Oftentimes the differences in V6 and V8 engines are minimal(same with an I4 and V6 in the same car). My uncle owned a new Chevy Silverado regular cab v6 and about a year later he traded it in for an extended cab GMC Siera with a V8 and reports BETTER mileage than the V6 of his Silverado.
hmmm, that interesting… but for same car though would you not expect a V8 to have worse gas mileage than the V6? They are listed as 14/18 for V6 and 12/17 for V8 (and 12/15 for Land Cruiser as reference). Thanks all of you guys by the way for spending the time to share your collective wisdom, I need it!
Given that choice, I’d go for the v8. This is a HEAVY vehicle (not much different than a Suburban), the gas v6 would be weak.
In that case, I’d opt for the V6. Considerably less expensive to maintain than the TDI V10, but not quite to fun factor. Early V6s had problems with the rear driveshaft mid-bearing. The ride on any one will be luxurious and quiet. The groung clearance is identical between the two. Advantage of the V6 version is that it came/comes standard with 16" rims which allows a much wider selection of tires.
I don’t believe the V10 TDI Touraeg was made to be the environmental option. It was probably meant to be the “halo” option, drawing people to the showrooms to get V6 and V8 Touaregs. It was also built to show Americans that diesels aren’t slow and noisy like they used to be. If you are concerned about the environment, get the V6.
You didn’t post if you are buying new or used. I looked up the T.S.B.s {hush-hush technical service bulletins of manufacture problems} for an '05 V-6 and V-10. The V-10 had 111 bulletins. The V-6 had 115, so I guess its a toss up on problems that will pop-up.
Just curious - how many TSBs does a '05 4Runner have?
Texases- sorry, I already left the shop. All that info is on our shop computer that cost us big bucks to link to these data banks. The 2010 Touareg V-6 has 56 TSB’s to date.We are in June, so I’m sure more will be issued. I didn’t see a listing for a 2010 V-10, but I was in a hurry to start Father’s Day weekend! I will keep your 4-runner in mind,and keep you posted. Alot of head-ache problems have been solved, but its up to the mechanic to do his homework and research.Other problems are one -of-a-kind.Because it takes hours to diagnose a problem, alot of mechanics will not share the info.
No problem, I was just wondering how the two compare, since the OP’s a Toyota owner. Enjoy the weekend!
When it comes to choosing between a Toyota and VW, I go with Toyota every time. VW’s started out as a simple car, but now I have to look at the hood emblem to confirm I’m not working on a Mercedes Benz. The newer VW Beetle is a nightmare to work on. Changing a bulb is no longer a ten minute task. The Japanese have always built vehicles to be serviced, hence lower labor times[cost] to repair a vehicle.I don’t see a pollution difference, as all vehicles meet or exceed standards.{90% better than 20 years ago} Vehicles are putting out next to nothing as far as pollution goes. Gas mileage must be factored in with the bottom line per year of vehicle maintenance. You might have a vehicle that gets great gas mileage, but the repairs exceed any savings at the pump. Petroleum is still abundant {BP is showing us that]Electric vehicles will dominate the landscape much sooner than any one can imagine. There are new manufactures already producing vehicles that no-one has heard of. EMC is one example.190 miles in the city per battery charge. 100% electric.We are witnessing the dawn of a new era.Coda automotive.An American importing Chinese car bodies and outfitting them with batteries.
I know on the 2010 Silverado, the fuel mileage is so close, ti’s almost worth getting the higher engine option. 4.3L v6(195hp/260tq) is rated 14/18 with 4wd 15/20 with RWD. 4.8L v8(302hp/305tq) is rated 14/19 RWD, 13/18 4wd. 5.3L v8(315hp/335tq) is 15/21 in both RWD and 4wd(looks that way on edmunds.com anyhow). The 6.2L v8(403hp/417tq) is rated 12/19 for 4wd and 13/19 for RWD.
I believe it has more to do with the way the transmission is geared on each particular engine, than the number of cylinders.
They didn’t make servicing much easier. My CX-7 requires one to actually take off part of the inner fender to reach the headlight bulb to change it out.
Bscar, at least you didn’t need to remove the bumper! You got an easy one, as far as that goes.
