It’s a story as old as time: girl meets Touareg, falls in love, and drives happily ever after. (That’s a thing, right?) We recently caught up with Volkswagen product specialist Danielle Gumro to get her thoughts on her daily driver, a 2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel.
Danielle’s Touareg—which she nicknamed her “Miracle Whip”—is more than just a great way to get around; it also doubles as a personal assistant. The Touareg’s voice command feature is especially handy when either of them needs to fuel up. “I love being able to locate things so simply by just pressing a button and telling my Touareg what I need. ‘I need coffee. I need diesel. I’m hungry.’” She also loves that she can open the back hatch right from her key fob when her hands are full. And even though the sweltering summer temps have prevented her from using them, she’s looking forward to trying out the heated seats and pressing the Touareg’s REST button this winter. (Editor’s Note: “REST” is the German word for “residual,” and the button enables the vehicle’s residual heat function, which keeps the cabin warm, even when the engine off and you’re running short errands.)
When we asked Danielle what she likes best about driving a TDI, she answered, “The fuel economy, definitely. I also like the way that it performs—it gives me a little pep in my own step,” she added, referring to the powerful low-end torque, but also to something else. “Once you know what diesel technology is all about, it’s like being in on the secret. You feel cooler. Let’s just say that if I had a collar on right now, it’d be popped.”
Like Danielle, the Touareg is always up for a challenge and does everything in style; this dynamic duo gets lots of attention, no matter where they go. Danielle recounts one story involving a valet who drilled her for information on the Touareg. “He had no idea Volkswagen made something that luxurious” Of course, as a seasoned product specialist, she was more than equipped to answer all his questions.
While Danielle isn’t planning to drive her Touareg across 14 countries like the TDI Panamericana team recently did, she does have a few road trips on her calendar. Stay tuned to the Touareg Blog for more on that.
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