Test Drive Volkswagen Touareg since 2010 SUV

Test Drive Volkswagen Touareg VS Toyota Land Cruiser Prado: They will be held

Most of the buyers of Volkswagen Touareg and Toyota Land Cruiser Prado in metropolis, such as St. Petersburg and Moscow, are infrequently found on real off-road. At the same time, they are very important off-road potential of the car, so that, at case, in the literal sense, do not fall into the dirt face. Kolesa.ru portal experienced both cars on all surfaces and made his verdict.

It is initially it seems that the frameman Prado should feel better on off-road. Moreover, in our test version of Toyota had a dispensing box, blocking the mid-scene and rear inter-track differential. Touareg can also get a set of differentials in the Terrain Tech pack (worth a little more than 75,000 rubles), but in our car the package has not been installed.

True, Land Cruiser Prado did not have a pneumatic suspension (only rear pneumatic amortizers are available), and its road clearance did not exceed 220 mm. And Touareg and without pneumatics would have a clearance of 210 mm, and considering that in our car such an option was, on the off-road body of the car, it was raised to 260 mm on the off-road, and, provided that the speed did not exceed 20 km / h, Touareg allowed to climb over the ground 300 mm.

Both vehicles with three-liter diesel engines and machine guns. But Volkswagen is much more powerful than 240 hp Against 173, and in its 8 gear box against 5 Prado.

Outside
Land Cruiser Prado is square shapes. Rectangle headlights, almost clear square of fog, radiator grille with powerful vertical bars, lops side mirrors. Behind the same proportions: headlights, rear door, fog lights rectangular, almost square. And even a chrome lining above the number cuts the trunk door to direct corners. In general, the abundance of chromium cutting eyes is the characteristic style of Prado. Moreover, on a test copy, a metal body kit, protecting the bumper, and solid steps

Touareg more resembles a city car raised above the road. Its form is rather not a square, but a drop. The branded Volkswagentian headlights are combined with a grille, the ribs of which visually make the car more flat. The same side mirrors, lights, foglights are narrow and long. Therefore, VW seems to be lower and wider, and this is not a deceptive impression. If the Toyota width is almost equal to the height of 1885 against 1880 mm (when there is a pure square), then Touareg is more flattened 1940 by 1732 mm.

Inside

Sitting in front of employees of the portal kolesa.ru most like the Touareg salon. All devices and handle keys are at an optimal distance from the driver, the chair is convenient and has excellent side support. True, the visibility is difficult to be small lateral mirrors and narrow rear glass.

The Prado Central Console against the background of the German interior looks more disorganized; But only in this car at the steering column there is an electric adjustment of height and departure. But the Prado driver landing is higher, off-road. Given the large side mirrors and a large glazing area, Prado is essentially ahead of Touareg according to the visibility criterion.



The dashboard screen looks good for each of the cars, but at the Volkswagen speedometer, at first, the larger font was highlighted at first every 20 km / h, and after 60 km / h every 40. Simplicity of Toyotovsky wins ...


Both vehicles are extremely spacious from behind, and Prado has parts of the rear sofa not only move forward-back, but the angles of the tilt of their backs are adjusted. In addition, Prado exists in 7-seater execution, and Touareg holds exclusively 5 people.

On asphalt
In our opinion, Touareg is a much more comfortable car. The Toyota turned out to be weaker noise insulation, and the rear dependent suspension fastened hard on the pits. On the steering wheel, the minimum effort, informative which is not called. True, Toyota is managed clearly and, each time turning the steering wheel, guess how much SUV will change the trajectory.

Touareg is much quieter and smaller; The second is largely due to the pneumatic suspension. The advantage of the German and in the fact that Volkswagen engineers managed to make its handling no worse than other passenger instances. You can be confident: SUVA addiction will be addressed without problems even in inexperienced drivers. It seems the off-road potential of the car absolutely does not lead to difficulties in the city really everything will be the opposite?

The difference in dynamics is logically explained by the 70th-strong advantage of Touareg in power and partly in additional transmissions in the box. However, the 8-speed AISIN automatic transmission is far from DSG with two clutches, and thinks a little longer. But the advantage over the 5-speed Toyota transmission is observed both in acceleration and appetite: Toyota spent almost 2 liters of diesel fuel per 100 km more, 11 against 9 liters of Taways. Taking into account the fact that in our version was a 100-liter tank, at one dressing Volkswagen could leave much further than the Japanese. In addition, at the Prado had a smaller number of transmissions, there was also a smaller operating range of engine speeds, and the noise from work on tops was very talked when driving in a flow rate.

By off-road
Even on the most terrible obstacles to us on the way, it was clear that the problems of Toyota would not be any. Blocking the central and rear differentials we included not in a situation, but just like that, just in case, for a tick. Even without them, in the usual mode of the transmission of Land Cruiser Prado, plenty upwards on very steep slopes, and from the place, without acceleration. (It is a pity that on the day of the dough it was relatively dry, and the next day the snow went, almost completely melted to noon, it would be a test!)


Exercise Congress from obstacles Both SUVs without difficulty thanks to the solid corners of the entrance (30 degrees - both) and the congress (26 Prado and 28 Tuareg). But thanks to the difference in the clien 220 at Toyota and 260, the Volkswagen the German driver under the supervision of colleagues performed a slightly faster.


Toyota suspension move seemed more; Yes, and the power intensity in Prado is incredible. However, on the track for cross-moving motorcycles rich in zigzag vertical relief, both suva swinging and pretty threw passengers, but never upset the suspension breakdown.

For money
In the basic version, the diesel Land Cruiser Prado will be cheaper than 1,805,000 rubles against 2,083,000 rubles of the initial price of 240-strong Touareg on diesel (soon there should be a 204-strong version of the 3.0-liter turbogo travel, but until it comes to the Russian Federation) . In our test, Toyota visited the prestige plus for 2,336,000 rubles and as follows with various Volkswagen options, whose cost rose to about 2,800,000 rubles. The Japanese from the maximum configuration distinguished the absence of the rear pneumatic suspension, the back row of seats and adaptive shock absorbers, while Touareg did not only have an off-road TERRAIN TECH package (with blocking of differentials and a handout) and, perhaps, the hatch in the roof.

It turns out that, instead of almost the most equipped Touareg, you can buy almost top prado and Volkswagen Polo in addition.

There are no queues at the moment, although quite recently there was almost no one in his free sale.

* Minimum loading height:
Touareg 690 mm, Prado 835 mm.

Clearance (without pneumatic suspension):
Touareg 210 mm, Prado 220 mm.
 

Cars are granted to the official dealer of Volkswagen Sigma Motors and the official Toyota Toyota Center Nevsky dealer.

Posted by: Alexander Korchenko
Photo: Roman Stunnin


 

A source: Magazine "Wheel" [November 2010]