Oldwrench now you have me thinking I should maybe just get another Land Cruiser, I love the vehicle/ride/how it handles the dirt roads, I was just trying to find another equally off-road worthy vehicle with creature comforts that might get better gas mileage/pollute less. I thought a Touareg with air suspension might do the trick, but since the insurance company just wrote me a check for the LC my teenager just totaled that is more than I paid for the LC 3 years ago (it was a 2001), maybe I should just stick to the tried and true and Toyota LC… As soon as they make an electric vehicle that can handle difficult off-loading conditions I’ll be first in line! Thanks for all the wisdom:)
I am buying used. With the abuse the vehicles get on these dirt roads, brush scratching the paint and all, I’d hate to drive a pristine-right-off-the-showroom-floor vehicle. I have found a few Touaregs v8’s with air suspension from 2006 or 2007, all out of state. Leaning that way if I go VW because V10 of equivalent mileage is about 10K more, and air suspension (which lifts car up to 11.8" from standard 8.6") is impossible to find on V6. Comments?
I believe the 4.3L V6 and the 4.8L V8 have a 4 speed automatic and the 5.3L and 6.2L has a 6 speed automatic. The XFE model has the 5.3L with the 6 speed automatic, and a tall 3.08 rear end. The better-than-you-might-expect fuel economy is mainly due to the 6 speed automatic’s wide gear spread and standard 3.23 axle ratios (3.42 on 4WD models). Of course if you opt for the towing package or off-road package, in most cases you’ll get 3.73 gears automatically.
The transmission’s themselves aren’t geared any differently, the 4 speed automatic that goes with the 4.3L has the same ratios as the one that goes with the 4.8L.
There is no 2010 V10 TDI Touareg, the diesel V10 couldn’t meet emissions standards. 2008 was the it’s last year.
I’ll jump in here. I drive a 06 Touareg V10TDI. It features 550 f/lb of torgue off the rear end and is built not only for off road but towing as well. I pull a vintage 64 Airstream Tradewind up mountains like it’s not there. And that was the decision to buy because it would tow. I also winter in Mexico and between the cobblestones and street conditions, a world class suspension was part of my selection criteria.The 4 corner air tamed those conditions. If you’ve just got an off-road like distance for you to get to the highway or paved street, then you don’t really need to consider the diesel. It is not all that responsive for quick lane changes as it suffers from a slight turbo lag. It’s a driving habit one must get used to. Starting in 07, Touareg was upgraded to a 3.6L V6 gas engine that replaced the under power feeling of the previous 3.3L V6 gas engine. The real problem is finding a V6 gas with 4 corner air suspension for your purposes. There are actually a lot of folks that run the V6 gas off road with springs only and have no complaints. See http://www.clubtouareg.com/forums/. The DoRag interior is world class, it’s off road capability will smoke a Hummer and yes it’s expensive to maintain. Reliability is luck of the draw. All the 2004 models were a nightmare and I think finally resolved by 06. I got about 18.5mpg but traveling at 80-100mph (and a ticket through AZ!) but these puppies are heavy and gas milage is really not a factor when buying this type of vehicle. The Touareg is a world class act luxury ride with an awesome off road capability. It’s similar to going Cadillac, once you’re there not much else will do. I think the 4 corner air option on a new purchase is about $2400. You could probably retro-fit a used V6 if it doesn’t come with it. Test drive a 4 corner air suspension regardless of engine and then test out springs only on your driving route. Have fun, buenas suerte.
At this point, I should point out a heavy bias towards Japanese cars, so that may make the rest of what I have to say worthless.
We have an '02 Escape. I like the way it drives quite a bit, but it has not been reliable. Maybe the new ones are better, but the point is, they do make a Hybrid Escape. Maybe you should see if those are holding together…?
Personally, I’d stick with the Land Cruiser, if I were you. I doubt the mileage will be substantially different from that of the VW. I’ve owned VWs too; a 1984 GTI and a 1990 GLI. Those cars were just a blast to drive, but weren’t very reliable.
Is a Toyota Sequoia too large for your purposes? I drove a friend’s, and it feels like it’s way smaller than it actually is, which I think is a good thing.
You might even think about a Honda Pilot.
Notice something? I used to own VWs, and am suggesting a Ford, a couple different Toyotas, and a Honda. Think about what that might mean.
I got the not so cheap one actually, my CX-7 has the HIDs. I’ll be taking to the dealership should anything go wrong with it