2023 Volkswagen Tiguan Review

The Tiguan is a small crossover with comfort, space and standout styling reminiscent of the larger Volkswagen Atlas and even budget-busting Audis. The interior is also quite nice, especially on the top-trim version that has real leather seating, contrast-color stitching and a sharp digital instrument panel. A pleasant, controlled ride is another Tiguan strength, as is the vast amount of passenger and cargo space. There's so much room, in fact, that the Tiguan is one of the few compact SUVs with an optional third row of seating.

The tough truth, though, is that many two-row crossovers in the compact segment offer those same strengths. Competitors like the Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5 are quicker, while the Hyundai Tucson and Subaru Forester are less expensive. To see if the Tiguan offers the features and flexibility you want in a small SUV, read on to see what our experts have to say about the Tiguan.

Volkswagen offers the 2023 Tiguan SUV in four trim levels: S, SE, SE R-Line Black and SEL R-Line. They all have a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (184 horsepower, 221 lb-ft of torque) and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard with the S, SE and SE R-Line Black trims, as is a third-row seat. All-wheel drive is optional for these versions of the Tiguan, and it eliminates the third row. The SEL R-Line includes standard all-wheel drive, hill descent control and two rows.