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Volkswagen Golf vs Volkswagen Touareg

What's the difference?

VS
Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen Golf

$33,380 - $69,800

2023 price

Volkswagen Touareg
Volkswagen Touareg

$79,990 - $148,950

2024 price

Summary

2023 Volkswagen Golf
2024 Volkswagen Touareg
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 2.0L

Fuel Type
-

-
Fuel Efficiency
7.0L/100km (combined)

-
Seating
5

-
Dislikes
  • Too much road noise
  • Annoying touchscreen
  • Pricey

  • Disappointing ride quality
  • PHEV elements frustrating to use IRL
  • Limited appeal compared to other R models
2023 Volkswagen Golf Summary

In a world where hatchbacks are being cancelled left, right and centre, it was super refreshing to get into the Volkswagen Golf GTI hot-hatch recently.

I’d driven other Mk 8 Golf models including the R flagship wagon, but this was my go in the car I’d long considered to be the best Golf for the money.

But with prices continuously cruising north - this car is now a $54,990 prospect before on-road costs - does it still make dollars and sense? And what’s it like to live with in the daily grind?

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2024 Volkswagen Touareg Summary

It’s big, it’s fast, it’s luxurious, Volkswagen’s Touareg has always been a stand-out large SUV.

This one, the full-fat R is the latest take on the halo Volkswagen model. It has big shoes to fill.

See, top-spec Touaregs in the past are hardly rivals to the Toyota LandCruisers and Hyundai Palisades of this world. They’re a different breed, with the first-generation Touareg powered by a variety of engines up to a 5.0-litre turbo-diesel V10, and the second-gen version packing petrol and diesel V8s in its upper levels.

They were the ultimate sleeper family SUV, ridiculous engines with rich VW Group lineage in a seemingly mainstream family-friendly package.

But this third-generation version can’t quite replicate the over-engined craziness of its predecessors. It has to think outside the box as emissions regulations crack down the world over.

This Touareg R is a plug-in hybrid. A performance-focused one at that. Can it hope to replicate the unhinged nature of its forebears and find an appropriate place atop the hierarchy of Volkswagen’s R models? Let’s find out.

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Deep dive comparison

2023 Volkswagen Golf 2024 Volkswagen Touareg

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