2008 Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI

Some people might be turned off by the diesel engine sound especially at idle and low speeds...I dig it. It's not loud enough to be even remotely obnoxious, but it has enough of a deep-throated grumble to be pleasing. It kind of makes me feel like a trucker in a semi with a really, really amazing cabin and XM satellite radio. Cool. Although in the current state of things, an $80,000 SUV with a V-10 diesel is decadence that I imagine most people won't consider no matter how cool it sounds. The oversize steering wheel reemphasizes the semi-truck feel and makes the interior seem slightly crowded. The driver and passenger temperature dials are strangely oversized as well. Not only are they about two inches in diameter, they protrude off the console an inch. This is odd considering that the volume dial for the radio, which is probably one of the most used controls in a vehicle, is quite small and strangely placed at the top of the central console. Jennifer Misaros, Production Editor