Volkswagen Tiguan (2008-2016) Review

Volkswagen Tiguan prices from £10,341  Finance from £217.41 per month

Volkswagen was slow off the mark when it came to offering drivers a Sport Utility Vehicle, or SUV. Often, however, patience pays off. And in VW’s case, waiting for competitors to make the first move meant the German car maker was able to better understand what buyers both needed and desired before launching the Tiguan, in 2008.

The end result was an SUV that made the middle class target audience feel at home, like pushing a shopping trolley into a branch of Waitrose.

That first generation model, reviewed here, was sold between 2008 and 2016. It offered the usual Volkswagen qualities, namely conservative design, robust build quality (on the surface, at least), an engine range with sensible running costs and a level of space and standard of safety that the young families, or older drivers, that flocked to SUVs demanded.

It wasn’t the most affordable SUV in its class, but now that the latest Tiguan has superseded the first generation model, prices on the used car market range from less than £4000 for the oldest models with the most mileage, to £19,000 for the final models. Along the way, the range had a facelift in 2011.

Built on a Golf platform, anyone that’s driven a Golf should feel at home in a Tiguan. It delivers similar qualities, namely being quiet and comfortable on the road, but never exciting to drive. Then again, that’s what most drivers want from an SUV.

Inside, it will seat four adults in comfort, or, for example, a family of five. The back seat has a sliding mechanism, so that when the 470-litre boot needs to be extended a little without folding down the back seats, it can be shuffled forward. Better still, the seats divide 60/40 and slide independently of one another, making it one of the more versatile cars of its type. With the back seats folded, load space increases to 1510 litres.

These days, the design of the dashboard feels a tad old fashioned compared with the second generation Tiguan, but it’s well made, with the familiar, soft-touch plastics that VW is known for. The driving position has a wide range of adjustment, so those who like to sit low to the floor can, while anyone that prefers a lofty perch can raise it.

Four-wheel drive, called 4 Motion, was initially standard across the engine line up. But before looking for used examples, ask yourself if you need it. After all, the later front-wheel drive models offer plenty of ground clearance and can cope with winter weather or wet fields just fine when fitted with all-season tyres. It could save you a considerable sum, fuel economy is better and there’s less to go wrong.

Needless to say, the diesel models were the most popular, and VW’s proven 2-litre TDI is on duty here. It initially came as a 138bhp unit, but by the end of 2008 a high-powered, 168bhp version was added to the range. The petrol engine line up began with a 1.4-litre, 148bhp unit, before a 2-litre version was added at the end of the year, with 168bhp or 198bhp.

For used car buyers, it will be reassuring to know that the running costs of the Tiguan are sensible, with competitive fuel economy, insurance and affordable servicing. However, the road tax won’t be cheap; the most affordable is £260 a year, while the most potent petrol versions costs a painful £555 a year.

However, the German image of a quality machine is just that – an image. There have been a number of recalls for the Tiguan, and there are some known technical issues, so carefully comb through the service history of any used example.

Of more reassurance is the car’s safety rating. When crash tested by Euro NCAP, in 2007, it was awarded a maximum five-star rating and the child protection rating was four out of five. There are two Isofix mounting points for child seats on the outer rear seats.

 

Best Volkswagen Tiguan for...

Best for Economy – Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 TDI 140PS SE

The earlier, 140PS version of the 2-litre diesel engine returned an official combined fuel consumption figure of 53.3mpg. It’s front-wheel drive.

Best for Families – Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 TDI 140PS SE

Realistically, drivers who want a cost-effective family car needn’t look any further than the 2-litre diesel in front-wheel drive trim. SE trim gives enough gadgets, too.

Best for Performance – Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 TSI 200PS 4Motion Sport

If it’s speed you want, try the most potent petrol version, which can accelerate from 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds and has a top speed of 130mph. We’d stick with the manual gearbox.

History

Understanding Volkswagen Tiguan names

Engine 2.0 TDI

The 2-litre TDI is a diesel unit and was the best-selling motor in the range. TDI signifies diesel, TSI indicates it’s a petrol engine. When referring to the power of the engine, this is given as 140 PS.

Trim SE

The popular trim level is one above entry-level S

Gearbox DSG

DSG means it has an automatic gearbox

Volkswagen Tiguan Engines

Volkswagen Tiguan Trims

Volkswagen Tiguan Reliability and warranty

Used Volkswagen Tiguan

Other Editions