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Comments
I've the 2010 Tiguan SEL, with the NAV and panoramic moon roof. I'm 6'4", so headroom was critical for me. I was pleasantly surprised to find more than adequate headroom - even with the moon roof. In some cars I've been in, the moon roof made the vehicle unsuitable for me.
Cabin environment. Here I'm comparing my Tiggy with my previous CUV - Mazda CX-7. Distinct difference in the ambient noise level. The Tiguan is much more quiet. At interstate speeds, the whine of the tires and wind noise are barely audible. Now if I'm briskly accelerating, then I can hear the engine, but for me, it's not objectionable, since it's only a brief intrusion in the noise levels.
Acceleration: for me, very adequate. The Tiguan is turbo - a pocket rocket
Fit & Finish: Very impressive - almost luxurious!
I'm extremely pleased with it!
So good luck! Once again, you just have to test drive them.
Regards, Vince.
I have that 2.0T engine in my Audi Avant. It is a great engine with excellent torque and that occasional acceleration noise does not bother me. But why does my A4 get 21 and 27 (EPA and my experience) and the same engine in the Tiguan gets only 18 and 24? CR says the real world difference is only 2 mpg.
It is the constant drone of the tires on a trip to L.A. or S.F. that really gets to me. CR only rates about 4 cars with their excellent mark for noise suppression, e.g. Genesis, ES, 5 series. The VWs however, seem to uniformly get "good" marks for noise suppression. Car and Driver's noise measurement seem pretty erratic.
Regards:
OldCEM
:P
With that being said, you might opt to have more insulation installed. You stated that CR only rates 4 cars with excellent mark for noise suppression. Not much of a choice. So, unless you choose one of those 4, you might explore having after-market insulation installed. I had it done on my CX-7 front doors and it made a difference. Last time I checked a couple years back, the dealer told me the entire CUV could be done for about $700 - 800.
Vince.
The CR-V also had the fastest lane change and had excellent braking and skidpad numbers.
C&D rated the Tiguan and RAV 4 above the CR-V. They have strong points, but I dislike the interior design and materials of both of them. The Tiguan seems very stripped down in terms of content and quality of materials for the price you pay. A cloth AWD Tiguan is almost 30k. The jetta had some of hte same issue. It also felt very cramped inside.
http://www.caranddriver.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/original/application/2fcc266- - - 3ae45191d786e11587cc977ce.pdf
Basd on your requirements, I would just look at adding some sound proofing to your A4. You mgith also improve the ride by going to a smaller wheel with higher profile tires.
The A4 has similar cargo room and passenger room to the CUV's your'e looking at. I think you might find yourself going a step down from what you have now.
Maybe you should look at a Nissan Murano or Ford Edge???
Or their blind spots (pun intended) that could swallow a semi.
While I don't want to get too into the CR-V thing again, that chart confirms my impressions. At 30-50 and 50-70 the CR-V is over a second slower than most of its competition. A second! I love the tossable quality of Hondas - but on power where I need it - e.g. Malibu Canyon - they just need some more torque.
Regarding the Audi, yes, good comments on its performance, profile and the tire size. As I understand it, the footprint of the tire is important (225 vs wider 245) but the profile does not affect it so much. Makes sense no? More rubber on the pavement means more noise. Having the wheel close to the pavement with a low profile does not apparently raise noise much. The tread might be more important than both!
To Moto and the other poster, I have thought about keeping my car and insulating it and putting narrower tires on it. But.... many 2007 A4 2.0Ts burn oil. Mine is one of them, so I will probably not buy out the lease. So I am here seeing if there is something that is more reliable that serves the same purpose. Maybe not! Thanks for the comments!
The biggest factor is sound sproofing mateiral in the car and isolating the suspension components. Honda's in gerneral tend to have more road noise, because Honda has decided to isolate the suspension components less, but not increase the sound reducing mateirals because that adds cost and weight.
If the Audi with the same engine burns oil what makes you think tha a Tiguan will not?
I owned a VW product once, it was enough to turn me off for life.
BTW, I just drove an Q5, XC 60, a Tiguan and a Jetta SPW. The first two were very nice - the Q5 being a better handler but the XC 60 being more solid, roomy and fast. The Tiguan was pretty close to both. It is much quieter and had a better ride than the Jetta. I think that is because the Jetta had the big "Goal" anthracite rims - looked cool though. They both handled great although the Jetta was definitely better. Also, that 140 HP TDI is a fantastic engine. It really hauls as*; and is very smooth and quiet.
