2021 Volkswagen Tiguan review

2021 Volkswagen Tiguan Review:

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan might be for you if you're looking for a slightly different flavor of compact SUV. Its impressive build quality, slick styling, and high-quality interior make it a step up from rivals like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. But it doesn't come with the eye-watering price you'll find from the likes of the Audi Q5 and BMW X3. 

The Tiguan comes standard with a useful, if cramped, third row on front-wheel-drive models. Keep in mind that you can't have both all-wheel drive and a third row. So, you can't have your cake and eat in the third row, too. But if you're looking for a practical SUV that stands out from the crowd, the Tiguan is worth a look. 

• Technology

• Comfort

• Cargo and storage

• Ease of use

• Driving

What tech does the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan have?

Connectivity

Every 2021 Tiguan has Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ standard, and if you opt for the midtier SE trim, it connects and charges wirelessly. Connecting your phone to the wireless system is easy enough, and the touchscreen's responsiveness poses no problems. 

If you just need to charge, there are two USB-C ports in front and another in the rear seats, but none for the third row. If you prefer to use just a straight-up Bluetooth® connection, that's easy enough too. Whether it's through your phone or the native infotainment, your music and podcasts will sound just fine, especially in SEL trims with the Fender audio system. 

Infotainment

While the infotainment system sounds fine, we have issues with how it works. The eight-inch touchscreen on SE and higher trims replaced many buttons with touch-sensitive controls that aren't as intuitive to use when driving. At least physical tuning and volume knobs remain. On top of that, only the top-line SEL R-Line has native navigation, and the rest of the feature set is on the thin side compared to more modern vehicles. The use of a monochrome interface despite the full-color screen makes it look dated, too. 

Driver-Assist Tech

The most desirable driver aids, including adaptive cruise control, are standard starting on the second-tier SE trim. Adaptive cruise can take an extra heartbeat or two to resume its speed in traffic, but that's not unique to VW. The lane-keeping assistance definitely requires you to keep your hands on the wheel in turns, but you're supposed to do that anyway; this isn't a hands-free system after all. Overall, it works very well, and it's good you don't have to go to the top-line models to get it. If you do seek out the SEL R-Line, you'll get additional equipment that includes a self-parking feature, parking sensors, and a 360-degree camera view. 

How comfortable is the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan? 

Front Seating

The front seats are comfortable enough, although they don't have a lot of side support so you might slide around a bit in corners. The good news is that heated seats are standard, even the cloth-covered ones on the base S trim. Leather is standard on the top-tier SEL R-Line trim, with faux leather on the midtier SE that does a good job approximating actual leather. All trims offer a good range of adjustments, although SE and higher get lumbar adjustments for both front occupants.

Rear Seating

The outboard positions of the second-row seats are nicely sculpted to hold their occupants in place, although the middle position is less comfortable as a result. There's also good headroom and legroom, although some competing SUVs boast more of the latter. The third-row seat on front-wheel-drive models is handy but definitely for occasional use only, and even then, for small kids. Adults will be complaining in short order. 

Ride Quality and Interior Noise

One of the Tiguan's high points is its ride quality. It's soft and comfortable, smoothing out big and small bumps with ease. Pleasingly, the Tiguan doesn't bounce around after going over bumps, giving you a sense of control and helping to keep potential car sickness at bay. The interior is also commendably quiet when on the highway. The outside world stays muted, with wind and road noise well controlled. The engine can get loud under heavy acceleration, but once you lift off the gas, the noise seemingly disappears. 

Does the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan have good storage?

Cargo 

Two-row Volkswagen Tiguans have an enormous amount of cargo space behind the second row of seats. The 37.6 cubic feet of space ranks near the top of all small SUVs. The floor is low enough that loading heavy objects shouldn't pose much of a problem. If you need more space, the rear seats fold flat using convenient handles in the cargo area, expanding the space to 73.4  cubic feet. Tiguans with the third row suffer a cargo space loss. There's a paltry 12 cubic feet behind the third row and 33 cubic feet behind the second; the space maxes out at 65.3 cubic feet when all the seats are folded. If cargo is your priority, stick with a two-row Tiguan.

Storage

The Tiguan has good space inside for small items, with large door pockets, plenty of cupholders, and a deep center console bin. Even better, these bins are lined, so that items won't rattle and knock around as you drive, a nice touch. A tray on top of the dashboard is perfect for small items like sunglasses. 

How easy is the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan to use?

Entry, Exit, and Car Seats

The Tiguan has big doors that open wide, making it easy to plop yourself into the front or second-row seats. If the Tiguan is equipped with a third row, accessing it is more complicated. The second-row seat is heavy and requires quite a bit of effort to slide it forward. The resulting gap isn't very big, requiring some gymnastics just to get into the third row. 

As for car seats, the lower anchors on the second row are easy to find and use, and the plentiful headroom means installing them is a snap. There are no car seat anchors for the third row, but a child booster seat should fit in a pinch. 

Interior Layout and Visibility

Big windows and a clear backup camera make seeing out of the Tiguan easy enough. We like the digital instruments used on the SEL R-Line trims, which present information in a clear way and also allow for customization, such as displaying a map. 

It can take some time to get used to the layout of the instrument panel and the steering wheel controls. Once you know where everything is, this isn't a problem … but it can be frustrating until you do. Edmunds editors were split over how intuitive the system is. Keep in mind that Volkswagen updated the interior for 2022 and replaced many physical buttons and knobs with touch-sensitive buttons. Edmunds editors were not divided on these: They stink. 

What’s the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan like to drive?

Driving

Every Tiguan is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine putting out 184 horsepower, about average for a small SUV like this, and the resulting performance is just as average. The problem is that the engine sometimes takes a moment to react when you press the gas. It's also inconsistent, making it hard to just learn when it'll lag, and it makes the Tiguan hard to drive smoothly. That aside, the Tiguan is genuinely nice to drive. The steering tracks straight on the highway, but it's light enough in parking lots to make this SUV easy to maneuver. The suspension is comfortable, but in corners the Tiguan retains its composure, helpful to sensitive stomachs when traveling mountain roads.

Towing 

Towing is generally not a strong suit of small SUVs, but the Tiguan underdelivers even in this lightweight class. Its maximum tow rating of 1,500 pounds is near the bottom of the class, and it requires a dealer-installed hitch. 

Fuel Economy

According to the EPA, the Tiguan should get between 24 mpg and 27 mpg in mixed driving

EPA Fuel Economy Estimates