Faults:

The emisssions warning light came on at 6500 miles. The sensor was probably playing up, according to the Volkswagen dealer.

The alarm would trigger at random. I took the car to a dealer who pronounced it to be working perfectly! However, since then the alarm has stopped misbehaving, which is quite a coincidence.

General Comments:

The 2.0 TDI engine is very punchy between 2000 and 3000 revs. This is very handy, but a broader spread of this engine's considerable grunt might have been better. Overall the engine is very good and the 6th forward gear is justified.

The handling is very good: firm with limited roll.

The amount of internal storage space is a disappointment, especially compared to the cavernous storage in a new-shape Renault Scenic. Much is made in the brochure of the dozens of cubbyholes, but many of them are tiny, including the glove box.

The cabin is a very nice place to be in! The seats are comfy and middle-row legroom is very good. The ability to independently move each of the middle-row seats has been surprisingly useful. My two kids love the extra space and I can prop a laptop on the folded-down middle seat for DVDs! 2 extra 12 volt fag sockets are a nice addition.

Faults:

No faults to report so far.

General Comments:

Acquired the Touran in Dec 04 after 3 faithful years from Golf 1.8T Sport Estate.

The 2.0TDI produces more than enough power with performance respectable whether the car is laden or empty. With 16000 miles now on the clock motorway speeds return over 45mpg and the Sports suspension option adds that extra stiffness for cornering.

Long life service interval option selected for ease. Point to note that longlife oil is expensive, I have used 3 litres so far.

Plenty of gadgets to keep you up to date about vehicle and external environments.

Faults:

Mirror switch.

Excessive tyre wear even after alignment. 1 set of front tyres managed 5,200 miles (Dunlop) Replacement front tyres (Firestone) have given 13,000+ Showing signs of wear on the inside of the tyre again!

Rear (Dunlop) managed 14,000 miles!

General Comments:

Good miniMPV; reasonable cost of variable servicing at 16,400miles, but the tyre wear is most infuriating!

Feels safe and has good road-holding.

Faults:

I'm sorry to report nothing but problems with our April 04 Touran 2.0 PD Sport. These include:

1/ Random complete failures of Electronic Control Unit (ECU). We're on the third one now, the first lasted a week. When the ECU "Stops" all advanced Traction/ABS features stop working and all fans come on 100% full blast without warning. Very disconcerting if you are in the outside lane.

2/ Front Passenger door fails to unlock (sometimes), or relocks itself after 30 seconds. This has taken 5 trips to the garage and not resolved yet. This apparently is a common fault across Touran and Mk5 Golf models.

3/ Water leak into the sub frame that can be seen via the rear drivers side under-floor locker. Many trips the Dealer, and possibly not resolved yet. So far the following faults have been identified:

- Faulty rear passenger door seal

- Water outflow from air conditioning unit not correctly seated

- Incorrectly fitted front windscreen

- Missing grommet from within the sub-frame

- Faulty weld between windscreen pillar and roof

As a result the Carpet is soaking, the car stinks of mould, and mushrooms have been found growing in the under floor locker (really!). the next rain shower will prove if its fixed yet.

Not a happy story, and exacerbated by poor service from the local VW dealer. They have had to replace many parts damaged in the process, and hence the car now rattles and squeaks.

General Comments:

It's a great car to drive and the sports suspension means the ride is a bit hard, but that's offset by the smiles round the corners.

It's proved to be a very practical family vehicle and has been put to good use as a 4, 5, 6 and 7 seater. Even in 7 seat mode there are room for several suitcases in the back, under seats and in the foot wells. The storage and cubby-holes are excellent.