2024 Volkswagen Tiguan

The 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan Is Better Equipped For 2024

If you’re buying on a budget, the new model year brings some welcome news. Volkswagen has thoroughly upgraded the Tiguan’s specifications, particularly on entry-level S models.

These now receive rain-sensing wipers and an auto-dimming rearview mirror, as well as benefiting from the range-wide introduction of driver assistance tech including active lane and adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alerts, and active blind-spot monitoring.

A mid-year update will herald improvements to the wireless charging and infotainment systems, further enhancing the Tiguan’s tech credentials.

Is The 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan Luxurious?

The introduction of new safety tech is very welcome, but in truth, the Tiguan is still playing catch-up. S models are blighted with cloth seats that adjust manually, an underwhelming eight-inch touchscreen, and 17-inch wheels that look lost in their arches. SE models are worth their price premium, offering bigger wheels and AWD, synthetic leather trim, and wireless smartphone compatibility.

Flagship SEL R-Line models offer a 10.3-inch instrument display and an uprated stereo, but they suffer from the same bland cabin and dull dash design. It’s typical Volkswagen – well-built and functional, but lacking in pizzazz.

The 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan Lacks Character

VW models often have a studied blandness, and the Tiguan is no exception. To look at, it’s fine – nothing outrageous or controversial – but your eyes slide off its generic SUV profile rather than latching onto any points of interest. The same is true inside, where everything is grey; subtle hexagonal motifs recur from the door pulls to the air vents, but you could sit in here for an hour and then struggle to describe anything you’ve seen.

The firm seats and simple dash are underwhelming, but they’re easy to live with. Much like the overall ownership experience, in fact – a four-year, 50,000-mile warranty with two years of free maintenance is a key Tiguan selling feature. People buy Volkswagens for stoic, unshowy service, and the well-assembled interior feels like it’ll stand the test of time.

The 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan Benefits From Generous Space

As well as feeling bombproof, the Tiguan is exceptionally spacious. The trunk offers almost 38 cubic feet of cargo space even before you drop the rear seats, which nearly doubles its capacity; keep them in place, and rear riders enjoy almost 39 inches of legroom.

Beware the front-wheel-drive models, which pack in a third row that damages legroom and cargo capacity alike; this vehicle isn’t really big enough to succeed as a seven-seater. Anyone sitting in the back will be confronted by a sea of grey that does little to enhance the Tiguan experience.

Is The 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan Good On Gas?

The short answer is no. Buy an R-Line model and you won’t even see 25 mpg combined, while front-drive Tiguans are the best in the range with combined returns of 26 mpg.

Is The 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan A Good Car?

If you want a spacious SUV that’s painless to own and drive, the Tiguan makes a lot of sense. A smooth two-liter turbo-4 engine pairs well with an eight-speed automatic transmission that’s perfectly adequate, without offering any thrills.

R-Line models apart, the ride is plush enough to compensate for that drab interior, while recent specification improvements have enhanced its strong safety record. Cheaper trims are reasonably well-priced, the warranty and servicing combination is tempting, and it’s the sort of car you can genuinely be anonymous in.

Is that enough when rivals offer premium interiors or superb driving dynamics? Step into the Tiguan’s cabin from a Mazda CX-5, or compare its specifications to Calligraphy Edition Hyundai Santa Fes, and suddenly this mid-sized VeeDub seems bland and stodgy.

It’s no driver’s car – numb steering and limited low-speed acceleration put paid to any sporting pretensions – and the third row of seats in FWD models compromises too many other attributes to be worth considering. If you still want to go down the Tiguan route, cheaper trims make more sense than expensive and less comfortable R-Line models.

2024 Volkswagen Tiguan Alternatives

There’s so much competition in this market that you could consider a large percentage of SUVs as rivals to the Tiguan. The luxurious CX-5 and Santa Fe mentioned earlier, Jeep’s go-anywhere Grand Cherokee, and Chevy’s sharp-dressed Blazer.