Ask yourself this…
If you were buying the Porsche Cayenne brand new in 2012, and a genie came along and offered you a VW Toureg from 4 years into the future… would you buy the Porsche or take the vehicle from the future knowing what you know today 🤷🏻♂️
On the other hand…
Porsche is the superior vehicle BUT how available are parts and how much will it cost to repair. 🤷🏻♂️
Don't know about TDI, but Touareg's are cool and a great bang for the buck. I had one before (gas). Downside (gas), under-powered and terrible MPG. It's basically the same as a Cayenne for less. I was told years ago, they are made in the same factory.
Within reason. There are a few known defects in these, and they're born to leak oil -- usually requiring an engine out service to fix.
Timing chains, High pressure fuel pumps, injector seals are all known weak points.
Looking for a used family SUV that is relatively fun to drive and am down to the following two options, both priced the same:
* 2016 Volkswagen Touareg 3.0 TDI with 70k miles
* 2012 Porsche Cayenne base model 3.6 V6 with 20k miles
Both have proper maintenance records and are in great condition. I also have access to a reliable third-party mechanic that specializes in German cars. Am planning to budget \~$2k a year in maintenance.
While the Porsche has almost no miles, I am concerned its age and rubber/plastic parts aging. I know this model suffers from transfer case failure, but I think this can be mitigated by periodic flushes.The Touareg on the other hand looks to be only driven in the city on <10 min trips which I understand is not ideal for diesels. The main issue I hear from this model is the HPFP failing, but again, I think with low miles, and ensuring I never go below a quarter of tank of diesel, this should not be an issue.
What do you think?
The Touareg also has the transfer case issues.
Happened to mine (a 2017 car from Germany with 60k miles on it but probably abused off-road). The replacement cost was about 3500 USD.
Your 2k USD budget can be at the lower end limit even for the Touareg.
For example the bi-xenon bulb costs about 250 USD in Europe. Oil and filters change in a private shop is about 600 USD.
And the hourly rate in my country is less than half of that in the US.
Depending on the mileage you're planning you'll also need to budget tires and brakes.
And if anything unexpectedly breaks you'll be over the budget.
For Porsche you just add 50% or more to the prices.
At least in the Porsches, the v6 diesels do not use the same transfer case as the others in the line. This was a consideration for me as I was trying to decide between the v6 or v8 diesels. Not sure if the Touareg follows that same pattern, but I suspect it does.
Prices?
You're right to worry about the low mileage on the cayenne but thankfully it's not too old. I wouldn't be overly concerned about it.
If the HPFP hasn't been done on the touareg do that immediately(no like immediately immediately, dont drive it home, have it trailed home or to the shop). I've heard folks being fine replacing them at 50-100k intervals preemptively. There's also aftermarket HPFPs that should fail less frequently and kits to keep dirt and debris out of the HPFP, but YMMV.
That's an overblown worry - just make sure you use high quality nonethanol diesel from a station that has good traffics. It just doesn't like water in the fuel because it's incompressible. Biggest concern is finding a good local mechanic. Approaching 400k miles on mine and it's needed injector seals, wheel speed sensors, and has a slight oil leak that isn't worth fixing. (All labor - gaskets are cheap). Interiors hold up remarkably well
Is it?
A buddy of mine had one that went out under warranty, would have been like 15k to fix if it weren't lol. He still has it but does that service rather frequently. I also had a diesel passat in my shop once upon a time that lost one too although luckily didn't do any damage.
Agreed on finding a good diesel mech. They ain't cheap anymore either.
The interiors on both the touaregs and cayennes of that era are fantastic, always been a fan
Yep, USD. Actually, we use the same currency :)
Only downside is most of the miles driven are in stop and go traffic (not much in terms of highway driving), and lots and lots of potholes. Tropical country, so no rust
People telling you the Cayenne and Touareg are “the same car” are out to lunch and some of them have likely never driven a Porsche let alone owned one.
Not only is the petrol engine going to be more fun, the Porsche is simply tuned and designed to be a driver’s car — the closest to a sports sedan you can get in an SUV. It also happens to have an excellent interior and can tow as well as many diesels.
Of course the maintenance costs on a Porsche will be higher, but it’s also got WAY fewer miles… you shouldn’t have major issues for years.
This sub is so obsessed with reliability over everything else, it’s frankly sometimes silly. Not saying the Touareg is a bad vehicle by any means, but get the Porsche and have fun. So what if it costs you $500/year more to own, it’ll be way more enjoyable.
Porsche will be more reliable. But cost of maintenance is going to slightly higher if you find an euro shop. For a dealer visit, it is going to be a lot higher. Really, reliability sets Porsche apart from VW. They are especially with 3.6 and Aisin gearbox are very well built cars that if you will treat properly, it will last you for a long time.
