# Tiguan



## ed325i (Dec 20, 2001)

Wife's office mate has a Rogue and really likes it.


----------



## wyb (Jul 10, 2008)

it is a lot of spec for the money... I'm impressed with everything except the CVT, but I'm working out how to "make it go" ... 

She also drove the Juke - it is a 1.6 4-cyl turbo with a lot of "pep" - but it is just "small"... :dunno:


----------



## brkf (May 26, 2003)

Nice. My wife's ready to bail on her Audi and she wants a cute ute. Of all she drove, the V6 RAV4 is the only one she liked. Sadly, no dealership can find a Limited V6 with the 3rd row option. She won't buy without that third row (grandparents visit every other month so a need for a 7 passenger is real but not so real my wife wants to get a minivan or a vehicle that ways over 3500 lbs).


----------



## Griffoun (Jan 19, 2006)

I'm still pretty happy with the CVT on the 2004 Nissan Murano. Sure, the gas mileage could be better given today's standard (I'm really amazed by the CX5!), but still the engine and spec was built in 2004, and I have to keep reminding myself that 22-24 MPG on highway from 2004 on a mid-size SUV isn't too bad. It's still pretty trouble-free to-date, the only thing I don't like is the paint job (not quite scratch resistant) and the plastic interior, which has already been addressed in the current model year.

In the rare occasion that I need instant acceleration, the CVT doesn't jerk like those with 5/6 speed transmission. The Rogue isn't supposed to be sporty, so CVT does makes sense... hope Nissan will have direct injection in its lineup soon.


----------



## brkf (May 26, 2003)

Griffoun said:


> I'm still pretty happy with the CVT on the 2004 Nissan Murano. Sure, the gas mileage could be better given today's standard (I'm really amazed by the CX5!), but still the engine and spec was built in 2004, and I have to keep reminding myself that 22-24 MPG on highway from 2004 on a mid-size SUV isn't too bad. It's still pretty trouble-free to-date, the only thing I don't like is the paint job (not quite scratch resistant) and the plastic interior, which has already been addressed in the current model year.
> 
> In the rare occasion that I need instant acceleration, the CVT doesn't jerk like those with 5/6 speed transmission. The Rogue isn't supposed to be sporty, so CVT does makes sense... hope Nissan will have direct injection in its lineup soon.


Check out the raves for the new altima with CVT. Very nice engine/tranny combo with exceptional mileage.


----------



## d geek (Nov 26, 2008)

ed- MB is bringing their GLK diesel over in the next year...


----------



## Griffoun (Jan 19, 2006)

brkf said:


> Check out the raves for the new altima with CVT. Very nice engine/tranny combo with exceptional mileage.


I just realized that even Juke has already been equipped with a 1.6 DI. Nice.

Nissan has definitely done a pretty good job in the past few years, and Hyundai of course has done even better job with the latest lineup. It's Toyota and Honda's turn to play catch-up now.


----------



## AutoUnion (Apr 11, 2005)

brkf said:


> Nice. My wife's ready to bail on her Audi and she wants a cute ute. Of all she drove, the V6 RAV4 is the only one she liked. Sadly, no dealership can find a Limited V6 with the 3rd row option. She won't buy without that third row (grandparents visit every other month so a need for a 7 passenger is real but not so real my wife wants to get a minivan or a vehicle that ways over 3500 lbs).


I remember trying to help my uncle look for one a couple years ago. 3rd row wasn't sold on the Limited in my area. Only on the SE trim level.

Other than that, the V6 RAV4 is a beast. It's deceptively quick.


----------



## UA777 (Jun 27, 2012)

What about the new Hyundai Santa Fe, it will come in 5 and 7 seat variations. Comes nicely equipped and gas mileage is pretty good for a car it's size


----------



## brkf (May 26, 2003)

AutoUnion said:


> I remember trying to help my uncle look for one a couple years ago. 3rd row wasn't sold on the Limited in my area. Only on the SE trim level.
> 
> Other than that, the V6 RAV4 is a beast. It's deceptively quick.


Coming from her audi she quickly liked the power and lightish feel v. the escape, rdx, crv, cx5, sorento. She dug the x3 but lack of 7 seats killed it for her.

Right now she can only find base v6s with third row. She feels the move to an suv/cuv is enough of a compromise, going to a base model just isn't an option right now.

We are aware of the next santa fe and doubt given the feel of other hyundai/kia products it will feel right. She tried a few kias and said no way quickly into the drives.


