LIKES
- Big interior
- Lots of screens inside
- Great safety scores
- Comfortable ride
DISLIKES
- Dull steering
- Annoying climate touch controls
- Tight third row
- Unimpressive mpg
BUYING TIP
- The Tiguan is a great buy in S and SE trim levels, but other versions can get awfully pricey.
The 2023 VW Tiguan is a solid choice thanks to its big interior and impressive tech story, though its fuel economy doesn’t impress.
What kind of vehicle is the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan? What does it compare to?
The VW Tiguan is a compact crossover SUV that compares with the Subaru Forester, Toyota 4Runner, and Honda CR-V.
Is the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan a good car/SUV?
The spacious, well-equipped Tiguan makes a strong case for itself with lots of space and value, and friendly levels of performance. We rate it at 6.3 out of 10.
What's new for the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan?
The 2023 Tiguan is a largely carried-over model after last year’s update.
Underhood, the 184-hp 2.0-liter turbo-4 provides decent grunt, and it mates well with the standard 8-speed automatic transmission. The Tiguan is tuned for a soft, comfortable ride in most configurations, though R-Line versions can be a bit stiff with their larger wheels.
Fuel economy ratings of between 25 and 26 mpg combined come in toward the low end of the small SUV segment, however.
On the flip side, the Tiguan has a spacious cabin with excellent second-row space and a big cargo area. Its plain dash includes a fairly simple infotainment system with standard wired and optional wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
A slew of crash-avoidance features come standard and the Tiguan has earned a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS.
How much does the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan cost?
This year, the Tiguan lineup starts at $27,885, or $29,385 with all-wheel drive.
The base version wants for little, though families might like the easy-clean nature of the synthetic leather trim on the mid-level Tiguan SE at about $33,000 with all-wheel drive. That version also includes wireless smartphone compatibility and dual-zone automatic climate control.
In Puebla, Mexico.
Styling
The 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan wears conservative lines that should age well.
Is the Volkswagen Tiguan a good-looking car?
It’s not the kind of SUV that will have you camped out in your garage to stare at it overnight, but the 2023 VW Tiguan has pleasant, conservative lines. We like its exterior well enough to toss it a point above average, for a 6 on the TCC scale.
The angular exterior features a broad, rather narrow grille that blends into headlights that reach their fingertips toward the front wheel openings. The two-box profile cascades into a pert rear end with simple, elegant badging and little excessive flourishes. R-Line versions have sportier styling bits, but they don’t necessarily look better to our eyes.
Performance
The 2023 VW Tiguan’s comfortable, composed ride is a standout.
Is the Volkswagen Tiguan 4WD?
VW offers its 4Motion all-wheel-drive system on all versions of the Tiguan.
How fast is the Volkswagen Tiguan?
We’d also like to see paddle shifters for hilly driving, but they’re not offered on the Tiguan.
We’re most impressed with the Tiguan’s comfortable ride. The independent suspension is tuned for soft responses, especially with the 17- and 18-inch wheels on S and SE trims. R-Line versions ride on bigger 19- or 20-inch wheels that seem to miss the point. They’re stiffer without actually being sportier, since no version has particularly responsive steering.
Overall, it’s the ride quality on Tiguan S and SE that earns it a point above average for a 6 out of 10 score.
Comfort & Quality
The 2023 VW Tiguan has a big interior with room for up to seven in a pinch.
Longer than many of its rivals, the 2023 VW Tiguan makes good use of its interior space. Its big trunk and spacious rear-seat area earn it a 7 on the TCC scale.
Front-seat riders have somewhat firm thrones. While heated front seats are standard on all Tiguan models, it takes stepping up to the SE to add power adjustment for the driver. The second row offers a hefty 38.7 inches of leg room with all-wheel drive, though the third-row seat that’s standard with front-wheel drive (and not available with all-wheel drive) robs a couple of inches of row two leg room. On all, big rear doors provide great access.
That third row is best for kids, but it’s a novelty that may appeal to drivers with growing families. Just don’t plan on stuffing a couple of teenagers back there.
Interior trim is serviceable across the line, but no model feels especially luxurious.
Safety
The 2023 VW Tiguan is a safe choice with great safety tech.
How safe is the Volkswagen Tiguan?
It’s an 8 out of 10 on the TCC scale thanks to its good array of crash-avoidance features and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.
We’re still waiting on the NHTSA to conduct its round of crash tests, so this figure has room to climb.
Outward vision is excellent forward, but typical SUV-tough rearward due to big roof pillars.
Features
The 2023 VW Tiguan is a good value in lower trims.
We rate the 2023 VW Tiguan at an 8 out of 10 thanks to its big screen, good standard feature setup, and impressive 4-year/50,000-mile warranty that also includes two years of maintenance.
Base S models cost just under $28,000, which buys 17-inch alloy wheels, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto compatibility, and automatic emergency braking, as well as cloth upholstery.
Which Volkswagen Tiguan should I buy?
How much is a fully loaded Volkswagen Tiguan?
The Tiguan SEL R-Line tops $39,000 with its premium audio, 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster, big sunroof, and sporty styling touches.
Fuel Economy
The 2023 VW Tiguan doesn’t impress for fuel economy.
Is the Volkswagen Tiguan good on gas?
It’s not great. Front-wheel-drive versions rate 23 mpg city, 30 highway, 26 combined, according to the EPA. With all-wheel drive, those figures slide slightly to 22/29/25 mpg, and the R-Line package’s big wheels and heavier curb weight ding things to just 21/28/24 mpg.
Most versions of the Tiguan rate a 3 on the TCC scale.
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