Interested!

[Mike'A]

Hi Y'all, Been looking at a replacement for my Tiguan, I will be doing less mileage and have the 1.4tsi SE SV DGS in my sights, not actually sat in one at the moment. All the vehicles I've owned have been manual gear boxes, the DGS boxes seem to be more reliable nowadays and I may consider one. All the vehicles at work are auto's, they do make for a more relaxed days driving. I would like some information on mpg and if the auto box is suited etc!

Many Thanks

Mike

[CJJE]

That's the car I've been driving for 9670 miles and 11 months now!

We came from a Golf Plus rather than a Tiguan, and are very pleased with it. The dashboard and electronics are a later generation than the current Tiguan (although the 2016 model will overtake it slightly) and it also has a spare wheel hiding under the boot floor which I believe is absent in the Tiguan. When I bought my previous Golf Plus I looked at the Tiguan and Yeti, but decided that in the Midlands a FWD car with winter tyres made more sense that a 4WD car. Certainly that combination has not let me down over the past 4 years.

Compared with the Tiguan, you might find the SV slightly lower - but it is still much easier to enter or leave than the normal Golf due to its height. It is certainly roomy too, with a very useful sliding rear seat that can either give you a massive boot with less rear legroom, or a merely large boot with ample rear legroom.

My Golf Plus had the 1.6TDI engine with a DSG box - my first auto box since I drove my parent's Morris Marina! - and I loved the combination, The only complaint was that the 1.6TDI engine was set to run at low RPM in a high gear when driving round town and I found it a bit too lumpy. So when I swapped to my SV I went for the 1.4TSI engine and DSG (I also found my annual mileage was dropping from 15,000 to nearer 10,000.) This gives me a quieter car than the 1.6TDI was, with ample performance as the gearbox will readily change down for added oomph, and can of course be boosted even more by snicking it back into Sport mode. Fuel consumption is difficult to compare since it can vary so much with terrain, journey lengths etc. But for what it's worth I've got an overall MPG over 11 months of 42.2 mpg (measured with a topped up tank on every re-fill). My best was 46.6 mpg when touring in France.

I would have thought your local dealers should have some SVs in stock for you to try though! Mine always seem to have a new one in the showroom, a demo car on the road, and a couple of used cars on the forecourt! You should be able to try the engine/gearbox combination too even if it's not in an SV. My DSG box seems to be getting smoother and smoother - and it wasn't a problem when it was new either! It does encourage you to adopt a smoother cruising style of driving, but can still react quickly when you need it too. I haven't opted for the paddle controls as for the most part I just let it do its thing. If you do need to change down, then a pull of the gear selector does it for you, or if you need to hold it in low gear for long steep descents (probably not a problem in the parts of Lincolnshire that I've driven in) then you just push it over to the side to choose gears manually.

I'm a complete convert to the DSG box now, as indeed I love the auto lights, auto wipers, climate control etc. My only bugbear is the auto instrument panel lights that can turn off when I want them turned on!

Chris

[Mike'A]

Thankyou for a comprehensive report. The Tiguan does have a space saver spare wheel I would not be without one! The Tig is a good motor, slightly harsh ride with enough space for my needs. I've had experience of the 1.4 tsi engine in the new Jetta, manual, very torquey and surprising, build quality wasn't typicle VW and made in Mexico, (heard reports of quality control not being up to the German standards)!

4 motion does seem a little unessacery for the commute, it can be entertaining though, truck like compared to the wife's Touran. It's that two wheel drive and roll I miss.

Dsg does seem the way to go, working with auto's in towns and cities is a dream!

Space may be a problem with the SV, (golf clubs and trollies and a cycle, not at the same time) so I am going to keep my options open and view the SV and the new Tiguan at the same time.

Many Thanks


Mike

[CJJE]

Hi Mike,

The SV has slightly more luggage room than the current Tiguan according to the brochures - although the 2016 Tiguan may grow a bit.


This SV forum is very quiet, a more active one is over at Golf SV (type AM) 2014 onwards (http://www.volkswagenforum.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=125)

Chris

[Mike'A]

Hi Chris,
Surprised at the extra room in the SV, I'll try the other site.

Cheers Mike