Looking at an old one, prob around 54 plate.

Got a budget of about 6k..

Anything I should look out for when trying one out?

Definitely looking at the Diesels as fuel costs on a petrol will cripple me.

Any advice much appreciated.

Me and the wife were looking at one. Walked away after a phonecall to a friend of mine who works at a independant vag garage.

The airbag light was on (known fault on 04-07) as the wiring under seat so moving seat regular causes dodgy contacts and causes light to immuminate. The propshaft hadent bin changed at the reccomended 50k and vw only replace a full shaft a snip at 1.7k !!!

Remember this is a luxury car And you pay for privilage. My pals work is well known for being one of the best vag tuners and repairs in the nw and they dont have all the equipment to service and repair the tuareg!!! So most of the stuff is main dealer im afraid. The same one we looked at the v6 diesel was sold the next day after we looked at it. Few weeks later the wifes work colleague had bought it off a private seller!!!! She sold it a few months later due to gearbox having issues and the ridicoulus diesel bills every week.

I still look at one now from time to time and drool as we both like them but the older ones can be money pits that we couldn’t justify buying.

Me and the wife were looking at one. Walked away after a phonecall to a friend of mine who works at a independant vag garage.

The airbag light was on (known fault on 04-07) as the wiring under seat so moving seat regular causes dodgy contacts and causes light to immuminate. The propshaft hadent bin changed at the reccomended 50k and vw only replace a full shaft a snip at 1.7k !!!

Remember this is a luxury car And you pay for privilage. My pals work is well known for being one of the best vag tuners and repairs in the nw and they dont have all the equipment to service and repair the tuareg!!! So most of the stuff is main dealer im afraid. The same one we looked at the v6 diesel was sold the next day after we looked at it. Few weeks later the wifes work colleague had bought it off a private seller!!!! She sold it a few months later due to gearbox having issues and the ridicoulus diesel bills every week.

I still look at one now from time to time and drool as we both like them but the older ones can be money pits that we couldn’t justify buying.

I’ve heard variations of this many times – not a car to buy on a budget. If you are still unsure, price a set of tyres for one.

Similar stories and the guy that does my VW hates them.
Tiguan is not much better either.

Hmmnnn, this was preliminary research. Having spent last night reading up on some of the issues/driveshaft etc I think I will steer clear.

Any suggestions for an alternative?

I want big high suspension due to copious amounts of speed bumps and crater sized pot holes near where I live/drive to work every day.

Must swallow bikes too.

6k budget

To get the haterz in a froth

FWIW, I looked at a Tuareg a few years back and I couldn’t work out why a car that was so big on the outside was so small on the inside…

X3 or old X5?

FWIW, I looked at a [generic chelsea tractor] a few years back and I couldn’t work out why a car that was so big on the outside was so small on the inside…

That’ll be the high ground clearance and 4×4 drivetrain. Have you ever been in one of those crew cab pick ups? Even worse – sports car sized interior, truck sized exterior.

I want big high suspension due to copious amounts of speed bumps and crater sized pot holes near where I live/drive to work every day.

I have to say, that’s a daft reason to take on all the expense and hassle (and pollution) of a 4×4. Everyone else manages just fine in normal cars. If you are worried about potholes just avoid anything with low profile tyres.

You’ll get a much nicer car in estate form than SUV for the same budget, it’ll be better to drive and vastly cheaper to run. SUVs in my experience aren’t all that big inside because so much of the space they take up is taken up with wheels and ground clearance.

That’ll be the high ground clearance and 4×4 drivetrain. Have you ever been in one of those crew cab pick ups? Even worse – sports car sized interior, truck sized exterior.

😀

To be fair, rear passenger space isn’t the greatest, but for decent ground clearance and the ability to swallow whole bikes (as per the request) and deal with pot holes / speed bumps, a pickup with a canopy isn’t a bad option. If you need to regularly carry 5 adults over long distances in comfort, then look elsewhere, but that’s not what the OP asked.

Even the load area in pickups isn’t that big. My FiL drives around sometimes in a Ford F250 which is absolutely monstrous, and with a spare wheel in the back (nowhere else for it) the bags we get off a plane with more or less fill it. If I had a bike it’d be a right squeeze.

