Tesla MODEL Y VS Volkswagen Touareg
Tesla MODEL Y
Likes
- 533km range
- Value for money
- High level of safety
Dislikes
- Ride comfort could be better
- Exterior and interior styling starting to look old
- Speedo location on central screen
Volkswagen Touareg
Likes
- Technically very impressive
- Luxurious interior
- Absolutely packed with stuff
Dislikes
- Disappointing ride quality
- PHEV elements frustrating to use IRL
- Limited appeal compared to other R models
Summary
Tesla MODEL Y
The world used to belong to the Tesla Model Y with it being pretty much the only mid-sized electric SUV on the market in Australia for some time, but now rivals in the form of Kia's EV5, the Polestar 4, Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra threaten its popularity. In response Telsa has dropped the price and updated the suspension for a more comfortable ride. But is it enough?
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We tested the Long Range variant of the Tesla Model Y to find out and answer some other questions along the way such as how practical is it, is the value for the money good, what's its range and how much energy does it use?
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | — |
| Fuel Type | Electric |
| Fuel Efficiency | —L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Volkswagen Touareg
It’s big, it’s fast, it’s luxurious, Volkswagen’s Touareg has always been a stand-out large SUV.
This one, the full-fat R is the latest take on the halo Volkswagen model. It has big shoes to fill.
See, top-spec Touaregs in the past are hardly rivals to the Toyota LandCruisers and Hyundai Palisades of this world. They’re a different breed, with the first-generation Touareg powered by a variety of engines up to a 5.0-litre turbo-diesel V10, and the second-gen version packing petrol and diesel V8s in its upper levels.
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They were the ultimate sleeper family SUV, ridiculous engines with rich VW Group lineage in a seemingly mainstream family-friendly package.
But this third-generation version can’t quite replicate the over-engined craziness of its predecessors. It has to think outside the box as emissions regulations crack down the world over.
This Touareg R is a plug-in hybrid. A performance-focused one at that. Can it hope to replicate the unhinged nature of its forebears and find an appropriate place atop the hierarchy of Volkswagen’s R models? Let’s find out.
| Safety rating | — |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | — |
| Fuel Type | Hybrid |
| Fuel Efficiency | —L/100km |
| Seating | — |
Verdict
Tesla MODEL Y7.8/10
The Model Y Long Range is the pick of the line-up thanks mainly to its ability to travel further on a full charge, but also the price is excellent. The styling is starting to date, especially compared to fresher rivals with intriguing designs. But the advantage to Tesla is its battery tech and the constant over-the-air updates which will continue to enhance this product long after you've bought it.
Volkswagen Touareg7.4/10
A car as impressive as it is frustrating, the Touareg R is a vehicle for a very specific buyer. Someone whose daily commute consists of limited distances, someone who can always charge at home overnight and someone who appreciates the subtlety of the performance and luxury the Touareg brings.
For everyone else - there are better options. Performance-focused PHEVs can be tricky to charge and extract the full benefit from, and at this price you have access to some serious performance-oriented combustion SUVs or the choice of going fully electric.
While this R-badged VW might be the most mind-bending of the lot then, it also has the most 'specific' appeal.
Design
Tesla MODEL Y
The Model Y is a mid-sized SUV, about 4.75 metres long and has an aerodynamic wedge shape similar to the one Toyota’s early Prius had, but with a smooth and flat styling Tesla twist.
The clean and featureless look made the Model Y appear futuristic and modern two years ago but now, with the arrival of other mid-sized electric rivals and their intriguing and attractive designs, the Tesla is starting to appear dated.
There is a styling update coming to the Model Y, but it won’t be a completely new car, just a few tweaks to keep it looking current. But it won’t do much. I think the time is up on this design.
The cabin embraces minimalism with plenty of clean and smooth horizontal surfaces devoid of buttons or dials. Only the large central screen and the steering wheel exist on the dashboard and in my eyes compared to rival offerings the Model Y’s interior has quickly gone from cool to devoid of personality.
