2009 Volkswagen Tiguan S Review

2009 Volkswagen Tiguan S Review Well you got to love VW. And for no other reason and they give us some of the funniest words in the auto business like Touareg and Routan and this one, the Tiguan. Let’s go for a run in their little mini crossover and check what tech there is and get a flavor for our drives. Now our Tiguan is a Tiguan S. S is for stripped, well not really but I think it is because there’s not a lot in this car. And more frustratingly, there’s not a lot you can option on this car. I never really liked it when car makers do that. It’s like they’re saying, if you can’t afford to get a high trim level, you’re not good enough to even option the other toys, so be it. So our vehicle just to get the decks cleared cannot have navigation, cannot have a rear view camera. I don’t think it can have Bluetooth. This is what you get, AM/FM single CD, I swear it was supposed to have Sirius as well but I can’t find it. That single disc CD player though as you can see does digest MP3 discs that you would burn at home. So that’s a nice thing, and we have an auxiliary jack. When all is said and done, here is the biggest problem with the stereo system. It sounds like crap. No matter what you do with the bass and the treble, it sounds like you got those $9.00 cardboard speakers and I mean $9.00 for a set of four. Now if you really need navigation and a more elaborate audio system in your Tiguan, you’ve got to look at the SC or the SCL, the higher trim brothers to this one. Now the other way to go is just roll your own and stick your own head unit and hear just everything you want. Now VW describes that as a double done head unit. It looks a little tall to me to be doubled in. Isn’t that like doubled in plus and itch? But clearly, you’ve got a wide flat space here to work with. So this vehicle is relatively modifiable. Among little four cylinders with turbos, we’re getting quite a few of them. This one really scoots once you get into it. Maybe it’s just the gearing and combination with the boost coming online but it’s kind of a gitty fun time. But again, there’s lag coming off of a dead stop. Part of that could also be our transmission. We have the optional 6-speed automatic techtronic but there are no pedals which people often associate with techtronic. A 6-speed manual transmission is your base gearbox and that will save you over a thousand dollars if you stay in that way. And it’s a front wheel drive car so we’re talking about a pretty lean configuration here. All in 1926 is your EPA mileage estimate, so that should give you what, 22 or 23 real world? One last piece of sort of tech I want to show you. Right down here we got an electric parking break which is surprising only and that it’s usually found on more expensive and more elaborate cars. But look at this, auto hold. So here I am, I come to a stop, auto hold is engaged, I come off the brake and the car doesn’t creep. So it keeps the brakes on defeating creep and it would also be a heel holder for you. And then when you press the gas, it releases it and off we go. Now, if you are one of those folks that gets all full of angst when you buy a new car because all the options and choices drive you nuts, this could be the car for you. Not a lot of tech options, really none. $25,000, just a little bit under that base for this vehicle, the S Tiguan with the automatic techtronic transmission, delete that, save $1100.00, get a 6- speed manual instead and I think that it is a better combination with this motor so that is kind of the smart way to go. Only the tech option out there is nothing.