I'm now mulling over a Tucson and a Mitsubishi Outlander. The former is nice looking outside and the latter is cool inside and out. I am guessing neither will be as quiet or handle as well as a Tiguan or Jetta SPW.
VW may have improved in CR's reliability ratings but that's because they've been so far below the norm for many years.
And no, I don't drive a Tucson or Outlander though I would def pick either one over a VW product (by the way "Tiguan" is an awful name.... :P ) for a vehicle.
My main reasons for buying a SUV are cargo space, fold-flat back seats, and ground clearance. Especially the latter point since my Corolla is so low to the ground I have to "push" myself out of the seat the get out of the car.
Not too many SUV seem to have a manual transmission option and as a result I ended up looking at the Forester and Tiguan.
Note that Jeep and Ford also have a manual transmission option, but their ratings are horrible.
I think Subaru Forester is the only compact SUV still sold with a manual.
Even Honda stopped making Elements with stick...
They are really sticking it to us, stick guys.
The Tiguan SE/Wolfsburg/SEL trims are only available with the "tiptronic" automatic. I'd be more forgiving of no manual on those trims if VW had at least put the dual clutch DSG automatics in them.
The other compact SUV I plan to take a look at is the new Hyundai Tucson, but not manual on that one I believe. I may end up in a sedan though...they still sit up more than the Camaro :>
Regarding reliabilty, I am confused by God #2s post. He says that CR reliabilty ratings for VW are only good because they were previously bad. Huh? I don't think it works that way - CR looks at all cars the same. You certainly don't want to buy a 5 year old Jetta but the new VWs are clearly getting better . There is NO doubt that if reliabilty is your goal, then Honda, Subaru and Hyundai are probably your best bet. Nissan, Mitsu and now, amazingly Toyota are second, but not that far ahead of many Euro and Ford models.
On the Equinox, I am glad you are enjoying the car my car company sold you...
On manuals, who are you guys? You are ubiquitous on these forums but I have not met anyone who drives manuals in 30 years (except some Porsche, Lotus, Miata, and Volkswagon van drivers).
I'm me. And strictly speaking, I'm not a guy
I learned on a used '81 VW Jetta 5 spd manual and have never owned or been the primary user of anything other than a manual since. Never found an automatic that came close to shifting when I would want it to. Of course my cars have been lower end, but still. I've been thru the VW, an 87 or 88 Dodge Shadow, a 92 GMC Sonoma, a 97 Chevy Cavalier and then the 2000 Camaro. I'm still young enough that I don't have to give up a stick for medical reasons, but my choices of cars with manuals are restricted these days...quite a few companies may offer a base model with a stick but if you want higher level trim you are forced into an automatic.
As for automatics, I found that the Honda 5 speed auto was the first automatic that reposnded in a predictible manner and that I felt I have good control over without a 3rd pedal and extra lever. While a double downshift from 5th to 3rd or even to 3nd is a little slow, I must admit, doing that wiht a manual isn't the quickest either. I've even learned "the trick" to lifting the throttle at the right moment to force the toruqe converter ot lcock to provide engine braking in most cases. It's just a matter of getting a "fell" for the computer logic. Just the same way you have to get used to how a clutch travels.
The only tranny I like better is the CVT in the Nissan Alitma. Such a torquey 4 cylinder pairs well with the CVT. The responsiveness if very linear and very quick. Neither an automatic or manaul can go from 1500RPM to redline is such a short amount of time. And neither has the range of gear ratios. There's never a downshift, it just very smoothly builds revs as needed, just like the torque converter unlocking, but even smoother.
It might be cheaper, but you'll lose the savings an more on resale value. I'v traded in 3 manual transmissions and always got beaten up badley on resale value compared ot my automtic cars. I think they all went to auction. Most dealers don't want them on their lots because demand ot so low. They go to smaller used cars dealers and are sold at a significant discount.
We do exist. It is a dying art, but if honda has been slowly removing manuals from its US vehicles, your company, has been slowly adding them.
