Volkswagen Touareg

The Touareg doesn’t have as much visual impact as its rivals, but it makes up for this with its top-notch cabin, first-rate build quality and fine driving dynamics. It’s also spacious and, given its storming performance potential, surprisingly cost-effective to run. Decent off-road ability and strong residuals seal the win.

It's not often that you’d consider the VW Touareg as the joker in the pack, but with its mainstream badge and big V6 diesel, the car is an outsider here. Beneath the surface, however, you’ll find the same pedigree underpinnings as the Porsche Cayenne, while VW’s BlueMotion technology promises good fuel economy and low emissions. Factor in an attractive £42,115 price, and the Touareg could spring a surprise.

It’s unlikely to win any prizes for its looks. Now in its second generation, VW’s biggest 4x4 lacks the Mercedes’ premium appeal and seems rather understated. Still, entry-level SE trim gets a set of smart 19-inch alloys, plus classy chrome trim for the window surrounds, front grille and side sills.

VW has taken an equally low-key approach to the cabin, which is functional rather than fashionable. Even so, it’s logically laid out, beautifully built and features a perfect driving position. The switchgear operates with slick precision, while the materials look and feel more expensive than those in the M-Class. The generous kit count includes leather seat trim, sat-nav and dual-zone climate control.

It’s not as roomy as the Mercedes, but the VW still has a spacious, comfortable interior. A sliding rear bench allows you to choose between extra legroom or increased carrying capacity – although even with the rear seats pushed back there’s still a healthy 134 litres more boot space than the Lexus at 580 litres. There’s also plenty of useful storage, including a large glovebox and huge door bins.

At the track the Touareg was the fastest of our trio – the muscular 3.0-litre V6 diesel and four-wheel-drive traction allowed it to blast from 0-60mph in a hot hatch-rivalling 7.3 seconds. The VW extended its advantage in our in-gear tests, and on the road it feels quicker than its rivals, although its eight-speed auto gearbox occasionally serves up jerky shifts.

Precise, well weighted steering inspires confidence, as do high levels of grip, and our test car was fitted with the £2,090 optional air-suspension and adaptive dampers, which deliver good body control and a supple ride. The set-up also allows you to raise the ride height to provide an impressive 300mm of ground clearance.

Combined with the standard hill descent control, this makes the VW the best car off-road. Buyers wanting to head even further off the beaten track can choose the Escape version, which gets extra underbody protection, as well as locking centre and rear differentials. Yet despite its off-road ability, the VW is fairly fuel efficient. Regenerative braking and stop-start helped it return 28.4mpg, but CO2 emissions of 189g/km are the highest here.

At £42,115 the Touareg undercuts the Lexus by a whopping £9,880, plus has stronger residuals and a great-value £499 optional service pack. Could this value for money be key to victory?