Her + His Car Reviews
2020 Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 T SE R-Line
Our car reviews are innovative and interesting as we provide insightful and expert reviews from both Her + His perspectives.
Her: Anne Fleming, Car Buying Advocate, women-drivers.com
His: Don Hammonds, Writer, AutomobileJournal.com
| HER | HIS | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ||
| $32,615 | $32,615 | |
| Performance | ||
| The new 2020 Tiguan T SE R-Line has 184 horsepower supported by 20" black aluminum-alloy wheels. For such a big SUV, the engine feels somewhat underwhelmed, even though it's a turbo. We found acceleration to be flat, and hard to really gear up at a substantive speed without having a certain amount of cabin noise. The handling was responsive. | 2.0 liter turbocharged,184 horsepower four cylinder engine, with 4MOTION all-wheel drive system with active control and driving mode selection
Needless to say, the Tiguan is a terrific handler on the road, and I found it to be quite responsive on the road. In fact, for me, it was one of the best handling, best performing compact SUV that I've driven in ages. If you're looking for fun driving in your SUV, you would be remiss in not checking out the Tiguan. Braking is smooth and reassuring in how it corners and tackles the road. | |
| Fuel Economy | ||
| 20 City, 27 Highway and 23 Overall | The Tiguan 2.0 SE R-Line gets 20 miles per gallon in the city and 27 on the highway and uses 4.3 gallons per 100 miles of driving-- all of which I think is below average for its market segment. I found myself going to the gas station more often than I would suspect with a car of this size. | |
| The Car | ||
| The 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 T SE R-Line is a very comfortable vehicle, spacious indeed, as it's in the family market as a 5 or 7 seater. Comes in a FWD or AWD. There is no doubt It has the cool Volkswagen design look too, which helps with the 'value' rating. The vehicle is a good contender in this highly competitive field. It may not be the top choice, although it's one of the highest lookers to stand out.
Once inside, there are a lot of tech features, but the vehicle is clean and simple, no frills. Attractive enough, our model had black on black interior with basic materials. Also, little ambient lighting inside the vehicle I found somewhat annoying in the evening. The passenger has seat manual while the driver has automatic. |
I had not driven the current Tiguan generation; it is the first one I've driven in quite some time, in fact. I was pleased how versatile the Tiguan has become since the much smaller version that I drove some years ago. It handles five passengers admirably with plenty of leg room and headroom, it has a reasonable amount of cargo room too. It's also a pretty good looking car--I think that the Tiguan and the Atlas Sport are the two best examples of Volkswagen styling and design for its SUVs.
And by the way, you can jump into the Tiguan and instantly use any of its controls and its infotainment system. It's way more intuitive than a good number of comparable products I could name. |
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| Safety | ||
| Front Assist, Side Assist, Rear Traffic Alert, Car-Net Telematic provides access to many remote features to your vehicle through your mobile phone. Also, included is Wi-Fi capability. Advanced Airbag Protection. Anti-Lock braking system. Electronic Stability Control. Electronic Stability Differential. Rearview Camera system. Tire Pressure Monitoring system. Intelligent Crash monitoring System. Auto-Post Collision Braking system. Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist, Adaptive Headlights with Automatic High Beams, and a Surround-View Parking Camera System. Push-Button Starter, Proximity Keyless Entry. Spare Tire included in Trunk, Elongated Sunroof. Dual Zone Personalized Climate Control. The VW Digital Cockpit allows driver to see the speedometers and other critical data points on a large personalized screen. It can be customized and changed. 24 Hour Roadside Assistance 3 year/36,000 mile towing, jumps, tire changes, out of fuel, and lock out. Provided by third party company. |
There's plenty with the Tiguan. Features include Anti-Slip Regulation System; Engine Brake Assist; Electronic Brake Pressure Distribution; electronic differential lock; Intelligent Crash Response System (ICRS); and Automatic Post-Collision Braking System and Rear view camera system. | |
| Technology | ||
| 12.3" touch screen, Navigation, Satellite Radio, HD Radio, 9 Speaker Fender Awesome Premium Stereo, 2 USB Ports, Bluetooth. 20" Black Alloy Aluminum Wheels, Panoramic Sunroof, Black Headliner, Rear Park Distance Control, Bumpers and Badgers. Heated Steering Wheels, Auto Dimming Rearview Mirror and Rain-Sensing Wipers, Heated Wiper Park, Forward Collision Control, Autonomous Emergency Braking Pedestrian Monitoring, Blind Spot Monitoring, Hill Hold Control, Cruise Control, Voice Control, Wireless Charger Electric Parking Brake, Adaptive headlights and Automatic High Beams, and Surround-view parking camera system. Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and MirrorLink. VW's upgraded Car-Net system with Wi-Fi capability. |
Standard features for the Tiguan 2.0T SE R-Line include:
20 inch black alloy wheels with all season tires; dual zone automatic climate control; leather wrapped steering wheel with multi-function features; heated driver's seat and front passenger seat; 10 way front power seats;40/20/40 split-folding slides & reclines with center armrest; black headliner, carpeted, illuminated cargo area; reading lights for both rows of seats; stainless steel pedal clusters; R Line metal front door sill scuff plates; park distance control, front and rear, forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian monitoring (front Assist); blind spot monitor with rear traffic alert; hill hold control and hill descent control; color multi-function display; Bluetooth connectivity; wireless charger; electronic parking brake and countless other items. |
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| Aesthetics & Styling | ||
| The Tiguan is a head turner. Quite a chiseled grille and a catchy, though unadorned, exterior. Inside seats 7 or 5; and the vehicle is spacious. The third row is available and only for little people. The interior is covered in synthetic leather. Heated front seats with heated steering wheel. We found the seats to be quite firm with lumbar in the driver's seat.
There are no blind spots in the 2020 Tiguan, as it is spacious and a big SUV. The fact that this car is priced at 32K makes it appealing to many, as does the looks and design. The tech features are easy to use and have an intuitive feel. It's a good solid vehicle for the money. When the third row is removed, the rear seats easily recline, and you get all the spaciousness needed for packing and road-tripping. |
The styling of the Tiguan is rugged and classic looking. There aren't any daring profile character lines or sleek roof design. But what is presented to you is a sturdy, subtle yet elegant design that, frankly, is timeless. I consider it to be one of the better styled compact SUVs on the road--and thank God, it doesn't look like everything else. You see it and you know instantly it's a Volkswagen, and a pretty compelling looking one at that.
Inside, you get a no-nonsense, but quite substantial looking instrument panel. There's nothing here that you scare you to death, or send you scrambling in the glove box for an owner's manual--and to me, that is a good thing. Automotive interior design should be intuitive from the get-go, and you shouldn't have to spend precious time poring over a huge several inch think book just to operate the entertainment system, for instance. That's not cool. Nor should there be a lot of ridiculous looking gizmos or odd operating controls for basic driving processes either. There's plenty of room inside the Tiguan too. |
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| Warranty | ||
| 24 Hour Roadside Assistance or 3 year/36,000 mile towing, jumps, tire changes, out of fuel, and lock out. Provided by third party company. 2 Year or 20,000 mile CareFree Scheduled Maintenance Warranty. 4 Year or 50,000 New Vehicle Powertrain Warranty. 7 Year or 100,000 mile Corrosion Warranty. | 4 year/50,000 mile new vehicle limited warranty which includes coverage for powertrain components--which is more than competitive and a potential draw for consumers. There is two years/20,000 miles coverage for what VW calls "Carefree Scheduled Maintenance." And there's a 24-hour Roadside Assistance program for three years of 36.000 miles, whichever comes first. | |
