In-depth reviews
Volkswagen Touran owner reviews
“The Volkswagen Touran is a spacious MPV with seven seats and a wide range of engines”
Carbuyer Rating
4.1 out of 5
Owners Rating
3.3 out of 5
Advertisement
Reviews
Owner Reviews
- 5 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 1 out of 5
57%of people would recommend this car to a friendCommon Problems
- Engine (1 case)
- Other (2 cases)
- Gearbox / clutch (1 case)
Review 1 of 7
5 out of 5
Car Details
Model
1.6 diesel 5dr
Year
2014
Avg annual mileage
5,000 – 9,999
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
New
Typical MPG
58
Tell us what you think about your car?
I know it's been early days as I bought it in December 2019. But what a vehicle so practical for my family of five.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
1 out of 5
Car Details
Model
1.4 SEL DSG
Year
2017
Avg annual mileage
15,000 – 19,999
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
30
Tell us what you think about your car?
Being a Volkswagen nut and wanting to downsize from my Sharan we picked this car. It’s noticeably less roomy and although the seating is comfortable for short journeys they aren’t on a longer one. The fuel economy is awful on short journeys but slightly improves on longer ones. The idea behind the infotainment unit is great but it quite often resets or drops phone calls. The software has been updated by a main dealer and it is just as bad if not worse. The maps are supposed to be free for life but I’ve been unable to download them from the Volkswagen site as there is a problem as it fails at 99%. Overall although a nice looking vehicle I am looking forward to changing it already and wouldn’t consider one again.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
No 
2 out of 5
Car Details
Model
1.4 TSI R Line
Year
2018
Avg annual mileage
0 – 4,999
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
25
Tell us what you think about your car?
Ok let’s start with the positive aspects of the car. The inside feels nice and upmarket compared to similar cars in this class and it’s ideal for the three kids as the rear seating is ideal. I spent circa £28k for the highest spec ex demo with leather seats, panoramic roof, keyless entry and start, electric tailgate and self parking plus heated rear and front seats. Unfortunately, I have to say that after 2,000 miles and six months of ownership I wish I had never brought the car. The infotainment system and sat nav is shocking; the sat nav is one of the worst I have encountered. The leather seats look great initially but in very little time show massive wear and loads of indentation and creases which makes them look horrible. Real life fuel consumption is terrible and to and from work circa 10 miles each way along A roads I get no more than about 25 MPG.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
No
3 out of 5
Car Details
Year
2014
Owned
1 - 2 years
Bought Car
New
Typical MPG
44
Tell us what you think about your car?
Having owned our trusty Vauxhall Zafira for nearly 11 years it was time to change. At the time we drew up a shortlist and narrowed the list to 3 main contenders, Zafira Tourer, Ford GRAND Cmax, Grand Scenic and the Touran.
The main requisites were decent internal space (7 seats not important) , reasonably compact external dimensions, decent performance, smart looks, the ability to carry 3 bikes in the back as well as 3 passengers. Xenon headlights and panoramic glass roof were also on the wish list.
External dimensions were important as the wife didn't want anything much bigger than the Zafira. The Touran was closest in terms of space and size but so much more expensive compared to the others.
We weighed up the pros and cons, looked at numerous cars etc over a 6 month period and decided the Touran ticked most of the boxes most of the time. I was put off by the fact that it was about to be superceded by a new model and the price premium when compared to the the Cmax and Tourer which came loaded with equipment.
However, we made an effort just before registration date change and found what we wanted at a local VW dealer. After nearly two hours of negotiations we got the car within budget. Touran SE in white with optional black and polished alloys, xenon's, glass roof, fog lights. A smart looking MPV.
I like the Touran overall, it does what we need . The 140 2.0 TDI engine is decent enough even when loaded and great on motorways but if had any less poke it would not have been purchased, it's on the borderline of what I wanted in terms of performance.
The 170bhp was what I wanted but that was well over budget.
Low speed flexibility is not as good and pulling away from junctions and tootling along in first or second gear can cause the engine to stall too easily. This is a real downside as I have been in a couple of sticky spots at roundabouts because of it. I drive all manner of vehicles and non are afflicted in this manner. A look on the internet reveals that other owners experience the same with this engine.
The ride is nice, smoothing out the worst of the potholes. The handling is decent enough and feels sure-footed and composed at speed on the motorway and twisty A roads. Dare I say it, when alone in the car, the handling can be borderline fun!