The new Buick is going to be the first Buick with a manual in almost 30 years. They may only have 2 of them made, but they are going to make them with stick.
Even GM's icon of sport vehicles, the Corvette comes with slushbox standard, Manual is a $700 option. That is just not right!
Manual shift is totally inconvenient and here's why.
1) Every try to drink a cup with coffee while shifting at the same time? Very hard to do. So gotta ask, where are your priorities in life? A good cup of hot java to get the day started or playing with your stick?
2) And then there's stop n' go, rush hour traffic. Last time I had stick was 94 Camero. Sweet car, awesome handling, loved it, except for that damned 3rd pedal. Push in, let go, push in, let go, over and over again. Hell, I didn't need a gym to work my legs - got all that from rush hour traffic! My left leg was bigger than my right. Something wrong there! Rush hour traffic is grueling enough as is, without having to add the aggravation of pumping that clutch. Gotta love it!
:shades:
Vince.
Not at all. It's really simple. You just do your sipping at times when you're not shifting.
And then there's stop n' go, rush hour traffic.
Again, it's a matter of scheduling and better planning. Find another time or another route and the problem is "solved." :P
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
So, try sipping, shifting, in rush-hour bumper to bumper traffic. I'm getting to the age where I'm trying to eliminate life's aggravations, not compound them. Hence, I no longer drive stick.
So, I seal myself into the comfort of my Tiguan, with a beautiful view of the sky thru my panoramic moon roof, listening to my tunes and sipping my mojo.
Oh BTW, sorry about hijacking this post. It's supposed to be comparing Tiguan vs. all those other wannabe's isn't it? But I'm not to blame really, someone else started yakking nonsense about automatic vs stick. Sheesh! :P
You've got it all wrong! you are driving like an automatic driver. If you drove like a manual driver, you would rarely have to pump the clutch. Keep a buffer infront of you, move to the right lane, and just modulate speed with the throttle. It is in fact much easier to deal with traffic with stick, since the car does not try to accelerate on its own when you release the brakes. And you can pretty much bring it down to 1 mph without clutching, just by modulating the throttle. You have a lot to learn!!!
So, I seal myself into the comfort of my Tiguan, with a beautiful view of the sky thru my panoramic moon roof, listening to my tunes and sipping my mojo.
So, you have mojo in one hand, cell phone in the other, listenning to music and staring out the sunroof. Who is driving? Maybe a bus is a better mode of transportation? :P
I'm pretty sure my mother drives with more attention on the road than you and your "tunes and... mojo" while she does her makeup in her car which, might I add, has a manual transmission.
You could argue that a manual transmission provides an opportunity for some small amount of exercise but there's nothing like a good old fashioned hand crank to get a good work out!
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Automatic transmissions account for ~92% of cars sold in the USA and more to the wallet, increase your resale value when the time comes. I have also seen industry publications that say auto tranny's may be a bit safer to drive vs manuals especially with inexperienced drivers with regards to shifting distractions, although is open to debate.
There are definite benefits to a manual (control, traction, braking, etc), and I personally find them fun to drive but in the end the decision shouldn’t be exclusively based only on the advantages and disadvantages of either, but more importantly on the drivers needs and comfort level. The decision should definitely not be fueled by a sudden onset of machismo.
In closing, I just don't think the sarcastic and demeaning posts towards auto tranny owners is justified - IMO of course
Some of you are taking my tongue-in-cheek comments about Manual vs Automatic transmission WAY TOO SERIOUSLY! By my estimate, I've logged close 100K miles in manual equipped cars, so I'm quite competent in them. My comments were my own opinion about why I know longer drive manual. I find automatic transmissions less stressful and one less thing I have to worry about as I'm navigating city traffic. I really think arguing back and forth about the two types is pretty silly. Really doesn't solve anything, does it? Hence my light-hearted view about automatics. And of course, manuals are superior in some ways to automatics! And if you like manuals, then great!
Have a great weekend, guys! Vince. :shades:
I am looking at the 2010 or 2011 Tiguan, and the hesitation is 1) cargo space, but more importantly 2) reliability. I have read good consumer reviews of the 2010 Tiguan, and Consumer Guide gives it a great review, but I've read reviews about VW products in general and poor reliability. In fact, the 2010 Touareg reliability reviews are dismal. I am hoping the Tiguan is more reliable.