Volkswagen Touareg
The Touareg, as always, screams big Volkswagen. It’s more subtle than the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7 with which it shares its underpinnings, yet looks as slick as either up close.
It’s defined in its face by a massive black grille, integrated light fittings, and as usual with Volkswagen, some pretty subtle highlights and tail-lights in attractive LED patterns.
The wheels sell the vibe of an R. They’re enormous and gloss black, matching the theme and style of its smaller siblings, black highlight trims replace chrome or body colour bits to set it apart from the rest of the range.
It doesn’t look quite as modern as something like Kia’s Sorento or EV9, and it doesn’t look as elegant as the Volvo XC90 or as defined as the Land Rover Defender, all in the same price bracket.
This helps the Touareg maintain a certain mainstream appeal, and a sporty edge, without being too egregious.
Still, some might want some more overt visual flourish to indicate they’re driving a vehicle which is capable of sprinting to 100km/h from a standstill in 5.1 seconds.
Perhaps I’m in a different camp, one which appreciates the ‘sleeper’ nature of a giant family SUV capable of incredible driving feats when pushed.
Inside is always a pleasant surprise in a Touareg. While it might be the most affordable of the giant SUVs on this platform, it maintains the air of luxury and plush nature of its more expensive counterparts from Audi and Porsche.
You’re met by nicely trimmed leather seats and a chunky VW R steering wheel, massive screens and lavish amounts of padded leather surfaces everywhere. It feels every bit the luxury SUV the price indicates, in case you were worried you’d be getting something which feels more like a T-Roc than an Audi. For what it’s worth I quite like all the Volkswagen switchgear.
Practicality
Tesla MODEL Y
Electric SUVs have moved practicality to a level combustion-engine equivalents can’t compete with thanks to their front and back boots and (no transmission tunnel) flat floors maximising people and storage space.
The Model Y is practical with a 117L front boot and a rear boot with 854L litres of cargo capacity, while the cabin has large door pockets, wireless phone charging and two cupholders up front and in the second row.
The Model Y comes as a five-seater only, but leg- and headroom in the second row is excellent and even at 189cm tall I can sit behind my driving position.
Back seat passengers also have directional air vents and two USB ports for charging.
Cabin practicality could be better, though. The large centre console is unnecessary as it’s not covering a transmission and driveshaft. We’re seeing other brands such as Kia make use of this area as a storage space perfect for even large bags.
Locking and unlocking the Model Y is done with a key card that needs to be swiped against a sensor in the B-pillar. This worked sporadically for me and I felt like the action could scratch the pillar’s surface.
There’s a phone app which can also lock and unlock the Model Y. We downloaded it and found the functions useful, from seeing how much charge is in the battery, to opening the boot, tracking the location of the car and turning the climate control on to cool or heat the cabin before driving.
Volkswagen Touareg
It’s a big SUV with big interior dimensions. It feels spacious and wide on the inside with a large centre console area for spreading out and a highly adjustable driver’s seat.
The seats are plush and comfortable, and visibility is pretty solid out of the cabin. Again, you're greeted by excellent touchpoints, from the steering wheel to the door cards and there’s even lashings of padded leather trim down the sides of the centre console for your knee to rest on.
Volkswagen’s screens are usually some of the best in the business and that continues here. They’re bright, sharp and served up with attractive and mostly functional and easy-to-navigate software.
The hardware behind them is also enough to keep them lightning fast when reacting to inputs, with satisfyingly smooth animations, too.
The one thing I like a bit less is how a few of the menus can be confounding. It took me a while to figure out I needed to set the default battery level higher than its current charge to get the engine to stay on, and I’d also love a button to simply switch between EV and hybrid mode.
In fact, the lack of buttons is one of the major issues in this car. Sure, the enormous centre screen is an impressive feature, syncing up with the dash design nicely, but you’re also forced to negotiate with touch elements for key climate functions. No matter how fast or slick the software is, there’s no compensating for a toggle or dial you can easily reach while you’re focused on the road.
For what it’s worth, the wireless Apple CarPlay worked seamlessly with the car in my time with it (and looked good too) while the wireless charger is rubberised and in a good location so your phone will be able to at least maintain its state of charge on the go.
