# Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles



## leebo (Dec 17, 2003)

Ok...here are my impressions of the V8 vs V10 after the first 750 miles. Only 250 miles to go before I can really step on the V10 and see what she really does. In the meantime...
1. The V8 has more pleasing exhaust note (throaty rumble) than the V10. The V10 has a completely different tone. At idle you can hear the thump of the V10’s cylinders and slight clack of its valves and timing chain, though it’s nothing as pronounced as what you hear from the Cummins, or sound of the American diesel pickup truck engines. Under acceleration you can hear the V10’s turbo’s spin up and out of hearing range and then get lost in the sound of the motor/exhaust. Others next to you can hear the turbos spin up, because many will turn to look.

2. V8 has good acceleration in Drive Mode and really comes alive in Sport Mode. As I mentioned in my initial impressions, the V8 will put you back in the seat when you jump on it in Sport Mode. The V10 is quite nimble in Drive Mode – but you have to “work the pedal” a bit more than the V8 in Drive Mode. This could be a result of the different characteristics of the engines or perhaps a different throttle response “taper” in the pedal electronics. The V8 feels like a more linear pedal response while the V10 feels more logarithmic – under normal acceleration you have to work the pedal of the V10 a bit more in the initial part of the pedal range at each gear. It’s in this initial range of the accelerator travel that you can hear the turbo’s whine.
The V10 really is an acceleration demon in Drive Mode from about 1600 RPM to 3000 RPM. I’ll take it above 3000 RPM using Sport Mode after the break-in period (redline @ 4400 RPM). The kick that I described in my initial impression was simply the engine reaching 1600+ RPM. 
3. Once the "real" acceleration begins in the V10 (~1600 RPM), the engine sounds less "strident" than the V8 at a “comparable” point in its power curve. I think this is probably just due to the lower RPM’s in the V10. And, as I wrote before, the V10 acceleration curve feels a bit more forceful and even - it just doesn't quit until you run out of road, gears or testicles. I find that I run out of gears and testicles at about the same time in Drive Mode. I think the same thing will happen in Sport mode - only sooner.
4. V8 has more European feel to the steering, V10 has an American feel. By this I mean that the power steering in the V10 is very, very powerful and smooth and is especially noticeable at low speed. You just can’t feel ANY wheel or road resistance at all when traveling very slowly (parking). This is less noticeable at speed, but I experienced less "road-feel" in the V10 steering than the V8 under all circumstances. I’m OK with this, but I think others may not like this characteristic. 
5. The V10 power plant and transmission are both as smooth as silk – I have no issues with "throttle lag" or "hesitation" or “jerky shifting” like I experienced with my V8. It took me about a week to “unlearn” some of the acceleration habits I had acquired while driving the V8 to minimize the jerkiness I would feel in the seat of my pants (and my neck). I really don’t understand why there is such a difference in this respect, but it feels like the transmission shifting program (?) is better tuned to the V10 than the V8 at moderate acceleration. Going “granny” or “jumping on it” both yielded smooth responses in both my V10 and my V8. But, the V10 is seems smoother at the in-between (“normal”) rates of pedal movement. Does that make any sense?
6. V10 rear gate pops open with much more force than the V8. You have to be careful or it will thump you good in the chin (or chest or whatever body part is in the way). Another user on the forum indicated this was a feature of all the later runs of the Touareg. I don’t like it – to me it feels like a pneumatic piston designed to resist the opening spring tension is broken. However, one advantage to this opening force is that the V10 will fully open the rear hatch without any additional effort on my part. After opening the rear hatch on my V8, it always had a bit of remaining “travel” at the top. I could push the V8 rear hatch up the last 2 or 3 inches if I needed to.
7. The handling in the V10 is different than the V8. While this is partly due to the power plant and power steering, I attribute most of this to the fact that my V8 was steel suspension and the V10 has air suspension. Sport Suspension Mode is *great*, but I mostly leave it in auto. Given the difference in suspensions for my V8 and V10, I’ll just leave the comparison at that.
