My honest opinion on the Volkswagen Tiguan after three months behind the wheel

When I first took delivery of my Volkswagen Tiguan late last year, I wanted to find out if the 265hp Golf GTI engine under the bonnet was worth it in a family SUV. After three months with the car, the answer is no.

But just because I’m not a fan of this engine, doesn’t mean I dislike the Tiguan as a whole. Here’s my final verdict on this car after my long-term test.

Living with a Volkswagen Tiguan: final verdict

The Tiguan is a really practical family car. Having sliding rear seats is a feature I didn’t know I needed, but being able to increase the boot space to accommodate our Labradoodle’s crate is a life-saver.

But this engine isn’t right for this car. While having 265hp is handy when overtaking, I found the car to be lurchy around town and the power comes on in big lumps. It’s like being punched in the back when you pull away.

I managed around 36mpg in my three months with the 2.0-litre petrol version, which is actually 3mpg more than Volkswagen claimed. Just goes to show how often I made use of that power.

However, over the last three months my eyes have been opened to another option. My Tiguan had to go away to VW for a few weeks for a repair – it kept saying the driver’s door was open, which was traced back to a faulty sensor.

To keep me mobile, Volkswagen kindly leant me an electric ID4, and I much preferred the smooth, quiet driving experience of an EV. So much so, I’m looking into getting hold of one to live with to see how it compares.

If an electric car doesn’t suit your lifestyle, then the Volkswagen Tiguan is a great family SUV. It’s practical, comfortable, feels premium inside and it comes with plenty of standard equipment. Go for the sensible diesel engine, or one of the plug-in hybrids if you have access to home charging, and you won’t be disappointed.

For me though, I’m keen to see how living with an electric car compares in the long run.

Five good things about the Volkswagen Tiguan

1. It’s dog-approved

When hunting for a new car late last year, the main criteria I was struggling to meet was the ability to fit our Labradoodle Bonnie’s crate in the boot. I was therefore delighted to find it goes in the back of the Tiguan, no bother at all.

This is helped by the sliding rear seats, a feature I didn’t know I needed until I had it. Being able to switch between rear legroom for lanky teenagers and boot space for furry friends is really useful.

2. It’s quick

This is the most powerful version of the Volkswagen Tiguan you can buy, with a 265hp petrol engine under the bonnet driving all four wheels. Once you’re up to speed, having that much poke on tap is great for overtaking.

3. It’s surprisingly economical

Considering this is the most powerful version of the Tiguan you can buy, I’m getting decent fuel economy from it. It’s averaging around 33mpg, which is bang-on what Volkswagen says it will do. I still don’t think this is the right engine for this car though, but I’ll get onto that in a bit.

4. I like the styling

Looks are subjective, but I think the Tiguan is one of the most stylish SUVs around. It may not be as flashy as a Peugeot 3008, but it’s really handsome in an understated sort of way.

The R-Line package on this car only elevates it for me with the sporty bodykit and bigger alloy wheels, and the Persimmon Red paint makes my car stand out even more.

5. The seats are great

Being the R-Line, my Tiguan also has sports seats which look really good. I like the tartan pattern and blue piping, and they’re also very comfortable over a long journey. You feel supported in all the right places, which helps keep backache at bay.

Five annoying things about the Volkswagen Tiguan

1. There have been a couple of gremlins

My Tiguan has been back to VW a couple of times to have some electrical issues seen to. The first was the reversing camera, which only seemed to come on when it felt like it. This required the infotainment unit to be replaced.

Then there was an issue with the driver’s door sensor, which thought the door was open even when it wasn’t. This meant the interior lights would come on every time I came to a stop, and then it would bong at me as I set off to tell me to close the door. One new sensor later, the issue was fixed.

2. This is the wrong engine

It may be surprisingly economical, and having the power is useful at times, but I still don’t think this 265hp engine is right for this car. I don’t like the power delivery at low speeds – it hits you like a punch in the face as you pull away, and this is made worse when the auto hold is on. I’d go for either the 2.0-litre diesel or the plug-in hybrid instead.

3. Some of the spec is a bit mean

This is one of the highest-spec Tiguans you can buy, and yet there are some features which are part of an option pack which I reckon should be standard on a car starting from more than £50,000. Keyless entry and a power tailgate are part of an £1,140 Comfort Package, and my car even has manually-sliding front seats.

4. Bring back buttons

I’m not a fan of the climate controls in the Tiguan. They’re touch-sensitive sliders which are a faff to use on the move, and what’s even more annoying is the fact Volkswagen gives you a knob in the centre console which you can toggle between a few functions, but not the fan speed or temperature. That would be way more useful than changing the interior ambient lighting colour.

5. A small ergonomic gripe

I’ll end on a small whinge about the placement of the USB-C ports in the front. They’re underneath a flip-up shelf, which makes them a bit of a faff to plug into. At least there is the option of wireless charging.

So that’s all the pros and cons of my Volkswagen Tiguan over the past few thousand miles. It’s been a practical and comfortable family SUV, even if I have experienced a couple of technical difficulties along the way. Stay tuned for my final verdict on this car in the next few weeks.

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Report 1: introduction – November 2025

Back in the summer, I sold my previous-generation Volkswagen Tiguan and began the hunt for a new car. Fast forward almost half a year and myself and Mrs R simply can’t decide on what to buy.

We shopped through various electric cars like the Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Skoda Enyaq, but none of them quite fit the bill, or our Labradoodle Bonnie’s dog crate in the boot.

But then it hit me – our Tiguan served us well over the few years we had it, why not try out the latest one? A quick call to VW later and I’ve got my hands on a new Volkswagen Tiguan to try out for three months.

But this is no ordinary Tiguan, it’s the 265hp four-wheel drive petrol version – making it the fastest and most expensive model you can buy. It’ll do 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds, which is exactly the same as a Golf GTI. I was curious to see what it was like because, on paper at least, it makes the least sense. It’s also a big step up from the 150hp version I had before.

This car with its powerful petrol engine, bright red paint and a few other optional extras added on costs a shade over £58,000, and for that money you could have a BMW X1 M35i, or a Cupra Terramar with the same engine.

Both of those cars have a more sporty image than the Tiguan, and I’ve always seen the VW as more of a comfy cruiser than a B-road blaster. I’ll find out over the next three months if this version is worth buying, but I do have some initial thoughts after my first few weeks with the car.

First off, spicing up the Tiguan hasn’t impacted comfort. This is still a really relaxing SUV to drive. It has adaptive suspension which you can adjust to make it firmer for spirited driving, but I keep it in its softest setting for wafting around the potholed roads of Surrey.

I’m also happy to report that Bonnie’s crate easily fits in the boot when you slide the rear seats forward, so that’s a big tick for the Reids. I love the Matrix LED headlights as well – switching from dipped to high beam looks like you’re opening a curtain of light across the road with a dramatic animation.

I was quite surprised to find manually sliding seats in a car which costs almost £60,000 though, that seems a bit mean to me.

Aside from this, I’m enjoying my time with the Tiguan so far. It’s proving to be a comfy and practical family car, but I’m still not quite sure if I’d choose this engine over one of the cheaper options.