First Drive: 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan

Looks good visually, but feature wise I'd go with a RAV4, Escape or Outlander. $30K is too much for what is essentially a bigger VW Rabbit.
 
I say VW needs to decide what it wants to be once and for all. Right now they cant choose whether they want to be a luxury brand or an ordinary one. Their cars are feature and size wise normal, but with lux price tags.

they are becoming an upmarket brand
not quite luxury but not quite basic
kind of like what buick is in between chevy and cadillac

And to cah's very good point, I think for this vehicle to be that kind of vehicle - aka a discount BMW X3 or Acura RDX while still luring buyers from the likes of the RAV4 & CR-V - it should have had a V-6 option.
 
Realistically, too, for VW to be that "upmarket brand" they need to start marketing themselves as much...instead of that whole stupid '90s mentality of competing with the likes of Toyota and Honda with a German twist.

Seems nice. I'd still opt for an X3 via ED if I had to go cute-yute but the VW would be the only other car I'd consider in that realm.
 
To those grumbling about V6s, go drive a VW with a 2.0T. This car is accessible with AWD, so get a chip and you'll get 250 hp/300 tq. That's from under 2k RPM too.

Blue the VeeDub sounds nice but Id take the RDX over the VeeDub without question and not because Im a Honda enthusiast. The RDX offers the wonderful SH-AWD, more power, and more standard features for a reasonable price. The X3 ( I do like this vehicle as my brother lil' brother had one as a loaner) is just WAAAAAY overpriced. The base price for an X3 is around $38K which I can get an fully optioned RDX/Tech w/ Acuras lovely navigation and the ELS surround sound and still have a few dollars left over. The X3 is good but not that good!
 
Sure you can chip the Tiguan to up the power but Hondata is releasing a reflash soon for the RDX and has reportedly made 270hp and 290lbft TO THE WHEELS!

X3 via euro delirery is actually about the price of an RDX and it has a proper manual (worth thousands to me) and inline 6.
 
The RDX in the end feels like a Honda; and for me that's a negative when it comes to a sale.
 
I've not driven a Tiguan and don't expect to. I hope never to buy in that market but if I had to I'd give the Tig a look and mostly likely still opt for the BMW. Can't live without a manual...

Not sure about the $30k price for a loaded one claimed in the story.
 
Think about it. They say it will start at $25k, FWD S.
 
Add $1750 for 4Motion. So 26,750.
 
Add at least $1250 to step up to an SE. $28k.
 
Add another $1500 to step up to an SEL. $29.5k.
 
Add NAV and the panorama roof, and I bet we see prices around $33k for a fully loaded one.
 
For $25-28k, these may be a good value. You trade off some space for the upscale VW interior. It actuall looks roomy in those photos, though I have to wonder if they slid the seats all the way back for the 2nd row photos and then all the way forward for the cargo area pics.

Edit: looks like the cargo area is OK even with the seats all the way back. Good packaging.
 
The most direct competitor I see is the Subaru Forester XT Sports.
 
Think about it - both small, both turbos, both offer a huge panoramic roof. Both have a hill holder clutch. Rabbit on stilts vs. Impreza on stilts.
 
Let's see a comparo, Edmunds!

I agree with you ateixeira. But, you'd have to include the corolla on stilts in that comparo. Because if you cross your eyes, that's what you see. I actually have thought VW and Subaru would have been a good merger. Apparently, Toyota put a "check" on that maneauver.