Item: Used Volkswagen Tiguan 2016-present
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

<p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x1/estate/used-review/n812">BMW X1</a>&nbsp;is the kind of premium family SUV the Tiguan now faces. The X1 is spacious, practical and has a high-quality interior. On top of that, it’s good to drive, with fine handling, and it features&nbsp;a great infotainment system.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volvo/xc40/estate/used-review/n17574">Volvo XC40</a>&nbsp;is another high-quality product. It was our 2018 What Car? Car of the Year winner, and with good reason. It’s enjoyable to drive, practical and good-looking inside and out, with a solidly constructed interior full of soft-touch materials. It’s well equipped, too.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html"><strong>here</strong></a></p>

<p><strong>If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/volkswagen/tiguan?nearlynew=true&amp;used=true&amp;yearFrom=2016&amp;page=2">used Tiguan</a>, or any of the other SUVs mentioned here, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.</strong></p>

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

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Alternatives

<h3><strong>Front seat backrests may collapse in a collision</strong></h3>

<p>Due to a manufacturing issue with the front seats of some Tiguans made between 1 August 2016 and 31 November 2016, the backrests may collapse in a collision. Speak to your nearest Volkswagen dealer for further information, because your car will need&nbsp;replacement frames fitted if your car is affected.</p>

<h3><strong>Too little engine torque at low speed</strong></h3>

<p>A software update is&nbsp;required on examples made between 9 October&nbsp;2018 and 28 May 2019 in order to increase&nbsp;the amount of torque the engine provides at low speeds to improve drivability.&nbsp;</p>

<h3><strong>Cracks in the&nbsp;front left seat frame</strong></h3>

<p>Separate to the previously mentioned recall for collapsing seatbacks, the front left (front passenger)&nbsp;seat frame&nbsp;could be cracked and affects a small number of Tiguans made between 4 and 5 February 2019, so contact your dealer for further information. Your car will need a new frame if it is affected.</p>

<h3><strong>Airbag and seatbelt tensioners</strong></h3>

<p>A problem with the airbags and seatbelt tensioners on examples made between 1 May 2016 and 31 October 2016 could mean that they don't perform effectively in a collision, increasing the risk of injury to occupants. Check with your dealer to find out if this recall applies to your car because all the faulty parts will need to be replaced.</p>

<h3><strong>Tow bar</strong></h3>

<p>A potentially defective tow bar locking mechanism on Tiguans built between 11 May 2016 and 5 November 2018&nbsp;will need to be replaced in order for people to tow safely.&nbsp;</p>

<h3><strong>Front discs</strong></h3>

<p>A small number of examples made between 19 and 23 January 2018 could have been fitted with front brake discs that aren't of the correct thickness. This may lead to the disc cracking and potentially fracturing under extreme loads. If yours is among the affected cars, a Volkswagen dealer will replace its front&nbsp;discs free of charge.</p>

<h3><strong>Fuel tank</strong></h3>

<p>The thickness of the walls of the fuel tank in a small number of Tiguans manufactured between 10-11 October 2019 could be thinner than they should be. Speak to your local Volkswagen dealer for further information because affected cars will require the tank to be replaced.</p>

<h3><strong>Dealer supplied wheels</strong></h3>

<p>Any dealer supplied wheels manufactured between 13 September and 22 October 2019 will need to be replaced because they're not compatible with the Tiguan. If you happen to have ordered a spare set of wheels (for a set of&nbsp;winter tyres, perhaps), then it might be worth contacting your dealer for further information.</p>

<h3><strong>Roof spoiler</strong></h3>

<p>The&nbsp;roof spoiler fitted to&nbsp;certain models&nbsp;made between 1 May 2016 and 20 June 2019 could fall off. Of those that are affected by this recall, additional bolts will be fitted to secure it in place.</p>

<h3><strong>Front suspension (Allspace)</strong></h3>

<p>A swivel joint in the front suspension might not have been tightened down correctly at the factory of Tiguans constructed between 1 February 2017 and 31 March 2018. Check this out with your dealer because affected vehicles will need to be inspected by a technician as part of this recall.</p>

<h3><strong>Wrong fuses fitted (Allspace)</strong></h3>

<p>&nbsp;A small number of examples built from 23 October 2017 and 9 June 2018 could have one or more incorrect fuses fitted. This will need to be checked over by a VW dealer who'll replace the fuses with the correct ones.</p>

