Sittin, Waitin, Wishin: 2014 VW Touareg TDi R-Line

"Jonathon Klein" (jonathon-klein)
02/26/2014 at 17:45 • Filed to: Sittin Waitin Wishin, VW, Touareg, TDi

YAY TDi! TDi, what does that stand for?! Turbo Diesel! Ok so it doesn't stand for Turbo Diesel, but rather Turbo Direct injection, but its still a TURBO DIESEL! Diesel is finally making headway in "Murica! And it isn't in a Bro truck? What kind of land do we live in anymore?!?. Every self-respecting God fearing American knows that diesel is only for trucks and the Goddamn Surrender Monkey Frenchies! Right everyone?! Well no, it isn't, but that's not what were are covering in the second addition of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . We're doing interiors! We won't be delving into the diesel vs. gasoline liquids if you will. We are here for one reason and one reason alone. Whose got a great interior and who's is shit.

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I started my last article off with the seats and I don't see any reason why not to stick with the same convention. The rear trunk is massive, like you could easily fit many bodies in the back of it. If you're the non-Dexter type you can fit massive amounts of sports equipment, I am told. I've never had this so called "sports equipment" but I am assured that the trunk is big enough to hold a lot of it. The spare tire is located right where you would normally have a spare tire in a smaller sedan. This means that the spare is actually in the car and not hooked up to a small winch that drops the tire down from the rear of the vehicle from the outside. This is both good and bad. For those familiar with the winch method, you know that with this system you get a full sized spare. This is great because then you don't have to travel at the speed of a beige sedan being driven by the insurance broker that doesn't care he's hogging the left lane and causing a massive back up of cars because he has nothing to live for and is asking to get shot by someone that has a lifted Silverado 2500! The issue then becomes that it takes forever, much like passing said insurance broker, to finally get to a point where you can get the spare tire off. Then you have to repeat the process of pulling the bad tire back up! Additionally this SUV has two flaws with its spare tire. First, it's a weird little double tread donut tire that doesn't look like it would hold up to a strong wind, let alone getting you to the nearest gas station.

Also, because it is not a full size spare, when you take the old broken tire off you can't place the tire back into the space from the spare, meaning you have to put it directly into the cargo area ruining your nice new VW's interior! What the hell were they thinking!?! With this model starting at $58,000, I do not want to be messing up my interior at all.

Movingfrom aft to forward, the rear seats are super comfy and amazingly plush for Volkswagen. This is your cross country tourer, or better yet, being a diesel with lots of torque and a big trunk, your next cross country record car! Those !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! that did it in a two door Mercedes should have tried it with this, they would have set two records. The transcontinental record, and the "holycrapthiswasthemostcomfortabletranscontinentalroadtriprecordever!" When I say there is amazing amount of rear seat legroom, you know I'm not kidding around. Volkswagen was obviously building this car with me in mind. I honestly could be a bit taller and still have ample amounts of leg room.

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The front seats were supportive and wonderful. The side bolstering was way better than the Fiesta's and the entire cockpit was laid out perfectly for all those soccer moms, or rather the new hip sport, lacrosse moms daily trip to the spa and or country club, where other mothers sip white wine and talk about how they aren't getting enough attention from their husbands anymore and why they really need more botox. While this car is awesome and most likely a capable car, this is the sort of person that buys these cars. Not the super wealthy, but the wealthy enough to rub it in your faces constantly. From the gaudy piano black interior plastic, which was a big thing in the auto show this season, to the compact steering wheel that feels lovely vs. all of the larger bus style wheels that most SUV's have, the car dripped that new money feel. Why you would need an R-Line diesel SUV with piano black interior plastics and heated and cooled seats? I will never know. One thing I do know is that the panoramic roof is an absolute must, and it will probably be on 85% of these cars when you look for one in 5yrs. However, I am not sure the roof and all of its glass will hold up in a crash and rollover situation. I can't imagine it will do well, and I'd bet you will probably be showered in glass and cut to pieces. Perfect for the Dexter lovers.

Infotainment system on this model is standard throughout the higher priced VW's. Touch buttons on the wheel; I won't repeat my hate of those. A very clear NAV system and all the bells and whistles you would want on an almost $60,000 SUV.