----------



## wyb (Jul 10, 2008)

oh - that Mazda CX5 is nice - we drove that as well - but they're claiming they cannot find them - I personally think it is a manufactured shortage - it means they're claiming they won't move off MSRP, which to me means I'm not buying...


----------



## AzNMpower32 (Oct 23, 2005)

*Quick Spin: 2013 VW Tiguan "Track & Field"*

*3-second summary: *Good overall crossover let down by some bean counters.

It's funny, for the longest time I'd convinced myself that the only vehicle on the market I'd want to buy would be the upcoming Mk7 Golf TDI. And likely, I will still consider it next year when it comes out. I saw the new Audi A3 hatch and Porsche Cayenne Diesel yesterday at VW/Audi/Porsche of Asheville. Neither were PDI-ed so I couldn't really get in, or even see them for that matter. But the A3 looks promising, snazzy interior and crisp exterior shape.

But back to the Tiguan. As I've moved close to the mountains of western NC where I ride my mountain bike nearly every weekend, I've been driving on forest and fireroads to get to destinations or to shuttle Downhill-specific trails with friends. These aren't always just gravel roads, rather some of them have rocks jutting out and drainage ditches running at various angles to the path, stuff that normal sedans don't really handle very well- indeed we bottomed out my friend's suspension once. So as much as I dislike SUVs, I've got to keep small crossovers on the list.

So I took a look at the Tiguan SEL "Track and Field" edition (all Tiguans in the US have this configuration), one that stickered around $34k. Sadly VW doesn't have a diesel Tiguan yet in the states, but I figured even the 2.0 TSI was worth a drive. Might be fun, right?

I don't know other's expectations here, but with the Sport suspension and 19", it actually was a pretty good drive. There was a tight, twisty road right near the dealership and the salesman had no qualms about me ripping up the pavement. Body motions are well controlled, the steering weighted up appropriately, and the chassis was reasonably tidy, although no BMW X1. But not far off from a standard X3 (F25) actually.

The interior was nice and functional too. The rear seats are adjustable for rake and move fore-aft, and both that and the front co-driver seat can fold flat for increased cargo capacity. The SEL comes with the RNS 315 (small sat nav) which appeared easy to operate although I don't like touchscreens, and the adaptive xenons, rain sensor, and cornering lights put it right in line with other German SUVs. Overall, I liked the interior more than that of the X1, and there's a gigantic 18" spare tire underneath the rear floor, although I wonder if a simple mobility kit wouldn't be a better use of space. And sadly for 2013, VW removed the Auto Hold function for US models. Really, how much money did y'all save?

To keep things brief, what effectively crosses it off the list for me is the 6-speed automatic gearbox. There's nothing functionally wrong with the Aisin unit and for 90% of drivers it works just fine, but for that kind of money, I expect something that shifts crisper/faster and doesn't date from the mid 2000s. In fact, the EU models are paired with the 7-speed DSG, and VW has mostly DSG pairings in the US, so it struck me as odd that VW would save on costs by sticking with a mediocre AT unit in North American models. It's just too slack, the torque converter doesn't lock up as it should (seeing the tach at neutral revs while coasting 70km/h is alarming for me), and shifts just aren't fast enough. Perhaps this is what Americans want though.......but not me.

Pity about that too, because the rest of the car's pretty good. It's sensible, practical, and decent to drive, and I think it should be on most folks' list. Just wish the execs didn't cheap out on the drivetrain.

Test conditions: The test drive was approximately 15km on suburban and winding rural roads in Buncombe County, NC. Weather was sunny and 26°C and pavement was good


----------



## ed325i (Dec 20, 2001)

So we may get a 2012 Acura RDX with Tech Package. That's the last body style. 14,000KM. Dealer car. What do you think of the car?


----------



## ed325i (Dec 20, 2001)

Just got home from completing the deal. Picking it up on Thursday after work!


----------



## AzNMpower32 (Oct 23, 2005)

Resurrecting this thread........would you know, my dad got a Tiguan back in March. It's his car, period.

Combined with the amount of miles I'm racking up in the X3, plus its guzzling habits and the risk of expensive repairs, we agreed to swap for the next couple months as I finish up the busy travel/MTB season. So I'll be driving it for a couple months.

Already hating the gearbox........but it is otherwise alright. Reasonably low on fuel consumption esp around town, stable at speeds >160km/h, and decent in the bends. Long-term test, eh?


----------

