[R_R]

Test drove the Tiguan twice in the last two days, from two different dealers. First impression (for both me and wife) was that, when sitting in the drivers seat, it felt a bit smaller than my current 2008 Grand Vitara. Not by much, but noticeable. Odd, because they are roughly the same size on paper. In the second test drive, it still felt slightly smaller, but we thought it was fine. Thought I'd mention it because no one here had previously suggested they felt the Tiguan was small. I must hasten to add that the back seat was as spacious as many have pointed out but it did feel a bit lower to the floor than I had expected.

Another small personal negative note, I felt the car was slightly lower, again all comparisons are to my long-term Grand Vitara. What I mean is that I had to bend to get into the car more than expected, but this might be just a question of getting used to the car. I am not sure this is a serious issue. Also, I was surprised at how light the covering of the panoramic roof was: it felt like a light, cheap cloth, and it let in a lot of light on a bright day. I never felt like this in the Ford Endeavour, indeed didn't even know it was cloth.

And my personal concern: fitting a full-sized spare instead of the space-saver. I tested it with a full-sized unshod tyre (i.e., not fitted to wheel) that the dealer got from his shop, and it won't fit. I knew this already, but wanted to see how much the rear floor panel would be jutting out of place if I fixed it that way. It wasn't much, but I am concerned about damage to the spare tyre if I put load on the boot and it presses down on the full-sized spare tyre. I am still thinking about this. Thoughts?

On a positive note, I felt the ride was very good. I know many have complained the ride was harsh, but I liked it, probably because it was a pleasant surprise. I am quite sensitive because I have a bad back, and I was afraid this would be deal-breaker, but this was not an issue. In fact, the second Tiguan we drove had tyre pressure set at 41 on one tyre and high 30s on the others, and it felt only slightly worse than the first car (which had tyre pressures set unevenly at 36, 35 etc). However, on a couple of small plastic speed bumps, I felt the suspension crash down with a loud thud, oddly.

Thoroughly enjoyed the car, its sophistication, its power, smoothness etc. But now, I need some help from all your wisdom: concerned about the reliability issues with the Tiguan, I test drove a petrol 4x2 Toyota Fortuner today. No doubt it's cruder, but it's reliability, higher ground clearance, full-sized spare, A/T tyres all make it an attractive proposition. I drive long distance to the hills at least once every couple of months, and would like to drive on unpaved roads etc, but no hard core off-roading. I also plan to keep the car for 15 years, so reliability does play a role. Has anyone considered these two directly when picking the Tiguan? What are your thoughts? I am thoroughly confused which way to jump. Prices are similar, and my heart says Tiguan, but my head says Fortuner. HELP!!!

[EaurougeatSpa]

Originally Posted by R_R

I am thoroughly confused which way to jump. Prices are similar, and my heart says Tiguan, but my head says Fortuner. HELP!!!

I would say that I have had no significant issues with my VW cars so far. But your dealer relationship definitely goes a long way as in any other car not just this. I did not consider the fortuner because I felt it was a bit too big for me and bulky.
The Fortuner has a huge trump card, reliability + resale value but I guess the latter does not matter much since you are looking at a long termer. On the other hand what pulled to the Tiguan was the same thing that you mentioned, the overall feel of sophistication. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles you expect at this price point but there is something about that car when you drive which just makes you tilt towards it.
So my advise would be to go with your heart wherever it finally ends up.

[Maky]

Originally Posted by R_R

I also plan to keep the car for 15 years, so reliability does play a role.

I was about to recommend Tiguan thoroughly but then I read this last one..
I think the answer should be very straight forward for you then go for the Toyota.

[KKapadia]

(I also plan to keep the car for 15 years, so reliability does play a role. Has anyone considered these two directly when picking the Tiguan?)

This says it all. I would suggest forget the Tiguan and just get the Fortuner. You need to be lucky to have a trouble free Tiguan even if you owned one for 7 years forget 15. People will say it’s a superior German product, agreed it has better dynamics than a Fortuner with a smooth revvy petrol engine. But to live with 5-6kmpl in the city on a daily basis will get to you eventually in a few years when fuel prices go north. The Tiguan is no sports car to justify the expense. After reading about the DSG, A/c issues plus poor fuel efficiency on this forum it’s a no brainer.

[EaurougeatSpa]

Originally Posted by KKapadia

(I also plan to keep the car for 15 years, so reliability does play a role. Has anyone considered these two directly when picking the Tiguan?)