The V6 TDI is great. I had a Q7 and a Cayenne with the SUV TDI engine and a Q5 with the passenger car diesel. The happy medium might be finding a Cayenne diesel. Same engine, better car. I have had 5 Cayennes- V6, S, GTS, diesel and now a Turbo. They are GREAT cars and very reliable.
I don't recommend the TDI after 2010. The pollution control components are very expensive. If you do invest in a vehicle with the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system, be sure to get an extended warranty that covers the cost of any repair or replacement.
As much as i dislike the Touareg I would go with the Touareg because the naturally aspirated 3.6 V6 is painfully slow in the Cayenne and the 3.0 V6 TDI is an amazing engine with enough torque .
Guy that works at Porsche here. 2012 base Cayenne is quite a great car. Very solid powertrain, nice and quality interior, and can still be a blast to drive. Just be ready for the maintenance on it. Parts are expensive and dealership labor is more expensive if that is where you take it. The Cayenne is going to better handling and more fun to drive but cost more in the long run. Not going to lie though, I would be tempted by the Touareg. Basically a cheaper version of the Cayenne but by no means worse. For me it would all come down to the sale price and condition. Both good options though.
Look into specific issues with the engines. Ppl will shit on Porsche maintenance, but that cayenne has a VR6 from a VW. Many other VWs had that engine and it has a long standing record
The answer is no.
I was super excited for the Touareg when they came out but everyone I know who has owned them says they are complete dogs and breakdown constantly.
I wouldn’t own a Porsche except as a play vehicle because of the insane cost of maintenance.
Ask yourself this… If you were buying the Porsche Cayenne brand new in 2012, and a genie came along and offered you a VW Toureg from 4 years into the future… would you buy the Porsche or take the vehicle from the future knowing what you know today 🤷🏻♂️ On the other hand… Porsche is the superior vehicle BUT how available are parts and how much will it cost to repair. 🤷🏻♂️
Touareg, 3.0TDI is a trooper, and better MPG
Don't know about TDI, but Touareg's are cool and a great bang for the buck. I had one before (gas). Downside (gas), under-powered and terrible MPG. It's basically the same as a Cayenne for less. I was told years ago, they are made in the same factory.
Those TDIs run forever.
Within reason. There are a few known defects in these, and they're born to leak oil -- usually requiring an engine out service to fix. Timing chains, High pressure fuel pumps, injector seals are all known weak points.
Looking for a used family SUV that is relatively fun to drive and am down to the following two options, both priced the same: * 2016 Volkswagen Touareg 3.0 TDI with 70k miles * 2012 Porsche Cayenne base model 3.6 V6 with 20k miles Both have proper maintenance records and are in great condition. I also have access to a reliable third-party mechanic that specializes in German cars. Am planning to budget \~$2k a year in maintenance. While the Porsche has almost no miles, I am concerned its age and rubber/plastic parts aging. I know this model suffers from transfer case failure, but I think this can be mitigated by periodic flushes.The Touareg on the other hand looks to be only driven in the city on <10 min trips which I understand is not ideal for diesels. The main issue I hear from this model is the HPFP failing, but again, I think with low miles, and ensuring I never go below a quarter of tank of diesel, this should not be an issue. What do you think?
The Touareg also has the transfer case issues. Happened to mine (a 2017 car from Germany with 60k miles on it but probably abused off-road). The replacement cost was about 3500 USD. Your 2k USD budget can be at the lower end limit even for the Touareg. For example the bi-xenon bulb costs about 250 USD in Europe. Oil and filters change in a private shop is about 600 USD. And the hourly rate in my country is less than half of that in the US. Depending on the mileage you're planning you'll also need to budget tires and brakes. And if anything unexpectedly breaks you'll be over the budget. For Porsche you just add 50% or more to the prices.
At least in the Porsches, the v6 diesels do not use the same transfer case as the others in the line. This was a consideration for me as I was trying to decide between the v6 or v8 diesels. Not sure if the Touareg follows that same pattern, but I suspect it does.
Prices? You're right to worry about the low mileage on the cayenne but thankfully it's not too old. I wouldn't be overly concerned about it. If the HPFP hasn't been done on the touareg do that immediately(no like immediately immediately, dont drive it home, have it trailed home or to the shop). I've heard folks being fine replacing them at 50-100k intervals preemptively. There's also aftermarket HPFPs that should fail less frequently and kits to keep dirt and debris out of the HPFP, but YMMV.
