on 8/18/06 4:14 PM, Max Wellhouse at maxjoyce@IPA.NET wrote:

> FWIW, there's a White 2004 V8 Toureg with 25k on it and the local Nissan
> dealer only wants a paltry 39.2k for it   Guess they keep their resale
> value too.  Curious on what it got traded in on.
>
> DM&FS
>
> At 04:17 PM 8/18/2006, Kenneth Wilford wrote:
>
>> My older brother (who have never been a VW person) surprized me by buying a
>> brand new VW Toureg.  It didn't take him long to bring it by to show off.
>> The story is that he went to the dealer to buy a Jeep Grand Cherokee (yuck)
>> but decided to test drive the Toureg while he was there.  First he test
>> drove the 6 cylinder version.  He was impressed but then he drove the loaded
>> V8.  He fell in love with the truck and although he didn't tell the
>> salesman, he had to have it.  When he brought it by and started showing it
>> to me I was immediately impressed.  I had heard how the Toureg had placed
>> 1st and 3rd in a World Cup race in Africa.  Also the Toureg was the winner
>> of the robotically controlled vehicle race last year.  I can tell why.  This
>> is a super well made vehicle.  It has all the bells and whistles of a Benz
>> or Lexus for less money.  It is, if anything, even nicer than those cars.
>> Usually when I look over a VW, I find the places where VW had a great idea,
>> but then reality of cost set in, and they cut a corner to get you 75% there
>> and keep the vehicle at the price point.  This vehicle has none of those cut
>> corners.  Everything is done to 100%.  The seats, the interior, the outside,
>> the suspension, the engine, etc.  He let me drive the thing a few miles.  I
>> am in love with it as well.  Super smooth acceleration, super smooth ride,
>> quiet power, GPS in the dash, power everything you can imagine.  I love this
>> car.  If I had $50k that I didn't know what to do with, I would definitely
>> buy this beast.  This comes from a person who used to be a valet.  I have
>> driven everything from Rolls-Royce, Mercedez, Porsche, to Hyundais.  Lexus
>> were top on my list as the smoothest car I have ever driven and the most
>> comfortable.  The Toureg has taken this spot as even smoother and nicer.
>> Again I am talking about the V8, fully loaded, adjustable suspension height
>> and ride, version.  Not sure what the cheaper version is like.
>>
>> If you get a chance, take one of these for a spin.  However, beware!  You
>> may fall in love.

 I believe that Consumer Reports rates the Toureq as poor reliability,
underpowered in the non v8, gas thirsty, expensive, but good off road for a
car based SUV.

List retail-$43,645 for the  2004 v6- so the v8 has depreciated about 50% in
2 years?

FWIW,

Tom B.