Not wanting to miss the feeding frenzy for small and sporty crossover utility vehicles, Volkswagen has put an SUV body on a small sedan chassis.
Tiguan is a strong reminder of why people like these vehicles, among them Honda CR-V (best-selling SUV in the U.S.), Mazda CX-7 (a sporty direct rival to Tiguan), Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape, Saturn Vue. They can haul and tow more than same-size cars. They offer all-wheel drive, have high seating positions many drivers favor and can zip and whip and tuck smartly into tight parking spots not available to larger SUVs.
What Tiguan does not illustrate is why you should buy it instead of a rival.