VW Touareg/BMW X5/VW Sharan

[ugene425]

I am needing to sell my current 2011 X5 as it is not Euro 6/ULEZ complaint. It is a great shame as I really like the car and the space it provides for my family and three young kids. Two car seats and one booster seat in the back fyi.

With a budget of around £20k has anyone owned any of the above cars? Age around 2014-15 onwards. The car needs to be Euro 6. Please let me have your opinions. I’m leaning towards diesel as tend to do 2-3 long journeys a year plus usual commuting 3-4 times a week.

The Touareg such as this one seems to be slightly better value than the X5. https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202308120...

BMW X5
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202305217...

VW Sharan
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306018...

The Sharan seems even cheaper but I just cannot get the idea of it being a big large taxi vehicle!

🙏🏻 readers and looking forward to reading your posts.

[Krikkit]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202302274...

Petrol one of the same vintage instead? Fuel economy won't be much different on your daily commute.

[ugene425]

£700 Road tax 😭😭😭

[Speed 3]

We had a couple of that gen of Touareg (one from new). We really liked its blend of space and poise. It was just big enough without being crazy like the Q7 (or the latest Touareg) and we didn't need 7 seats. The V6D is smooth and has reasonable grunt. We did Alps trips on winter tyres a few times and it was great in the snow. Reliability wise we had one niggly warranty job on each which VW mains were useless at fixing but over 7 years and about 80k that was the extent of it. We ended up changing to an F-Pace just for something different and that was a bit quicker and lighter but poorer interior quality than the VW and a little less interior space.

Haven't had an X5 but my BIL did the same move from early X5 to Touareg and he's perfectly happy. MPV's & 4-pots don't appeal so can't comment on the Sharan drive but they make good taxis !

[ChocolateFrog]

I would think the Touareg would be noticeably wider than the X5.

That was my main gripe. Lost a rather expensive dimming mirror glass at one point and always felt like it was a squeeze on narrow roads.

[clockworks]

I had that model Touareg for a year, R-Line trim.

Comfy, quick, reasonably economical. Only problem for me was it is (or felt) way too wide for the roads where I live in Cornwall. I can't imagine trying to squeeze through gaps in London traffic in one.
Swapped it for a Superb 280 estate.

[Speed 3]

ChocolateFrog said:

I would think the Touareg would be noticeably wider than the X5.

That was my main gripe. Lost a rather expensive dimming mirror glass at one point and always felt like it was a squeeze on narrow roads.

I wouldn’t say 32mm was noticeably wider.

[scot_aln]

Unless squeezing through a 3cm gap

[emperorburger]

Had a 2016 Touareg R-Line from new for a couple of years and other than some of the tech which feels a bit dated by 2023 standards, it was an be absolute joy to drive and built like a tank. Fair to say they are at their best travelling across Europe rather than on the school run. Also bear in mind the 3.0D V6 comes in two states of tune.

More akin to a Poundland Cayenne rather than a Q7, however I would recommend you try one without reservation.

[Speed 3]

emperorburger said:

Had a 2016 Touareg R-Line from new for a couple of years and other than some of the tech which feels a bit dated by 2023 standards, it was an be absolute joy to drive and built like a tank. Fair to say they are at their best travelling across Europe rather than on the school run. Also bear in mind the 3.0D V6 comes in two states of tune.

More akin to a Poundland Cayenne rather than a Q7, however I would recommend you try one without reservation.

My BIL had an Apple CarPlay module fitted to his for a couple of hundred quid to bring the infotainment right up to date. Agree they’re much more akin to the Cayenne than the X7 but would say Aldi more than Poundland

Our new one was the R-Line 270 too, great spec, lovely in Reef Blue.

[Dave80s]

Sharan for me. The one in the link isn't Euro 6 though, only late 2015 onwards when they had a mild facelift, new steering wheel, bigger screen, LED rear lights are the giveaway, and the newer engines make slightly more power than the Euro 5 ones.

Our family car a few years ago was a SEAT Alhambra and we now have a 2011 X5. Tried to get a 66 plate Sharan but seller wouldn't budge on price at the time and the X5 was £4k cheaper. I wonder if I would have saved a fair bit of that on running costs though.

[emperorburger]

Speed 3 said:

My BIL had an Apple CarPlay module fitted to his for a couple of hundred quid to bring the infotainment right up to date. Agree they’re much more akin to the Cayenne than the X7 but would say Aldi more than Poundland

I think the Aldi analogy is far better. l loved how I didn't worry where I left the Touareg and it just slipped under the radar, yet it was every bit as well engineered as it's Porsche and Audi siblings.

[Mabozza]

I'd recomend a PorscheCayenne 3.0d (but then I would, wouldn't I)

I bought my 2nd Cayenne this year (EU6 compliant - 64 reg early facelift) for similar price to a couple of the cars youve suggested OP. I nearly bought a newer Touruag but it didnt impress in the same way the cayenne did. Cayenne feels more car like to drive than wobbly old 4x4.

I also tested an X5 and it seemed really heavy on fuel compared to the Cayenne, might have been a poor example, also it felt like it lacked spec as well, especially compared to some of the F10 5-series I've previously owned.

[ZX10R NIN]

The Touareg is the pick as it's the forgotten SUV as people go to the others (Q7/Cayenne) first.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202308020...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202307199...

Grand Cherokee's are also worth considering:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202308130...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202308160...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202109157...

Or the Infiniti QX70's are very good value:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306248...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202305036...

[ugene425]

This looks a good example (Touareg) and under £20k

Need to check the car insurance though..

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202308180...