Sometimes when you are asked if you like something (usually by your spouse) you either say yes or no, but often you are not sure why you like it.
Maybe you are not the type to analyze things too much and just go with a like or don't like. It may even take you a while after saying you like it to really figure out why you like it.
Getting into the new Volkswagen Touareg is a bit like this. When you first get in there is a feeling of familiarity, and unlike the old saying, in this case familiarity does not breed discontent. It breeds happiness.
There is no particular reason it feels good at first, it just does. But after a few minutes of driving it all makes sense.
It is not just one thing that provides this feeling but a combination of a lot of things, some small, some a lot larger.
The first is the seating. The driver's seat wraps around you like a warm blanket (the heaters help), and it is immediately comfortable.
The doors close with a thunk yet there is no movement in the vehicle.
Entering the Touareg I noticed there was no sill. Usually there is a little lip where the floor rises up to meet the door. There is none here which seems to make entering a little easier.
The Touareg feels very solid, and it should considering it weighs roughly 5,000 pounds. It only takes a few seconds to get the power seat into the perfect driving position and the tilt and telescoping wheel also help with this comfort.
On the road the Touareg feels well planted, and soaks up any and all undulations in and on the road. It feels solid and safe and the full time all wheel drive system assists greatly in our lovely winter conditions.
The cabin of the Touareg is a quiet place to be with very little of the outside noise making it into the cabin. Even when you hammer the 280-horsepower V6 the noise entering the cabin is still muted, offering a feeling of statelyness.
On a lot of SUVs these days there are six gears, which help with gas mileage, however Volkswagen has gone two steps further and installed eight forward gears and they are seamless. At 90 in eight gear, I was able to drop the Touareg all the way down to third gear via its Tiptronic manual sift mode and each shift was totally seamless. Shifts up through the eight gears are a easy thanks to the double clutch gearbox.
The back seats in the Touareg slide and recline and on the back of the centre console is a 12-volt outlet as well as a 115-volt outlet for any and almost all of your home appliances.
VW has placed an electronic park assist brake button beside the shifter and this button is small enough that it can be operated with one finger. Pull to engage, push to disengage.
There is also an on road and off road dial behind the shifter allowing the driver to select low range for any off-roading.
Dual zone climate control is a nice option and there is also Bluetooth voice-activated phone, navigation system and satellite radio. Also, in the glovebox there is a drop-down CD/MP3 player with two SD card slots and iPod jack.
The navigation is a 3D version and there is also a neat 3D compass that can be displayed on the centre of the dash as well as an altimetre.
Volkswagen has also included an air compressor in the back in case you need some air for your tires, and you will know if you need air because there is a tire pressure monitoring system to keep you on track.
The Volkswagen Touareg is a very nice SUV that is smooth, solid and sumptuous, and if you are not sure why you like it as soon as you sit in it, take it for a short drive and you will soon find out.
VW Touareg
5-door SUV
8-speed manumatic
3.6 litre V6
Horsepower 280 @ 6,200
Torque 265 @ 2,500
Mileage: 12.3 l/100 km 23 mpg City 8.8 l/100km 32 mpg Hwy
Price $53,190