Storage is plentiful up front, with large pockets with integrated bottle holders in each door, a large dual cupholder set-up in the centre console with variable edges and a large armrest console box.
In the back seat I have enough room for myself behind my own driving position at 182cm tall. It’s plenty wide and tall, but I don’t feel as though I had an enormous amount of legroom considering the size of the vehicle.
Still, the width will give you space for three adults across in relative comfort. Yes, there’s a large raise in the floor in the centre position to accommodate the all-wheel drive hardware underneath, but the width of the floor should allow a centre passenger to put their feet on either side.
Big door openings and the wide cabin make for easy child seat fitting, and there's even built-in window shades alongside two rear climate zones with physical controls, large bottle holders in the doors and a drop-down armrest, with some flimsy nets on the backs of the front seats to round things out.
Boot space is allegedly enormous at a quoted 810 litres, but the shape of it is less than ideal. Sure it’s nice and wide and oblong shaped at the base, but the rake of the boot quickly eats into the amount of height available, making it tricky to fit larger objects.
The space accommodated our CarsGuide three-piece luggage set with ease, but it didn’t leave much room to spare. It doesn’t feel like it’s double the 400 litre space typical of a one size-down SUV.
There’s also a needlessly complex two-piece shelf, which lifts with the tailgate, but the boot wouldn’t completely close with the luggage set present unless you removed it. To the Touareg’s credit, the second row seats hinge forward significantly to expand space by a fair bit.
Under the floor there’s only a repair kit, as the huge PHEV battery takes up the rest of the space. A decidedly less than ideal flat tyre option.
Price and features
Tesla MODEL Y
Only the weather changes more than Tesla’s pricing, but the latest adjustment to the Model Y Long Range price had it listing for $72,900. That could easily change again so it might be best to check back at CarsGuide or Tesla’s website for any updates.
At almost $73K the Long Range sits in the middle of the Model Y line-up, above the $64K entry grade and below the $83K Performance.
The standard features list for on the Model Y Long Range is decent and includes LED headlights and 19-inch alloy wheels, there’s the fixed glass roof, synthetic leather upholstery, the 15-inch central touchscreen, power adjustable and heated front seats, a 13-speaker stereo, sat nav, wireless phone charging, dual-zone climate control with direction air-vents in the second row and a power tailgate.
Also standard is Tesla’s so-called 'Autopilot' which is an advanced form of adaptive cruise control which combines braking and steering.
Anything missing? A sunshade for the glass roof would be good. You can buy aftermarket ones but really it should be built-in. There’s no rear climate control, either, nor ventilated seats.
But the one item that’s not here and should be is a head-up display because the location of the speedo on the central display isn't ideal for keeping your eyes forward and on the road.
So, the price is good but the features list could do with a boost. Really, though, the reason for picking the Long Range grade is because it can travel further on a full charge than any other Model Y. You can skip ahead to the Efficiency section if you’re busting to find out what the range is.
As for rivals, there are way more now than there were when the Model Y first came to Australia a couple years ago. Back then it was really just the Hyundai Ioniq 5.
Now there’s the Kia EV6 and soon to arrive EV5, the Mustang Mach-E, the Subaru Solterra and its Toyota bZ4X twin, while the Polstar 4 is coming, too.
Volkswagen Touareg
Is the Touareg R good value? Seems like a silly question doesn’t it?
One school of thought says, of course it isn’t. Nobody needs a giant $129,990 (before on-road costs) SUV which is this fast. What the halo Touareg variant has always offered is excess with a modest exterior wrapper.
On the other hand, the Touareg R is great value when you consider you’re getting much the same hardware as a Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid ($188,600) with a Volkswagen badge.
In its size and price-bracket, the Touareg R directly rivals the Land Rover Defender 110 PHEV ($126,184), Lexus RX HEV ($127,434), Range Rover Velar PHEV ($131,536) and Volvo XC90 Ultra T8 PHEV ($128,390).
