The 2009 VW Tiguan SUV Is Nice- But Does It Have A Chance In Hell Against The New Honda CR-V?

What's with the title?

The Tiguan walks all over the CR-V in terms of style, performance and interior appointments. The only question mark is price. How much is it, base?

Surprised at those fuel economy figures. I get about 30MPG on the highway in the A3.

— S4cabriofoxone (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 12:13:58 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

I will call you thumpie :)

— sector (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 12:20:25 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

The gas mpg sucks, and its a little pricey.Also way bland looking...Interior is real nice.I really wanted to like this....Honda has nothing to worry about.Curious to see how the diesel version is mpg wise and how pricey that one will be when it gets here maybe next year...

— donthegreek (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 12:26:53 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

A Diesel CRDi is the engine needed to compete with CRV in Europe and a reliable 2.4 or 2.5 liter petrol in other markets. Also there's the price, has to be very close to Honda's.

— woood (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 12:34:03 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

Oh Please, The CR-V Is A Rolling Aesthetic Abomination... At Least I Can Stand Looking At The VW

— DaHarder (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 1:36:04 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

Oh snap! You guys went to Fort Collins. I use to go to school out there. I recognize the pictures of Boulder and Fort Collins. I take it you went to Estes Park as well?

— richardp996 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 3:03:57 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

from the front it looks very much like a Honda ..

— mpls (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 6:01:32 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

agreed, +1

— droptop (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 8:49:51 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

Though nice, this wont make a dent at CRV sales

— ricer (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 7:10:22 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

IMO, this vehicle's only real competitors are the Forester and Acura RDX

Most consumers that I know that are interested in the Rav4, CRV, Vue wouldn't give this vehicle a serious look.

— Shredmo (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 9:57:34 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Looks like a jacked-up Rabbit...except the Rabbit has a nicer interior. The Tig interior looks very low-budget.

— raikkonen (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 9:58:46 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

The general shape of the car just reminds me of a kia or suzuki for some reason. The passenger section just looks a little vertical and abrupt.

— nsmatt (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 10:02:14 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

There are quite a few cars in this segment that were convienently left out. If we are throwing the Japanese together with the Germans and going to discuss an entire car segment, why not add the Koreans as well as us Americans.

Ford Edge
Hyundai Santa Fe

And my favorite...

Mazda CX-7

— Spectator (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 10:28:45 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

look's wise it will kill the honda but quality I don't know??

— carguy68 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 11:16:39 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

Well from a practical point of view the Tiguan is probably easier to see out of then the CRV.Those rear quarter windows in the CRV are a stupid concession to styling. Because SUV's,CUV's,Crossover etc. stand higher off the ground then regular passenger cars a persons field of vision is altered. It can be difficult see people right behind you or coming up along side of you. Any car maker that makes an SUV that does not offer adequate rear and 3/4 glass size in their SUV is putting style over safety.The CRV and Rav 4 are guilty of this. A car like the Subaru Forester offers great rear vision. Anybody buying one of these vehicles should take this into account. That is why I like the Tiguan over the CRV and Rav 4.

— mini22 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 11:45:50 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

And then there's the joy of the VW dealer experience...

— BostonMike (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 12:03:28 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

Technologically, the Tiguan walks all overthe CR-V.
ESP, Electronic Parking brake, available Bi-xenon lights with adaptive lights, Back up camera, and much more.
The CR-V will not come even close. The Tiguan is also much superior to the CR-V in terms of driving and dynamics.
The CR-V will still sell more because:
1) a whole lot more of these will be produced than the Tiguan
2) The Tiguan is more expensive than the CR-V.

— AlexTx (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 12:49:10 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

it looks great,and better than Honda, but how is VWs quality?

— pchera01 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 12:50:17 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

Nicer looking but no Honda customer will steer away from quality for looks

— Caraficionado (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 12:55:58 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

just like the X3....
Quality wise, the interior is top notch with some very nice details and higher quality platics than the CR-V and light years ahead of the X3 quality.

— AlexTx (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 2:14:10 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

VW makes a nice looking vehicle with lovely interiors and they drive very well but they have one fatal flaw which they have not corrected for years and that is reliability. I am utterly perplexed as to why they cannot improve the reliability of their vehicles after knowing for so long that they are awful. It is not like it is an industry secret that VW's are horribly unreliable. There is empirical and anecdotal evidence that they are unreliable and have been for years but VW won't or can't do anything about it. If they did, their worries over how to do better in the US market would be gone. Terrible reliability is the one thing that is holding them back in the U.S. market. If Hyundai has made such great strides in this area, so should VW. It seems as if they almost doesn't care since they have known this flaw for so long but haven't fixed it.

— goojman (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 2:43:59 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

I was really excited about this vehicle, especially when I discovered that it would be Diesel and available with a stick.

Yes, I was excited until I sat behind the wheel. It is just too small for business travel, and no room in the back for a full size spare tire. What is the point of a Crossover/SUV, if you can’t even fit a spare tire?

