Tiguan lacked the smoothness of other VWs, and of rival crossovers. Its 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine sounded coarse. The six-speed automatic was smooth and crisp one time, balky and indecisive the next. VW provided a second Tiguan as a reality check. Transmission was better and more consistent. Engine still sounded rough.
Though the size and power specs are unchanged, the engine's not the same engine that's been in VWs for years. A chief change, which could explain the coarse noise, is a switch to timing chains instead of quieter, but less-durable, timing belts. Maybe the racket is the price of reduced maintenance.
VW says it also uses a bigger turbocharger. A bigger turbo can take longer to spool up and deliver a power boost and could be behind the new engine's more abrupt power delivery instead of the smoother feel of the previous version.
VW disputes those observations. It says most folks have called the new engine quieter than the old one. And VW says it has tuned the bigger turbo to be as responsive as the previous one.
Noise level isn't a deal-breaker, and the engine still has sufficient low-speed oomph for tedious driving, so the turbo change isn't fatal, either.
If you like to drive with the windows down, Tiguan will disappoint. The buffeting inside the cabin was hard to take, and no blend of windows up and down seemed to eliminate it.
On the other hand:
• Steering, brakes and cornering ability were above average — par for VW, and why owners of modern VWs often hate to switch. Those details have helped distinguish VWs from rivals and gave Tiguan a generally appealing personality.
VW Tiguan crossover is nice, but pricey for what it is
Not wanting to miss the feeding frenzy for small and sporty crossover utility vehicles, Volkswagen has put an SUV body on a small sedan chassis.
Tiguan is a strong reminder of why people like these vehicles, among them Honda CR-V (best-selling SUV in the U.S.), Mazda CX-7 (a sporty direct rival to Tiguan), Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape, Saturn Vue. They can haul and tow more than same-size cars. They offer all-wheel drive, have high seating positions many drivers favor and can zip and whip and tuck smartly into tight parking spots not available to larger SUVs.