I see two problems with this. Firstly, all of those price rivals are premium brands, and secondly, at the circa-$130K price-tag there’s also the awkward reality you could be choosing one of a few very appealing fully-electric options, from the Kia EV9 GT-Line ($121,000), to the Polestar 3 ($131,054), Mercedes-Benz EQE ($134,900) and BMW iX ($136,900).
So, it’s great value from one perspective, but not so much from a few others. Then again, this is the biggest, baddest Volkswagen you can currently buy, so whether you’re in the market for an R-badged car or a PHEV of this size, you’re likely familiar with a six-figure price-tag.
Do you at least score good equipment for the money? Aside from all the complex drivetrain hardware, this VW is an impressive place to be, with extensive plush leather interior trim in the seats and doors, power adjust for the front two positions with heating and ventilation, a 12.0-inch digital dash with Volkswagen’s slick-as-ever digital cockpit software, a head-up display, a massive 15.0-inch multimedia touchscreen (with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), matching wireless phone charger and quad-zone climate control.
Outside, there’s the brand’s signature matrix LED headlights, massive gloss black 22-inch alloy wheels, enormous ventilated disc brakes and a sports exhaust with air suspension hiding below.
It’s a lot of kit for a mainstream SUV, and performance, which we’ll talk about later, is impressive (with a few caveats).
Under the bonnet
Tesla MODEL Y
The Model Y Long Range is all-wheel drive thanks to a motor powering the front wheels and another turning the rear ones.
Together the motors have a combined output of 378kW and 493Nm which is an enormous amount of power and torque for a family SUV like this and that means the 0-100km/h time is also a pretty quick 5.0 seconds.
Volkswagen Touareg
The Touareg offers a performance-focused plug-in hybrid (PHEV) drivetrain. Usually this means a little turbo four-cylinder engine and an electric motor, but instead this big SUV offers a 100kW electric motor and a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-petrol engine which combine for a whomping “total system power” of 340kW/700Nm.
This allows a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 5.1 seconds. Power is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission and Torsen central differential. Up to 70 per cent of power can be sent to the front wheels, with up to 80 per cent of power going to the rear.
It is capable of driving at up to 135km/h under electric power alone, with the V6 kicking in beyond that speed.
It’s a rare set-up for two reasons. Firstly, it’s a plug in which maintains a large six-cylinder engine, and it runs even electric power through the transmission to all four wheels.
Some PHEV rivals, for example, use front combustion-drive only with no mechanical connection between the engine and the rear axle, which is driven purely electrically.
When it comes to towing specs, the Touareg offers solid official figures of 750kg for an unbraked trailer and 3500kg braked, although the maximum towball download is 220kg.
Efficiency
Tesla MODEL Y
The Model Y Long Range’s name suggests it's the version for those looking for the maximum distance they can travel on a full charge and it is the smart choice in the line-up. That said, the extra range isn’t all that much more than the other grades.
Tesla says the Long Range with its battery fully charged can travel up to 533km and has a combined cycle energy efficiency of 16.9kWh per 100km (WLPT).
A range of 533km is impressive but only 78km more than the entry-grade Model Y and just 19km more than the top-of-the-line Performance.
How accurate are Tesla fuel efficiency figures? Well, my own testing over a combination of all types of driving saw the trip computer report an average of 16.8kWh/100km.
Tesla says one of its 250kW Superchargers can add up to 275km of range in 15 minutes.
Volkswagen Touareg
Like other plug-in hybrids, the official combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle fuel efficiency number for the Touareg R is an eyebrow-raisingly low figure which you know won’t be achievable in the real world, but is probably technically feasible in lab-style conditions.
In this case, it’s 3.3L/100km. When I picked up the car it had a low charge level, and the next day I was able to top it up to just 50 per cent because I don’t have a power point in my garage, and the achingly slow 3.6kW maximum AC charging speed is severely limiting if you need to rely on the public network, as the 17.9kWh battery is relatively large.
This should bring you to the obvious conclusion the Touareg R is not a good hybrid if you can’t charge at home, as you’ll never extract the full benefit of the electric set-up. Perhaps adding evidence to this is its official energy consumption which comes in at a painful 21.1kWh/100km.
