Topic: Test Drive: 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan Highline

[Blueprint]

The base fwd with manual has a decent price and would not be called a "pavement scraper" by my wife (who hates my already-a-bit-high-to-me Sentra).

It's a Golf on stilts with a GTI engine.  I can live with that.  The other manual cute utes are pretty limited in choice: 2.0 Tucson fwd, Sportage fwd, Mitsu RVR fwd, upcoming CX-5 fwd and awd Forester (oups...forgot the Compatriot...but they don't really count, don't they?).

[asrush]

Test-drove the Forester and thought it was great, but had some issues that my wife and I just couldn't live with.  The passenger seat was way too low, and with my wife being 5'2 she couldn't see over the dash -- no height adjustable passenger seat. 

The interior was also a let down, grey lego plastic everywhere.  Might have bought the turbo if it wasn't for these two issues. Lots of room though, but probably would of went with the RAV4 if I hadn't tested the Tiguan.

[Ace]

 I went on VW International's site an found several Tiguan models available with 4-motion, TDI Diesel and 6 speed manuals in Germany, UK, France etc etc
 Cosidering the popularity of the TDI's, why doesn't VW Canada wake up and offer at least one of these models to the Canadian market? Is it because all the marketing decisions made by VW USA ?
 

[aaronk]

Is the interior of the Tiguan really that much richer than the new Jetta? I haven't seen a 2012 Tiguan in person, but in base-model Trendline form, the images seem to depict a very similar design including lots of carryover parts. I hear a commonality in this thread about a premium interior, but there is a lot of criticism about the new Jetta. Perhaps there's something I can't see from the pictures?

Even in Highline trim, the Jetta/Golf is equipped with nearly the same content...

[bombastic]

"Jaeger:
You take offence too easily.   Were you not so personally wedded to your beloved vehicle, you would have seen it as such. In fact, if you weren't permanently set in attack mode, you might see that I actually had a lot of good to say about the vehicle - nice looks inside and out - nice ride and handling.  But like so many, you seem to feel that the car you chose can have no faults or shortcomings, and anyone who thinks so must by definition be "completely wrong".  Sorry to say, but that's where you're completely wrong.
 It's unfortunate that your fanboyism won't even let you contemplate that the latter might be just as true as the former."

Sorry Jaeger, cannot agree with you even now. Comparing your Fit with Tiguan is ridiculous at best. So are you a Honda fanboy comming with such comparison? I would say that you mastered personal attacks pretty well. I'm no match to you. I still consider Tiguan interior space adequate 95% of time regardless of your comments. And yes, RAV4 is a thin can comared with Tiguan as other posters observer. I would like to get a GLK or X3 instead of Tiguan. None of Honda, Toyota, Nissan offer the same feeling as Tiguan.

[viggen00]

Overpriced.

Save yourself $8000 bucks and get just as much fun and way better fuel economy with the Golf wagon diesel.

[Jaeger]

Sorry Jaeger, cannot agree with you even now.

I am so very okay with that.

Comparing your Fit with Tiguan is ridiculous at best.

I am comparing their passenger and cargo space - and yes, it is quite ridiculous that the Tiguan doesn't offer much more than the comparatively tiny Fit.

So are you a Honda fanboy comming with such comparison?

You're as right about that as you are about most things.

I still consider Tiguan interior space adequate 95% of time regardless of your comments.

I am sure you find it adequate.  Just as I'm sure others don't.  Though "adequate" is a very long way from "marvel", wouldn't you say?  Don't try to get all reasonable this late in the game.

And yes, RAV4 is a thin can comared with Tiguan as other posters observer.

How can you possibly offer an opinion on the Rav4 when you don't own one?  Din't you tell us earlier on that only owners' opinions are valid?  Or am I confusing you with some other fanboy?

No wait... that was you after all:

So you are OK when you describe the cargo space next to zero, however when you hear a different opinion you conder it funny. Since you don't own one your perception of the car is just that, perception. The reality is somewhere else.

Jaeger

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Quick and dirty numbers from Consumer Reports on what they measured using an adjustable pipe frame with the rear seats up.
We never spent much time looking at one once we saw the cargo area.

[sailor723]

Quick and dirty numbers from Consumer Reports on what they measured using an adjustable pipe frame with the rear seats up.
We never spent much time looking at one once we saw the cargo area.

Interesting numbers SirO. Either the VW isn't as small as most people think (myself included) or those other models are really tiny. I'm not surprised about the Rogue but I didn't realize some of the others had that small of a cargo area.