The interior does feel slightly more upmarket compared to the other cars tested but after 12 months, a few annoying squeaks and rattles have appeared from the interior. My 15 year old Zafira that I owned for 11 years never had any rattles.
The only major problem so far is work was needed on the sunroof which leaked.
I never believe the official MPG figures not the trip/fuel computer, true mpg always being calculated at the pumps. The display normally shows 48/49 mpg, but 43/44 is closer to the truth. The Mrs uses the car most, short journeys and drives sedately. I am the designated chauffeur when we journey further and I generally like to make good progress if you know what I mean. A nrea average of 50 mpg is obtainable but only if you are prepared to drive slowly and accelerate in a sedate manner.
Overall, I am a little disappointed in the true MPG. My old petrol Zafira GSI which was tuned to nearly 260bhp and driven the same way returned 32mpg real world every time measured.
This brings me to this diesel gate issue regarding VW 'cgeat device. I accept that all manufactures massage consumption figures and than many will have cheat software to make their cars look greener.
We were told that fixes would begin in January 2016 but they have only just started to be done in June. All along I was concerned that the fix would hurt performance and economy regardless of what VW say. I believe it took so long to start doing the recalls was because VW had great difficulty in creating the software without hurting the performance and mpg. A look on the web will reveal a few Golf owners that have had the recall work done and they have noticed issues........
Any degradation of performance or consumption would alter the overall positive view of the Touran significantly.
The manner in which VW have handled the situation in Europe is poor, telling owners just a couple of weeks after the cheats were in the news that resale values would not be affected. They must have a crystal ball to predict that.
My first couple of letters from VW were rather curt without apology..
The fixes did not start until 5 months later than promised with little indication from VW that it was going to take longer, my last letter from VW was in March.
VW are happy to treat it's European customers in a 2nd rate manner compared to the USA clients.
Overall I like my Touran, it is a good car.
Is it worth the price premium of a four figure sum (£2-3k for the cars that I was looking at) over its competitors due to quality? Now that the squeaks and rattles have appeared, I would say no.
Is it worth the premium regarding reliability? Time will tell.
I base many of my thoughts by comparing the Touran to my old Zafira GSi, a trusty workhorse that had a hard life and was often driven very hard. In my 11 years of ownership, aside from normal service items such as brakes, tyres etc the only things that failed were an airflow sensor, a rotten exhaust silencer and 2 rear shock absorbers. Not bad for a non premium brand.
I can only hope that the Touran will be as equally trusty........
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
5 out of 5
Car Details
Model
SEL DSG
Year
2016
Avg annual mileage
0 – 4,999
Owned
3 - 5 years
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
36
Tell us what you think about your car?
I bought this new model when it came out, 1.4-litre with a DSG gearbox and a few options including electric tailgate, full heated seats and sunroof. It has been a pleasure to own and coped with everything thrown at it such as house clearance, family holidays etc. The load capacity with the seats down is 2,000 litres, more than a lot of bigger SUV's. Nothing has gone wrong with it or fallen off (touch wood!) so far.
On long runs I can get over 40mpg and around town about 35mpg so no complaints there. On a downside there is no spare wheel, relying on self-sealing tyres fitted as standard. Not a cheap car to buy new but IMHO well worth it.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
5 out of 5
Car Details
Model
2.0 TDI
Year
2017
Avg annual mileage
5,000 – 9,999
Owned
1 - 2 years
Bought Car
New
Tell us what you think about your car?
This is my second Touran and I have not had any real issues with either apart from the well documented ESP fault on the first. I really enjoy the drive, the Adaptive Cruise Control is a dream when both stuck in slow traffic and on a motorway. A very versatile car with plenty of poke. Those owner reviews that moan about the power apply only to the 1.4 petrol version. My Kids love it, the dog loves it, the missus loves it and so do I!
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
2 out of 5
Car Details
Model
106 TDi
Year
2015
Avg annual mileage
10,000 – 14,999
Owned
1 - 2 years
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
50
Tell us what you think about your car?
This is our 3rd Touran and the second with drive train problems. The first had a dual mass flywheel which separated and needed replacement [after the warranty ran out]. Our current Touran has just needed to have a replacement clutch because the pressure plate was worn down to the rivets - after just 30,000 miles. This is not considered to be a warrranty replacement because it is a wearable part.
I cannot fault the garage that we bought the car from as they have agreed to give us free Labour for the repair - but they know VW will reject a warranty claim even though no clutch ever goes after just 30,000 miles. The only time I have previously had to have a new clutch was over 30 years ago on a car with 95000 miles on the clock.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
No