8. V8 wheels are cooler, but harder to clean than the wheels on the V10. However, I have actually grown to like my plain-Jane V10 wheels.
9. V8 tailpipes are way cooler than the V10, but not cool enough for me to go buy a set and install them.
10. Are the brake components different on the V10? I don’t know, but I find the brakes on the V10 to be much less "grabby" than I experienced on the V8. I always felt that the brakes on the V8 were a bit sensitive or "grabby," especially at low speed (parking). I eventually learned to deal with the sensitive nature of the brakes on the V8 (well...most times), but the brake performance on the V10 is more what I was accustomed to. So, like the accelerator, I had to unlearn some of the braking habits I had acquired while driving the V8.
Apart from the sensitive nature of the V8 brakes, I believe my V8 had slightly better braking performance on a straight-away than the V10. I believe this is because my V8 probably weighed less (steel suspension V8 vs. air suspension V10, etc.). I imagine that under circumstances other than a straight-away, the air suspension would give the V10 a braking advantage.
11. The fuel economy on the V10 is insane. How does a 6000 pound truck achieve such good mileage (at speed) and still have such a demon under the hood? I think at least part of my perception is due to the fact that I have never driven a TDI before. And don’t get me wrong, I do pay for heavy acceleration in the V10 just like I did with the V8. But once you get up to speed, the V10 just purrs along like it’s just rolling down hill and fuel consumption drops. According to the MFI, gas mileage was about 27-28 in the V10 at 65 MPH and approximately 17 in the V8.
While the fuel economy by itself is a relatively minor thing to me (I knew what I was getting into when I bought an SUV), I can tell you that I really appreciate a direct side-effect of this fuel economy: less frequent fill-ups! The V10 has a range of about 650+ miles per tank on the highway 525 miles per tank in mixed city-highway. When I had my V8, it seemed like I was always being chased by the damn fuel gauge. I’d fill-er up, then before I knew it, I’d be down half a tank! I think the cure for this is to give the V8 a bigger fuel tank. I’m not sure where they’d put the extra dino juice, though.
12. When cruising down the highway at 65 MPH (windows and sunroof closed), the V10 seems slightly quieter than the V8. And I always thought the V8 was extremely quiet! Both my V8 and V10 were equipped with the same Conti 18’s and I removed the roof racks on both, so neither was a factor. As everyone with a Treg knows, one “drawback” to this quiet power is that it is exceptionally easy to drive over the speed limit. I think the V10 is especially susceptible to this “problem.” 
13. When idling, the V8 seems slightly quieter than the V10. However, the V10 is steady as a rock at idle. My V8 would usually shimmy ever so slightly at idle. The V8 idle shimmy was more noticeable if heavy demands were placed on the engine (lights, a/c, stereo, wipers, etc.). I was able to eliminate the V8 idle shimmy by depressing the accelerator pedal ever so slightly to increase the idle speed perhaps 50 or 100 RPM. I did not do this, but someone else on the forum indicated they were able to get the VW Tech to increase the idle RPM just slightly and cured the problem that way.
14. More VW Techs will approach you while you are driving the V10 than the V8. I suspect this is the novelty of the V10 because I never had VW Techs come up to me while I was driving my V8. One weekend alone I had 2 VW technicians come up to me and ask about the car. One fellow said he followed me for about 5 miles until I had stopped at the mall just so he could listen to it. Good thing I wasn’t driving to Biscayne Bay for a fishing trip!
15. More guys with sports cars will “noticeably” accelerate (VROOM) as they pass while you are driving the V10 (I never experienced this while driving my V8). And 3 times out of 4 it’s usually some kid in a Mustang (nice V8 rumble there!). I haven’t risen to that bait...but there is this Twin Turbo Pepper that I often see running along a certain stretch of 4-lane near work... I guess it’s only a matter of time before we are both stopped side-by-side and first in line at the traffic light. Wish the traffic lights in the US were like the UK with a "yellow before green" cycle...

