2017 Volkswagen Tiguan Pros vs Cons. Should You Buy?
What’s New for 2017?
For the 2017 year, Volkswagen has passed on wholesale changes, choosing instead to focus on refining the excellent car they had already built. The 2017 Tiguan has swapped two old trim levels (SE and R-Line) for two new ones (Sport and Wolfsburg) and continued to refine their existing platform. As a result, the 2017 Tiguan does not offer much that is brand new, but an awful lot that is improved in 2017
Top 10 Reasons to Buy a 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan – The Pros
1. Distinct Styling
The biggest reason the Tiguan stands out from the crowd is that it stands taller than its competitors. The Tiguan’s poised stance, bearing a tall and clean aesthetic separates it from the crowd. Nothing else looks like this beautiful import, and it will absolutely turn heads.
2. Refined Interior
The interior of the Tiguan matches much of the exterior. The designers took a refined and understated approach, choosing simple but clean looks that please the eyes. With premium materials that sooth the eyes and avoid distractions, the interior provides the driver with ample luxury without the thin veneer of faux-luxury.
3. Explosive Acceleration
Armed with a 2.0L turbo-charged engine that produces a lean but highly efficient 200hp, the Tiguan can be turned into sport mode and burst off the line. This VW challenger can leave rivals like the Toyota Rav4, Honda CR-V and Ford Escape choking on its dust as it gets from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye.
4. Nimble Handling
Volkswagens are built to a different standard than most of its rivals in North America. VW is built to accommodate the narrow streets of a European town. This VW is capable of zipping in and out of traffic around town as well as confidently carry speed across winding mountain passes.
5. Excellent Ride
German cars are not built to simply bumble around the roads. Germany possesses the autobahn, a stretch of long interstates where there is no speed limit. All cars designed, engineered and built in Germany are graded on their ability to tackle the autobahn without reservation. If the Tiguan can comfortably handle the road at 140mph, you can imagine how easily it shrugs off potholes and other irregularities in the road.
6. Simple Controls
If there is one common complaint about German cars, it is that they tend to be complex and wildly over-engineered. Volkswagen has long avoided this criticism by building cars that have simple to understand controls that intuitively provide all of the creature comforts of its higher budget cousins without requiring an advanced degree in rocket science to access them.
7. Great Entertainment
With premium sound, infotainment integration and connectivity from apps like Apple Play, the Tiguan offers its drivers more than just a dynamic drive quality to keep them entertained. Volkswagen offers all of the standard infotainment options and a few added extras, like the new CarNet® app that allows you to control your car from the convenience of your phone.
8. New Options
With two brand new trim lines, a few new optional features are available for VW drivers. Leather interiors are offered across all but the most basic trim lines in production. New branded carpets and mats offer a more integrated sense of style for the vehicles. While no performance upgrades exist, entertainment options allow the driver a more cohesive experience behind the wheel.
9. Expert Engineering
Volkswagen builds its cars to an exacting standard, and it shows. Few cars are as notably well engineered for technical and mechanical reliability as Volkswagen. Volkswagen's are designed to produce a luxury car feel without the luxury car price. With dynamic drive controls and great looks, the Tiguan is no exception.
10. Steely Fundamentals
Safety is crucial, and the Tiguan is notably built of extremely strong steel. The framework and strength of this vehicle are notably better than many of its rivals, which is why it was granted an emphatic 5 star safety rating from the NHTSA.
Reasons Not to Buy a 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan – The Cons
1. Luxury Sticker Price
You get what you pay for, but if you're aiming to buy the best cross-over SUV in the market, you have to pay for the best cross-over SUV in the market. The base "S" model is more expensive than mid-level trims of its rivals in some cases. VW's are not cheap to buy.
2. Luxury Maintenance Price
Volkswagen build a car to last, but mechanical failure is natural for any vehicle with as many parts as the modern automobile. German engineers build great vehicles, but those vehicles are built with expensive parts that are difficult to replace. VW's are not cheap to maintain.
3. Lackluster Driver Assists
Compared to some rivals, the Tiguan is lacking certain driver assist features. While the VW offers a number of stability control and available all-wheel drive options, digital driver aids like cross-traffic warning and lane departure warnings are not yet available for the Tiguan.
4. Underwhelming Cargo Space
In a car segment designed to be as utilitarian as possible, the Tiguan has lackluster storage space compared to some rivals. Though the 2018 Tiguan refresh is expected to offer a bigger storage space for cargo, the 2017 still lags some of its competitors.
Conclusion
While no car is perfect, the few flaws of the Tiguan are greatly outweighed by the performance and refinement that the car offers. Volkswagen has become the biggest selling car on Earth by producing luxury-light vehicles: stylish, dynamic but lacking superfluous price boosters. The Tiguan offers a great driving experience and damned good looks that genuinely stand out from the crowd in the cluttered cross-over market. Give this one a test drive and see if you don't feel how much better it drives than its competition from Toyota or even Mazda.
