Well... I?m between the Touareg and the 525D Touring.. Anyone drove the Touareg ? what do you think, comparing with the E60 ? comfort, driving pleasure, etc..

Thanks !

 

I haven't driven one yet, but I guess it is a totally different car than an E60, why are you even considering two such different cars? It's like comparing apples to oranges, don't you think so?

If I was thinking about choosing between one of those cars I would definitely go for the E60 (such a nice car), and another reason would be that I do not want a Volkswagen badge on my hood, I guess. Have you considered the X3 or X5 in stead of the Touareg? I would definitely go for the BMW which is after all a drivers car.

 

I want them, also as a family car.. I would consider the X5, but it?s going to be substituted in 2005 so.. The Touareg is better than the X3 or X5 in many ways, in my opinion.. There are two things I don?t like in the E60, which is the non-existance of four A/C exits in the back and also the non-existance of a 4 corner climatronic system.. But I do love the car.. it?s a tough decision, that?s why I wanted to know some feedback from anyone who had driven both..

 

Oh.. and in the Touareg, I don?t like it?s performance and the lack of existance of cornering lights, altough, a full options Touareg costs as much as a mid-high optioned E60..

 

Based upon what you said, I would definitely go for the E60, here's why:

E60 dislikes:
- unavailability of 4 zone a/c (3 zones are the max. you can get)
- expensive (options)

Touareg dislikes:
- Performance (big minus if you ask me)
- No cornering lights

Also when comparing the financial aspect the E60 might be more expensive, but have you also taken the resale value, additional cost of bigger wheels and fuel consumption in account?

 

Fuel consumption ? what do you mean ? The E60 drains more than the Touareg because I?m getting the Touareg R5 TDI (2.5 TDI).. and about the wheels.. my Touareg price includes 19" wheels with 275/35 ... now, resale value.. dunno..
Now, two questions to a newly E60 owner (congrats on your E60 ).. first, does the car automaticly close the windows when you close the car ? second, does the E60 have electrical mirror open/close system ? thanks

 

About the fuel consumption and tires, I was just referring to the running costs of both. I know that big & wide tires (like the ones on the Touareg) will cost considerably more than normal tires (I hope you your E60 config includes normal tires? ) and the fuel consumption of the Touareg will be considerably higher because of the additional weight and the air resistance factor is a lot more worse than the E60 (I would guestimate at least 3 liters/100 km).

And now to answer your E60 questions:
- Yes you can close the windows and sunroof with the remote by holding down the lock button after locking the car. The same applies to opening the car, you can open all windows and sunroof when unlocking the car by holding the unlock button so that in the summer, the hot air can escape while you approach your car.
- By default the E60 doesn't come with foldable mirrors, but you can order it as an option which will include foldable and auto-darkening mirrors. You can also use the remote of your car to fold-in your mirrors (just remember that this function needs to be activated by your dealer by programming the according car memory setting).

 

I looked at both the Touareg 2.5d and the X5 3.0d before buying my car. Out of the two, I had decided upon the X5 based on minimal depreciation. Simple supply / demand observations tell you which car will retain its value better.

In the end, the decision was made for my by my wife. She asked me how many times I had taken my previous car (an Audi Allroad) off road in the 2.5 years that I owned it. Answer = 0. As the E60 was ?10k less, it was a no-brainer. And I love the handling, something that you won't get from any 4x4 except perhaps the Cayenne.

On the subject of the Cayenne, this is my #1 choice of 4x4 now that they have introduced a 3 litre version. Except, don't expect much attention from the wife/girlfriend ;-)

 

but Johan, do can the E60 be programmed to automaticly close all windows when you press the lock button ?
I know what you mean E60-530d-London, but, with a sports suspension wagon, you can?t leave the road.. never.. with the Touareg, if you want to, you just do it.. The Cayenne is way too expensive here in Portugal, because, for it?s 73000 euros, it doesn?t even bring a multifunction steering wheel..

 

just another doubt.. can we already get the M pack ? or at least, the M5 front bumper ?