16. The V10 seems to have a higher operating temperature than the V8, but it takes much longer to reach that temperature and much longer to cool down from it. The water temperature gauge shows the same range as the V8 (~200F), but the oil temp gauge shows a bit hotter (~200 to 215) in the V10. Stand well back from the engine compartment if you must open it up after running it at speed…else your hair will curl. Engine covers and shroud are too hot to touch for more than a brief moment.
17. Tiptronic will not allow the truck to start in 2nd gear like the V8. Tranny will automatically downshift to 1st every time and you cannot tip it up to 2nd.
18. Sport Mode on the V10 uses 6th gear at around 60MPH w/o using the cruise control. I never got my V8's Sport Mode to use 6th gear unless I engaged and set the cruise control. Perhaps the V8 would also use 6th gear in Sport Mode w/o cruise control, but at much higher speed/RPM than I tried on US roads.
[Small edit for paragraph + ghrammer + add #17 + add #18]

_Modified by leebo at 6:27 PM 4-11-2004_


_Modified by leebo at 6:55 PM 4-26-2004_


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## aircooled (Jul 30, 2003)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (leebo)*

I would love to see what your actual milage is by doing the math yourself. The MFI can be subject to quite a bit of error.


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## Treggonist (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (leebo)*


_Quote, originally posted by *leebo* »_The V10 really is an acceleration demon in Drive Mode from about 1600 RPM to 3000 RPM. I’ll take it above 3000 RPM using Sport Mode after the break-in period (redline @ 4400 RPM). The kick that I described in my initial impression was simply the engine reaching 1600+ RPM. 

16. The V10 seems to have a higher operating temperature than the V8, but it takes much longer to reach that temperature and much longer to cool down from it. The water temperature gauge shows the same range as the V8 (~200F), but the oil temp gauge shows a bit hotter (~200 to 215) in the V10. Stand well back from the engine compartment if you must open it up after running it at speed…else your hair will curl. Engine covers and shroud are too hot to touch for more than a brief moment.

informative comparison, two questions: 
1) Is this break-in value (4400 RPM) the dealer's suggestion??
2) what was the normal range for the oil temperature on your V8??


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## leebo (Dec 17, 2003)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (Treggonist)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Treggonist* »_...1) Is this break-in value (4400 RPM) the dealer's suggestion??

4400 is the redline on the dial.
3000 is ~ 3/4 of that value and is my number. According to the manual, I believe that the first 600 miles should remain under some fraction of maximum. The next 400 miles can reach maximum, but should be gradual.

_Quote, originally posted by *Treggonist* »_...2) what was the normal range for the oil temperature on your V8??

The oil temp in my V8 would be under 200F while I drove it (November 2003 to March 2004). I did not own the V8 during the crucial summer months when I would expect the oil temp to increase a bit.


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## leebo (Dec 17, 2003)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (aircooled)*


_Quote, originally posted by *aircooled* »_I would love to see what your actual milage is by doing the math yourself. The MFI can be subject to quite a bit of error.

*22 MPG* for the first tank (mixed city/hwy, moderate acceleration, no Sport Mode)
*23 MPG* for the next 1/2 tank (mostly hwy, some off-road in LOW with rear diff lock ON, moderate acceleration, no Sport Mode). Only 1/2 tank because I topped it off after getting back from Melbourne Beach...


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## spockcat (Jun 5, 2003)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (leebo)*


_Quote, originally posted by *leebo* »_*22 MPG* for the first tank (mixed city/hwy, moderate acceleration, no Sport Mode)
*23 MPG* for the next 1/2 tank (mostly hwy, some off-road in LOW with rear diff lock ON, moderate acceleration, no Sport Mode). Only 1/2 tank because I topped it off after getting back from Melbourne Beach...

I would love to have this mileage but can't stand the high price on the V10. If VW brings in the V6tdi at a more reasonable level, I will be in line. I am pretty sure the German discussion forums have confirmed the V6tdi for 2005 in Europe.


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## leebo (Dec 17, 2003)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (spockcat)*


_Quote, originally posted by *spockcat* »_I would love to have this mileage but can't stand the high price on the V10...

I understand your position.
As I mentioned above, the thing I "notice" more than the mileage itself is the increased range that the increase in mileage permits with the same size fuel tank. I hated how often I would have to stop and fill-up the fuel tank on the V8. This particular issue could be "easily" cured if the V8 had a bigger tank...I wonder if I could swap out the external tire carrier device for an external gas tank instead?(Joke...








)
But don't get me wrong, the mileage/range increase alone isn't rational justification for the price difference.
The preference for a particular motor, transmission, trim level (etc.)can be based on factors that are both objective (range, mileage, price, depreciation, inflation, safety, TCO, performance, fitness for intended use, etc.) and subjective (importance of the objective factors, second glance, convenience, comfort, styling, rarity, color, disposable income, etc.).
For me, the balance came down in favor of the V10. But everyone will attach their own values to both the objective and subjective factors in accordance with their own circumstances.
I can't wait for the next 250 miles to be done with...


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## miamijag (Mar 12, 2003)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (leebo)*

Diesel, the future for America? I read that Porsche is considering a diesel for the '05 Cayenne, so maybe we would be blessed with a V6tdi? http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif Start sending







to VWOA for inspiration.


