degree of muscle. In acknowledgment of the fact, a power-closing aid is an option on all models. Once passengers have gained access though, they will find they are spoiled for interior space in every dimension. Acoustic quality is good, probably as a result of the cathedral-like dimensions of the interior, though Lexus' RX300 and Volvo's XC90 do have better systems. All models get a single-slot CD player with ten speakers, and a six disc CD boot mounted autochanger can be installed as an option. V10 models gain an upgraded '8/11' audio system with an eight channel amplifier and 11 speakers. Parking such a Behemoth without the aid of parking sensors requires nerves of steel and a reliable tape measure. Wide as well as long, owners are likely to find themselves indulging in late-night shopping at the local supermarket more frequently than they would wish, as a Touareg realistically takes up one and a half standard spaces. Only the V10 model comes with parking sensors as standard, though they are installed both front and rear. A temporary steel space saver spare wheel with electric compressor comes as standard kit though it is of course completely unsuited to off-road use. Anyone venturing off the beaten track would be well advised to replace it with an optional matching full-sized alloy wheel.