As for hydrocarbons, in my week of driving (in which I tried to pick up charge wherever I could) I saw over 14L/100km. Makes sense for a heavy petrol V6 SUV. I’d say you’re likely to see a figure like this on a longer journey or if you drive it with enthusiasm as the R badge encourages. To add additional pain, it requires 98RON premium unleaded fuel.
With a realistic maximum pure-electric range of closer to 40km compared to the official WLTP-rated 51km (more on this in the driving section of the review), the R is also best for people whose daily commute is relatively short.
I can’t imagine, for example, the best benefit of this car will be extracted from someone who lives in the urban sprawl and commutes to the city every day with distances in excess of 50km for a return journey.
Additionally, the hybrid mode is very EV-heavy, draining the battery relatively quickly unless you manually put it in preservation mode.
For nerds who could be bothered, this mode is potentially a nifty feature allowing retention of some EV range at the end of a long freeway journey. But it takes a certain buyer to even be bothered with this.
Can you see why plug-less hybrids are the Australian new car buyer’s electrification configuration of choice?
Driving
Tesla MODEL Y
CarsGuide hasn't been alone in criticising the Model Y’s overly firm suspension with potholes and bumps seeming to unsettle the vehicle easily.
But Tesla says it's updated the suspension to a more ‘comfortable’ tune and we had a chance to test it.
So, is it more comfortable now? Yes, but it could be better. There appears to be softer absorption in the suspension but anything other than small bumps are still prominent.
Body control remains a bit jelly-like in that there’s too much jiggling and leaning when driving normally, even on typical suburban roads.
At this price point we'd expect the ride to be more comfortable and settled. But this is unlikely to be a deal breaker for most people.
Otherwise, the Model Y drives like most electric cars with instant and quick acceleration, direct steering and it’s all done in silence which makes commuting far more pleasant than idling in the traffic with a petrol or diesel engine and a transmission constantly shifting from first to second and back.
And apart from not using petrol or diesel that's the appeal of electric cars; how easy they are to drive.
What would make life even easier is a head-up display or driver’s instrument cluster because the current central screen set-up, which shows the speed in a fairly small size in the display's top right corner, is far from ideal.
There have been cases reported on Australian Tesla forums where displays have broken making the car illegal to operate and if this happens out of warranty the repair can be costly.
Be aware, too, that the 'Full Self-Driving' abilities of the Model Y are restricted in Australia. The law states that some autonomous tech can be used, such as adaptive cruise control with lane changing, but you must keep your hands on the wheel.
Volkswagen Touareg
Here’s where things get a bit frustrating, and your experience will vary dramatically depending on how you use this car.
One thing we can get out of the way immediately is the Touareg is deeply technically impressive when you attack a few corners. Its immediate electric thrust is capable of propelling this large object forward with eye-widening speed, and the air suspension, wide grippy tyres, Torsen centre differential and tidy steering tune conspire to make it mind-bending to carve corners in.
It’s flat, stable, and far more accurate and agile than expected. The only hint as to the sheer physics of wrangling the Touareg around bends is the tyres screaming out in agony as the suspension and all-wheel drive system work their magic to keep it all under control.
Once the electric torque pushes you out from the corner, the deep satisfying thrum of the 3.0-litre petrol V6 quickly takes over as you lurch forward on the almost fluid-feeling suspension. It’s laugh-out-loud satisfying and certainly enough to capture passengers' attention.
In this sense, the R fulfils its mission of transforming the big Touareg into a handling and acceleration hero, but despite all the cleverness it doesn’t feel as sharp or lean as the Golf R, T-Roc R or Tiguan R.
There’s still a massive battery, as well as huge complexity and weight to deal with, no matter how technically fast it is. There’s always the unsettling feeling of this amount of weight moving around, and the occasional slight delay from the transmission as it figures out what’s going on between the electric motor and big engine.
Then there are the compromises. Normally, I’m a huge fan of how plush and luxurious the Touareg feels. It’s usually such a step above its station in the VW Group, occasionally even feeling preferable to its platform relations, but the R has some issues.