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## xplay (Feb 20, 2004)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (leebo)*


_Quote, originally posted by *leebo* »_10. Are the brake components different on the V10? I don’t know, but I find the brakes on the V10 to be much less "grabby" than I experienced on the V8. I always felt that the brakes on the V8 were a bit sensitive or "grabby," especially at low speed (parking). I eventually learned to deal with the sensitive nature of the brakes on the V8 (well...most times), but the brake performance on the V10 is more what I was accustomed to. So, like the accelerator, I had to unlearn some of the braking habits I had acquired while driving the V8.

I think this might just be the fact that the v10 is newer. I test drove a v8 and found the brakes really, really grabby. But then when my new v8 arrived, the brakes were smooth as silk. (Ok, they can stop the car hard when you pound on them, but they perform as expected under normal conditions.)
Maybe earlier VIN Tregs had grabbier brakes??


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## leebo (Dec 17, 2003)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (xplay)*


_Quote, originally posted by *xplay* »_
I think this might just be the fact that the v10 is newer. I test drove a v8 and found the brakes really, really grabby. But then when my new v8 arrived, the brakes were smooth as silk. (Ok, they can stop the car hard when you pound on them, but they perform as expected under normal conditions.)
Maybe earlier VIN Tregs had grabbier brakes??

That could be. The VIN on my V8 was 11xxx
Anyone else notice sensitive brakes on their Treg's? Low VIN's only?


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## Phagus (Aug 5, 2003)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (leebo)*


_Quote, originally posted by *leebo* »_
That could be. The VIN on my V8 was 11xxx
Anyone else notice sensitive brakes on their Treg's? Low VIN's only?

V8 3436 (or about that) and the brakes are superb. the throttle response is very uneven though. going grandma most of time to save gas and to avoid the uneven throttle. the brakes are the only perfect (meaning absolutely spectacular) thing about my t-reg.


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## leebo (Dec 17, 2003)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (leebo)*

One additional point I forgot to note...
17. Tiptronic will not allow the truck to start in 2nd gear like the V8. Tranny will automatically downshift to 1st every time and you cannot tip it up to 2nd.
Using Tiptronic, the V10 has a more "truck-like" feel than the V8. I am more comfortable with the "feel" of low rev-ing of the V10 than the higher rev-ing V8. Probably the American in me...
There are times when I wish the truck had a manual transmission.
********************
I finished the break-in period for my V10 and was playing around with it a bit today...
6th gear in the V8 is an overdrive gear, while 6th gear in the V10 feels more like a 6th gear than an overdrive. 


_Modified by leebo at 6:28 PM 4-11-2004_


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## Silver Fox (Feb 10, 2004)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (leebo)*

6th gear in the V8 is an overdrive gear, while 6th gear in the V10 feels more like a 6th gear than an overdrive. 

That is an interesting comment. Can you rephrase?
So after the breaking in period, do you feel that the V10 is worth the 10K+ premium?



_Modified by Silver Fox at 4:04 PM 4-11-2004_


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## leebo (Dec 17, 2003)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (Silver Fox)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Silver Fox* »_"6th gear in the V8 is an overdrive gear, while 6th gear in the V10 feels more like a 6th gear than an overdrive."
That is an interesting comment. Can you rephrase?

Yes. I took some two-lane roads from my home in Sanford over to Melbourne beach. When traveling in 6th gear at 1600 RPM's (IIRC, that's about 60MPH on the V10), I can hit the accelerator pedal and the V10 responds nicely w/o need to downshift. The V8 tended to have a moment's hesitation to downshift to 5th gear.


_Quote, originally posted by *Silver Fox* »_So after the breaking in period, do you feel that the V10 is worth the 10K+ premium?
...

For me? Yes. The premium was a bit steeper for me since I was coming from a "stripped" V8. The V10 came with Convenience, NAV, Air Suspension, Center and Rear differential lock, CD changer, etc. So for me it's quite a number of new features. A couple of steps up from where I was at...
I haven't played enough with either the Tiptronic or Sport Mode to judge the V10+transmission part of your question. I did really use Sport Mode once getting off the line at a stop light - my left lane ended about 200 yards up the road and I wanted to leave plenty of room to merge. I got up to the speed limit (55 MPH) in just a few seconds - every one else behind me was breathing diesel exhaust and road dust.
[Normally there is no color at all to the V10 exhaust, but when you step on it, you can see a bit of "dust" in the rear view. It might be road dust I'm kicking up, but I think it might be exhaust. It's probably not pleasent to be behind the car under heavy acceleration. I guess I understand a little better why the V10 might be considered a non-green car.]


