Volkswagen Touareg R5 TDI 2005 review

It's the one with the affordable diesel engine and, with these big SUVs (as the have come to be known), diesel is definitely the sensible way to go.

With large reserves of torque, they do a better job of getting the bulky vehicles off the line and they won't cost you and arm and a leg to run.

At this point it is interesting to note that Volkswagen is not charging a premium for the R5 diesel, unlike many manufacturers - it's the same price as the V6, in both standard and luxury form.

Power for the R5 TDI comes from Volkswagen's 2.5-litre five cylinder turbo-diesel which delivers 128kW of power and 400Nm of torque (virtually the same as the 4.2-litre V8 petrol Touareg).

Although it is just half the size of the mammoth V10 diesel, the 2.5-litre in-line power plant does a pretty good job of hauling the Touareg's 2235kg mass around.

We won't kid you by saying the R5 is the fastest 4WD off the mark, but it is certainly no slouch either, with strong low to mid-range acceleration.

The sprint from from 0-100km/h takes a claimed 12.9 seconds, but it actually feels quicker than this.

Fuel consumption, meanwhile, is rated at 10.1L/100km from the big 100-litre tank.

During testing we achieved 9.8L/100km, giving the vehicle a realistic range of more than 1000km.

On the safety front, with six airbags, the Touareg received a maximum five stars in European crash tests.

Our test vehicles was the R5 Luxury model with all the bells and whistles, notably leather upholstery with power operated and electrically heated front seats.

Heated seats are always a big hit with the ladies and, with these leather pews, you can dial in one of five heat levels.

With 237mm of ground clearance, the Touareg is a very cable off road machine.

Low range can be selected via a centre console-mounted rotary knob, with the ability to lock the centre differential for equal front- rear power distribution.

During normal operation torque is distributed automatically.

However, serious 4WDers should note, it is equipped with only a space saving spare wheel.

This won't be of much use out in the bush, so if you're planning any major off road excursions, it might be an idea to take along a real one.

The Volkswagen Touareg R5 TDi is priced from $69,900 while the Luxury model is $78,600, both prices are before on-road costs.