<h3><strong>Passenger airbag (Allspace)</strong></h3>

<p>A problem with how the front passenger airbag was folded during its manufacture could lead to potential problems when it is deployed in a collision. This recall affects Tiguans made from 14 March to 18 May 2018 and requires that a new passenger airbag is fitted, so contact your local VW dealer to find out if your car is affected by this.</p>

<h3><strong>Front seat backrest adjuster</strong></h3>

<p>The adjustment mechanism might not have been welded correctly to the seat frames of a small batch of Tiguamns made between 26 and 29 June 2020, and if your car is affected, it'll need to have the backrests replaced at your local VW dealer.</p>


<p>According to the most recent What Car? Reliability Survey, the second-generation Tiguan&nbsp;is rather&nbsp;reliable. Petrol versions did slightly better than diesel-equipped examples, coming in 12th and 13th places respectively out of 25&nbsp;in the family SUV&nbsp;class. Volkswagen as a brand managed 20th place finish out of 31 in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey-brands/n20069">manufacturer reliability table</a>.</p>

<p>If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042">What Car? Reliability Survey</a>&nbsp;pages for more information.</p>

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Estate

<p dir="ltr">The VW Group famously spends more money on research and development than any rival – and as a result, perhaps it should be no surprise that our testers rate its cars so consistently highly.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The fact that many of those cars use the same underpinnings also helps, because it means that if they get it right once, they have the foundations to keep on getting it right.</p>

<p dir="ltr">However, the Volkswagen brand faces plenty of tough competition, often from within, because the rapidly rising Seat and Skoda brands that are also part of the group have access to the same technology.</p>


VOLKSWAGEN

TIGUAN

<p>The Volkswagen Tiguan is a spacious and practical car that’s good to drive and makes a sound used buy</p>


Used Volkswagen Tiguan 2016-present

<h3><strong>MPG</strong></h3>

<p>Whether petrol or diesel powered, the Tiguan is fairly economical in comparison with its rivals. The top-performing petrol engine, the 148bhp 1.4 TSI&nbsp;in S trim, returns&nbsp;48.7mpg under the older NEDC fuel consumption tests, and the best diesel, the 113bhp 2.0 TDI&nbsp;in S trim, achieved 60.1mpg under the same rules. Under the more modern and realistic WLTP regime, the 128bhp 1.5&nbsp;engine manages 44.8mpg and the 148bhp 1.5 engine 40.4mpg, while the 148bhp 2.0 TDI&nbsp;in S trim is the best performer, with 50.4mpg.&nbsp;</p>

<h3><strong>CO2 emissions</strong></h3>

<p>Of the engines available before the taxation change in April 2017, the 148bhp 1.4 TSI&nbsp;has the lowest official CO2 emissions of the petrol range, at 130g/km. The 178bhp 2.0 TSI when lumbered with four-wheel drive and an automatic gearbox is the worst, at 170g/km.</p>

<p>The diesels are far better in terms of CO2 output, with just 123g/km produced by the 113bhp and 148bhp 2.0-litre engines. Adding four-wheel drive and an automatic gearbox increases emissions to 147g/km, while the twin-turbocharged&nbsp;237bhp version emits the most greenhouse gas, at 167g/km.</p>

<h3><strong>Road tax</strong></h3>

<p>Any Tiguan registered after 1 April 2017 will pay the latest flat-rate of annual road tax (VED), with an additional surcharge for any example that cost more than £40,000 when new.&nbsp;Those cars registered before this date will pay varying rates linked to their CO2 emissions. The current road tax is £155&nbsp;a year. The luxury surcharge is £335 a year. To find out more about the current <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-tax-changes-in-2019-%E2%80%93-what-do-i-need-to-know/n1153">road tax costs, click here</a>.</p>

<h3><strong>Insurance</strong></h3>

<p>Insurance groups are low, on the whole, ranging from 11 for the base&nbsp;petrol and diesel models up to 27 for the powerful 2.0 Biturbo TDI&nbsp;240 model.</p>

<h3><strong>Servicing</strong></h3>

<p>Servicing costs shouldn’t be too exorbitant, and&nbsp;older examples over three years of age can take advantage of fixed-price maintenance&nbsp;that currently runs at £184&nbsp;for a minor service and £354&nbsp;for a major one.</p>

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The Volkswagen Tiguan is a spacious and practical car that’s good to drive and makes a sound used buy.

