*Instead of adding to the previous thread I created a week or so ago, I created a new one just to give some initial impressions on the vehicle. Mods, feel free to delete the other topic if you'd like.*
So it's been one week since I brought home my 2012 VW Tiguan. Definitely not enough time to be 100% comfortable with the vehicle, but enough to give a good run down with the car. I had another VW right before this, a 2011 Golf. It's hard not to compare the two since they are built on the same platform and share a lot characteristics.
I loved my Golf. Everyday driving it was a real pleasure. But it was becoming a real pain with the two doors and parking on my steep driveway. Folding back the front seats on this car were pretty terrible when loading a kid in the back. I think my '02 Z28 was even better with this, lol.
Anyway, on with the Tiguan:
Exterior/Interior
This is a base model Tiguan. What that basically means for this car is no AWD, no fog lights, no 19" wheels, no leather interior. It's a shame how if you want a manual transmission these days you are usually stuck with a base model car. For me though, all these things work out well. I am not one for the bigger wheels to be replaced down the road ($$$) and AWD, while convenient, doesn't seem necessary for my commute and where I live. Not to mention AWD knocks this car up in price by a good 10k since it moves up the whole package.
With all that being said, I am a huge fan of the exterior on this vehicle. All the lines meet nicely and nothing feels out of place with the car's look. The new 2012 facelift gives this car a nice look that makes it look a tad bit aggressive. All the VW's are doing this anymore, some looking better than others. White wasn't my first choice but the next manual transmission was 300 miles away.
Interior for me is a bit of a mixed bag when comparing it to the Golf. All the materials (for the most part) are of very high quality just like the Golf. But I seem to just prefer the Golf's interior layout compared to the Tiguan.
Plenty of room for me and my daughter. I know some of the vehicles in this car's class (Terrain, CRV, Rav4) have more cargo space but this still seems to be more than enough for me. And being this is the only vehicle offered with a 6-speed manual, it was a deal breaker for me.
The full spare can be removed and will give you more space, but I would rather have the spare on hand.
Dash is pretty comparable with the Golf. The Tiguan has cubby and compartment spots everywhere. I am sure I will discover more as my time passes with the car. The top material on the dash is odd. It's soft and of high quality but it's a rough texture and stands out a bit from the rest of the car. Maybe a different material so sun won't reflect and hit your eyes? Just a guess. Either way, looks okay.
Weird parking brake button.
The seats are pretty comfortable but not as nice as the ones in the Golf. The Golf just used better materials all around with the seats. But the bucket seats + the heavy door made getting out of the steep driveway a huge pain. I used to always worry about wearing those seats down. I don't see that as much of a concern with the Tiguan.
Engine and Ride Quality
Pretty big differences from the Golf in this respect, but that is to be expected. The first thing I notice (and love) every time I drive this car is the 2.0T coupled with the 6-speed MT. On the Golf I loved the feel of it's 5-speed, even more than this car's 6-speed shifter, but the fun factor wasn't really there. The golf always churned out adequate power in every gear. It never made me wish for more power, maybe just a little more fun.
Well this car delivers this! It might not be very fast, but it feels quick when you want it to be. Real quick! The numbers on this car is something like 0-60 in 7.5sec and 15.6sec quarter mile. More than enough fun for me anymore. Only problem is me wanting to keep my MPG strong with this car. It's hard to not really get on this car when driving, the engine just responds very well. I still haven't filled this tank since I left the dealership so I can't comment on the MPG. It's rated at 18/26. I think I will be able to really crush that city number but it revs pretty high on the highway so we'll see (the manual suggests shifting into 6th at 36mph for optimal fuel economy). All I know is that fuel economy plummets when you get on this car.
The ride is softer than the Golf but not my much. The electric power steering feels good but a bit more floaty than the Golf. The golf steering was heavy and felt very precise. The Tiguan is a quiet in some areas and noisy in others. The engine is very quiet outside of the vehicle where the Golf was very noisy and coarse sounding. But inside the cabin the Tiguan's 2.0 idle is a bit loud. The golf was absolutely silent inside. But while driving normally they are pretty comparable.
I could probably think of more but I'll leave it at that for now. Really like the car so far and love how it drives. I also like the price I got it for ($20,600).