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## wobisobi (Sep 10, 2002)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (leebo)*


_Quote, originally posted by *leebo* »_[Normally there is no color at all to the V10 exhaust, but when you step on it, you can see a bit of "dust" in the rear view. It might be road dust I'm kicking up, but I think it might be exhaust. It's probably not pleasent to be behind the car under heavy acceleration. I guess I understand a little better why the V10 might be considered a non-green car.]
 Better than the rotten egg smell of a gasser at full throttle though.

Thanks for all of the information on your V10.


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## mdjak (Aug 13, 2003)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (wobisobi)*

That was a superbly written comparison, one I've been wanting to read for a long time. Thank you.
I too have the grabby brakes on my early vin V8.
I too have the throttle hesitation during rolling stops at stop signs.
While I've never been a fan of diesels, having driven Mercedes 300Ds and having to step on the pedal way too far to get going, I think I would like this one, especially the cruising range.
Just one comment about the steering feel. I always thought European feel was the opposite of what you describe. Proper steering feel whould be light at parking speeds and heavy at highway speeds, a la BMW, etc. My wheel is like a floopy noodle in my hand making carving back roads much more challenging (read bad) than it should be. Way over-boosted for the wimpy american market. BMW did it to the 3 series in 2001 and I hated my 330xi for it. They had so many complaints that they came out with a free retrofit kit. Unfortunately for me, the kit was not for the all wheel drive version.



_Modified by mdjak at 9:12 PM 4-12-2004_


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## leebo (Dec 17, 2003)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (mdjak)*

18. Sport Mode on the V10 uses 6th gear at around 60MPH w/o using the cruise control. I never got my V8's Sport Mode to use 6th gear unless I engaged and set the cruise control. Perhaps the V8 would also use 6th gear in Sport Mode w/o cruise control, but at much higher speed/RPM than I tried on US roads.
I guess that since I'm on about 1400 miles, I should stop using this thread to post my observations. Can I edit the title of the thread to remove the ": The first 750 miles" part of it?


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## sciencegeek (Oct 26, 2003)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (leebo)*

you won't be able to edit the title, but if you post to it people will read it.


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## leebo (Dec 17, 2003)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (mdjak)*


_Quote, originally posted by *mdjak* »_...
While I've never been a fan of diesels, having driven Mercedes 300Ds and having to step on the pedal way too far to get going, I think I would like this one, especially the cruising range...
...I always thought European feel was the opposite of what you describe. Proper steering feel whould be light at parking speeds and heavy at highway speeds, a la BMW, etc. My wheel is like a floopy noodle in my hand making carving back roads much more challenging (read bad) than it should be. Way over-boosted for the wimpy american market. BMW did it to the 3 series in 2001 and I hated my 330xi for it. They had so many complaints that they came out with a free retrofit kit. Unfortunately for me, the kit was not for the all wheel drive version...

Driving the V10 is definitely nothing like driving the old Mercedes oil burners...not even close.
As for the power steering...your comment is interesting. I thought (someone will correct me if I'm wrong), that the power steering boost should be reduced at high speed to increase "road feel" and there was less need for it (you turn the wheel less than when parking). This boost pattern is "European" or even "Japanese." Whereas the "American" feel (if you will) tended toward steering boost at all speeds.
In any event, the steering wheel in the V10 feels like a wet noodle at all speeds - but especially when driving slow. There was someone (MRVW, I think?) that said it would be possible to disengage the servotronic component of the steering in the V10 to reduce this feeling. I'm feeling like a whimpy American at this point, so I'll deal.


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## mml7 (Dec 3, 1999)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (leebo)*


_Quote, originally posted by *leebo* »_ 
2. V8 has good acceleration in Drive Mode and really comes alive in Sport Mode. As I mentioned in my initial impressions, the V8 will put you back in the seat when you jump on it in Sport Mode. The V10 is quite nimble in Drive Mode – but you have to “work the pedal” a bit more than the V8 in Drive Mode. This could be a result of the different characteristics of the engines or perhaps a different throttle response “taper” in the pedal electronics. The V8 feels like a more linear pedal response while the V10 feels more logarithmic – under normal acceleration you have to work the pedal of the V10 a bit more in the initial part of the pedal range at each gear. It’s in this initial range of the accelerator travel that you can hear the turbo’s whine


I believe what you're describing in the V10 is turbo-lag similar to, say, the A4 1.8T. Have you tried using the Tip to keep the RPMs in the heart of the V10's torque curve? If this sucker were a stick, I'm sure that it'd launch pretty good!


