Drive Notes: 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan SE R-Line Black
My driveway was recently graced by a 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan SE R-Line.
This mid-trim Tiguan started at $35,705 and there's a 2.0-liter turbo four underhood, making 184 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque mating to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Available features include dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, USB ports, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, satellite radio, Bluetooth, smartphone mirroring, wireless cell-phone charging, and more.
You know how this works, let's dive in.
Pros
- The Tiguan feels spritely, at least for a small crossover.
- Headroom and legroom were adequate, front and rear.
- The wireless cell-phone charger is nicely placed.
- I liked the parcel shelf atop the dash.
- The gauges are easy to read.
- There are still volume and tuning knobs.
- As an overall package, the Tiguan works generally well, even if there's not much that stands out.
Cons
- While the haptic-touch controls have improved, I'd still prefer a more old-fashioned setup.
- For whatever reason, the wireless Apple CarPlay connection dropped in the same spot. I drove through that area multiple times, round trip, and the connection failed each time before restarting a mile or two down the road.
- The price feels about $2K too steep.
- There is a bit too much body roll when cornering.
- The 2.0-liter could use more punch.
The Tiguan is enjoyable to drive on some levels -- the ride is nicely balanced, and handling is overall good, despite body roll -- and it's easy to live with. But it would be even easier to drive with more guts and more buttons and knobs for the controls.
If you're looking for an unremarkable crossover with a decent pinch of sport that's easy to use as you go about your daily routine, the Tiguan is your ride.
That may sound like damning with faint praise, but I promise it isn't. I liked the Tiguan well enough as a commuter car. With some tweaks, it could be a much stronger all-around contender. As it stands now, however, it's a very likable ride that stops just short of standing out.
[Images © 2024 Tim Healey/TTAC.com]
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Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.
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