The Tiguan is a small crossover with comfort, space, and standout styling reminiscent of the larger Volkswagen Atlas and even budget-busting Audis. The interior is also quite nice, especially on the top-trim version that has real leather seating, contrast-color stitching, and a sharp digital instrument panel. A pleasant, controlled ride is another Tiguan strength, as is the vast amount of passenger and cargo space. There's so much room, in fact, that the Tiguan is one of the few compact SUVs with an optional third row of seating.
The tough truth, though, is that many two-row crossovers in the compact segment offer those same strengths. Competitors like the Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5 are quicker, while the Hyundai Tucson and Subaru Forester are less expensive. To see if the Tiguan offers the features and flexibility you want in a small SUV, read on to see what our experts have to say about the Tiguan.
Performance
How does the Tiguan drive? The turbocharged engine is reasonably strong. We tested a front-wheel-drive Tiguan and it accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds, which is average for a small three-row SUV. But the Tiguan has a problem deploying its power smoothly and is somewhat prone to both underreacting and overreacting to moderate requests for more power. This makes it occasionally difficult to accelerate smoothly.
The steering has good accuracy and excellent weighting. Whether you're navigating a parking lot or a twisty road, the Tiguan is a willing partner. The brakes, too, are light and easy to manage. Smooth stops can be made without a second thought. Outright stopping power isn't the best, due in large part to fairly low-grip tires, but our test Tiguan demonstrated good stability and composure in our emergency braking tests.
Comfort
How comfortable is the Tiguan? With a ride that borders on plush, it's clear Volkswagen made comfort a priority with the Tiguan. Sharp bumps are nicely rounded off, and the highway ride manages to float over imperfections while maintaining very good body control. Even larger potholes are absorbed without much notice.
Once underway, the Tiguan boasts a quiet cabin with minimal engine, road, and wind noise even at elevated speeds. The engine does sound somewhat crude when pulling away from a stop, but it blends into the background quickly. The climate system's touch-sensitive controls aren't our favorite, but the system otherwise provides good air coverage and adjustability.
Front seat comfort is OK, but we wish they offered a bit more support, especially in the bottom cushions, and better breathability. The outboard second-row seats offer welcome sculpting and bolstering, but the third-row seats are barely functional for anyone but small children.
Interior
How’s the interior? The Tiguan scores high marks for its highly adjustable driving position and good all-around visibility. And thanks to its large door openings, the Tiguan is very easy to step in and out of — so long as you're sitting in the first two rows. Climbing into the third row requires a lot of flexibility to squeeze through the narrow gap. Also, the second-row seats require some muscle to slide forward.
Third-row passengers will not enjoy the trip no matter how short it is. Space is tight — much tighter than in the third row of the Kia Sorento — because of limited headroom and legroom. The seats are flat and uncomfortable too. Second-row passengers might want a bit more legroom too. The Tiguan's rear legroom is far more generous if you don't get the third-row seat.
The interior of the Tiguan looks sleek. Unfortunately, Volkswagen has also made extensive use of touch-sensitive switches instead of physical buttons. These controls are easy to use when parked, and we appreciate the simulated tactile feedback from the steering wheel controls. But using these switches while driving can also draw your attention away from the road because you still have to look to pinpoint the one you want rather than go by feel as you can with a regular button.
Technology
How’s the tech? Our test vehicle was equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen. It has a neat feature that automatically displays some virtual buttons on the screen when your hand gets close to the screen. But for the price, the features seemed a bit thin, with no navigation and only the most basic information offered for vehicle status and various audio displays.
Thankfully smartphone integration through Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is standard, and front passengers get two USB-C ports. Our SE R-Line test model included wireless charging but offered only one USB-C port for second-row passengers and none for the third-row.
We found the various advanced driver aids to be well-behaved and easy to use. Our only gripe stems from the adaptive cruise control system, which was slow to respond in stop-and-go traffic. The Tiguan's lane-keeping assist works well on the open highway but loses its effectiveness with anything more than a gentle bend.
Storage
How’s the storage? Tiguans equipped with three rows of seats get 12 cubic feet behind the last row, which is on par with what you get from other compact three-row SUVs. Folding the third-row seats results in 33 cubes, and doing the same to the second-row seats maxes out the three-row Tiguan to 65.3 cubic feet. If cargo capacity is more important than passenger count, note that the two-row Tiguan offers 37.6 cubes and a more generous 73.4 cubes when all the seats are down. Those numbers are similar to those of other compact two-row SUVs like the RAV4 and CR-V.
Inside, the Tiguan treats its front occupants with fully lined door pockets and a center console, so things don't rattle around as much. The cupholders work well to hold a variety of bottle sizes. There's even a handy tray on top of the dash for sunglasses. Towing is not the Tiguan's strong suit and it is rated for only 1,500 pounds once a hitch has been installed by the dealer. By contrast, the Kia Sorento can pull up to 3,500 pounds.
Fuel Economy
How’s the fuel economy? The front-wheel-drive Tiguan's EPA-estimated fuel economy of 26 mpg combined is unremarkable. In fact, that's very similar to the Kia Sorento, and that SUV has an extra 100 horsepower. But on Edmunds' real-world evaluation route, our test Tiguan returned an excellent 30 mpg and did so using only the required 87-octane gasoline.
