It's been a dozen years since Honda and Toyota introduced the first car-based compact SUVs to the American market. Figuring "better late than never," Volkswagen is the last major automaker to enter this segment, with the 2009 Tiguan. Honda and Toyota are each on their third interation of the CR-V and RAV4, respectively.

What can a newcomer hope to teach its more experienced competitors? I took a Tiguan SE 4Motion (AWD) for a test drive to find out.

Styling

The VW Tiguan's styling resembles the second-generation Asian CUVs, but with VW cues. No risks were taken here. The resulting exterior--which also bears some resemblance in profile to the upcoming Mercedes-Benz GLK--isn't stylish, but I suppose it'll do. Just get at least the 17-inch wheels. The base trim's 16s look dinky.

My initial impression of the interior was that it didn't have the premium feel of other VWs, despite a healthy amount of soft-touch trim. The silver plastic door pulls and air vent trim plates are part of the problem. The thoroughly unimaginative styling is the other. The center stack appears to have been thrown together, and the round air vents simply look out of place. The vents might even deserve most of the blame. They just don't work, aesthetically.

The HVAC controls also feel overly light and cheap to me, like the controls on a toy. But the same ones are used in the Jetta and GTI, and I don't remember minding them there.

The car I drove had a cloth interior. The optional leather improves the ambiance.

Accommodations

I'm not a fan of the VW Tiguan's driving position. The instrument panel is very high, forcing me to do something I rarely do in an SUV: crank the seat up. Front and rear seat height cannot be adjusted separately. Instead, as you raise the seat it tilts forward--not my preferred solution. The SE I drove has a "comfort" seats rather than the "basic" seats in the S. These do include a manually adjustable lumbar support and effective side bolsters. But the SEL's twelve-way power driver's seat would be better yet.

Owing to the high instrument panel, the windshield is shorter than that in most compact SUVs. Thick D-pillars compromise visiblity in the other direction, though properly adjusting the mirrors mitigates this.

One of the major selling features, as few if any competitors offer it: a huge two panel sunroof covering both rows.

With a length of only 174 inches, the Tiguan is shorter than most competitors. Partly as a result, rear seat room is decent for adults, but doesn't provide the surprising amount of rear legroom you'll find in, say, a Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4. Like that in mosts competitors, the rear seat slides fore-and-aft. But more than in the others you'll usually want it all the way aft, making this feature of limited use. The rear seat is comfortably high off the floor, and manually reclines--but the same can be said for most competitors.

The compact exterior also impacts cargo volume, which is again passable but less than you'll find elsewhere. The second row armrest folds to create a passthrough, and all seats folds save the drivers.

On the Road

I've read that VW is going to market the Tiguan as the GTI of compact SUVs. After all, it shares the GTI's platform, steering, various interior bits, and--perhaps most notably--it's direct injected turbocharged 2.0-liter four good for 200 horsepower.

The VW Tiguan weighs a couple hundred pounds more than a GTI. The 4Motion system in the SE I drove adds another couple hundred. This extra mass takes it's toll. As in the GTI, the engine feels soft off the line for a fraction of a second, then the boosts kicks in. VW claims a 0-60 in 7.8, and that's about right. This makes the Tiguan quicker than four-cylinder competitors, but not as swift as the 250+ horsepower V6s in the Toyota RAV4 and a few others. Other than from a dead stop, there's no turbo lag worth mentioning. And the all-wheel-drive system effectively eliminates any torque steer.

More of an issue than the acceleration is the noise the engine makes in this application. Even with moderate acceleration the engine sounds strained and unrefined, with the exhaust becoming a touch boomy on occasion.

I don't remember the 2.0T sounding this way in the GTI. So I took a GTI for a spin. And the engine does sound more sporting and sufficiently refined in the hot hatch.

What gives? Different intake and exhaust? The strain of the extra curb weight? Whatever the source, the 2.0T in the Tiguan had me wishing for a smoother, quieter six.

Another thing highlighted by taking a spin in the GTI: the conventional six-speed automatic in the Tiguan isn't bad as conventional automatics go. But it's a far cry from the DSG in shift quality and quickness. The gearing also feels taller, but maybe this is an effect of the extra mass.

The Tiguan's suspension is firm, if not quite as firm as that in, say, an Acura RDX. The ride isn't harsh, but can feel jiggly. Actually, some additional control would be welcome, as the jiggle in the Tiguan, unlike that in the GTI, has a bit of slop in it that made the SUV feel a touch unsettled at time. The firm suspension does translate to relatively little roll in turns compared to other compact SUVs.

But what the suspension giveth, the steering taketh away. On center the steering feels surprisingly light and loose, with no feel. The GTI uses a similar electro-mechanical system, but in that car the on center feel is merely numb, and not loose. VW dealers can adjust the heft of the steering in the Jetta and GTI. Hopefully this is possible in the Tiguan as well. In stock form, the steering is the worst aspect of the vehicle.

VW Tiguan Price Comparisons and Pricing

The Tiguan starts at $25,000, but I doubt many of those sold will be the spartan, dinky-wheeled base trim. One like the SE I drove lists for a bit over $30,000. You can pick up a Toyota RAV4 V6 or Mazda CX-7 for a couple grand less. Opt for the leather-trimmed SEL, and you could pick up an Acura RDX for about the same price.

So even though the Tiguan didn't have the relatively premium look or feel of the Jetta and GTI, it shares their relatively premium pricing.

VW is selling all the Tiguans it can make in Europe. Supposedly this combined with the weak dollar means it's not all that eager to sell them here, and the pricing reflects this.

I'll be uploading Tiguan pricing to my site, TrueDelta.com, soon. This will enable unusually thorough price and features comparisons.

Last Words

Driving the Tiguan back-to-back with a GTI confirmed my initial impression: VW's last-to-the-party SUV doesn't provide a superior enough driving experience to distinguish itself in a crowded field. If the engine sounded and the steering felt like the related units in the GTI, then it would have a case. But they don't.

As a result, while I can see the Tiguan selling to VW loyalists, perhaps Rabbit and Jetta owners seeking a little extra room, I don't see the Tiguan stealing buyers from the Japanese and American competition.

A Note on Volkswagen Tiguan Reliability

I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've started collecting my own data. Results, once they are available, will be posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.

Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy a Tiguan rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Volkswagen Tiguan reliability comparisons.

Before I can report results, I need reliability data on all cars--not just the Tiguan--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. Non-participants will have to pay an access fee.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.

A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.

Amount Paid (US$): 30,000
Model and Options: SE 4Motion