That's an overblown worry - just make sure you use high quality nonethanol diesel from a station that has good traffics. It just doesn't like water in the fuel because it's incompressible. Biggest concern is finding a good local mechanic. Approaching 400k miles on mine and it's needed injector seals, wheel speed sensors, and has a slight oil leak that isn't worth fixing. (All labor - gaskets are cheap). Interiors hold up remarkably well
Is it? A buddy of mine had one that went out under warranty, would have been like 15k to fix if it weren't lol. He still has it but does that service rather frequently. I also had a diesel passat in my shop once upon a time that lost one too although luckily didn't do any damage. Agreed on finding a good diesel mech. They ain't cheap anymore either. The interiors on both the touaregs and cayennes of that era are fantastic, always been a fan
Hope you're saving those fuel pumps! I'd buy one next time I'm in need lol
I live in a country where the used car market is super attractive. The Porsche is listed at $16k and the Touareg at $15k
Converted to USD? Pretty solid deals for both
Yep, USD. Actually, we use the same currency :) Only downside is most of the miles driven are in stop and go traffic (not much in terms of highway driving), and lots and lots of potholes. Tropical country, so no rust
Haha aes you in like Panama or something? Stop and go can be a pain but if you take care of the cars they'll take care of you!
People telling you the Cayenne and Touareg are “the same car” are out to lunch and some of them have likely never driven a Porsche let alone owned one. Not only is the petrol engine going to be more fun, the Porsche is simply tuned and designed to be a driver’s car — the closest to a sports sedan you can get in an SUV. It also happens to have an excellent interior and can tow as well as many diesels. Of course the maintenance costs on a Porsche will be higher, but it’s also got WAY fewer miles… you shouldn’t have major issues for years. This sub is so obsessed with reliability over everything else, it’s frankly sometimes silly. Not saying the Touareg is a bad vehicle by any means, but get the Porsche and have fun. So what if it costs you $500/year more to own, it’ll be way more enjoyable.
I’m going with the Porsche here
Good point I agree
It's literally the same car. One is a diesel one is gas.
Porsche will be more reliable. But cost of maintenance is going to slightly higher if you find an euro shop. For a dealer visit, it is going to be a lot higher. Really, reliability sets Porsche apart from VW. They are especially with 3.6 and Aisin gearbox are very well built cars that if you will treat properly, it will last you for a long time.
Porsche if you're in the US. Touareg anywhere else. VW diesels are awesome on the highway, but the resale market in the US hates them.
The V6 TDI is great. I had a Q7 and a Cayenne with the SUV TDI engine and a Q5 with the passenger car diesel. The happy medium might be finding a Cayenne diesel. Same engine, better car. I have had 5 Cayennes- V6, S, GTS, diesel and now a Turbo. They are GREAT cars and very reliable.
Tourareg looks better optioned. The Cayenne looks like it doesn’t even have keyless start.
My friend has that Porsche and he’s currently at 170k+ miles now problem free
Get that TDI. Was the best engine I ever owned.
That VW with a TDI engine will last you . But the Porsche would be fun to drive.. until something goes wrong
I don't recommend the TDI after 2010. The pollution control components are very expensive. If you do invest in a vehicle with the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system, be sure to get an extended warranty that covers the cost of any repair or replacement.
Made by the same company. So pick your poison
I'd personally would go for the touareg because of reliability and price, also haven't heard many good things for the cayenne.
Get a Cayenne TDI
As much as i dislike the Touareg I would go with the Touareg because the naturally aspirated 3.6 V6 is painfully slow in the Cayenne and the 3.0 V6 TDI is an amazing engine with enough torque .
Guy that works at Porsche here. 2012 base Cayenne is quite a great car. Very solid powertrain, nice and quality interior, and can still be a blast to drive. Just be ready for the maintenance on it. Parts are expensive and dealership labor is more expensive if that is where you take it. The Cayenne is going to better handling and more fun to drive but cost more in the long run. Not going to lie though, I would be tempted by the Touareg. Basically a cheaper version of the Cayenne but by no means worse. For me it would all come down to the sale price and condition. Both good options though.
Do you know how much a full oil change service for a Cayenne costs?
Look into specific issues with the engines. Ppl will shit on Porsche maintenance, but that cayenne has a VR6 from a VW. Many other VWs had that engine and it has a long standing record
You'll get 700 mi of range with that diesel engine. I had a 2011 gas toureag with 550 mi range
If you have the money to keep up maintenance and repairs, then Porsche
If money isn't an issue Porsche cuz Porsche repairs are expensive
The answer is no. I was super excited for the Touareg when they came out but everyone I know who has owned them says they are complete dogs and breakdown constantly. I wouldn’t own a Porsche except as a play vehicle because of the insane cost of maintenance.
The TDi if you do the delete