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VW’s Tiguan solid contender in crowded field
Bottom Line: Volkswagen Tiguan SEL |
Price: $35,280 (as tested). Fuel economy: 18 MPG city/24 MPG highway (EPA). Standard equipment: 200-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a six-speed transmission, power steering, windows and locks, a dual-zone climate control, leather seats, heated seats and outside mirrors, bi-xenon headlights. Safety equipment: Front airbags, front-row side airbags, side air curtains, electronic stability control, traction control, electronic differential lock, antilock brakes and a tire pressure monitoring system. Major options: Satellite navigation system. Pros: Stunningly executed styling details inside and out. Spacious and comfortable. Sporty handling makes the Tiguan feel light on its feet. Cons: Unproven reliability. Loud, unrefined engine makes me want to plow a field. Tiguan is thirsty for its size, like a freshman at a sorority rush. Verdict: A potential class winner if it proves to be reliable. |
Sources: Volkswagen, msnbc.com |
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What will the Tiguan’s reliability be like? No one knows. VW has scored poorly in past Consumer Reports reliability ratings, but the group says the new VW Rabbit, upon which the Tiguan is based, is doing well.
Unfortunately, during my test drive, the vehicle’s navigation system repeatedly crashed — taking the radio with it — only to spontaneously reboot. VW said it had not heard of such problems from customers. To prove it the company sent a replacement vehicle, and its navigation system worked fine.
The Tiguan does deliver the expected European driving experience, with taut, responsive reflexes. Like so many other recent introductions, the Tiguan is saddled with electric power steering, which often is less sensitive than an admissions counselor to an applicant’s ego.
The Tiguan does manage to deliver some feedback, and steering effort builds when cornering, with a useful inclination to return to center when released, placing it above the woeful average for such systems. But the steering effort is very light, making it a challenge to tell what the front tires are doing at low speeds.
Ultimately, no matter how lavishly equipped the Tiguan is, this upstart from VW is unlikely to beat established luxury players. The best bet for this newcomer is probably the value route. The Tiguan is a nice vehicle, even bereft of its leather seats, bright-white xenon headlights, navigation system and other luxury accoutrements.
With cloth seats and a nifty six-speed manual transmission, the $23,200 Tiguan S is not only more appealing to driving enthusiasts, it also costs dramatically less than the tested SEL.
Of course driving enthusiasts shopping in the VW store will probably linger near the Rabbit five-door or the new, ultra-efficient Jetta Sportwagen TDI, which both skew the driving fun/practicality equation to the “fun” end of the spectrum. They also cost less than the Tiguan and burn less gas.
All three members of the VW family are ready to mail their Ivy League applications, but the company’s success will depend hugely upon its ongoing effort to improve its reputation for reliability. Without that key component, VW will be left watching dejectedly as the kid next door rips open the fat response envelope from his first-choice school.
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