Higher mileage drivers should opt for one of the diesels to offset running costs (they’re also good engines in their own right). Service intervals are dictated by the car, but these should typically be every 18,000 miles or two years. Insurance is reasonable for the class, but pricey overall. Depreciation has been bearable so far – but values are being kept high, because most used models are within the Volkswagen dealer network.

The Touareg is a fairly polluting model, however there is the availability of a Bluemotion version. This 3.0-litre TDI emits 219g/km of CO2 and averages a respectable 34mpg (compared to 30mpg in the standard model) which is pretty good for such a heavy four-wheel drive vehicle.

This is Volkswagen producing cars to the highest standard. Although there were a few glitches with the earliest cars, there should be no mechanical worries.