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Payne: Stylish, techy VW Tiguan packs it all in
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 22, 2025
Clyde Park, Montana — In this small cattle town east of Bozeman between the Bridger and Crazy Mountains, I pulled up in my Cactus Green, 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV tester in front of Glenn’s grocery. A grizzled dude in a cowboy hat and jeans strolled by and I nodded hello.
“Howdy,” he said.
“How do you like my Volkswagen?” I asked.
“It’s nice,” he said before turning into Glenn’s.
In this rural ‘burg in America’s Big Sky west, the VW Tiguan fits right in. Big screens, big back seats, big wheels, big hatchback, big mirrors, big panoramic roof, big massaging seats. It’s been a long time comin’.
Volkswagen came to America to build cars in Pennsylvania in 1978 but the plant closed less than a decade later. In the 2000s, as Japanese Toyota and Honda SUVs soared, VW lagged. In 2008 Dieselgate buried the brand’s signature, diesel-powered fuel economy calling card. In 2020, VW’s first ID.4 electric vehicle landed with a thud.
But behind these headlines, a rose has been blooming.
In 2024, Volkswagen’s SUV sales hit 77% of the automaker’s product portfolio as the entry-level Taos and yuuuuge Atlas three-row made friends with a new generation of American consumers. Like my sister, who (along with her two dogs) adores her Atlas Sport.
Now comes the third-generation Tiguan in America’s biggest-volume, midize SUV segment and Tiggy is Terrific. Three is the charm.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
I cruised State Route 819’s two lane with its 70 mph speed limit (love these western states) with adaptive cruise set to 75 mph. Coming up on a truck burdened with cargo, I punched the 214-horsepower turbo-4 and the eight-speed automatic transmission smoothly selected a lower gear and I sped by my prey. Once past, I looked for a red blind-spot warning in the left mirror and — seeing none — merged back into the right lane.
Impressive. And all standard on this $30,920 SUV.
Compare that to the Honda CR-V, which at $31,495 offers 190 horsepower, no standard blind spot-assist and a continuously variable transmission. With its solid build, the Honda deserves its reliable reputation. But the V-dub seizes on its sporty reputation to offer a more stylish experience.
Credit Tiggy’s ID.4 and Golf R DNA. Though the electric ID.4 has struggled to keep pace with Tesla in the U.S. market, it forced VW to reinvent itself as a high-tech brand. Tiguan is refreshingly modern with clean exterior styling that echoes the ID.4’s lean lines — a design that is echoed inside with simple horizontal lines, tasteful dash materials and big digital displays that would make a Silicon Valley computer engineer proud.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Golf R would also be proud. The lean, digital look in Tiggy complements Brother R’s all-wheel-drive corner carving — so much so that the SUV has adopted a top-trim R-Line. That trim line will be further extended later this year by a 268-horse Tiguan Turbo model aimed squarely at the Mazda CX-5 Turbo — the best performance SUV in the segment (and a brand that also leans into its sporty, Miata-inspired DNA).
I look forward to flogging that beast — but, at the affordable end of the segment, the Tiguan also echoes the Mazda for value. Mazda wows with lush materials and standard features. So too, Tiggy. The standard, 12.9-inch touchscreen is easier to navigate than the Mazda’s remote-rotary controlled screen.
Not that the VW shies from rotary dials. Again cribbing from ID.4, Tiguan has moved its shifter to the steering wheel column to free up console storage for an optional phone charger and rotary dial. That dial enables the driver to quickly access drive modes as well as a palette of ambient lighting colors.
Also per its American training, the VW’s ergonomics are solid. Like GM and Ford, Tiggy has placed raised volume, radio and speed controls on the steering spokes so you can easily access these functions without taking your eyes off the road or hunting for them in the computer screen.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
The V-dub does not follow GM’s lead on a Google Built-in operating system, which adds another clever voice recognition system to the cabin. Chevy’s elves have their act together these days.
But where Chevy’s Equinox takes its styling cues from big brother Silverado pickup, Tiguan looks to Golf R. In SPORT mode, I hit the gas and the playful two-liter engine awoke with a pleasing burble. Interested in towing a go-kart to the track for a weekend? The all-wheel-drive V-dub will tow 1,800 pounds, enough for a small trailer.
My kids go-karted at a young age and they would appreciate the roomy rear bench seat — optioned with heated seats for chilly winter months. VW says 60% of buyers option all-wheel drive, which will add $1,000 to a Michigan buyer’s bill. Volkswagen kept the price steady at just over $30K for the 2025 model year, and, with all the standard gear, AWD is all the upcharge you really need.
For consumers looking for a bit more pizzazz to match the Tiguan’s wardrobe, may I SE-ggest the SE model, which adds leatherette seats and 19-inch wheels to the equation. My SE tester struts out the door for $35,220.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Those with more coin in their pocket may look toward an Audi Q5. But like the Audi, Tiggy now brings a lot of character to the dance floor, thanks to its high-tech, ID.4 wardrobe. Outfit the VW in Monterrey Blue with black package, head-up display and 20-inch wheels (like my $39,230 R-Line Black Edition model), and I wouldn’t shy from parking next to a $50K Q5.
Heck, with $50K in my pocket, I’ll get the Golf R, which will outhustle most Audis on track.
Ahem.
Mrs. Payne is giving me the sharp elbow. Oh yes, we were talking midsize SUVs, not track cars. “How does it compare to a Subaru?” she asks. Quite well. Subie can’t match the VW’s performance with 184 horses and CVT — though the Crosstrek brings plenty of off-road character.
The Japanese brand has made itself at home in the United States by staying true to its formula and asking Americans what they want. The 2025 Tiguan does the same and I expect to see a lot more hanging out in front of Glenn’s grocery in the years to come.
2025 Volkswagen Tiguan
Vehicle type: Front-engine, front- and all-wheel-drive, five-passenger SUV
Price: $30,920, including $1,425 destination fee ($35,220 SE and $39,230 R-Line Black Edition as tested)
Powerplant: 2.0-liter turbo-4 cylinder
Power: 201 horsepower, 207 pound-feet of torque (FWD); 201 horsepower, 227 pound-feet of torque (AWD)
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 7.7-8.7 seconds (Car and Driver est.); towing, 1,500-1,800 pounds
Weight: 3,563 pounds (FWD); 3,801 pounds (AWD)
Fuel economy: EPA, 26 mpg city/34 highway/29 combined (FWD); 22 mpg city/30 highway/25 combined (AWD)
Report card
Highs: Upscale styling and tech; loaded with standard features
Lows: No mute button; slider volume controls take getting used to
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.