Car Reviews: 2008 VW Tiguan

The new Volkswagon Tiguan came out in 2008 but it is actually a 2009 model. VW has done like so many of the other manufacturers have done with the gas situation and has downsized the Touareg. VW has the Touareg and the Tiguan, BMW has the X-5 and the X-3, Volvo has the XC-90 and the XC-60. Many of the manuafacturers have similar situations. The Tiguan is supposed to get about 30 miles per gallon on the highway.
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The Tiguan is a very nice vehicle and drives and handles more like a sport car than a SUV. It is surprizingly quick too. It has a 2.0 liter 16 valve DOHC 4 cylinder that is turbocharged and after-cooled. At present it is only available wth the gasoline engine but I am hoping that within the next two years they will put a Diesel engine in it and up the mileage 10 to 12 miles per gallon.

I had the privilege of driving one the other day and was very favorably impressed with everything about the TIguan. It has a lot of pep and it handles really well for an SUV. We headed up I-70 into the mountains and boy that turbo really makes a difference. We have a Subaru Forester with the non-turbo engine and we love it but that turbo sure makes a difference. The seats are more like sport seats and are very comfortable. Like any small SUV, the rear seats are more comfortable for a smaller adult than somebody like myself that is 6", 275. The back seats do adjust back and forth though which is kind of nice. You can get a full length of the top sunroof that is kind of neat. Only about half of it actually opens but the whole roof is glass. There is a screen that closes if you don't want it open.

There are three trim levels on the new Tiguan. The Basic S, the step-up SE, and the top-of-the-line SEL. Of course the more goodies you get standard, the more your TIguan will cost. The top of the line loaded out SEL will run in the mid 30s. The one I drove was a loaded SE and it was stickered at $28,100. Not cheap, but then what is now days.

The S model is nicely equipped and has all the essentials like power windows, power steering, remote entry and sisc brakes. For instance you have to step up to the SEL to get the dual sone climate control. The trip computer is stnadard on the SE and the SEL. THe sirius Satellite Radio is also standard on the SE and SEL. All Wheel Drive is optional on the SE and SEL but not available on the S model. The 12 way heated leather seats are only available on th4e SEL.

At the heart of the new Tiguan is a 2 liter 16 valve 4 cylinde that develops 200 horsepower. The S is equipped with a six speed manual and the SE and SEL are equipped with a six speed automatic. That 6 speed manul is a pretty snappy little outfit and would be fun to drive but the six speed automatic is real smooth and effortless to drive.

THe SEL has an awesome 300 watt streo system with 8 speakers that rocks. There is atate of the arts touch screen navigation system available that has a 30 gig hard drive. The tiguan is available in 7 nice colors and two interioe colors, I would like the Garnet red with the charcol leather seats in a loaded SEL.

I think this is going to be a real big seller for VW and they are already hard to get at any of the dealers here in Denver.