[Jaeger]

Not sure how those measurements were taken - and indeed, I'm not sure how most interior dimension measurements are taken or if there is a standardized method of doing so.

But cars direct shows the following for:

Tiguan / CR-V / RAV4

Interior cargo volume (cu. ft.) 23.8 / 37.2 / 36.4

With seats folded (cu. ft.) 56.1 / 70.9 / 73.0

If you sit in all three and don't notice that the Tiguan is substantially smaller than the other two, then you likely need to remove your VW-tinted glasses.

Jaeger

[dirtyjeffer]

I went on VW International's site an found several Tiguan models available with 4-motion, TDI Diesel and 6 speed manuals in Germany, UK, France etc etc
 Cosidering the popularity of the TDI's, why doesn't VW Canada wake up and offer at least one of these models to the Canadian market? Is it because all the marketing decisions made by VW USA ?
 

this has been discussed before...TDi Tiguans do exsit, just not in North America...they don't meet the emission requirements here...in order for them to sell it here, they would need to use a "adblue" version of the TDi, which means it would likely cost too much to develop just for this market...once more countries raise their emissions standards, the business case to do it then would likely become viable.

[mmret]

Quick and dirty numbers from Consumer Reports on what they measured using an adjustable pipe frame with the rear seats up.

What an exciting job that must be.

[DKaz]

Is the interior of the Tiguan really that much richer than the new Jetta? I haven't seen a 2012 Tiguan in person, but in base-model Trendline form, the images seem to depict a very similar design including lots of carryover parts. I hear a commonality in this thread about a premium interior, but there is a lot of criticism about the new Jetta. Perhaps there's something I can't see from the pictures?

Even in Highline trim, the Jetta/Golf is equipped with nearly the same content...

Tiguan has automatic climate control (dual zone too), Jetta has manual.

[airbalancer]

Quick and dirty numbers from Consumer Reports on what they measured using an adjustable pipe frame with the rear seats up.

What an exciting job that must be.

better then sitting in a cubical all day long 

[sailor723]

Quick and dirty numbers from Consumer Reports on what they measured using an adjustable pipe frame with the rear seats up.

What an exciting job that must be.

better then sitting in a cubical all day long 

Exactly! I think working for CR would be kind of neat. ...Provided you weren't the guy doing 8 hours a day of data entry.

[Fobroader]

I went on VW International's site an found several Tiguan models available with 4-motion, TDI Diesel and 6 speed manuals in Germany, UK, France etc etc
 Cosidering the popularity of the TDI's, why doesn't VW Canada wake up and offer at least one of these models to the Canadian market? Is it because all the marketing decisions made by VW USA ?
 

Because that would make sense, the EPA has this moronic policy that allows diesel locomotives like the cummins/duramax/powerstroke on the road but a clean little diesel from Europe supposedly makes more pollution than a steel mill from the beggining of the industrial revolution. Ive always wondered why I have to buy a huge ass truck in order to get a diesel. I know Ford, GM, VW, BMW, Toyota, Honda.....all offer very fine diesel engines in other markets, is it that hard to pay off some government official to rubber stamp the entry papers?!!?!?!?

[bombastic]

"Jaeger:
But cars direct shows the following for:
Tiguan / CR-V / RAV4
Interior cargo volume (cu. ft.) 23.8 / 37.2 / 36.4
With seats folded (cu. ft.) 56.1 / 70.9 / 73.0
If you sit in all three and don't notice that the Tiguan is substantially smaller than the other two, then you likely need to remove your VW-tinted glasses."
How strage to compare the cargo volume, but speak about the passenger area: "you sit in all 3". I believe passenger area is not that different. You obviously have an issue with cargo area from Tiguan. As it was pointed out is in the middle of the class. Nothing small or tiny there.

[jyarkony]

Overpriced.

Save yourself $8000 bucks and get just as much fun and way better fuel economy with the Golf wagon diesel.

Couldn't agree more! Although I hate to admit, with increasing back pain every year and the struggle to belt my daughter into our car seats, the notion of a cute ute just for the sake of higher ingress keeps growing on me. Especially something like the Mazda CX-5, which should handle about as well as most hatches (though not likely the Golf hatch or wagon) whose fuel consumption estimates are 7.7/6.1 L/100 km city/hwy, though I'd still likely get 10+ the way I drive...

But a Tiguan TDI - I would also take a long look at that... even if its interior quality follows the Jetta's.

[mlin32]

+1 on a Tiguan TDI being imported to North America. I know at least 5 other acquaintances who would consider a Tiguan if it had a diesel.