Touareg or BMW X5 diesel in the 2010 year range????

Turbospool

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Joined
Sep 15, 2007
Location
Daleville Va
TDI
2001 White TDI Jetta, 280k, 2003 jetta 270k
Ok.. so I’m shopping for a new to me SUV to pull my 21 ft camper and just go tripping with my wife in a bit of comfort. I am prepared with about 15 grand.

Let me introduce myself a bit and then please advise me.

I have owned a 2001 tdi jetta for about 10 years, presently at 280k and running great . I also own a 2003 jetta (for the wife) , 270k running great and would GREAT,like to sell to buy the above upgrade. ( I also own a 1994 12 valve cummins 130 k and running wonderful) I am a diesel nut, I have all of them tuned....... and love this forum , trust your advise, and that is why I bring up the BMW vs Touareg question.

Ok .... please advise me!!!
 

Yeti35

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Joined
Nov 7, 2009
Location
SL, UT
TDI
2010 Touareg V6 TDI
I'm a little biased, I would get a '10 and one with air suspension if you can find it. I am sure the Treg has a higher tow rating than the BMW. If you find one with air you won't need a weight distribution hitch since it will auto level the rear of the car.
 
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BroncoAZ

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Apr 25, 2009
Location
Flagstaff, AZ
TDI
2015 Touareg Lux, 2015 Passat 6MT, 2009 Jetta (long gone), 2011 Touareg (bought back 02/18)
We’re all probably biased here towards the Touareg. That being said, I would recommend a 2011 Touareg as they had the 8 speed automatic trans instead of the 6 speed. I never owned a 2010, but my 2011 was great for towing in the mountains because of the close gearing. If I noticed it slowing or the RPM were too low I could manually shift from 7th gear to 6th or 5th depending on the grade without sending the RPM way up. I routinely towed 6500# of boat behind mine without issue on flat lands, and some enclosed trailers up to 7000# in the mountains. I never used a weight distribution hitch on the Touareg, but if I were towing something heavy in the tongue I think it would be good. I just purchased a 2015 Touareg this weekend, I missed the 2011 after turning it in.

As for the air suspension eliminating the need for a weight distribution hitch, there is much more to it than just leveling the rear. The WD hitch pushes some of the weight onto the front tires making the vehicle ride and track better. I don’t think I’d want to set up a WD hitch too aggressively on the Touareg, but having one to distribute the load would be beneficial.
 

Mythdoc

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Jan 28, 2017
Location
Tennessee
TDI
2011 Touareg, 2015 Q5, 2015 Golf
A neighbor of mine bought a used X5 with the proceeds of his Jetta buyback. It has turned out to be an unholy pain the a$$ for him. Among its other quirks is a tendency not to start due to a weird switch malfunction.
 

KITEWAGON

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Jun 29, 2009
Location
Seacoast, NH
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2014 Touareg Exec, 2014 JSW
Its going to be pretty tough to find a 2010 Touareg isn't it? The buybacks were pretty lucrative and a fix wasn't offered when they were announced so I think most of the 2010's probably got bought back.


But 15 grand gets you close to a newer highish mileage Treg anyway. Someone just offered a 2014 with 93k miles on it for $16.9k that would have been a great vehicle based on your needs.
 

kjclow

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 26, 2003
Location
Charlotte, NC
TDI
2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
I'll echo what BroncoAZ said, Airlift does not replace the need for a weight distribution hitch. I've been reading a lot about this on the Ram1500diesel.com website since purchasing my ecodiesel. They all push for weight distribution on any trailer over 5000 pounds. Airlift helps settle the ride after applying the torsion bars.
 

Yeti35

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2009
Location
SL, UT
TDI
2010 Touareg V6 TDI
Has been said many times if you have air suspension you don't want to use a WD hitch at all. Many threads about it on the other Touareg forum. Many guys there have done just that, air and no WD.
 

Turbospool

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2007
Location
Daleville Va
TDI
2001 White TDI Jetta, 280k, 2003 jetta 270k
Thanks for all the reply’s ... I will be looking for a 2011 instead and probably stick to VW .
 

mannytranny

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 14, 2003
Location
CA
TDI
02 Jetta (sold, such a great car) '16 Touareg
I'd steer clear of anything BMW.
 

kooyajerms

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May 5, 2004
Location
Pomona, Southern California
TDI
97 B4V (mine), 11 x5 35d (hers) 04 V10 (that one you want), 2014 Q7 (mom's) 74 Shasta 1400
I love our x5. Maintenance and issues with the vehicles aside , it’s a much better vehicle than the Touareg. Both of those vehicles have the possibility for gremlins or emissions parts issues. Both can have fuel related issues with those silly HPFP’s but I hear of less of those issues on the M57.

Comfort in the cabin is impressive, sport/comfort seats are definitely more comfortable. The NAVI/MMI System is much more intuitive in BMW’s system vs VW/AUDI. Steering /handling and driver feel is more pleasant than driving the Touareg or a Q7. Engine on the M57 has more to it than the V6.
 

vwztips

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Aug 30, 2009
Location
Greenville, SC
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2005 Passat GLS Wagon TDI 5 spd manual w/BSM delete 2011 Tiguan TDI/DSG 2005 Audi A4 Avant 6MQ TDI 2011 BMW X5 35d
I was looking at both back in May. I am heavily biased to the Touareg but kept an open mind.

I liked the way the Treg rode and handled better. The car was for my wife, and I got the feeling she liked the X5 better and she liked the color combo. One of the things that turned her off in the Treg was the panoramic sunroof which was really hot and the screen does not do much to help. The X5 panoramic sunroof was not near as hot.

It boiled down to 2 things.
1. The X5 35d is in general cheaper than an equivalent Treg
2. The PO had already dispatched with certain troublesome parts and had it tuned.

Also, I describe the X5 as a hammer as it is very brutish with the tuned torque. The Treg is smoother.

In the end we bought the 2011 X5 35d and saved several thousand dollars which I can use to pay for any issues that may come up.

On a side note, the software for the BMW is awful and not near as intuitive as VagCom.

Bottom line for me is the wife is happy.
 

Turbospool

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2007
Location
Daleville Va
TDI
2001 White TDI Jetta, 280k, 2003 jetta 270k
Thanks for all the informative input. I,ve also noticed the BMW’s are less money on the used market. However I need to toe 5000 #’s and lean a bit toward the Touareg because they seem better equipped for towing from the get go.
 

Flyboy777

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Joined
Jan 5, 2016
Location
Huntsville, Ontario
TDI
2012 VW Passat TDI W DSG
Thanks for all the informative input. I,ve also noticed the BMW’s are less money on the used market. However I need to toe 5000 #’s and lean a bit toward the Touareg because they seem better equipped for towing from the get go.
Correct me if I’m wrong but the X5 only has a tow capacity of 5000lbs vs the Toureg’s 7700lbs. The x5 also has runflats which are twice as expensive ..... BMW = Break My Wallet!

Steve
 

hause

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Nov 12, 2011
Location
Charlotte (Noda), NC
TDI
MK4 Golf Tdi... all souped up also a MK7 Sportwagen on its way to greatness
Yes the X5's are cheaper used than Toureg. But with VW you get warranty. 2010's will start showing up at dealerships if not already because they buybacks are selling at auctions. A mint low mileage 10 could be had reatail for $13k, a nice 12 would be closer to 18 i think. I recently sold my flawless Cayenne air ride for $27k. It was an amazing vehicle in all arenas, particularly towing.

PS: The Q7 is the best value currently, you should be able to find a nice one for 12k or less. But tow rating is less, 5500lbs
 
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