<p>Shop around and you can find this generation of Tiguan for as little as £11,000 now. This will buy you an early car with high mileage for the year and a full service history, bought from an independent dealer. Up the budget to&nbsp;£15,000 and you’ll find 2017 and 2018 cars with lower mileages on the forecourts of franchised Volkswagen dealers, with your choice of engines (although most Tiguans are&nbsp;diesels) and some four-wheel drive examples, too. Increase your budget to at least&nbsp;£19,000 to £22,000 if you want to buy a&nbsp;2019 car or a little more for a post-facelift 2019 or early 2020 car.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Check the value of a used Volkswagen Tiguan with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/valuations/">What Car? Valuations</a></strong></p>


<h3><strong>Engine</strong></h3>

<p>Among many fine engine options, and provided you have no current objection to diesel, the 148bhp 2.0 TDI&nbsp;offers such a fine blend of punch and efficiency that it stands out as the sweet spot in the range. If you have to go for a petrol, choose the 148bhp 1.4 TSI, because its&nbsp;running costs are far more sensible&nbsp;than those of the larger 2.0-litre petrol models.</p>

<h3><strong>Trims</strong></h3>

<p>While a Tiguan in&nbsp;SE&nbsp;trim will offer most of the features&nbsp;you could want, or at least need, we'd suggest that you look for an SE Nav version in order to get&nbsp;sat-nav. It shouldn't be hard to find one, because&nbsp;there are plenty around on the used market.</p>

<p><strong>Our favourite Volkswagen Tiguan:</strong> 2.0 TDI 150&nbsp;SE Nav</p>

<p><strong>Page 4 of 5<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/volkswagen/tiguan?used=true&amp;amp;nearlynew=true?utm_source=what%20car%20reviews&amp;amp;utm_medium=leaderboard&amp;amp;utm_content=Volkswagen%20Tiguan&amp;amp;utm_campaign=used%20cars"><img alt="" src="https://whatcar.media/jpg/50/0/0/770/80/0/0/0/0/aspectfill/center/0/0/0/0/0/images/uploads/usedReviews/004a390c07b1c836ff6f9ad1a39e7add270a848e.jpg" /></a></strong></p>

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Comfortable ride </li> <li>Feature-filled infotainment </li> <li>Space for child seats </li> <li>Robust build quality </li> <li>Practical storage spaces </li> <li>A boot fit for a family holiday </li> <li>Fuel-efficient engines</li></ul>

<p>While we define a small SUV&nbsp;as something&nbsp;less than 4.3 metres long and a large SUV as measuring more than 4.5 metres, family SUVs tread the middle ground.</p>

<p>As the name suggests, the vast majority are&nbsp;designed for family duties rather than serious off-roading, so practicality is paramount. However, that&nbsp;shouldn't come at the expense of a decent drive; the best examples combine tidy handling with smooth engines&nbsp;and a ride that's comfortable&nbsp;enough to ensure the kids aren't left feeling queasy.</p>

<p>The Seat Ateca and&nbsp;Skoda Karoq should definitely be on your shortlist. But if you have a bit more to spend,&nbsp;the Range Rover Evoque is another strong option. If money is a concern, then the Dacia Duster provides comfortable, spacious and well-equipped transportation for an affordable price.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

Family SUV

<h3><strong>Bodywork</strong></h3>

<p>The Tiguan is a large car but its extremities are, for the most part, easily visible, and some models even have a reversing camera option. Many examples have been used in city centres and supermarket car parks, so check for scuffs and dents on the bodywork. Also, check the alloy wheels for any kerb damage.</p>

<h3><strong>Gearbox issues</strong></h3>

<p>Some owners have complained of issues with the DSG automatic gearbox, so check that changes are smooth and quiet.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If you're looking for information on the older model, click here for our <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/tiguan/estate/used-review/n726">used review of&nbsp;the 2007-2016&nbsp;Volkswagen Tiguan</a>.</p>


<p>One of the biggest complaints made of this second-generation <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/volkswagen">Volkswagen</a> Tiguan when it arrived in 2016 was its price. Because it had expanded in size to increase interior space and had been deliberately pushed upmarket to challenge the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x1/estate/used-review/n812">BMW X1</a>, costs dramatically increased. Since then, though,&nbsp;depreciation has taken its toll, allowing used buyers the chance to benefit from all that added refinement without having to pay over the odds for it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>All the traditional <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/family-suv">SUV</a> qualities are present and correct: a practical interior, an elevated driving position&nbsp;and&nbsp;rugged looks. There’s also the option of four-wheel drive on most variants&nbsp;and a stretched seven-seater <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/tiguan-allspace/estate/review/n17379">Allspace </a>version.</p>