Thanks for reading.
So it's been one week since I brought home my 2012 VW Tiguan. Definitely not enough time to be 100% comfortable with the vehicle, but enough to give a good run down with the car. I had another VW right before this, a 2011 Golf. It's hard not to compare the two since they are built on the same platform and share a lot characteristics.
I loved my Golf. Everyday driving it was a real pleasure. But it was becoming a real pain with the two doors and parking on my steep driveway. Folding back the front seats on this car were pretty terrible when loading a kid in the back. I think my '02 Z28 was even better with this, lol.
Anyway, on with the Tiguan:
Exterior/Interior
This is a base model Tiguan. What that basically means for this car is no AWD, no fog lights, no 19" wheels, no leather interior. It's a shame how if you want a manual transmission these days you are usually stuck with a base model car. For me though, all these things work out well. I am not one for the bigger wheels to be replaced down the road ($$$) and AWD, while convenient, doesn't seem necessary for my commute and where I live. Not to mention AWD knocks this car up in price by a good 10k since it moves up the whole package.
With all that being said, I am a huge fan of the exterior on this vehicle. All the lines meet nicely and nothing feels out of place with the car's look. The new 2012 facelift gives this car a nice look that makes it look a tad bit aggressive. All the VW's are doing this anymore, some looking better than others. White wasn't my first choice but the next manual transmission was 300 miles away.
Interior for me is a bit of a mixed bag when comparing it to the Golf. All the materials (for the most part) are of very high quality just like the Golf. But I seem to just prefer the Golf's interior layout compared to the Tiguan.
Plenty of room for me and my daughter. I know some of the vehicles in this car's class (Terrain, CRV, Rav4) have more cargo space but this still seems to be more than enough for me. And being this is the only vehicle offered with a 6-speed manual, it was a deal breaker for me.
The full spare can be removed and will give you more space, but I would rather have the spare on hand.
Dash is pretty comparable with the Golf. The Tiguan has cubby and compartment spots everywhere. I am sure I will discover more as my time passes with the car. The top material on the dash is odd. It's soft and of high quality but it's a rough texture and stands out a bit from the rest of the car. Maybe a different material so sun won't reflect and hit your eyes? Just a guess. Either way, looks okay.
Weird parking brake button.
The seats are pretty comfortable but not as nice as the ones in the Golf. The Golf just used better materials all around with the seats. But the bucket seats + the heavy door made getting out of the steep driveway a huge pain. I used to always worry about wearing those seats down. I don't see that as much of a concern with the Tiguan.
Engine and Ride Quality
Pretty big differences from the Golf in this respect, but that is to be expected. The first thing I notice (and love) every time I drive this car is the 2.0T coupled with the 6-speed MT. On the Golf I loved the feel of it's 5-speed, even more than this car's 6-speed shifter, but the fun factor wasn't really there. The golf always churned out adequate power in every gear. It never made me wish for more power, maybe just a little more fun.
Well this car delivers this! It might not be very fast, but it feels quick when you want it to be. Real quick! The numbers on this car is something like 0-60 in 7.5sec and 15.6sec quarter mile. More than enough fun for me anymore. Only problem is me wanting to keep my MPG strong with this car. It's hard to not really get on this car when driving, the engine just responds very well. I still haven't filled this tank since I left the dealership so I can't comment on the MPG. It's rated at 18/26. I think I will be able to really crush that city number but it revs pretty high on the highway so we'll see (the manual suggests shifting into 6th at 36mph for optimal fuel economy). All I know is that fuel economy plummets when you get on this car.
The ride is softer than the Golf but not my much. The electric power steering feels good but a bit more floaty than the Golf. The golf steering was heavy and felt very precise. The Tiguan is a quiet in some areas and noisy in others. The engine is very quiet outside of the vehicle where the Golf was very noisy and coarse sounding. But inside the cabin the Tiguan's 2.0 idle is a bit loud. The golf was absolutely silent inside. But while driving normally they are pretty comparable.
I could probably think of more but I'll leave it at that for now. Really like the car so far and love how it drives. I also like the price I got it for ($20,600).
Thanks for reading.