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## leebo (Dec 17, 2003)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (mml7)*


_Quote, originally posted by *mml7* »_I believe what you're describing in the V10 is turbo-lag similar to, say, the A4 1.8T. Have you tried using the Tip to keep the RPMs in the heart of the V10's torque curve? If this sucker were a stick, I'm sure that it'd launch pretty good!










Could be turbo-lag. I don't know enough about the technicals of the turbos to agree or disagree. I will say that you can hear the turbos "spin up" when starting from a stop. A very high pitched "hissssss" that quickly moves out of my hearing range (all that loud electric guitar I play).
Since my break-in period is done, I have come to know and love Sport Mode on the V10.
Like the V8, Sport Mode makes the V10 much more responsive to accelerator pedal moves - RPM's come up a bit higher during straight acceleration (less than maximum) - gears are held longer. This truck just loves to pass in Sport Mode - you can add 20 MPH to your velocity almost before you complete the thought.
Come to think of it, that would make a nice vanity plate:
LUV2PAS
The really nice thing is that even in Sport Mode the V10 achieves better gas mileage than the V8. 


_Modified by leebo at 8:34 AM 4-27-2004_


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## pezzy84 (Apr 12, 2003)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (leebo)*

Glad to hear you are happy with your V10 TDI. I am simply astounded by your mileage. 22-23 MPG is what we were getting in our '03 Passat 1.8T/Tiptronic with a 50/50 mix of driving.
As far as grabby brakes go I am pretty sure this is a normal trait of all Volkswagens that really does not appear until the brakes are well broken in. I nearly sent my face into the steering wheel of my Golf because I had adapted to the brakes on our brand new Jetta, now with about 1700 miles on the Jetta the transition between cars is much easier.


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## TCinOC (Nov 25, 2003)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (pezzy84)*


_Quote, originally posted by *pezzy84* »_As far as grabby brakes go I am pretty sure this is a normal trait of all Volkswagens that really does not appear until the brakes are well broken in. I nearly sent my face into the steering wheel of my Golf because I had adapted to the brakes on our brand new Jetta, now with about 1700 miles on the Jetta the transition between cars is much easier. 

Yeah but do all VWs have Brembo OEM brakes?


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## leebo (Dec 17, 2003)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (pezzy84)*


_Quote, originally posted by *pezzy84* »_...As far as grabby brakes go I am pretty sure this is a normal trait of all Volkswagens that really does not appear until the brakes are well broken in... 

I'll have to defer to you on this, but my experience was different. I've only owned 2 VW's: V8 Touareg and the V10 Touareg. The V8 had very sensitive brakes from the moment I test drove it and the V10 did not.
It's been awhile, but IIRC, the Touaregs I test-drove (V8 and V6) also had sensitive brakes.


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## Moneypenny (May 1, 2004)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (xplay)*


_Quote, originally posted by *xplay* »_
I think this might just be the fact that the v10 is newer. I test drove a v8 and found the brakes really, really grabby. But then when my new v8 arrived, the brakes were smooth as silk. (Ok, they can stop the car hard when you pound on them, but they perform as expected under normal conditions.)
Maybe earlier VIN Tregs had grabbier brakes??

This is a quote from the VW website:
V8 Brakes: Power assisted front vented disc brakes (330 mm X 32 mm), rear vented disc brakes (330 mm X 28 mm)
V10 Brakes: Power assisted front vented disc brakes (350 mm X 34 mm), rear vented disc brakes (330 mm X 28 mm)
Different front brake hardware.


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## Moneypenny (May 1, 2004)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (leebo)*


_Quote, originally posted by *leebo* »_
4. V8 has more European feel to the steering, V10 has an American feel. By this I mean that the power steering in the V10 is very, very powerful and smooth and is especially noticeable at low speed. You just can’t feel ANY wheel or road resistance at all when traveling very slowly (parking). This is less noticeable at speed, but I experienced less "road-feel" in the V10 steering than the V8 under all circumstances. I’m OK with this, but I think others may not like this characteristic. 


