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MDX vs Touareg

Jimbo

Jimbo

Legendary Member
Joined
30 May 2000
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3,277
Location
Southampton, PA, USA
I happened to look at the specs/prices of the new VW Touareg. Compared to the Acura MDX it's pretty impressive.

It has a 7700 lb towing capacity. Compared to the lame 3500/4500 capacity of the MDX, I'm thinking that the Touareg would make for a pretty nice tow vehicle to carry one's NSX to the track.

The price is about the same too. Plus, you can opt for V8 power in lieu of the standard V6.

Of course you could also get a Suburban/Tahoe/Expedition/Excursion too. But for someone who didn't want to go the "truck" route the Touareg looks pretty sweet.

-Jim
 
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did you also look at the volvo xc90? i saw one in person when i picked up my volvo and it was truly impressive....turbo, 7 seater, ultra safe (no doubt) and comes with an impressive price tag....
 
Get Touareg if you want to TOW VERY HEAVY stuff, but I don't believe in VW quality (most people I know who own one have to fix their cars almost every month).
MDX is way more than capable to tow an NSX :)
I get an MDX since I want to haul stuff inside my SUV.
I can put a full size bed on the back with the second & third row down with no problem, so that is the size of the back of the MDX.

Either way you will enjoy a great SUV.
Just give us a reviews & 1 year long term reviews :)
 
insx said:
Get Touareg if you want to TOW VERY HEAVY stuff...
Click to expand...
I think you need to define "VERY HEAVY."

For those of you who have never towed heavy loads (over 5-6K lbs) on a regular basis, don't be fooled by a vehicles tow rating. There is much more to it than that. Most importantly (IMO) is wheel base, followed by suspension, torque, brakes, etc. I have had 5 Burbs (3 @ 3/4) and currently own a PSD Excursion. The difference between my Excursion and one of my 1/2t Burbs is night and day...white knuckles versus a walk in the park. The reason I popped in with this is because I see people all too often make a decision an a vehicle based on a tow rating, only to find out later that they made a huge mistake. To occasionally tow an NSX across town...no problem (with the referenced SUV's). To tow an NSX across a much greater distance...a different story. The latter brings in the fatigue factor of the white knuckle experience.
 
Curious, what do you recommend that I look for in a vehicle that will be 98% daily driver and 2% towing the little track car around to West Coast tracks (2 - 12 hours drive but mostly 2 hour drives).
 
JChoice said:
Curious, what do you recommend that I look for in a vehicle that will be 98% daily driver and 2% towing the little track car around to West Coast tracks (2 - 12 hours drive but mostly 2 hour drives).
Click to expand...
Well, personal preference plays a huge role here. Also need to know what your budget is, what the weight of yout trailer is and whether it has brakes. On the personal preference side, if a truck doesn't bother you then a diesel heavy duty truck (or big block) is the way to go. If not a truck, then the next option would be (what I consider to be) a real SUV like the Excursion or 3/4 Burb.

For me, I enjoy driving my Excursion as a daily driver. In fact, I get almost as much a thrill in it as driving my NSX (kinda crazy ey!). Personally, these days I only tow my boat around a few times, and an occasional travel trailer on the week-end. In the past I towed heavy machinery on a constant basis. Forgot to mention the two Explorers I owned. What a joke they are for towing!

The only way to know for sure if one of the smaller SUV's would be acceptable for you is to hook one up to what you tow and head out...followed by a similar trip using a more capable tow vehicle. That is where you will notice the difference between what might be your white knuckle experience and the walk in the park.

Time and time again I have had freinds purchase something like a 5.3 1/2 ton Burb or a Darango to use to tow their boat, only to later find out they don't have the tow vehicle the wanted. In fact, I am lending my Excursion to a freind for the weekend to tow a boat because he now knows his Durango (V8) doesn't cut the mustard.

In this thread you can see one forum members trailer for his NSX, but what is hard to see is the tow rig. It is a F350 PSD. Now that is a tow rig. ;)
 
KGP,

No doubt an Excursion is one of the best towing rigs. And you're right about having a suitable tow vehicle.

But for those who have a light trailer and only do the occasional towing of their NSX, the Touareg might be a good choice.

In my opinion the MDX/Pilot are simply inadequate for the task. The rated tow spec is barely enough for the NSX let alone a trailer and equipment.

-Jim
 
I agree with Jim, I don't have the towing package but really doubt the MDX would be up to the task. If I had a dedicated track car to haul I'd opt for a Suburban or Tahoe, relatively cheap,
comfortable and lots of torque.
 