Even the load area in pickups isn’t that big.

Compared to what?

Compared to a van, or an estate with the seats down.

A mate’s wife has a toerag (had it for quite a long time). It eats tyres very quickly and they are a non-standard size so not a lot of choice. Has recently had a number of other issues inc drivesharft, gearbox and electrical (reversing sensors and windows).
Another mate has a new one (company car) and although it’s nice inside its small compared to the XC90 he had before (wanted another one but couldn’t wait for the new one to become available). He gets pee’d off with the auto stop system and the fact that the all-singing ‘control centre’ thing takes about 60 seconds to start up after the car is started. During this time the car is without certain facilities that you might need (I think reversing senors might be one of them!).

Thanks Molgrips, I’m having Pizza tonight… would you like to decide my toppings on what everyone else has/wants?

Thanks for the suggestions so far.. might look into ther BMW’s suggested.

If you’d said ‘I fancy a big f off SUV cos I like them’ then I wouldn’t have said anything. Don’t make excuses!

molgrips – Member
Compared to a van, or an estate with the seats down.

Well, obviously compared to a van, but I’d question the estate with the seats down too. Show me an estate where you can get 6 medium hard tails in with only the front wheel removed….and still have space for 4.

Could you clarify exactly where and how I’ve made an excuse?

As far as I can read I’ve said I want a big high suspensioned vehicle that swallows bikles and deals nicely with speed humps and pot holes due to my commute, it’s not an excuse it’s exactly why I want one. If it was nice tarmac open road then I’d be looking at an M3 or S4… but it’s not.

I forgot it required me to make an acceptable excuse for wanting to own a particular type of vehicle, I’ll make sure I seek your permision next time to make sure my reasons are adequate before asking people’s opinions/advice on what I’d like to buy.

but why would you need 6 medium hard tails if there are only four passengers??

😉

I did a road trip from Houston up to the Grand Canyon in a F250, exactly like this one but blue. I could lie flat out in the bed and could lie on the bench seat in the back of the cab. Great fun but we rinsed through so much fuel 😯 Driving one over here must be a nightmare as they are so huge.

gogg – Member
but why would you need 6 medium hard tails if there are only four passengers??

👿

As far as I can read I’ve said I want a big high suspensioned vehicle that swallows bikles and deals nicely with speed humps and pot holes due to my commute, it’s not an excuse it’s exactly why I want one.

🙂
Speed bumps, slow down. Potholes drive round and speak to the council about them.

Decent sized estate will probably handle both and swallow bikes.

I’m sure that is a perfectly viable option Mike. But my chosen solution is to pay money for a 4×4 that makes them less invasive on my daily drive.

I’d steer clear of anything in the pick-up range, from any manufacturer. They are not that big you know, even with the crewcab that will encrouch into the space (uncovered unless you buy a fiberglass top for it) and you can’t get bikes in without taking the wheels off.
Mate has had a sucession of F200’s and whilst not bad a drive, he berates them for a lack of space, only reason he has one is it’s fully tax deductable.

Potholes drive round and speak to the council about them.

You are ‘avin a laff, aren’t you? Most of the roads I drive you can’t go around the potholes, because then you’d hit oncoming cars, the holes are over a metre out into the carriageway. And reporting them does bugger-all.
I’ve destroyed two alloys on my Octavia, hitting huge holes filled with water in the dark, and it’s getting ever more rattly, due to bushes and such getting worn.
The council deny all responsibility when you try to claim.

Pot holes and speed bumps you say. What you want is a big citroen with the funny suspension.
Previous shape c5 estate to 08 or you might get a new shape 08 on. Or go limo style c6.

Even the load area in pickups isn’t that big. My FiL drives around sometimes in a Ford F250 which is absolutely monstrous, and with a spare wheel in the back (nowhere else for it) the bags we get off a plane with more or less fill it. If I had a bike it’d be a right squeeze.

Really?

The spare wheel goes under the back of the bed. We took 5 adults for 500km last week with only 1 toilet break. No issues. It’s taken 4 bikes easily (f wheel removed) and pothole-shmothole!

