Base price: $29,565
As tested: $33,165
200 horsepower
2.0L turbocharged inline
4-cylinder automatic
18 city / 24 highway
More info:
www.vw.com
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VW jumped into this compact SUV fray very late—and very fashionably—with the all-new 2009 Tiguan. As bad as VW has been recently at naming vehicles (Touareg? Tiguan?), they’ve got styling down pat. And that’s good news for buyers looking for an SUV with sex appeal that doesn’t force them to choose between filling up the tank and eating dinner. The sporty, aerodynamic Tiguan resembles an Audi Q7 on the Nutrisystem diet, and our tester came dressed to kill with a black metallic paint job, optional tinted rear-side and tailgate window privacy glass. You’ll find better bargains in the compact SUV class than the $33K Tiguan, but they’ll all look it, too.
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The Tiguan SE comes with an impressive list of standard interior amenities, including a handy fold-flat passenger front seat, MP3 adapter, leather-wrapped steering wheel and elegant aluminum trim. It came optioned out with an intuitive navigation and entertainment system and back-up camera ($1,950) and a power panoramic sunroof ($1,300) extending over the back row of seats—now everyone can enjoy the blinding summer sun.
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The Tiguan’s stiff, sporty suspension and extensive stability and handling systems respond well in aggressive driving, but don’t expect the smoothest ride over bumps. The 2.0 liter turbocharged 4-liter engine is the same found in the GTI. Despite the SUV’s extra weight, the 200 horses deliver a brisk 0-60 time of 7.9 seconds, plenty fast enough to keep you from feeling like a soccer mom with five o’clock shadow.
—by Sam Jemielity
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