We are 103,000+ car owners sharing real-world car information.

Join Us

2013 Volkswagen Tiguan Pros and Cons at TrueDelta: 2013 VW Tiguan by rich.zohn

Member4019

1

Sign in or join to like this review.

Introduction

Best compromise between a sports sedan & CUV'S without having to compromise. Fun to drive, great dynamics, decent fuel economy. Quiet & storage compartments galore. Did I mention FUN to drive.

Reviewed: 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan

4dr SUV turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

Why the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan?

Powertrain performance

Wanted a fun to drive sporty vehicle, yet needed good interior space since I have two teenage girls. Bounced between cars & CUV's. Found the Tiguan & was sold. Love the size, the spunk, acceleration, AND fuel economy. Wasn't sure about the leatherette seats, but after 4 months have come to like them. Averaging about 24mpg w/ mostly city driving. Pure freeway at 75 mpg yields close to 30mpg in San Diego. UPDATE: Ending up selling this vehicle since at 50k miles I started to have serious problems like leaking gaskets, a failed water pump, and carbon buildup which hurt performance. Also two ignition coils failed (ugh). Luckily it was all under warranty. Otherwise the repairs would have been ~$5,000 total (lots of labor). Ouch! VW gave me a $150 Visa gift card for the hassles incurred w/ all the repairs.

Fuel economy

Swapped the paper filter for a K&N filter, kept the original air box. Get over 24mpg city, close to 30 on the freeway w/ moderate hills.

Audio & nav systems

Nav =N/A. Radio = control head is good, audio quality totally sucks. Very narrow frequency range of 5000 - 15000 Hz. I'm leasing the car, but if I end up keeping, the first thing I'll do is upgrade the speakers and amp. Like the factory control head. Another frustrating "feature" is that when the ignition is shut off, the radio also shuts off. All other electrics in the car are still functional until I remove the key from the ignition. Why does the radio go off? Many time I'd like to hear the rest of a song or newscast w/o having to burn gas. C'mon VW,

Tires

Very good, high end Continentals are standard. Very good grip wet or dry & quiet! Nice 18" rims standard.

Front seat room

Outstanding. I'm 6'0 & only have the seat 1/2 way back. Lots of front & rear seat room.

Why Not the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan?

Audio & nav systems

Worst sounding sound quality in any car I've heard in a long time. Absolutely horrible. So bad I cancelled satellite raio.

Conclusion

Almost the perfect car. Wish the TDI were offered & the stereo needs some serious upgrading. But sure is FUN to drive w/ decent fuel economy.

Return to top

Sign in or join TrueDelta to post your own thoughts.

Return to top

See TrueDelta's information for all SUVs
See TrueDelta's information for all Volkswagen models.