Being average is not good enough; at some point in time, it may have been but nowadays, it certainly won't get you passed the auditions for American Idol. The car business is pretty much the same; if you can't impress Simon Cowell, you're staying home or in this case, you're not leaving the showroom floor.
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| My tested Comfortline with all options retails for $56,950. |
At its peak, the SUV segment was loaded with players available in all shapes and sizes, mediocre to excellent, and as I look through those that remain today in 2010, it is clear that only the strong have survived. Among those that are still around, we find the VW Touareg. Honestly, if I had been handed a crystal ball six years ago sporting an image of the 2010 Touareg along with rendering of the upcoming revamped 2011, I would not have believed it. You see, the
2004-05 Touareg was, in no uncertain terms, a bad truck.
Volkswagen
Why did it survive then? You ask. Simple: Look at it. Not only is it handsome but it carries a sympathetic and upscale grin that everyone, not just a mother, can love. Beyond that, factor in a drive that had no rivals, be it on or off road, or damn near close to that, and you have yourself a highly desirable product.
There is something about Volkswagens that people keep coming back for. One of our last 2010 Golf test drives was punctuated with a few bugs but that, I say, is part of the experience. You can buy a Corolla if you want (I have just recently recommended the car for a co-worker) but I also strongly suggested Vdubs (a
GTI and a Passat CC) to two other people that I regularly cross in the hallways of Auto123.com. It has to do with who you are and what you need to get out of your car.
It looks like a Volkswagen
If you stare at the thing (not the Thing...), you will surely notice body-lines and curves that are not unfamiliar to the Volkswagen family. Granted, the fascia is pure Volkswagen-Audi but if you concentrate on the rear fenders, hatch and bumper line, there's just something smooth and rounded about it that reminds me of VW's past.
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| With great big wheels, sexy at that, the very German vehicle stands tall and proud. |
