Best-Kept Secret

Sleek Porsche Cayennes are a common sight on South Florida roads, but before there was the Cayenne, there was the Touareg. The folks at Wolfsburg contracted with their cousins in Stuttgart to create something the world had never seen — an attractive, yet uber-practical SUV. The Touareg shares all but a few body panels with its Cayenne and Audi Q7 cousins, but it’s the smartest buy of the group. Equipped with a V6 TDI Turbodiesel engine option (which is NOT affected by the TDI 2.0 EPA emissions issues), the Touareg can tow 7,700 pounds — about the same as a 747-sized Chevy Suburban. Even better, the TDI gets an amazing 25-29 mpg; pretty much the same as a Civic. When it comes to the interior, the smart choice is the Lux, featuring Viennese leather and fine wood trim. When it comes down to it, you can get a Cayenne to impress parking valets, or you can get the Touareg to demonstrate your ability to sniff out a savvy deal; Starting at $46,745; VW.com.