Value
Is the Tiguan a good value? If you're willing to pay for the extra versatility a third row of seating provides, the Tiguan can represent a fairly good bargain in the compact SUV segment. The materials and features don't always match what some rivals offer, but the Tiguan's overall look and style are premium and modern.
Volkswagen offers fairly standard warranties of four years/50,000 miles for both bumper-to-bumper and powertrain coverage. Roadside assistance is included for three years/36,000 miles, and free scheduled maintenance is a generous two years/20,000 miles.
Wildcard
Volkswagen styled the Tiguan to good effect. This compact SUV looks more expensive than it actually is. The driving experience is less appealing, however. It's a comfortable SUV but not particularly rewarding to drive.
Which Tiguan does Edmunds recommend?
The midtrim SE is admittedly quite a bit more expensive than the entry-level Tiguan S. But its robust list of upgrades is well worth the extra spend. A power liftgate, adjustable lumbar for the front passenger, wireless smartphone compatibility, and dual-zone climate control all make the everyday driving experience a bit better, while the synthetic leather upholstery makes your German SUV feel more premium. It also lacks the annoying touch-capacitive steering wheel controls of the SE R-Line Black just one step up the ladder.
Volkswagen Tiguan models
Volkswagen offers the 2023 Tiguan SUV in four trim levels: S, SE, SE R-Line Black, and SEL R-Line. They all have a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (184 horsepower, 221 lb-ft of torque) and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard with the S, SE, and SE R-Line Black trims, as is a third-row seat. All-wheel drive is optional for these versions of the Tiguan, and it eliminates the third row. The SEL R-Line includes standard all-wheel drive, hill descent control, and two rows.
The base trim equips the Tiguan with these standard features:
17-inch alloy wheels
LED headlights
Heated side mirrors
Hill descent control (AWD models only)
Roof rails
Heated windshield washer-jet nozzles
Keyless entry with push-button start
Heated and height-adjustable front seats
Cloth upholstery
Rear seat air-conditioning vents
Digital instrumentation with an 8-inch display
6.5-inch center touchscreen infotainment system
Two USB ports
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility
Bluetooth connectivity
Six-speaker sound system
VW's Car-Net connected services including Wi-Fi access (requires enrollment and/or subscription)
Standard safety equipment on every Tiguan includes:
Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
Blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic warning (alerts you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while in reverse)
Note: Due to the ongoing microchip shortage, some S, SE and SE R-Line Black models could be built without this feature. This will be noted on the window sticker as "Rear Sensors Delete" and a credit will be applied to the vehicle.
Tiguan S buyers can upgrade the safety technology with an IQ. Drive & S Convenience package. It contains:
Rain-sensing wipers
Auto-dimming interior rearview mirror
Faux leather-wrapped steering wheel
Adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the Tiguan and the car in front)
Lane-keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)
Blind-spot intervention (automatically steers the car back into its lane if you try to change lanes while a car is in the vehicle's blind spot)
Emergency assist (with adaptive cruise control and lane keeping system active, can detect an unresponsive driver and bring the Tiguan to a safe stop)
SE
The Tiguan SE includes the contents of IQ. Drive & S Convenience package and adds these features:
18-inch alloy wheels
Power Liftgate
Note: Due to the ongoing microchip shortage, some SE and SE R-Line Black models could be built without this feature. This will be noted on the window sticker as "Power Rear Liftgate Delete" and a credit will be applied to the vehicle.
Remote engine start
Auto-dimming rearview mirror
Synthetic and perforated leather seating surfaces
Power-adjustable driver's seat
Lumbar adjustment for the front passenger seat
Touch-sensing dual-zone automatic climate control
Upgraded infotainment system with 8-inch touchscreen and voice control
Bluetooth support for multiple devices
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility
Wireless smartphone charging pad
Rear USB port
A panoramic sunroof is available as a stand-alone option.
SE R-Line Black
This trim includes sporty R-Line styling and comes with these add-ons:
Black exterior and interior trim
19-inch black wheels
Ambient interior lighting
Panoramic sunroof
Leather-wrapped steering wheel
Capacitive touch buttons on the steering wheel
Front and rear parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of or behind the vehicle when parking)
SEL R-Line
SEL R-Line
The top-of-the-line Tiguan SEL R-Line includes:
All-wheel drive
Hill descent control (controls vehicle speed on steep downhill surfaces)
20-inch alloy wheels
Light bar integrated into the grille
Additional chrome exterior trim
Adaptive headlights (swivel as you turn the steering wheel for better illumination in curves)
Power-folding side mirrors
Hands-free liftgate
Cargo cover
Ventilated front seats
Note: Due to the ongoing microchip shortage, some SEL R-Line models could be built without this feature. This will be noted on the window sticker as "Ventilated Front Seats Delete" and a credit will be applied to the vehicle.
Leather sport seats
Driver's seat memory settings
Power-adjustable front passenger seat
Heated steering wheel
10.25-inch digital instrument display
Integrated navigation system
Fender premium sound system
360-degree surround-view camera (gives you a top-down view of the Tiguan and its surroundings for tight parking situations)
Automated parking system (steers into a parking spot with little or no driver intervention)
