The Touareg is an agile, solid, well-finished SUV with comfortable seats and a plush interior. The V6 turbodiesel, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, pulls effortlessly and returned 24 mpg overall in our tests. Its towing capacity is generous. The low-speed ride is overly firm, but it's steady on the highway. The cabin is quiet, and access is easy. The hybrid is the top-of-the-line version. It is quick and shuts off the engine when coasting, even at highway speeds. For 2013, the turbodiesel version gains more hp. Reliability has been well below average.
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