I did not feel safe in this vehicle! There is not much metal around you to protect you in an accident and I’ve seen many gruesome accidents where small cars are reduced to mangled wreckage, with big cars the people are able to walk away.

I know cost of steel has gone up, but could the Germans spare a few more Grams of Iron on this vehicle? Wow, Bare minimum, at the cost of safety. I'm very surprised.

The rear passengers’ heads are inches from the rear glass and there is just a thin piece of sheet metal behind their backs.

I really like German products. I loved the VW Phaeton and new Passat. But this vehicle is a joke. I don’t need law suits from injured passengers.

I’ll stick with the Town Car at 23MPG, easy maintenance, triple 5-Star Government Crash Rating and the dirt cheap insurance that is found only on this car. Plenty of room for a full size spare and real luggage capacity for 4 business execs.

— mercuryguy (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 3:19:05 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

The Diesel Model has to get great Mileage, (50+MPG?) I would think it would have to, because there is hardly any steel on this thing.

In all fairness, the interior is nice, especially the instrument panel and the outside is handsome.

With the Falling US Dollar, the Diesel Model will probably be in the Stratosphere, unless they get that US plant built in a hurry.

— mercuryguy (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 3:26:42 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

mini22 - Those rear quarter windows in the CRV are a stupid concession to styling. …a person’s field of vision is altered.

My thoughts exactly when I looked at the Honda.

The Europeans just design their bodies and windows with strait forward practically. No radical designs.

Have you noticed, The Audi Q7, and Audi A5 have excellent 360 degree visibility? Much thought was put into this.

— mercuryguy (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 3:37:13 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

What a useless vehicle segment. Neither here nor there as far as utility goes. As far as styling, the CRV went from bombastic XC90 ripoff to XC90-meets-Lada Neva, and the Tiguan is nothing more than pleasantly boring.

— rubenkincaid (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 4:26:48 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

I would pick the RDX over this, the front of this looks like the CRV. Plus, with SH-AWD it probably handles much better. If this VW is $28,000 I think that it will have a hard time competing with the CRV which starts at 20K.

— _43LE (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 4:33:59 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Why do we continue to build AWD? Rear drive only would be far more economical.

We nned to embrace 2wd Diesel Sticks.

The Tiguan a good, sturdy econo-box, that is about all it is good for.

A Passat Diesel Wagon might be a better choice. More room anyway.

— mercuryguy (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2008 6:39:18 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

lol! i agree

— lexusrox123 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/16/2008 8:56:26 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

To be honest I just dont see anyone cross shopping the two. The VW seems more upscale in looks of exterior and of course price. I just think they attract different mind sets.

— NItePhire (View Profile)

Posted on 5/16/2008 10:04:56 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

The Only reason I might consider the Infinity over the VW is the fact that on the Infiniti you can get it in Rear Wheel Drive (2 Wheel Drive) Which is more economical to operate and maintain. Although this feature is not available on their V8, a real shame.

But the thought of a VW Diesel is also, very compelling.

— mercuryguy (View Profile)

Posted on 5/16/2008 3:35:19 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Did they really say 19MPG City, 23 HWY?

I’m getting the same mileage with the Lincoln Town Car, and I have 23 Cu Ft of trunk space and a 5,000lb capacity towing hitch that I can also mount my Bicycle rack to.

The Tijuana barely has room in the back for an umbrella.

Why would I trade down for this Econobox, to only to get the same mileage and less horsepower?

It Has to be the all wheel drive, that is notoriously inefficient. The smaller engines have to work harder on hills as well. Running an engine at redline guzzles the gas compared to an engine that idles up a hill.

There is just no compelling reason to change after seeing those Mileage numbers.

— mercuryguy (View Profile)

Posted on 5/16/2008 3:49:22 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

Maybe the Diesel will be better.

— mercuryguy (View Profile)

Posted on 5/16/2008 5:10:48 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Tiguan does look pretty nice. For me, it depends on how they price it. VWs are a lot more expensive than they used to be a model generation ago, so if a fully loaded Tiguan runs into 30s, then I probably wouldn't cross shop it with CRV.

I've driven the new CRV numerous times, and really like it for the price, quality, and utility it offers.

— ktu01 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/17/2008 2:36:23 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

The TDI (diesel) version should produce between 140 hp and 200 hp (depending on whether VW uses the Jetta TDI setup or the concept, SCR-twin-turbo setup like has been seen in concept designs). Either way, they'll be applying drive technology that produces 40+ mpg in the Jetta to get around 35 in this compact SUV.

The TDI will be marketed next year for all fifty states. It will be the star version of this vehicle and TDI should be the only reason anyone considers any VW in any platform, because that is where they have the advantage over the competition. In other words, if a new VW ain't a diesel, why not buy a Honda?

— gregsfc (View Profile)

Posted on 5/17/2008 6:56:19 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

New York State still has a ban on Diesel cars.

New York needs to get with the program.

The New York VW dealers are really concerned about this. They see this as a major barrier to sales.

— mercuryguy (View Profile)

Posted on 5/17/2008 4:33:05 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1