2015 Volkswagen Touareg V6

Volkswagen's successful mid-sized SUV shares a platform with the pricier Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7, and as such, the Volkswagen Touareg benefits from a solid chassis and high-quality driving feel.

Students of the Bauhaus school will feel right at home in the Touareg's reserved, Teutonic interior. Finishes are of high-quality and all the ergonomics are good. Visibility is decent, too, thanks to the Touareg's boxy roofline. Indeed, this Volkswagen SUV feels more like a Porsche or Audi in disguise. It is a posh relative dressed down for a casual event, the SUV, maybe, for those who want to enjoy luxury without flaunting it. Or for those who wish their neighbors to know how little they need to flaunt it.

The canyon grey metallic with anthracite interior Volkswagen Touareg V6 we drove featured a switchable on-road/ off-road all-wheel drive system, hydraulic steering, and a chassis tuned mostly for ride comfort but which nonetheless proved responsive and predictable. The Touareg's handling is above-average for a mid-sized SUV, which makes sense considering that this Volkswagen shares a platform with the Autobahn-storming Porsche Cayenne.

The second generation VW Touareg sports utility vehicle lives up to its name as it can carry a multiplicity of people or cargo from soccer practice to your favorite Costco warehouse in elegant and safe style.