This says it all. I would suggest forget the Tiguan and just get the Fortuner. You need to be lucky to have a trouble free Tiguan even if you owned one for 7 years forget 15. People will say it’s a superior German product, agreed it has better dynamics than a Fortuner with a smooth revvy petrol engine. But to live with 5-6kmpl in the city on a daily basis will get to you eventually in a few years when fuel prices go north. The Tiguan is no sports car to justify the expense. After reading about the DSG, A/c issues plus poor fuel efficiency on this forum it’s a no brainer.

While I agree that the Fortuner is a great long term holder, there are a lot of Tiguan owners I personally know who have had the cars for many years and have thoroughly enjoyed the ownership experience. I think the notion of being lucky to have a well working German car as stated here is but of a stretch. What you look is what you find on the internet, and there are plenty of issues noted with American, Korean, Indian, Japanese and other manufacturers as well when it comes to long term ownership and ASS experiences. As for the FE, that is a personal decision, if FE is a big consideration then any ICE car in this segment or above would not give you major cost savings and also don’t think it is a big consideration for buyers in this segment.

[Parasm]

For all feeling bumpy/ stiff rides .. after been with my Allspace for 2 years now .. I can vouch for 33 psi for all tyres. This is after discussion with my ASS advisor from my Vento days that for Indian road apt tyre pressure is 30-32psi tops.. although side door plate says much/ way higher .. it’s for western roads where climates are cooler .. and roads are wayyy.. let’s not get there .. esp Mumbai guys .. so I’ve been keeping 33psi for a e year now .. not much change in FE also .. highways and city runs both run well & typical German manners stay intact. Try it.. !

Ciao!

[R_R]

Thank you for your inputs, @EaurougeatSpa, @Maky, @KKapadia. As I suspected, a clear choice between sophistication and reliability, is the sense I get from all of you. I agree that lots of people have trouble free experience with VWs too, which is why I am continuing to consider the Tiguan. And of course, I could also end up with a bad Fortuner, if I am unlucky. However, I am not too concerned about FE because my Grand Vitara is also petrol and I get about 9 kmpl, give or take, in mixed driving. I suspect Tiguan will be around that or slightly better and Fortuner a bit worse, but I am willing to live with these. I thought the Fortuner's size would bother me, but after an extensive road test of about 90 minutes, it seemed fine. Maybe another week before I decide, because of various personal commitments. Thanks again. This feedback was quite helpful.

[sunikkat]

Originally Posted by R_R

Thoroughly enjoyed the car, its sophistication, its power, smoothness etc.

If I were you, for this part alone I would go for Tiguan. It’s indeed a great product and I enjoyed every bit of it during couple of my test drives.
Tiguan is definitely a keeper and will age well. I have seen Tiguan TDIs which has aged superbly. The interior though plain are of great quality.
In the current auto market scenario 15 years is a long time to plan. So I would rather buy something that tug to my heart more.

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by R_R

I am thoroughly confused which way to jump. Prices are similar, and my heart says Tiguan, but my head says Fortuner.

I own a 2021 Fortuner and have test-driven a Tiguan quite extensively, so I hope to provide some useful inputs.

In my opinion, these two vehicles are as different as chalk and cheese. The Fortuner is a rugged, go-anywhere, full-size, body-on-frame, 7-seater SUV that scores low on handling, ride, and interiors, but you can throw it around on any kind of roads/no-roads without a second thought, not to mention the respect it commands on our roads. It is an excellent highway express and mile muncher, with ventilated seats being a boon for our Indian climatic conditions. Other factors in favor are high reliability, top notch after-sales, and (if important to you) an excellent resale value.

The Tiguan, on the other hand, is a sophisticated monocoque crossover that needs to be pampered and can take abuse only to an extent. I found it to be more of a car than a SUV, which of course implies excellent handling and road manners. Another thing that goes in favor of the Tiguan is that lovely 2.0 TSI motor. That said, you will be taking your chances with the notorious DSG transmission and VW after-sales.

Given your use case of frequent drives to the hills - where the roads are more of no-roads more often than not - my suggestion would be to go with the Fortuner. The 4x2 AT is a good choice if you do not intend to rough it out too much, but if you can stretch your budget, go for a 4x4.

Hope this helps.

[Babu R]

Originally Posted by R_R

Test drove the Tiguan twice in the last two days, from two different dealers. First impression (for both me and wife) was that, when sitting in the drivers seat, it felt a bit smaller than my current 2008 Grand Vitara. Not by much, but noticeable. Odd, because they are roughly the same size on paper. In the second test drive, it still felt slightly smaller, but we thought it was fine. Thought I'd mention it because no one here had previously suggested they felt the Tiguan was small. I must hasten to add that the back seat was as spacious as many have pointed out but it did feel a bit lower to the floor than I had expected.