The overall reaction to the SUV was favorable, especially to the aforementioned lacrosse crowd. This car probably handles the desert with ease, can go up a 70degree incline, and haul 7 people with great care. This is something that I cannot attest to, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! can. For me and all the lacrosse playing, botox infused, weirdo cougar fetishists that I know you all have, this car is super nice. I would love to have one, especially with that awesome roof. Granted I would rather have the more Dakar Rally spec Touareg they used to make.

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But I can't have everything I want all the time.

Follow me here on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !

Don't miss next times Sittin Waitin Wishin which will be the Kia K900, super luxe limo or WTF were those Koreans thinking?

Photo Credit to Jonathon Klein and Seriouswheels.

Special Editing thank you to Ryan Myers

DISCUSSION (17)

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > Jonathon Klein
02/26/2014 at 18:51

do the other 4 rims look like the spare rim because that looks sweet.

The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 > Jonathon Klein
02/26/2014 at 19:10

*Turbocharged *Direct injection. I always assumed it was turbo diesel as well, until a VW salesman defined the acronym.

Jonathon Klein > The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123
02/26/2014 at 23:12

Fixed thanks!

Jonathon Klein > Vince-The Roadside Mechanic
02/26/2014 at 23:13

Ah, no, they would look killer though.

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > Jonathon Klein
02/27/2014 at 08:02

Well now I gotta buy four spare tires

ihateyousohard > Jonathon Klein
02/27/2014 at 10:19

Seriously, where can I buy those wheels? If these would mount right up to my golf they would look awesome. I wonder what the specs are for the spare?

efme > Jonathon Klein
02/27/2014 at 13:43

i actually find it very lacking for a $60k SUV. it felt no different on the inside than the passat SE we had as a rental that runs $20k

Jonathon Klein > efme
02/27/2014 at 13:55

Everything felt better than the Passat though, because I've sat in that one too, hell I owned one.

efme > Jonathon Klein
02/27/2014 at 14:02

the newest model passat?

I sat in both at the auto show and it just doesn't feel upscale to me. maybe I'm expecting too much for $60k these days.

Jonathon Klein > efme
02/27/2014 at 14:06

I've sat in the new one and owned the last gen W8.

David E. Davis > Jonathon Klein
02/28/2014 at 07:55

Kinja'd!!!

This is why they make cargo trays. VW and Weathertech offer them.

Jonathon Klein > David E. Davis
02/28/2014 at 08:03

This is true.

anonkc > Jonathon Klein
02/28/2014 at 10:08

Not much appears to have changed on the interior. Looks about the same as our 2004 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S inside.

Kinja'd!!!

I have used the spare on our Cayenne. It is rated for 50mph like most undersized spares. And it look like it would fly apart at 51 mph. It does inflate to the proper overall outer diameter which is important for all-wheel drive. Ours had been in the trunk folded up so long it went right back to the folder up shape when I deflated it. The 400 page manual we had to read to change the tire said it would take quite a bit of time to return to the size/shape to fit in the trunk. Not so after 11 years in a trunk in Florida! By the our Cayenne and probably some VW's or all have a compressor just for filling the tires under the passenger seat. The battery is under the driver's seat. Wacky Germans.

Jonathon Klein > anonkc
02/28/2014 at 10:12

Yeah not much difference, and Ze Germans vill not be please vith you calling zhem wacky.

Dr_turtles > Jonathon Klein
03/01/2014 at 08:40

So you're saying that it would RUIN the interior? To lay a tire in the trunk? You must be cray!

Jonathon Klein > Dr_turtles
03/01/2014 at 08:47

I was more thinking of the situation that usually happens with a tire blowing out, chances are its raining or snowing or some other inclement weather. Or maybe thats just the movies?

Slothkins > Jonathon Klein
03/03/2014 at 11:25

I wish I knew if you were joking or not about the spare. It comes with an air compressor and inflates to the size of the stock tires.

I will say, having driven both the TDI R-Line and TDI Executive Touaregs, the R-Line is the easy winner, even with less options. The small tweaks they made to the suspension make all the difference in my mind. It feels just a bit more solid through the curves. Plus, the sportier-looking front and rear fascias are pure sex.