For a start, the enormous 22-inch wheels and low-profile tyres ruin the day-to-day ride quality, crashing over bumps and road imperfections, despite the fact there’s also air suspension supposedly providing a buffer between you and the tarmac.
Even in the more comfort-oriented drive settings you can hear and feel every bit the moment the wheels contact a pothole or bump. Clearly, it’s tuned more toward handling than maintaining the same luxury feel as the rest of the range.
The transmission is also occasionally hesitant, either from a standing start or when switching between electric thrust and the engine. This is much better when the battery is charged up from the reserve level, as there isn’t enough charge when driving around as a hybrid to push a big, heavy (and always) all-wheel drive very far.
But hybrid driving is also frustrating, for reasons mainly related to the software. With the battery charged, the 51km of claimed driving range feels a tad ambitious. I was able to charge it to about 50 per cent (the battery is huge, at 17.9kWh, and I could only pull about 3.5kW from a local AC charging unit) and scored about 20km of driving range.
It drains quickly, even in the hybrid driving mode, as it relies on the electric motor a lot for initial take-off.
This means unless you set the battery preserve mode manually in the hybrid settings screen, it will likely run the battery dry before you’re even able to get it somewhere where it can take full advantage of the extra electric thrust.
As an electric vehicle it’s also only alright. The short time I was able to spend in full EV mode proved the battery will drain faster than advertised, and the regen is so-so for assisting in braking.
Other more performance-focused PHEVs suffer the same issue. For example, I felt largely the same way about the much-maligned four-cylinder PHEV Mercedes-AMG C63.
While hybrids like this may be impressive when conditions are ideal, they’re ultimately frustrating to use in reality. It’s a shame, because I wanted to like it more but it doesn’t quite capture the same magic of its R-badged forebears and siblings.
Safety
Tesla MODEL Y
The Model Y was given the maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2022, scoring incredibly well for occupant protection for adults and children. The advanced tech on board includes AEB, lane keeping assistance and blind-spot warning.
Great all-round camera vision is offered by the Model Y, too, which is very much needed for rear vision given the back window's modest viewing aperture.
For child seats there are three top tether anchor points and two ISOFIX mounts in the second row.
The Model Y doesn’t have a spare wheel, but there is a puncture repair kit.
Quick note about the lack of physical buttons. I found not having easy to access physical climate control dials distracting. Most of the car’s other functions are also housed in the media display and I feel this is a potential safety issue.
Volkswagen Touareg
All of the safety kit is standard and present on the Touareg R, including autobahn-speed auto emergency braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, front and rear cross-traffic alert, blind spot monitoring, road sign recognition, driver fatigue detection, a surround view camera and adaptive cruise control.
The best part is these systems not only work, but they’re well calibrated so they generally don’t interfere with the core driving experience.
Additionally, the Touareg has a suite of eight airbags and maintains a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating achieved in 2018.
Ownership
Tesla MODEL Y
When it comes to ownership the Tesla Model Y is covered by a four-year/80,000km warranty which falls short of the Hyundai Ioniq 5’s five-year, unlimited kilometre cover and Kia’s seven-year, unlimited km promise on the EV6.
As for the battery warranty, Tesla will cover it for eight years or 192,000km, which is better than Hyundai’s eight year 160,000km deal and seven years or 150,000km from Kia.
The Model Y has condition-based servicing, meaning it will tell you when it wants to go to a Tesla workshop.
Volkswagen Touareg
The standard five year, unlimited kilometre warranty features with one year of complimentary roadside assistance provided (renewed for another year with each service at an authorised dealer).
Servicing is required once every 12 months or 15,000km and the most affordable way to do it is with pre-packaged service plans bundled in with purchase. These come in at $3400 for five years (a saving of $668 over the a-la-carte program) or $2050 for the three year plan (a saving of $222).
Even in its most affordable form this makes servicing average $680 a year which is a far cry from most affordable brands, but it could be worse considering the complexity of the powertrain.