Volkswagen Touareg

The substantial Touareg has the feel of a premium SUV, with sharp handling and a luxurious interior with wide, supportive seats that deliver all-day comfort. The only engine is a 3.6-liter V6 mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. In our tests of the now-discontinued V6 turbodiesel, it pulled effortlessly and had a generous towing capacity. The low-speed ride is overly firm, but it's steady on the highway. The cabin is quiet and access is easy, but the almost-$50,000 Touareg we sampled lacked some common luxury features, such as a sunroof. The top-of-the-line hybrid version has been discontinued.