VW Touareg Wins Off-Road Battle Against Land Rover Discovery

It was a match for the Disco moves, and it was on street tires too.

Sometimes appearances can be deceiving. These misconceptions are common in off-road, especially when modern electronic tech has given ordinary-looking vehicles superhuman abilities. This Volkswagen Touareg video is from The Fast Lane Car. While it isn’t capable of leaping over large rocks in one bound, the VeeDub is quite impressive when compared to the more well-equipped Land Rover Discovery. It could even be more than Disco in certain areas. We’ll get to that later.

Let’s start by reviewing the contestants. This video features two vehicles that were built in 2004. They each have a different approach to offroading. Land Rover Discovery is proud to wear the old-school badge. It makes full use of its 4.2-liter V8 engine and four-speed auto transmission. It has a ladder frame, solid axles, a center-locking differential, a center-locking differential, a modest aftermarket suspension lift, and a set of good off-road tires.

The Volkswagen Touareg, on the other hand, could be bought directly from a dealer. The Volkswagen Touareg is a bone stock vehicle, down to the tarmac-friendly tires. These tires are as comfortable as a fighter pilot in a cubicle selling insurance. The unibody design houses a four-wheel independent suspension system with air ride. It also has a host electronics that manage everything, from center and rear locking differentials to stability control. VW’s greatest asset is its adjustable ride height, which, when cranked up, provides nearly 12 inches of ground clearance.

Ironclads was the location of this contest. It is a well-known trail that runs through Colorado, about an hour from Denver. Although the terrain isn’t as rugged as other locations, it presents a challenge for any off-roader.

This Touareg can conquer the Ironclads. The VW’s electronic systems and ground clearance allowed it to keep up with Land Rover despite having street tires. However, it was able to tackle terrain with greater confidence and control than Land Rover. Although the Touareg had a stiff ride, it didn’t have much suspension articulation. Instead, it would lift one wheel off of the ground and continue. The ground clearance allowed for all sensitive parts to remain free from rocks. Although we knew that the Volkswagen Old Volkswagen had some off-road capabilities, we didn’t know it was so good.

All that electronic wizardry can be costly in the event it fails, but we are curious to see where the SUV will go with better tires and skid plates. We are looking forward to the next adventure.