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Is a used VW Tiguan a good buy?
The popularity of the VW Tiguan is perhaps unsurprising. It combines all the most appealing aspects of the accomplished VW Golf hatchback - good build-quality, understated but attractive design, all the room you need for family life - with the best parts of an SUV.
As such, it’s a strong quite the competitor for cars like the Ford Kuga while high-end versions are also an alternative to upmarket models like the Land Rover Discovery Sport.
The VW Tiguan was first launched in 2007, but this was replaced with a new version in 2016, which was larger than the original and moved the car towards a more market standing.
This desirability means that the VW Tiguan is worth a lot as a used car. As a result, while used cash prices are relatively high, PCP finance monthly payments for second-hand VW Tiguans are less than you might think, as the car you're set to hand back at the end of the contract is predicted to be worth a large proportion of the original price.
Taken together, these attributes easily outweigh the VW Tiguan’s few flaws to make choosing one an easy decision. And the model has another card up its sleeve: availability. Thanks to its popularity there are plenty on the secondhand market.
Read our full VW Tiguan review
Which used VW Tiguan should you buy?
Engine options range from 115PS (a little slow) to 240PS (faster than you’d probably need) in diesel form, and from 125hp to 230hp with petrol power.
There’s plenty of choices in-between, along with a broad variety of trim choices, too, as well as the seven-seat VW Tiguan Allspace body style, so you can be sure you’ll find a model to suit you. There's also now a rapid 300hp high-performance 'R' version, for those who want their SUV to be sporty, too.
What used VW Tiguan trim levels are available?
The VW Tiguan Match is by far the most common model on the used market and is also the model we'd recommmend as it comes well equipped and is reasonably priced. You won't see many basic S models around.
Among the options, keep your eyes out for VW Tiguans fitted with Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC), a system that at the flick of a switch offers a choice between more comfortable or sportier suspension. This lets you sharpen the car up when driving down a twisty road or maximise comfort when on the motorway.
VW Tiguan S
It may be the entry-level trim but the VW Tiguan S models bristle with essential features. Outside there are roof rails and alloy wheels, although the latter are 17-inch affairs that don’t quite look as bold as the bigger ones on pricier versions.
Inside, air-conditioning keeps the interior chilled, while a large eight-inch touchscreen media system with a digital radio brings a techy quality to the restrained-looking but tidy dashboard. Automatic headlights and lane-keeping assistance complete the package.
The engine line-up is reasonably broad, with highlights being the 1.4 'TSI' 150 petrol and the four-wheel-drive (badged 4Motion) 2.0 'TDI' 150 diesel. This version’s four-wheel-drive system is good for some gentle off-roading but its primary function is to improve grip on slippery roads.
VW Tiguan SE
Next on the Tiguan trim ladder is the VW Tiguan SE. As its name implies, it adds extra luxury including larger alloys, front foglights, slivers of chrome, dark tinted rear windows, richer feeling interior materials, and automatic climate control. Better still, it has parking sensors all-round, side mirrors that dip when you reverse, folding seat-back tables and a ski-hatch between the rear seats for long loads.
New, all this extra kit justified an increase of £2700 over the S but on the used market this price gap has narrowed. That makes SE trim great value in comparison, as you get much more car for not that much more money. In 2019 SE versions and SE Nav, its sister trim, were replaced by better-value VW Tiguan Match. If you're looking for a relatively new model, therefore, Match trim is a clever choice.
VW Tiguan SE Nav
Think SE with sat-nav included. SE Nav really is as simple as that. The sat-nav system is clear and displays the prevailing speed limit, although since it’s not camera-based it can’t always be relied upon.
Even so, the system was sufficient to make it more appealing than SE for many drivers, which is why there are many more to choose from on BuyaCar. Most are powered by either the 2.0 TDI 150 diesel or 1.4 TSI 125 or 150 petrol engines. If you crave more power and grip, look out for the 2.0 TDI 190 4Motion.
VW Tiguan Match
Match trim was launched in 2019 as a replacement for SE and SE Nav trims and is better value for money. Exterior highlights include special 19-inch wheels, while inside it builds on SE Nav’s sat-nav system with a rear-view camera and park assist. New, it costs only £200 more than SE Nav.
Other features inherited from SE and SE Nav include keyless entry, three-zone automatic climate control and Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink connectivity.
Most used ones have either the 2.0 TDI 150 diesel or 1.5 TSI Evo 150 petrol engine, both of which are economical and powerful enough for the Tiguan, considering it's more suited to cruising around in comfort than bombing around at top speed.
Many VW Tiguan Match models come with the automatic gearbox option, too, which makes driving the Tiguan even more effortless. If you live somewhere hilly or in a location that experiences lots of snow, keep your eyes out for the occasional 2.0 TDI 150 4Motion four-wheel-drive example for maximum grip.
Just remember that if you want to drive safely in snow four-wheel drive might get you moving but winter tyres are similarly good at getting you moving on the while stuff and much better at stopping you safely. As a result, you could be better off saving money and picking up a two-wheel-drive Tiguan but getting a set of winter tyres, if being able to drive safely in the snow is important to you.
VW Tiguan SEL
As a new car, the expensive SEL trim seems like it stretches the logic of getting a Tiguan to breaking point but the numbers of used ones available on BuyaCar tell a different story. Strong sales mean there are lots to choose from, all representing great savings compared to those high new prices and making this trim level excellent value when picking up a used car.
LED headlights with Dynamic Light Assist that avoids dazzling oncoming drivers and a panoramic sunroof that fills the otherwise plain interior with light are among the more tempting features. In addition, it has VW’s Active Info Display - a huge 12.3-inch screen behind the steering wheel that takes the place of traditional dials. This can duplicate the sat-nav screen, too, if you wish, so you never have to worry about missing your turning.
Again, the 2.0 TDI 150 diesel engine, in manual or automatic form, dominates, although there are a few more powerful 2.0 TDI 190 versions available and even a twin-turbocharged 240hp version, which offers another step up in acceleration. If you prefer petrol, the 1.4 TSI 150 is plentiful but again, there are a few more powerful 2.0 TSI 180 examples.
VW Tiguan R Line
Take a VW Tiguan SEL and add enormous 20-inch alloy wheels and a body kit featuring wheelarch extensions and you have sporty VW Tiguan R-Line trim. New, it’s the most expensive Tiguan. Even so, some buyers have gone to town with the options list and specified things like leather seats. It’s based on SEL trim and has that car’s LED headlights, panoramic sunroof, and Active Info Display.
It may be the sporty-looking one but like the luxurious SEL, the lower-powered 2.0 TDI 150 diesel and 1.5 TSI 150 petrol options dominate the range used R-Line Tiguans available. That said, you’ve a better chance of finding one of the more powerful engines including the speedy 2.0 BiTDI 240 4Motion in this trim. For its astonishing performance alone, it’s worth seeking out.
VW Tiguan R Line Tech
This trim replaced R-Line in 2019, just as Match replaced SE and SE Nav in the same year. It justifies its Tech name with an aerial view camera providing a 360-degree view of the car’s immediate surroundings, which helps when parking and a powered tailgate.
The excellent 2.0 TDI 150 diesel is the most plentiful engine but the good news for sporty drivers is that the more powerful 2.0 BiTDI 240 diesel is not in short supply. If that’s too much for you, the mid-power 2.0 TDI 190 is a reasonable substitute, offering decent punch at a lower price.