Disregarding the typo in Touareg haha I think it is a great truck. this is for the woman so I didn't even look into the diesel. However, this is something that I want to / will test drive when I get a chance. Could be a game changer
thanks for the comment
Definitely test drive both versions. I read some review on Car and Driver (I believe) that said the TDi was the one to have because the suspension worked best. I didn't understand that because I thought the V6 and the TDi had the same suspension?
I drove the TDi Touareg a few weeks ago and was sorely disappointed in the handling. It just floated a bit more than I liked and it just felt HEAVY. Powerwise, the TDi felt strong. I floored it a ton and the trip meter was saying that I was averaging 17 mpg! If I wasn't flooring it, I'm sure it would've been around 23 mpg. The ride was comfortable and interior was pleasant. I wanted to buy one but two things held me back - handling and price. At $54k for the TDi Lux was just a bit hard to swallow.
I priced out the Q5 2.0T premium plus for around $47k. I have yet to drive it but from all the reviews I've read, this a great handling SUV. The interior is much nicer than the Touareg although it is smaller. Also Audi doesn't discount their cars much not at all like the VWs. I'm actually holding off on trading in my wifes SUV. I drove it the other day and it was not bad at all. It's just getting a bit old at 8 years.
BTW, I also looked at the X1 and X3 but not feeling their interiors.