[urq] NAC: Touareg V10 road test... still smiling a day later

[Bill Bennett]

Eurocar (the rag) felt the same way, though they were way impressed by the
air adjustable ride height too. (imagine paying for fixing that outta
warranty, must be why I see Range Rovers with hoses and springs and no air
suspension and the ride height controller unplugged) The V10 TDI is tits!
and so is the new 2.0 TDI in the new VW cars. Bill
----- Original Message -----
From: <Louis-Alain_Richard at computerhorizons.com>
To: <quattro at audifans.com>; <urq at audifans.com>
Cc: "Steve R" <srosen at starxray.com>
Sent: Monday, July 19, 2004 2:38 PM
Subject: [urq] NAC: Touareg V10 road test... still smiling a day later


> Hi all,
>
> I am taking this opportunity to jump in and talk a little about, guess
> what?, the Touareg V10 TDI.
>
> Yesterday, we had the opportunity, Brady and I, to drive the V10 Touareg
> for half a day.
>
> Impressions?
>
> Nothing short of "totally amazing" comes to my mind right now. This truck
> is a monster, and the V10 is the sweetest engine I drove, and yes I am
> talking of a diesel engine.
>
> You know how you feeled when you drove your first real powerful engine?
>
> Then, you now know how big we were amazed yesterday when I floored the
> throttle for the first time. The nose of the truck point 20 degrees up,
> some tires are searching for traction (and yes it's a full time 4wd), and
> the truck goes like hell! No fuss, no waiting, just Go! with a capital G.
> This engine is so powerful, it behaves exactly like an old american
> big-block V8, all torque, right now. The sound is very similar too. Yes
> there is turbo lag, but it's more like half a second.
> And the most amazing thing is the throttle response: in neutral, you won't
> beleive me, but this TDI wants to revs like a japanese sport bike. No
> flywheel mass, no inertia, it's like a race engine. Brapp, brapp, brapp...
>  It's just amazing.
>
> Compared to my urQuattro? I will not provoke any TDI V10 if I see one, i
> swear. Way to scary to lose a fight with a gorilla.
>
> After driving it for a day, I can't see why anybody will buy the V8. Heck,
> the 0-60 time is around 7 second. This is a diesel, for krysake! No noise,
> no smell, 308 horses at 3750, 553 ft-lbs at 2000, why do you want a V8?
> Idle is 600 rpm and cruising is 1200 rpm. And if you want to pass: floor
> it, transmission drops 2 or 3 gears and the truck accelerates like a
> sportscar. In fact, the V10's 200 ft-lb of torque over the V8 are more
> impressing when passing than from a standing start.
>
> Ah yes, the beast costs 103 000$CAN (+16 000$ of sales taxes!), that is 11
> 000$ more than the V8 with comparable equipment, i forgot to tell you.
> Ouch.
>
> At the end of the day, after showing the truck to 2 other gearheads (both
> were real surprised too...), we stopped for fuel. 32 liters for around 200
> km, this translate to 16l/100 km, that is 15 mpg for a 6000 lbs truck
> going wide-open-throttle each time the road cleared. Not bad at all, if I
> compare to my own car.
>
> I wonder how much these will go after a 4 year lease...
>
> Damn, it is really a strange world: me speaking with envy of a
> compression-spark engine...
> At least it's "kind of" an inline 5 design and it has turbos...
>
> Louis-Alain Richard
> there might be a TDI in my future...
>
>
>
>
>
> Steve R <srosen at starxray.com>
> Sent by: quattro-bounces at audifans.com
> 2004-07-19 16:00
> Please respond to
> Steve R <srosen at starxray.com>
>
>
> To
> audi group <quattro at audifans.com>
> cc
>
> Subject
> Re: allroad tire recomendation
>
>
>
>
>
>
> I think the biggest culprit is the air suspension as Brett says but how
> would that cause the dead steering feel? Is the steeirng system different
> on
> the Allroad? Personally speaking, I wanted the car cause it sat higher. At
> the time the Toureg wasn't out yet. It' still not available with the 10
> cyl
> turbo diesel by me yet.
>
> I will check the Audi site tonight
>
>
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