2009 Volkswagen Tiguan Review | Buyer Guide
VW Enters the Compact Crossover Fray
Volkswagen has come up with some strange names lately. First there was Tourareg—now we have Tiguan. According to VW’s marketing vice president, Tim Ellis, Tiguan is a combination of the German words for “tiger” and “iguana”—really. It was adopted by Volkswagen, after being chosen in a contest by readers of a German magazine. Makes you wonder what the other choices were. But the name not withstanding, this latest VW has a lot to offer.
The Tiguan is Volkswagen’s entry into the small SUV frey. It’s designed to do battle with crossover sport/utilities, like the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4. Although Volkswagen also sees it competing with higher priced vehicles, like the Acura RDX and the BMW X3.
The styling of the Tiguan garnered favorable reviews from people on the street. I liked its purposeful, straightforward look. The shape of the grille, and the familiar VW logo, tells you that it’s a Volkswagen, but there’s not all that in-your-face chrome that you find on the Passat. Sometimes, less is more.
When I got in the Tiguan, I found an interior that will surely be familiar to Volkswagen owners. The look is understated, but the quality of the materials is first rate. The Tiguan seats five. Passengers up front sit in chair-like seats that are both supportive and comfortable. Visibility, all around, is good. Passengers in back get excellent accommodations as well. Legroom is generous, thanks to a rear seat that slides back and forth six inches. These seats also recline.
The cargo area behind the rear seat holds 23.8 cu.-ft. of gear, and can be enlarged by folding the seatbacks down to increase the storage space to 56.1 cu.-ft. Additionally, the front passenger seat folds down to accommodate long objects. Although all in all, the total amount of useable room is somewhat less than that found in the Honda CR-V.
All Tiguans come equipped with Volkswagen’s Protect and Preserve Safety System. This includes six standard airbags, tire-pressure monitoring, traction control and an electronic stabilization program (ESP). This last feature is especially important. If sensors detect that you are in a skid, ESP directs brake pressure to individual wheels with grip and retards the accelerator until your car is back under control.
Other standard equipment includes a tilt and telescoping steering wheel, an electric parking brake, a trip computer and Sirius satellite radio. As for options, buyers can add a trailer hitch, upgraded alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof and a navigation system with a rearview camera.
Volkswagen calls the Tiguan the “GTI of Crossovers.” Like the GTI, this car is propelled by a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder, turbo engine that pumps out 200 horsepower. This is a motor that I’ve liked in every VW and Audi I’ve found it in. It’s buzzy at high revs, but always responsive. And it does a great job in the Tiguan. The 2.0T is capable of propelling this SUV to 60 in 7.8 seconds, according to VW. That’s not as quick as a GTI, but the Tiguan. at the minimum, is 200 lbs. heavier.
Mated to the turbo engine is a choice of a six-speed manual (rare in this class) or a six-speed automatic gearbox. I had a chance to drive Tiguans with both these transmissions, and it would be hard to say which I liked better. The automatic was smooth and delivered quick downshifts. The manual had a light clutch and shifted easily. It was a delight as well.
The Tiguan comes in front-wheel drive, or with VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive system. The 4Motion system allocates most of the power to the front wheels in normal driving, but when sensors detect slippage, torque transfers to the rear wheels to give the car more grip. Tiguans with 4Motion get 18-24 mpg fuel economy. Front-wheel-drive Tiguans do a little better with 19-26 mpg.
On the road, I found the Tiguan to be a fun car to drive. It felt nimble. I particularly liked the Tiguan’s taut steering—one of the hallmarks of Volkswagen cars. It responded quickly when I wanted to change direction. The ride was almost as impressive. It was firm, but compliant enough not to rattle your teeth on rough patched road.
The new Tiguan is a very appealing crossover SUV, but its price might put off some buyers. The Tiguan is anywhere from $1800 to $4000 more expensive than the segment-leading Honda CR-V. Prices start at $23,200 for the base “S” model, and range up to $32,940 for the “SEL” with all-wheel drive. However, Volkswagen is only looking to sell about 25000 Tiguans in the U.S. this model year, and they should be able to meet that goal.
Snapshot Review
Nicely Styled
Nimble Handling
High Price
