Have owned my Touareg from new (55 Plate with 54K miles) but I'm bored with it and have always admired (and aspired to own!) the FFRR. In the past 4 months, I've also shelled-out £1500 for a prop-shaft repair and £1800 for a gearbox valve-chest repair - I'm not impressed! Apart from that, I love the car and it has been a great buy. I'm also useless at doing anything to the car, other than filling the screen-wash and checking tyre pressures when I remember!

Anyway, before I take the plunge and sell or trade-in the Touareg for a FFRR, I wonder if I could ask for some specific advice?

Before the Touareg, I owned a Disco TD5 and it was like an agricultural tractor, compared to the smoothness of my V6 Tdi. I use the car for work (all local) and for towing a large twin-axle caravan. For these reasons I am looking only at the TD6 because my budget won't currently stretch to a TDV8!
Questions:
1) In terms of engine smoothness, how will the TD6 compare with my V6 Tdi?
2) Will it be tractor-like or acceptably noisy deisel-ish?
3) Will the performance, e.g. pulling out of roundabouts be noticably, i.e. scarily slower?
4) What is the TD6 like for towing?
5) Is it stable? (The Disco used to dance, alarmingly, all over the place when a truck passed but the Touareg is solid as a rock with the van on the back)
6) How will my servicing costs change? (Currently about £500+ for a big service and £280 for a regular one)

All advice is welcomed and I've already spent hours pouring over posts in this forum. Thanks in anticipation of your help. First-time I’ve had a FFRR

Rod

Can only help on a couple, as never had a Disco or Touareg

1 - Found my TD6 smooth, not as smooth as the TDV8
2 - Did not find the TD6 noisy
3 - Never had and issue, no sports car, better if you manually select 1st as they set off in 2nd
4 / 5 - Towed a 26' twin axle Bailey Senator Series 6 Carolina with no problems.
6 - Not paid for 1 yet

nbunney wrote:

3 - better if you manually select 1st as they set off in 2nd

Just by chance.

Pulled out of a junction with the caravan on the back and a car that was a long way off was nearly on us by the time we had crossed the road. Looked at what gear I was in, as I like tochange gera myself, and it said 2nd.