Jimbo said:


But for those who have a light trailer and only do the occasional towing of their NSX, the Touareg might be a good choice.
Click to expand...
Jim,
No arguement here. Might in fact be suitable. But, if they (VW SUV) are going for the prices I see listed, you could have the big rig at the same price. Then it boild down to whether a big vehicle like the Excursion is too big for the individual. Having driven one for years, the size is of no matter to me. The PSD also gives me 14mpg when towing 7k lbs at 70mph also.
 
JimK said:
...I'd opt for ...or Tahoe...,
comfortable and lots of torque.
Click to expand...
Comfortable, yes sir.
Lots of torque, not in my book:D, (unless a minimum of the 6.0).
Tahoe=shorter wheel base, which=increased white knuckle factor:eek: (for sizable loads).
 
*ALMOST* bought the volvo--great vehicle. cant speak to the towing capacity. BE-Aware of vw quality issues.

We bought the toyo landcruiser. EXCELLENT vehicle, and should be compared to the less expensive highlander before you buy.

This isnt cheap, but thre3e times the vehicle compared to the escalade i owned (00 model).

hope this helps.
 
what about the sequoia? i testdrove that and it was quite impressive...so is the 4x4 V8 4-Runner....much cheaper for the same power.
 
If one of the big rig's isn't your cup of tea then try one of the slightly smaller Toyota V8 powered suv's. Might work out well for you. Mo - Elite.
 
Touareg vs. MDX

Drive both vehicles and I can assure you the Touareg will leave you with a far better impression than the MDX. The Touareg does everything very well (shares platform with the Porsche Cayenne) and truely has a "sporty" element that the MDX lacks. As for build quality, the Touareg is built at VW's new Dresden plant which is one of the most sophisticated on the planet. READ: Not built in Mexico. The MDX is a great vehicle but the Touareg really is better. Just my opinion.
 
Any Primers own a Touareg V10 diesel who can give some first-hand reliability and ownership experiences?

I can easily find all kinds of good and bad (mostly bad) press on VW's online and at places like Edmunds True Cost To Own pages, but I want to hear some firsthand input for Touaregs. Am starting the shopping process for replacing my 226k mile Accord workhorse with something pre-owned ~4 or more years old. Just like my 24 month search for the right NSX, I'm just not smart enough to look for an easy out such as sticking to pre-owned Pilots or MDX's which are also on my list to investigate & test drive. I've always had an irrational interest in Touaregs. They're one of the few options I've found that have good utility, look to be great highway cruisers, and would check all the boxes I need checked for being appropriate around work peers, on the weekends, on a date, at a formal event, etc. Something different from the SUV herd w/o being too showy and completely devoid of any of the silly styling cliche's of the last 10 years. And I have a good non-dealership german car maintenance guy.

Any former or current Touareg owners here?


Some other threads from Prime with Touareg in the title:
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php/10455-2003-Acura-MDX-VS-VW-Touareg?highlight=touareg
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showt...27-836-pound-feet-of-torque?highlight=touareg
 
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I owned a V10 Touareg TDI for around a year before selling it to my buddy. I can tell you, it's ONE HELLUVA crazy car. It is not exceptionally good on fuel consumption though (if you're expecting that TDI will be better fuel economy). Maintanence isnt all that bad, however, it is EXPENSIVE at the dealership. For the year i had with the car and 2 years since my buddy owned it, nothing bad has ever happened. Just regular maintanence, small electrical issues with temperature sensors, and that's it. With a vehicle like that, i didnt risk bringing it to Indy and always went back to stealerships :frown:

My buddy tuned it (i believe a piggy back chip) and it made around 350hp and 700lb/ft of torque :biggrin: all that torque comes in at 2000rpm too... so it'll eat anything alive on the street (yes, including the ferrari's and lamborghini's and GTRs).
 
Something tells me Jimbo isn't in the market any longer...
 
Why not look at the 3.0L V6 TDI? It will be more economical, new body/better chassis/better interior, better MPG, and 7700 lbs towing.

I love the Touraeg. I drove a V10TDI for a week but that doesn't tell you much. The V10's are the last gen design. I would just opt for the 2nd gen. if I could.
 
The MDX will tow the NSX no problem. I towed mine from Houston to E. Tenn to go to NSXPO. 17 MPG at freeway speeds. NSX + trailer was 4300 lbs. With the Acura tow package capacity is 5000 lbs. The MDX is pre-wired for a brake controller as well and recommended. You can see the MDX and trailer set up in my photo section. I was also running in drive expected a lot of downshifting and it surprisingly held speed fine in the hills of TN seldom downshifting. To go much over 5000 lbs capacity you have to switch to vehicles that are not unit body construction. I was so satisfied that when replacing my 07 MDX this year I went with the 14 MDX. It is down a bit on hp and torque. Did a test pull with a box trailer and seems to be just as capable as the old model.
 

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