MOST LIKELY TO SURVIVE ANYTHING

2004 SUV OF THE YEAR

When VW finally jumped into the SUV market, it knew that it couldn't do so with a mediocre product. Therefore, what you see here is nothing short of the best SUV on the planet: the 2004 Volkswagen Touareg.

All of VW's horses and all of VW's men (and women) seemed to have been summoned to get this remarkable truck to market, so it's no surprise to see a lot of technologies and styling elements on the Touareg found on other VW offerings. Case in point: the liquid-smooth V-6 and V-8 engines are the same as those found in many Audis, while the exterior design looks like the big sister to the classy Passat.

Inside, the Touareg presents a gorgeous dashboard with more luxury features than in any previous VW (save the similarly new, $70K Phaeton) including an available navigation system, four-zone climate control and more. The Touareg's innovative off-road system offers mountain-goat agility and the ability to cross deep streams, especially when equipped with the optional air suspension (which also yields stellar on-road manners). At about $35K, the base V-6 Touareg is a terrific value, with prices rising to about $50K for a loaded V-8 model. Seem like a lot? You should see for yourself just what you're getting.

Honorable Mentions:

Mercedes-Benz G500
If the 2004 Mercedes-Benz G500 doesn't look new, it's because it's not: it has been produced now for about a quarter of a century for non-U.S. markets. But now that we have it, we're loving its old-is-new-again looks, want-for-nothing luxury, tremendous cargo area and even more tremendous abilities that suddenly appear when the road disappears.

GMC Envoy XUV
Sport-utilities are known for going where no vehicle has gone before, but the GMC Envoy XUV truly is going where no vehicle has gone before by offering a cargo area that not only opens from behind, but that opens up above as well, leaving its mid-size luxury-SUV interior sealed from what amounts to a pickup bed with tall sides. But at the flip of a switch, all that space can be enclosed and the passenger area opened for a more traditional SUV arrangement. Cool, handy and innovative. Cheers to that.

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