<p>There was&nbsp;also a wide range of engines from launch. The diesel line-up opens&nbsp;with the 113bhp 2.0&nbsp;TDI, which can feel a little short of puff. Next up is the&nbsp;best-selling 148bhp 2.0 TDI, which offers a fine blend of performance and economy. There are also more powerful 187bhp&nbsp;and twin-turbo&nbsp;237bhp&nbsp;versions of the 2.0-litre&nbsp;engine, which offer increasing levels of get-up-and-go&nbsp;at the cost of additional&nbsp;fuel consumption.</p>

<p>The petrols begin with a 123bhp 1.4-litre TSI, which is&nbsp;the most affordable engine of the lot&nbsp;but&nbsp;can struggle a bit on inclines. The 148bhp 1.4 TSI is better&nbsp;but still lacks the low-rev pulling power of the diesels. Both 1.4-litre&nbsp;engines were replaced by the 1.5 TSI Evo&nbsp;in 2018, offering two power outputs: 128bhp&nbsp;and 148bhp. The 178bhp 2.0-litre TSI&nbsp;petrol engine feels quick&nbsp;but&nbsp;lacks the in-gear flexibility of the diesels. This was replaced by an updated 187bhp&nbsp;version&nbsp;and a&nbsp;227bhp&nbsp;version that was&nbsp;added to the range in 2019.</p>

<p>Post-2019 models slimmed the range to the 1.5 TSI engine in 130 and 150 versions, and the 2.0 TDI diesel in 150 and 200 versions.&nbsp;There's also an eHybrid which combines&nbsp;a 1.4-litre petrol engine with an electric motor. In electric mode, the top speed is 81mph and the battery provides an official range of 31 miles with enough acceleration to keep pace in traffic. When the petrol engine joins in, it brings near-<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/hot-hatch">hot hatch</a>&nbsp;performance when you want it (0-62mph takes just 7.5 seconds).</p>

<p>The trim levels initially started with S, which gives you air conditioning, 17in alloy wheels, electric windows and an 8.0in touchscreen infotainment system.&nbsp;SE&nbsp;adds tri-zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors and cruise control, while SE Nav&nbsp;adds sat-nav. SEL trim gives you a digital instrument display, LED headlights and 19in&nbsp;wheels, while range-topping R-Line versions gain&nbsp;sportier styling tweaks,&nbsp;20in wheels and stiffer sports suspension.</p>

<p>SE and SE Nav were combined as part of model revisions in 2019 to become Match. This new trim level gets 19in alloys, a rear-view camera, keyless entry and a parking assistance&nbsp;feature. R-Line Tech became the new top model and added&nbsp;an electric tailgate and a surround-view camera system.</p>

<p>Later, post-2019 models had a range trimmed down to Elegance, Life R-Line and Tiguan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On the road, the Tiguan rides and handles very nicely indeed. It can smother road imperfections and speed bumps admirably, while still being firm enough to offer the kind of handling that the owner of a normal&nbsp;hatchback would be used to.</p>

<p>But it’s in the area of refinement that the Tiguan scores highest. Noise levels are very low with any of the engines available&nbsp;and wind and road noise are&nbsp;kept to a minimum, even at higher speeds. The manual gearbox is light and easy to use, while the dual-clutch&nbsp;automatic (DSG) is smooth and soothing the vast majority of the time, with only the occasional jerk at low speeds.</p>

<p>The interior doesn't excite, but its solid build quality, soft-touch plastics and good-looking materials will please any owner. The driving position is excellent&nbsp;and visibility is good, too.</p>

<p>There’s plenty of space up front&nbsp;and rear passengers get lots of leg and head room, with three-abreast seating fine even for adults. It’s&nbsp;flexible, too, with&nbsp;split-folding, sliding and reclining rear seats, and the boot is large even by&nbsp;class standards. The seven-seat&nbsp;Allspace has two third-row seats that are fine for shorter adults&nbsp;but only for very short journeys.</p>

<p>Safety and security kit are also top-notch, with automatic emergency braking standard on all models&nbsp;and a five-star Euro NCAP&nbsp;score.</p>

<p>If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/volkswagen/tiguan?nearlynew=true&amp;used=true&amp;yearFrom=2016&amp;page=2">used Tiguan</a>, or any of the other SUVs mentioned here, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.</p>

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Used Volkswagen Tiguan 2016-present review

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Which used Volkswagen Tiguan estate should I buy?

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