Thursday, November 2, 2017

Tiguan compact in name, sizable in usefulness

A menu of Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen on the Business page of The Sacramento Bee’s website  www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

Sacramento, California – When is a compact crossover sport-utility vehicle not a compact crossover SUV?

When it’s the second-generation 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan.

Well, that’s my take on it anyway.

My 2018 VW Tiguan 2.0T SE w/4Motion tester handled like a compact but looked like it had the passenger- and cargo-carrying capabilities of a midsize model.

At 185.1 inches long (almost a foot longer than the previous-generation Tiguan) and nearly 75 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats folded, the Tiguan stacked up to me as darn near the perfect suburban chore wagon/commuter.

The tester was a generously equipped daily driver with an easy-on-the-eyes bottom line of $30,280.

Yes, I was surprised by the charms of this Tiguan, which surpassed my expectations as just another crossover sport-ute.

Checkmarks in the plus column included 17-inch all-season tires, a lengthy list of state-of-the-art safety features, a heated driver’s seat with 10-way power and lumbar support, an excellent rearview camera system and super-generous warranties.

On the fly, the tester’s 2-liter turbo 4 engine rated at a max 184 horsepower handled all situations with ease and authority.  Response off the line was good.  The Tiguan made quick, agile maneuvers on city streets and in dicey freeway traffic.

For steering comfort, it had perfect pitch.  Simply put, it was fun to drive.

The center stack of controls was nicely arranged and easy to use.

Fuel mileage was fair at 21 miles per gallon in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.

The latest-generation Tiguan appears to have been assembled with California motorists in mind, including roof rails standard across all trim levels and a slightly lower-than-usual tailgate height that makes loading it up a bit easier.

The one thing I didn’t like was the balky automatic shut-off feature, which I routinely disabled upon starting the vehicle.

Given the considerable competition in the compact crossover SUV segment, it’s easy to lose track of what’s out there.  Don’t make that mistake with this new Tiguan.

It’s a player in the segment and should be test-driven if you’re pondering the purchase of a practical-size SUV.

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