Home

Tag: Volkswagen Tiguan

  • 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan Review

    2019 Volkswagen Tiguan Review

    The 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan is a compact SUV with a smooth ride, spacious cabin and ample features. Whether you’re a hardcore fan of Volkswagen or just looking for a good SUV for your family, the Tiguan has a lot to offer.

    Today we’re going to break down whether the Tiguan is a good pick for you and your family. Here’s our review for the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan.

    2019 Volkswagen Tiguan

    Design

    The Volkswagen Tiguan doesn’t pack any surprises into its appearance. The design is smart, economical and tight. This is a compact SUV through and through, sporting a small profile and clean lines that are sleek and unassuming. If you’re the kind of driver who doesn’t like drawing attention to themselves, this is a great design.

    However, if you’re looking for something more bold or aggressive, you’ll likely find the Tiguan wanting. Those who prefer a bolder design should look elsewhere.

    Performance

    This lack of punch applies to the Tiguan’s engine, too. You’re not going to get that satisfying rumble or roar when you punch the accelerator. Turns are taken wide, the acceleration is nothing to write home about, and the handling could be described as “floaty”.

    However, with all of that said, the Tiguan does offer a very quiet, smooth ride. What it lacks in power and flash it more than makes up for in comfort. If you’ve got kids or you’re just looking for a nice, quiet SUV, there’s a lot to love about the Tiguan. For people who don’t need the most aggressive or punchy vehicle in the world, sometimes a quiet ride and nice interior are a welcome sight.

    Life as it Comes

    The Tiguan offers a great amount of cargo space and tons of legroom and space for its compact profile. This smart use of interior space is wonderful for people who have kids and need to tackle life as it comes. Loading groceries, soccer equipment or whatever else you need is easy as can be.

    Likewise, the ample infotainment features are great for people with busy lives. Using the system to quickly set up your preferences is a breeze. It’s easy to forget just how nice a good user interface can be!

    Bottom Line

    Starting at $24,295, the Tiguan is a great pick for families. If you’re not worried about a dorky design or pokey engine, there’s a lot to love with the Tiguan. A quiet ride, tons of cargo space and useful features can more than make up for the otherwise boring design features.

  • 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan Review: The Right Car for Your Family?

    2019 Volkswagen Tiguan Review: The Right Car for Your Family?

    The bigger, beefier design of the Tiguan is still here, but does it live up to its body’s big promise? The German engineers over at VW have unveiled the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan. It is a beast to behold, but does it have the power to match? Today we’ll answer that question and more with our review.

    If you’ve been looking into buying a new SUV, you may have been considering the VW Tiguan. We’ll break down the features, trims and drive experience to help you make an informed decision. Is this the right car for your family, or should you opt for a different SUV?

    2019 Volkswagen Tiguan Review

    What’s New?

    Honestly, not much is new this year. That’s to be expected: 2017 to 2018 saw a huge redesign for the Tiguan. If you missed it, the Tiguan grew by about a foot between 2017 and 2018, and got room for a third row or additional cargo space.

    The true changes this year are really minor. The SE trim level gets a standard alarm system, while the SEL trim now gets a digital gauge cluster. Oh, and the SEL gets parking sensors, now, too. That’s about all that’s new to the Tiguan this year.

    Trim Levels

    Speaking of trim levels, let’s get into those a bit more. There are four, and they’re pretty easy to parse. The base trim is S, and it starts a $25,290. The SE trim is $27,690, while the SEL is $32,790. The high end is the SEL Premium trim, which goes for an eye-watering $38,190. That puts the Tiguan in the mid-range of price at the base level and up to the “luxury” mark for the high end.

    All trim levels get a turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 184 horsepower and automatic eight-speed transmission. Buyers can opt for a four-wheel drive powertrain, though in any event the engine never really feels quite powerful. The body’s massive size actually somewhat belies the underwhelming engine under the hood.

    Fuel Economy

    Another important consideration with any new vehicle is gas mileage. Impressively, the front-wheel-drive model gets 32 mpg highway, making it a surprisingly efficient engine for an SUV. That goes double for just how big the Tiguan is. It looks and handles a bit like a tank, so the good fuel economy is a welcome boon.

    Ride Quality

    While the engine is nothing special, the ride quality is solid. It’s not terribly precise, and it won’t be taking turns with anything resembling speed. That said, the ride is quiet and smooth, which will be more than enough for most use-cases. If you’re getting an SUV to tear up the road, you’re probably missing out on some great sports cars that you would rather have.

    That said, the automatic transmission feels like it’s never in a hurry. The car can even feel sluggish as it hesitates to downshift, keeping you somewhat locked in awkward rhythms, especially during heavy traffic. In any event, it’s fine for going on trips or picking up groceries. It’s just less than ideal for driving downtown or on crowded highways.

    Interior Features

    The interior is simple, in the classic VW style. It’s not showy or flashy and it gets the job done while remaining comfortable. It’s hard to say whether this is a good thing or bad thing and it really more up to your individual preferences.

    Impressively, the Tiguan uses its space efficiently enough that you can squeeze seven people into the vehicle, including the driver. That makes this a great compromise for bigger families that don’t want to bump up to the minivan level but need tons of seats.

    The standard trim has cloth seating, but you can opt for faux-leather seats with higher trim levels. The seats themselves are comfortable and well-made, and never feel to cramped. Even with seven people squeezed in, everyone has ample legroom (assuming they’re not NBA player-sized, of course.)

    Bottom Line

    Between the unassuming interior, large cargo space, good fuel economy and smooth ride, there’s a lot to like about this vehicle. On the flip side, those looking for a flashier vehicle, or one with more fun under the hood, should look elsewhere. While the prices are mid-level for the base trim, you get a lot of good features standard.

    Notable among the standard features is the excellent Car-Net infotainment system. The large, easy-to-navigate system makes you feel like all of your car’s features are right at your fingertips. As for non-standard features, there are ample safety features available at higher trim levels. Examples include Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Monitoring and emergency braking.