This from the VW website:
V8 Steering: Rack and pinion, power assisted
V10 Steering: Servotronic power steering
While I don't know what the difference is between the two, it could explain the different feeling. That and the fact that the diesel is 525 pounds heavier, and would require different power steering settings.


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## Pelican18TQA4 (Dec 13, 2000)

I think the throttle lag that's being experienced with the TDI is the typical delayed throttle response of any VW TDI. It's not really lag, per-say, but just the way that all the VW/AUDI TDI engines feel. Or actually, the fact that there's a decidedly lack of feeling in the throttle.


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## RogueTDI (Dec 12, 2002)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (aircooled)*

Great review! I am amazed by the mileage - glad you like the V10. You will have to "race" one of those little punk kids in his Mustang and tell us the outcome.

_Quote, originally posted by *aircooled* »_I would love to see what your actual milage is by doing the math yourself. The MFI can be subject to quite a bit of error.

The MFI I had in a Euro Golf TDI was very accurate - consistent with measurements at the pump.


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## RogueTDI (Dec 12, 2002)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (leebo)*

Big question for you:
What is the idle speed on the V10?


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## RogueTDI (Dec 12, 2002)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (leebo)*


_Quote, originally posted by *leebo* »_

[Normally there is no color at all to the V10 exhaust, but when you step on it, you can see a bit of "dust" in the rear view. It might be road dust I'm kicking up, but I think it might be exhaust. It's probably not pleasent to be behind the car under heavy acceleration. I guess I understand a little better why the V10 might be considered a non-green car.]

Oh please do drive behind your V10 while someone else floors it before making such comments. I understand you probably arent terribly interested in this issue, but I doubt the V10 smokes in any significant way.


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## SUVW (Jan 29, 2004)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (leebo)*

Very well written and informative piece there, Leebo. Too bad you haven't had the chance to drive the V6 for a while and can't add that to the comparison. Perhaps sometime when you need service, make sure you have one. I'd be interested in hearing about a 3-way comparision, and a final verdict, taking into account value, etc.


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## leebo (Dec 17, 2003)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (RogueTDI)*


_Quote, originally posted by *RogueTDI* »_Big question for you:
What is the idle speed on the V10?

My V10 idles at ~600 RPM (in Drive). I'll check idle in neutral/park when I'm in the car next. As I recall, it's not much different.


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## diesel king (Jan 7, 2004)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (leebo)*

My V10 idles at 600 in park and drive.
I wiped the dust off of my Gtech pro and pulled out the owners manual. I will get everyone some numbers after I change my oil at 3,000 this weekend.


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## V10DDS (Sep 23, 2003)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (leebo)*

concerning your comment about the rear hatch; I just got my V10 and the hatch does not pop out like yours. You have to pull it open once it has been unlatched and you you have to push it in two clicks before the solenoid takes over.


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## RogueTDI (Dec 12, 2002)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (leebo)*


_Quote, originally posted by *leebo* »_
My V10 idles at ~600 RPM (in Drive). I'll check idle in neutral/park when I'm in the car next. As I recall, it's not much different.

Wow, awesome! That's what I was hoping to hear. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## RogueTDI (Dec 12, 2002)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (diesel king)*


_Quote, originally posted by *diesel king* »_My V10 idles at 600 in park and drive.
I wiped the dust off of my Gtech pro and pulled out the owners manual. I will get everyone some numbers after I change my oil at 3,000 this weekend.

FYI, Im not sure why you are changing oil at 3000 miles - I assume that is the odo reading, and you just want that initial oil change done soon.
A good synthetic oil (eg, Mobil Delvac 1, aka Mobil 1 Truck and SUV, avaiable everywhere) should allow 10kmi intervals no problem. Will save you some trouble and little money. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## leebo (Dec 17, 2003)

*Re: Touareg V8 vs. V10: The first 750 miles (V10DDS)*


_Quote, originally posted by *V10DDS* »_concerning your comment about the rear hatch; I just got my V10 and the hatch does not pop out like yours. You have to pull it open once it has been unlatched and you you have to push it in two clicks before the solenoid takes over. 

I think my description wasn't very clear. Sorry for that. When unlatched, I do have to pull the hatch to open, but once it's traveled a few more inches - look out because here it comes!
It's not completely out of control, but it is certainly more forceful than the V8 I had originally. I've gotten used to it.


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