Tiguan, Play Nice

July 9th, 2008 Wade

“Tiguan” is a made up name. It combines Tiger and Iguana, kind of like a Liger. Tiguan seems like an odd name for a vehicle at first, but it really does fit. The Volkswagen Tiguan is a car/SUV hybrid that has amazing power and is soft to the touch, like a Tiger, but has the low profile of an Iguana.

2009 Volkswagen Tiguan Review

It’s no secret that I’m a V-dub fan. I’ve loved VWs since I can remember. My fascination started when my parent’s friends rolled up in our driveway in a VW Thing back in the late 70s. The Thing was another hybrid type car. It combined a car with a jeep. VW has a way with pushing the envelope and trying new things. They have never been afraid to create a car they believed in, even if it didn’t fit the mold.

The Tiguan’s motto is ” The people want to play, but they want to play nice.” And that motto fits the car just as well as the name does. The Tiguan has all the power you could ever want in an SUV, and ties it up in a luxurious package.

If you visit the Tiguan homepage you’ll notice right out of the gate that this car is being marketed to the outdoorsy set. The images of the car have kayaks and mountain bikes on board and they are in rugged outdoor settings. But does it live up to the hype? I say yes. And here’s why…

• All Wheel Drive option - in case you get into some mud or snow.
• Bring the paddles along - pleeeenty of cargo space in the rear for paddles, pfds, boots, snowboards.
• Best Sunroof Ever - 13 square feet of sunroof to be exact, for those moonlit nights.
• Sliding adjustable rear seats - this means more room for gear when you need it, and more leg room when you need that.
• Power - they dropped the GTI engine in this thing, so you’re good to go. (top speed, 129 mph)
• Towing - It can pull 2,200 lbs, so a large pop-up camper, a bass boat, or a ski boat are easily doable.
• Roof Rack - gutters allow you to attach an aftermarket rack or use one of VWs
• Seating - seats 5, most crossovers say they seat 5… but the Tiguan does it comfortably.

My only dissapointment with the Tiguan was it’s gas mileage. Now, don’t get me wrong, 19 city/25 hwy mpg is great for an SUV. But VW has to compete with a few other crossover/hybrid vehicles that are getting mileage in the low 30s. Most of those other vehicles don’t come equipped with the barrage of extras or the fine German engineering you get in the Tiguan, but that will be a factor with the buying public in this oil crunch. Relief is in sight though. VW has plans to release the Clean Diesel version in the US very soon. It will have a lower emissions and better fuel economy.

The Tiguan starts just over $23,000, which isn’t bad for V-dub quality. And the bottom line is that the Tiguan provides an SUVish alternative if you’ve just gotta have an SUVish vehicle.

Entry Filed under: Adventure Travel, Camping, Review, Vehicles