If you still own your Tiguan, how has the reliability been? Thanks!
I agree with the posts that the Tiguan is a fun car to drive; nevermind the amazing sunroof. But I'd like to hear from Tiguan owners that have owned the vehicle for more than a few months, what the reliability picture is like. Thanks
The Tig is certainly the most plush of the vehicles I've add. Rain sensing wipers, auto-turn headlights, fully integrated bluetooth (even displays my phone lists in both the Nav and the center display). Backup camera with integrating positioning grid, 3 memory settings for driver seat, full lumbar support integrated with the 12 position power seat. Even the passenger side mirror tilts down in reverse! The feature list is extensive. Last time I saw some of these features were in BMWs ! So yeah, I'm lovin' this car! :P
I've had the Tig since Oct 09 and so far, no problems! Of course, there's no way to be sure about reliability. Just have to wait n' see on that. One nice thing I also like is that the Tig only requires service every 10K miles, which for me is a plus. AND VW pays for service for up to 3 years or 36 K miles (or something like that).
Vince.
Generally I do 10,000 miles a year.
At first this seems like a good idea, particularly with VW's reliability record, but I'm having second thoughts as VW has a 3 year 36,000 mile warranty anyway, with free servicing at 10, 20, and 30,000 miles. Should I scrap it?
From a different perspective, you have total peace of mind. Pretend for example, you have a major problem with the engine or tranny, such as the turbo going kapute. It's rare that that happens, but if it does, that warranty would pay for itself very quickly. It's just like any insurance plan, such as life insurance. You pay into it for years, for that "just in-case" situation, so your family is covered. But when if you lived 80 years. Would that life insurance policy be considered wasted or would you consider it an investment in your family's future? Only you can make that judgement call.
Now, you can search google and see if there are other plans out there, but read the fine print. Check with your auto insurance. You might find they also offer extended warranties. I have Geico and for $35.00 every 6 months, all I have to pay is $250 deductible. Yeah, $250 can be pricey, but when I used the provisions with my last car, that $250 was a bargain and at only $70 a year, I did come out ahead of the game.
Congrats on your purchase of the Tiguan - I love mine and good luck in your decision! Vince. :shades:
Manual:
- fun to drive, you have full control on what gear to engage
- very easy to do engine break in down hill or emergency brake. Just shift it into gear 3/2/1, your done with the immediate help from the engine. Automatic is capable of this but not as quick/responsive as manual, esp.when you want to do emergency brake on freeway or within city. This is a key difference.
- can be shifted very fast, especially between forward and backward. This is another major thing I miss when driving automatic.
automatic:
- simple therefore safer to most ppl. Especially in the situation that you want to make a (left) turn from full stop. Even for the most experienced manual drivers, it is likely that, for one of out thousands times, he/she released clutch too fast so the car just stopped in the middle of the crossing to be T-boned by the opposite traffic. In Europe collision could be avoided because people drive slow (50km/h in city) and would know what happened to the stopped car as this happens very often. However, I found it difficult for Americans to avoid collision since everyone is so much into the automatic driving and not prepared for this scenario, plus ppl are driving faster here (45mph~70km/h).
actually automatic is getting popular in EU in recent years due to its simplicity.
bottom line, I would still like to drive a manual in US but I won't risk of letting an experience driver to drive it.
http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/audi-a4/TBIH0F9LPNHIBLUEV
and stay away.
If Tiguan is so reliable, why did you have 2 of them? This model is only a few years old. Did you drive both of them significant distance? Were they over 100,000 miles?
The vehicle was totaled, but apart from a broken wrist, my wife and baby were fine.
The police officer at the scene told me that if it had been a RAV4 or CRV, the damage to both of them would have been a lot worse.
Hence I think you can understand why we bought another one. If it can withstand a crash of that type, with a vehicle 2.5 times its size, its a pretty good vehicle.
I like both the Tiguan and Forrester. They both seem really good options. The Subbie seems to come with most of the options I already want where as the VW I have to order a lot of them. Sat nav, rear view camera folding mirrors bluetooth and fog lights. The only real difference seems to be the Forrester's lack a good automatic transmission. I like the Tiguan 7 speed DSG. I like the Forrester's heated wipers, and full time all wheel drive verses front bias. It's a hard choice.
Help!