Had 5 big suitcases in the back (which is bigger than it looks in the photo – camera perspective etc). The back seats are wider and have more leg room than a Toyota Previa (the car we nearly bought).

It costs me £20 for a full tank (650-700km) but no idea what mpg that is or what the cost in the UK would be.

I do know, it fits the bill and the new Mazda BT50, Mitsu L200 etc are pretty plush inside.

Not gonna get one for 6k though.

one more pic – I do love “the truck”!

p.s. you haven’t lived until you power slide a 2T truck in a dusty field at 50 kmph*

*with the farmer egging you on!

What about a BMW F25?

£140 VED for the 2.0D around 33mpg round town, much better on a run

You’ll be looking at about 33mpg round town but much better on the m’way. Tyres will be a about £230 a corner and expect 18K ish on them before replacing (if low pro).

Q5 shouldn’t be too far off the above – the perfect STW car 😉

Really?

Yeah.. It’s huge, but the load area isn’t proportionally bigger.

Captain slow, is that for all X3’s… not heard the term F25 before. They look good.

If mpg isn’t an issue look at a Nissan Murano. Wrong badge for a big 4×4 so cheap. Get the right year for the petrol and you’ll get the lower VED.

mpg is a consideration and the non-diesel element of those is an off put. Thanks though.

Not really fussed about a pickup truck.

The X5 and X3 suggestion has got me interested in the BMW’s available.

Default STW response but what about an Octavia Scout or 4×4? Good size boot, decent ground clearance, pretty economical and very capable.

We’ve got a Scout and love it. And we live in Devon. You’d need caving gear to explore some of the potholes in the lanes around here.

I had a q7 which is essentially the same car underneath

Pro’s – they’re super comfy, fast, easily take bikes in the back and the standard spec is very good. Fuel isn’t too bad considering its two tonnes and perm 4wd. And surprisingly good off road if needed.

Cons – they eat tyres. Literally destroy them, the rears have the centres torn out of them and the fronts take the edges off. Even rotating them you’ll be lucky to get 4k miles out of a set and the cheapest I could find were bridgestones at £420 each. Also the v6 in the vw is gutless

I had the 3 litre with a map and it was surprisingly quick. The 4.2 wasn’t much quicker. Or spend £10k on a cayenne turbo and go properly fast..

chilled76 – Member
Captain slow, is that for all X3’s… not heard the term F25 before. They look good.

POSTED 6 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

Nah, there’s an older variant (e-something) and bigger and smaller engines. Manual and auto etc. I test drove a few different 4x4s and estates and for me it checked all the boxes and was the nicest to drive. The numbers I quoted were from mine which is an auto.

Don’t forget to checkout Nissan, Toyota, Honda, Kia, hyundai and Merc etc as well.

molgrips
Compared to a van, or an estate with the seats down.

—-
Well, obviously compared to a van, but I’d question the estate with the seats down too. Show me an estate where you can get 6 medium hard tails in with only the front wheel removed….and still have space for 4.

Katie and I rented a Nissan bakkie with a hard top for a few weeks in South Africa. Long wheelbase one as well.
Conclusion was that it was less convenient, comfortable and secure than a small van. Bikes went in whole but lying on top of each other and wheelarches were a pain. I’d agree with the above – not really any more space than a large estate with the seats down.

Yes, you can get a load of bikes in if you’ hang them over the tailgate but then they’re effectively on a bike rack – insecure and in the weather. Again, not really any better than a car with a roof rack.

We had an X3 rental for a week once. Against all my better judgement I have to admit it was a nice car to be in and drive but wasn’t that big inside. I can’t imagine that good for bikes.

I’ve always thought a stripped out Discovery would make the ultimate luxury bike carrier but again, would be better without the weight and expense of the 4WD system

What about a MK2 Hyundai Santa Fe?

A better more reliable car than the Toe rag and much bigger inside, not quite upto the VW interior standards but a lot more reliable and more economical too!

XC90 is de rigeur round my way.

I bought a S Max when I saw how much it was going to cost me in running costs, can afford the odd tyre or two on the change.