Are you looking for a great crossover SUV?  Do you want one that is loaded with great features but you don’t want to pay luxury SUV prices?  the Volkswagen Touareg is the right choice to make for this vehicle as it even has the experts baffled as to where they want to classify this vehicle.  The Touareg competes with the Ford Edge and Nissan Murano but certainly that is not a fair competition as the Touareg is much more feature filled and a more dynamic drive in every way.  Actually this SUV should be put against the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Jeep Grand Cherokee, but the price is certainly more enjoyable that either of those vehicles.

As I said the features are plentiful in the Touareg which comes standard with the VW 4Motion AWD system with an adaptive front/rear torque distribution.  This model also offers creature comforts such as the dual zone automatic climate control, eight-way power and heated front seats, a leather wrapped steering wheel and shifter, Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming, SiriusXM satellite radio and power outlets, six airbags, traction control, stability control, hill descent assist and a ten year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty.

In the optional features category we see you can have several amazing additions added to your Touareg including a great engine.  the options you have to choose from include a navigation system, an Area view monitor, a hands free power liftgate, a panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery, 14-way adjustable and ventilated front seats with memory features, 19-inch alloy wheels, wood interior accents and a 620-watt ten-speaker Dynaudio sound system which allows you to turn the Touareg into a concert hall of your favorite sounds.  With this magnificent list of features you will certainly enjoy the ride inside your new nearly luxury SUV.

Looking to the power you can have under the hood you will find a 3.6-liter VR6 engine as the standard offering.  This engine is attached to the eight-speed automatic transmission and with the full time AWD this powertrain is hard to beat.  With this all together, the engine gives you 280 horsepower and 266 lb.-ft. of torque while also adding a fuel mileage of 17 city/23 hwy for you to enjoy at the base powertrain level.  This is certainly the SUV you can love for a long time and be ready to take for a ride on and off the road.

For more low end power, which is needed when you want to take on some trails, and the ability to enjoy better fuel mileage the 3.0-liter turbocharged diesel V6 is the way to go.  With the same transmission as its running mate and the full time AWD the benefits of this engine are the added power and fuel savings.  The numbers certainly don’t lie as you will enjoy 240 horsepower but a massive 406 lb.-ft. of torque while also experiencing 21 city/29 hwy mpg worth of fuel mileage to ensure you will have a great drive from this awesome SUV.

When you step inside the Touareg your first reaction is awe at the materials, the design and the simplicity of the interior.  This is one that takes the SUV world by storm and lets you have a great time driving as the Touareg gives you the comfort and feel you want to make it seem like you are in a luxury vehicle.  With plenty of space in every seat and a rear seat that not only folds in a 60/40 fashion but also slides fore and aft as well as reclining everyone riding along will be comfortable including any gear or supplies you need to haul.

The exterior was redesigned only a year ago which allows the 2016 model to continue to offer the amazing looks that you have come to love from this Volkswagen product.  the large four-bar grill makes for a beautiful start to the vehicle looks which heads to the back with the smooth lines and dynamic curves that are offered to make this SUV one that is attractive and sophisticated even from the outside.  You will certainly love the lighting that is offered to make the Touareg look even more luxury than you would expect.

This SUV offers a smooth ride and feels genuinely excellent on and off the road.  With great cornering and fantastic braking you might forget you are driving an SUV.  The responsiveness of the steering system will surprise you with its quickness as the Touareg offers a dynamic feeling from the driver’s seat.  You can take this SUV off road, but you might not want to because it’s also an amazing on road driver that feels more like a car than a larger SUV.  The powertrain offered at both levels is dynamic enough to be one of the most admired in a vehicle of this stature.

When you want that midsized SUV that gives you everything you need except an oversized price tag, this is the right one to choose.  This vehicle is capable, versatile, powerful yet fuel efficient and certainly offers you the great driving experience you want in your SUV.  The new features aboard the Touareg for 2016 include the 14-way power ventilated front seats on the Lux and Executive models, along with a power tilt wheel added to the Driver Assist package of the Executive model.  For this year the hybrid version has been deleted trimming the lineup where needed.

As for the pricing, the standard model of the Touareg starts around $43,600 for the Sport model and moves up as high as $60,700 for the Executive Trim.  The TDI Sport with the Technology package begins at $54,000 and gives you much better fuel mileage and low end power than the base powertrain.  A fully loaded Executive Touareg will run you about $65,000 which certainly puts it very near the luxury models of this size SUV.  At any price point and model level you are going to love driving this great looking and performing SUV that is made to be the companion on the road you have been waiting for.