Thinking of buying a 2010 v6TDI

I've been reading about the diesel issues on the later (09+) tdis. We had our old "reliable" ALH (500k miles on it!) go out a year ago and we're ready to get a newer diesel!


There are a number of Touaregs with the V6 TDi motor around here.. the one in question has about 85,000mi on it.
As well as the Jetta Sport Wagon (2.0TDI)


According to the internet, the issue with the HPFP is MUCH more prevalent with the 2.0TDI than the 3.0TDI V6.


This car would be used for commuting 100% of the time. I drive ~45 miles one way to work in all weather conditions, reliability is the main concern here.

The 2010 Touareg is a great vehicle, but if/when something breaks, or whenever maintenance is required (tires, brakes, 9 liters of oil/change, etc), everything is considerably more expensive than a JSW. Also, you'll have far fewer options for mechanics to work on a Touareg TDI. The best mileage we ever got with our '09 Touareg TDI was about 28; expect more low-mid 20s in typical commuting. Later ones (T3's) get better mileage. Can't see that the economics work for the Touareg, but then again, if you own one economics isn't the reason. Good luck.

I appreciate the candid nature of your response. We'll go look at the JSW instead.

Having owned a 2015 GSW and a 2013 Touareg I can say they are very different in almost all aspects. Both are great for what they do, it really depends on what your wants/needs are. Were I you, I would be looking at the 2015 GSW, for the Dieselgate warranty if no other reason. Our GSW was a DSG and I think we got 35/40 MPG. It ran great, really we had no complaints about it. I've seen some of the 2015s pretty cheap, I think they are a great value. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one. The only reason we got rid of it is we needed something to tow the camping trailer we had at the time.


Which brings me to the Touareg. It's my wife's DD, she averages 25 MPG around town. We have got 30-31 on trips, but 29 is probably more likely if you drive 70-75 or so. The Touareg is bigger, more comfortable, tows more than some pickups and has 4 wheel drive. It drives great as well and if you stomp it from a dead standstill is surprisingly quick. However, it is more expensive to maintain. I do most of the maintenance and so far it hasn't been too bad.


If economy is what you are after (both in maintenance and fuel cost) the GSW is what you want. If you need more room, towing capacity or 4WD, the Touareg is the answer (but at a cost). I doubt you will find any other vehicle sold in the US that does what either will do any better.