2023 Volkswagen Tiguan

Pros:

• A smooth and quiet ride
• Excellent technology to help drivers
• Space inside and space for bags
• This compact SUV has a third row.

Cons:

• The third-row seat takes up a lot of trunk space.
• New controls that respond to touch can be distracting when driving.
• Engines can have too slow or too fast response times.

How fast can the Tiguan go? The engine with the turbocharger is strong. When we tested a front-wheel-drive Tiguan, it reached 60 mph in 8.9 seconds, which is typical for a small three-row SUV. The Tiguan has problems with how power is distributed and tends to either not respond or respond too much when asked for more power. This sometimes makes it hard to speed up smoothly.

The steering is very well-balanced and very accurate. The Tiguan is easy to drive, whether in a parking lot or on a winding road. The brakes are also easy to use and light. You can stop right away and not think twice about it. Even though the Tiguan’s emergency braking wasn’t all that great, it did show good stability and calmness. This is mainly because the car’s tires have little grip.

How comfortable is the Tiguan’s inside? Volkswagen made the Tiguan with comfort in mind, and the ride is almost as good as a luxury car. Sharp bumps are softened gracefully, and the highway ride has excellent body control even as it floats over imperfections. Even bigger holes are quickly and quietly fixed.

Once the Tiguan is moving, the cabin is quiet. Even at high speeds, there isn’t much noise from the engine, the road, or the wind. When the car starts moving again after stopping, the engine makes a clunk that quickly fades into the background. We don’t like that the temperature system’s controls are touch-sensitive, but other than that, it has good air coverage and is easy to adjust.

Even though the front seats are comfortable, we would have liked better ventilation and a little more support, especially in the bottom cushions. The third-row seats aren’t handy for anyone but very young children, but the second-row seats in the front and back are very comfortable.

How does the inside look? The Tiguan gets high marks for its flexible driving position and excellent visibility from every angle. And if you’re sitting in the first two rows, the Tiguan’s big door openings make it easy to get in and out. To get to the third row, you must be very flexible to fit through the small space. Also, it takes some work to move the second-row seats forward.

No matter how short the trip is, people in the third row will not enjoy it. There is little space because there isn’t much headroom or legroom, even less than in the third row of the Kia Sorento. Also, the seats are flat and uncomfortable. They may also like a little more room in the second row. The Tiguan has more legroom in the back without the third row.

The inside of the Tiguan looks like it made it recently. Volkswagen has also used a lot of touch-sensitive switches instead of actual buttons, which is a shame. When the car is parked, these controls are easy to use, and we enjoy how the steering wheel controls provide simulated haptic input. However, utilizing these switches while driving might take your mind off the road because you must search for the one you want instead of feeling it.

How good is the tech? There was an 8-inch touchscreen in the test vehicle. It’s fantastic that some virtual buttons pop up automatically when your hand gets close to the screen. But for the price, it didn’t have a lot of features. There was no navigation, and it showed only the most basic information about the car’s status.

Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and two USB-C ports are standard. Our SE R-Line test car had wireless charging, but it only had one USB-C port for the second row and none for the third.

We tested several high-tech driving aids that worked well and were easy to use. The only thing we didn’t like about the adaptive cruise control was that it took a while to work in stop-and-go traffic. The Tiguan’s lane-keeping assist works well on straight highways, but it loses power on sharper than moderate curves.

What about putting things away? Tiguans have three rows of seats, and the space behind the last seat is 12 cubic feet, which is about the same as in other small three-row SUVs. In the three-row Tiguan, folding the third row of seats gives you 33 cubic feet, while folding the second row gives you 65.3 cubic feet. If you care more about cargo space than the number of seats, the two-row Tiguan has 37.6 cubes when all seats are up and 73.4 cubes when all seats are folded down. These numbers are the same as those for other small SUVs with two rows, like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.

The front center console and door pockets of the Tiguan are fully lined, which makes them less likely to rattle. The cupholders can hold bottles of different sizes. There’s even a handy tray for sunglasses on top of the dashboard. The Tiguan could be better at towing; even with a hitch installed by the dealer, it can only pull up to 1,500 pounds. On the other hand, the Kia Sorento can pull up to 3,500 pounds.

How well does it use gasoline? The EPA says that the front-wheel-drive Tiguan gets an average of 26 mpg on the highway. The Kia Sorento is much like that SUV but has 100 more horsepower. On Invoice pricing’ real-world test route, however, our test Tiguan got an impressive 30 mpg while only using 87 octane fuel.

Is it wise to buy a Tiguan? If you’re willing to pay more for the extra flexibility that the third row of seats gives you, the Tiguan can be a good value in the compact SUV market. Even though some competitors have better materials and features, the Tiguan looks nice and is designed modernly.

Volkswagen’s warranties cover everything from bumper to bumper and the engine for four years and 50,000 miles. Free scheduled maintenance is given for two years and 20,000 miles, and roadside assistance is provided for three years and 36,000 miles.

Volkswagen did a great job with the way the Tiguan looks. This small SUV looks like it would cost more than it does. On the other hand, driving is less fun. Even though it’s a comfortable SUV, it’s not fun to drive.

As of this writing, Volkswagen has yet to make official announcements about the 2023 Tiguan. If anything changes, we’ll change our recommendation, but based on the Tiguan from last year, we’d recommend the SE trim level. In addition to the complete set of driving aids that come with the Tiguan, the SE has a more advanced infotainment system that can connect to your smartphone wirelessly. It also has extra features that make it more comfortable and easy to use. The 18-inch wheels on the SE make the ride smoother than the R-19-inch wheels on the Line.

Volkswagen Tiguan models

The following unofficial information is based on the Tiguan from the year before. We expect the lineup for the 2023 model to be the same, and we’ll update this section when we know more.] Volkswagen has four trim levels for the Tiguan S, SE, SE R-Line Black, SEL R-Line. All have a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 184 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque with an eight-speed automated transmission. The S, SE, and SE R-Line Black all come with front-wheel drive and the third row of seats. You can get these Tiguan models with the all-wheel campaign, which removes the third row. All-wheel movement is already built into the SEL R-Line.