XLR8R

Another turbo-4 cross-over, albeit with less hp and tq.

Very nice fit and finish.
Slightly better econ numbers...24 highway.
Back seat slides, and reclines some......that would be nice in the RDX.
Cargo bigger than Infinity EX, but that's not saying much.
Patently stupid VW Marketing name.
Needs a dealer kit to hook up BlueTooth; no nav yet.
Supposed to handle well -- I haven't driven it yet.

..............and spotty VW reliability -- particularly in new releases.

oasis3582

Reliability alone kills it. The best vs. the worst.

oilerfan

I considered the Tiguan very seriously before just recently purchasing an RDX. People over at VW forums are hyping up the fuel economy at about 28 MPG daily driving, which is very attractive in these times.

It looks good and drives very well, but it's cargo space was very limited due to a very a narrow hatch. This is probably due to the fact that it is a jacked-up golf (or rabbit or whatever its called now).

Things like panoramic sunroofs and sliding rear seats (when slid all the way back it is still squishier back there than an RDX) don't impress me. The back seats did not fold down flat and were very difficult in general fold up and down.

So for me it came down to:

Tiguan: very good MPG, pretty good fit and finish
RDX: performs better in every other category, excellent fit and finish

Considering I don't drive more than 15,000 kms a year (if that), the average MPG of the RDX was not a deal-breaker.

cwepruk

I liked the Tiguan because it was a lighter vehicle than the RDX and still had decent pep and a proven engine. But, like most of the RDX near-competition, with all the options, it prices itself close to the RDX while not offering as many features or performance.

wrestrepo

I like the Tiguan, if I didn't have the RDX already would probably buy that one (stick shift), although I was expecting better mpgs, I don't think that one more mpg is that much better.

MMike1981

its very small...prob its biggest limitation for a small suv that goes well above 30 grand. not much of a truck and not much of an engine...the package is nice however.

MMike1981

i like the truck tho...i like pretty much all VW's ...id lease one, never would buy tho.

brizey

Yep, for right now I would never own a European car out of warranty. At least the American brands are cheaper to fix.

Where is the Tiguan built? If the VIN starts with 3, I wouldn't even lease one.

Fishbulb

The only thing going for it vs. the RDX is the manual transmission.

vrflyer

As of mid June: Volkswagen recalls 2009 Tiguan, 2008 Passat and Wagon for "Engine Surge"...

Reliability: a must when trying to attract future buyers.

SinCity

I had a '07 GTI DSG w/APR Stage 2 on the VW corporate 2.0T motor. Once they put the DSG and add simple Stage 2 mods in the Tiguan, it will be a RDX killer. Stage 3 is a easy turbo swap. Though I didn't have any problems in the 15k mile ownership (blew one DV valve that warranty covered-but Stage 2 had 21 psi peak boost ), VW is plagued with a bad reliability rep.

Also, since the 2.0T motor appears on many VW/Audi vehicles, there will be WAY more mods available than what we will ever get. Unless, our motor finds it's way into a TSX Type S .

brizey

I don't think there will ever be that many modified examples of either car. Neither fit the profile. Look at the Forester XT. Easy as pie to get 300 hp out of it and the STI suspension is nuts and bolts away. Still hardly any modified ones (my wife drives a stock one). Now look at WRX's. How many of them AREN'T modified?

I have moved on from the modifying scene. Plus my motto is don't f with your daily transportation.

guytdt

I love the new Tiguan too. It's feature rich. They even have AFS headlight, rain sensing wiper, reverse tilt down side mirror, folded mirrors which RDX doesn't have. I almost got it during the sign and drive offer, but the cost is ...

Teledatageek

I went and looked at the Tiguan. The cargo area is tiny - unusable from my perspective + VW's realiablity record speaks for itself. Not bad looking but not worth it to me.

lindros2

VW wanted $528+tax for a mildly equipped Tiguan SE (lease) last summer.

We got the RDX Tech for $478+tax (with zero out of pocket at drive away). No comparison.

phoward_15

guytdt...just curious...what do you mean by the RDX has no "folding mirrors"? Are you talking about the side mirrors? Because mine fold in and also tilt down in reverse (passenger side only).

chipmunk

He probably means auto-folding mirrors.

dewey22

I think VW nailed the concept with Tiguan. It came down to the Tiguan vs RDX. I wanted to wait until fall 2010 to purchase. But in December 2008 we had some heavy northwest weather and I needed to move to the AWD world. The upscale version Tiguan was no where in sight and not arriving for many months, so I grabbed a 2008 RDX left over at a great price. The Tiguan--by all reports--would have a better ride, quieter cabin, rain-sensing wipers (a plus in the Portland/Vancouver area), smaller turning ratio, better MPG, etc. But, the seats don't compare, VW reliability is suspect (we've owned 2 new VW's), interior space is smaller, etc. But I think the two cars are comparable, albeit the VW prices out higher. Since I narrowed it to these two trucks, and felt I'd be satisfied with either, and only the RDX was available--and at a terrific price ($29,000 base model)--I bought the RDX. I'm delighted with the car in almost every way--though it would be nice if they squeezed out a few more mpg to ease my carbon conscience. The RDX is all I'd hoped for and I enjoy clicking the seat belt daily.

VeNeNo

iTrader: (1)

Bravo my good sir, bravo...

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

+1.

MMike1981

Tiguan: overpriced (extremely), underperforming, tiny, and well, its a vw. fit/finish, interior, all great, but would u want a honda civic decked out like an acura...if so then i guess the tiguan makes sense

Samdog-1

The 6 speed manual is nice but VW only lets you get it with the FWD base model. If you want AWD, leather, nav etc, you're out of luck.

scryana

i was considering the tiguan when i bought my rdx last month and i didn't even make it into the dealer office. saw one at the lot, got out walked a circle and looked at the car, looked at the sticker and i was outta there. 30K for that? yuck. i will say, and the interior finish was just horrible for the price. i like the huge moonroof though. otherwise, i'm happy with the rdx. still wish i had the q5 though, but it was almost 10k more w options. i got a deal with the rdx at below invoice.

and c'mon.. tiguan? my other car is a cayman. it would be funny to have an iguana and an croc in the same garage.