Hi,

It is almost a month since I got my Tiguan. I have also extensively used a friend's BSIV Diesel MT Fortuner. You can take my words with a pinch of salt as I have not driven a petrol Fortuner. I explored Fortuner (petrol) when I considered Tiguan but could not get a test drive from any dealer. I did not want a diesel because my annual mileage would be lower. Unfortunately there are not much internet resources on the ownership experience of Fortuner petrol. I think the only similarity between a Tiguan and Fortuner would be the segment and therefore the price band. This apart, they are completely different vehicles. I decided to go with Tiguan because of the way it drives, its relatively compact size and its safety rating. FE between Tiguan and Fortuner (petrol) may be similar or just marginally different. The body roll in Fortuner after a long drive was off-putting for us. The big plus in case of Fortuner is the reliability - an area the Tiguan is perceived to be suffering from. Another reason why decided to go for Tiguan is the dealer - Sundaram Motors - with whom I have had very good experience in the past (Chevrolet and Honda). That gave me an added confidence. Driving a Fortuner never put a smile on my face although I loved the torque in the diesel that I have driven extensively and the road presence of Fortuner is way better. But with Tiguan, with every drive you would feel that you are driving a car of a different segment - be it in bumper to bumper traffic or on the highways. The refinement is top notch and I love the way the car handles. These were absent in Fortuner. A lot has been said about Tiguan's suspension, but I like the way it is. Given your requirement, I do not think ground clearance will be an issue. Yes, the lack of full sized tyre is an issue. With Fortuner, you will have a car with no worries but you will also have no pleasure at all. You will have a workhorse that will not complain much. Time will tell whether Tiguan will have some problem (including DSG) but then that it is a conscious decision I took, so I am prepared. I am taking solace from the fact that the wet clutch DQ381's failure chances are relatively low. I can confirm that there are no issues with the AC on the Tiguan. So I was pretty much in the same position as you are in staring at the mutually exclusive advantages and disadvantages between the two and finally decided in favour of Tiguan.

[Lion hearted]

Originally Posted by R_R

Test drove the Tiguan twice in the last two days, from two different dealers. First impression (for both me and wife) was that, when sitting in the drivers seat, it felt a bit smaller than my current 2008 Grand Vitara. Not by much, but noticeable. Odd, because they are roughly the same size on paper. In the second test drive, it still felt slightly smaller, but we thought it was fine. Thought I'd mention it because no one here had previously suggested they felt the Tiguan was small. I must hasten to add that the back seat was as spacious as many have pointed out but it did feel a bit lower to the floor than I had expected.

Would love to hear what the wise ones have to say to your question. Am in the same 'big car' buying dilemma for a while now, and based in the NCR makes it nearly an 'petrol only' dilemma. Super confused, and despite the general advice of putting down the 'must haves' followed by the 'good to haves' etc., the confusion persists.

[TheMufi]

Hi guys,

Has been able to identify an aftermarket seat cooling ventilation option and a 360-degree camera setup for the Tiguan?

Any reviews on the Carly OBD scanner? Looks like a must-have for the price:

s https://www.mycarly.com/brands/volks...AaAhISEALw_wcB

[EaurougeatSpa]

Originally Posted by TheMufi

Hi guys,

Has been able to identify an aftermarket seat cooling ventilation option and a 360-degree camera setup for the Tiguan?

Any reviews on the Carly OBD scanner? Looks like a must-have for the price:

s https://www.mycarly.com/brands/volks...AaAhISEALw_wcB

I have seen this earlier.. was quite intrigued. But unsure how usable it will be for a normal person. Especially with regards to taking backups of existing code baseline etc. I found that there was an option for wireless car play that can be enabled with a usb dongle. For 360 I would think it requires camera hardware setup as well.

[kmaitrey064]

Has anybody test-driven Tiguan recently in Bangalore? I booked the TD via VW website. The nearest dealership called saying that a TD vehicle is not available, and asked me to book the vehicle instead, stating 7 months waiting as the reason. Has anyone else gone through this recently?

[EaurougeatSpa]

Originally Posted by kmaitrey064

Has anybody test-driven Tiguan recently in Bangalore? I booked the TD via VW website. The nearest dealership called saying that a TD vehicle is not available, and asked me to book the vehicle instead, stating 7 months waiting as the reason. Has anyone else gone through this recently?

Yea. It’s available for test drive at VW Palace cross.