2016 VW Tiguan

[Wretched]

[blueoval]

Nice. I can see myself in one of these.

[Big_Daz]

Looks nice... this could be a contender to replace my wifes beloved CR-V next year...

[Polyal]

R version?

[superfly]

No way I'd ever buy a VW. Servicing is too dear. The car don't look too bad though.

[Sabantien]

Looks like an oversized, sporty hatchback. Which I guess is exactly what it is.

[new2ford]

There's a new Yeti on the way. Always go for the Skoda equivalent if you want a more reliable and practical car.

The only glitch with Skoda is that they (being forced to?) use the vile VW DSG auto gearbox. If only Skoda was free to use a torque converter box they'd leave VW completely, instead of mostly, in the dust.

Our local dealer has been selling Yetis at a rate of about 10 to 1 Tiguan.

[SumoDog68]

Skoda is high on customer satisfaction In UK because they have excellent dealerships and are great value . People love a bargain especially if it uses technology from higher ranked brand ( who in fact owns it) . Octavia RS is often described as bargain Golf Gti or same as Gti.
Skodas are VWs with repackaged body shapes but otherwise no different to VW. It is part of a plan to offer value brand and luxury brand ( Skoda , Seat , Audi) that all originate from VW platforms .
In Australia Skoda is an orphan brand that is nowhere near successful like it is in Europe.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by SumoDog68

Skoda is high on customer satisfaction In UK because they have excellent dealerships and are great value . People love a bargain especially if it uses technology from higher ranked brand ( who in fact owns it) . Octavia RS is often described as bargain Golf Gti or same as Gti.
Skodas are VWs with repackaged body shapes but otherwise no different to VW. It is part of a plan to offer value brand and luxury brand ( Skoda , Seat , Audi) that all originate from VW platforms .
In Australia Skoda is an orphan brand that is nowhere near successful like it is in Europe.

Skoda is VAG's quality brand

If only they had the freedom to avoid the bad bits from the VAG parts bin, like the DSG. But that would be an admission of a problem for VAG. Driving with DSG in traffic (roundabouts, stop-go etc) feels like you've got dirt in the fuel line and gives you some frightening moments. Cruising on the open road it's fine. The manuals from VAG on the other hand are great and are the one to buy if you're buying one of their brands.

In Australia, I think people just don't recognise what Skodas represent, that's the problem. Not just better value but better quality, more reliable, more practical and more spacious inside. They're no brainers. It perplexes my why anybody would buy a VW.

[mechanic]

Looks like a nice little car for around town like all the others on the market.
Once out of the 80 zone give me a rear wheel drive 6 or 8 any day.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by mechanic

Looks like a nice little car for around town like all the others on the market.
Once out of the 80 zone give me a rear wheel drive 6 or 8 any day.

Old prejudices die hard! FWD only starts losing the plot on larger cars like SUVs, on smaller cars it's fine.

Sure there are poor FWDs but a positive point about the VAG platforms is that they're excellent high speed cruisers (I'm talking about 130-160+, not the tame Australian speeds) and on the twisty bits they don't feel like FWDs at all. Throw in the internal space of a Skoda and there's nothing you miss from that RWD 6 or 8.

I was driving an Octavia 200 km every week at high speed in Europe and its surge of reserve power for quick overtaking at 130-160 was awesome. And you're also being overtaken by little buzzboxes doing 160. These cars are designed for speeds that are never reached in Australia and are often really quite comfortable.

And the Tiguan/Yeti aren't a little car as you find when you get up close.

Mind you I'm driving a RWD-based BMW now, so I can't speak. Do as I say not as I do

[SumoDog68]

Originally Posted by new2ford

Skoda is VAG's quality brand

If only they had the freedom to avoid the bad bits from the VAG parts bin, like the DSG. But that would be an admission of a problem for VAG. Driving with DSG in traffic (roundabouts, stop-go etc) feels like you've got dirt in the fuel line and gives you some frightening moments. Cruising on the open road it's fine. The manuals from VAG on the other hand are great and are the one to buy if you're buying one of their brands.

In Australia, I think people just don't recognise what Skodas represent, that's the problem. Not just better value but better quality, more reliable, more practical and more spacious inside. They're no brainers. It perplexes my why anybody would buy a VW.

We bought a Yeti diesel DSG 6 speed in Melbourne for MIL and drove it interstate for her - it is great little car and there is not much wrong with DSG either. I suggested it because she is going to keep it ( resale not the best with Skodas) and it was discounted to 30k from RRP 40k+ for a new car. Her country town VW dealer is happy to service it and the car is economical ,practical and quirky in a good way. Of course she has never heard of Skoda let alone Yeti before but loves it now .

[mick74GT]

Originally Posted by superfly

No way I'd ever buy a VW. Servicing is too dear. The car don't look too bad though.

Hey mate,

You would be surprised regarding the servicing. It isn't that much more expensive. Its more down to the dealer you go to.

My wife has a VW GTD. In 5 years she has put 160,000k on it. All we have spent on that car is servicing costs and tyres. the 100k service was expensive ($1700), otherwise they are mainly around the $330 mark.

the car still drives like new. pretty happy with VW. don't believe everything you read.

cheers

[Raptor]

Originally Posted by new2ford

Skoda is VAG's quality brand

If only they had the freedom to avoid the bad bits from the VAG parts bin, like the DSG. But that would be an admission of a problem for VAG. Driving with DSG in traffic (roundabouts, stop-go etc) feels like you've got dirt in the fuel line and gives you some frightening moments. Cruising on the open road it's fine. The manuals from VAG on the other hand are great and are the one to buy if you're buying one of their brands.

In Australia, I think people just don't recognise what Skodas represent, that's the problem. Not just better value but better quality, more reliable, more practical and more spacious inside. They're no brainers. It perplexes my why anybody would buy a VW.

N2F, I agree with most of what you say but what have you got against VW and DSG?

My disclaimer is that SWMBO has a VW EOS 2.0TSI with DSG, so I am probably biased towards them and want to defend my purchasing decisions

The DSG (the 6 speed) in the EOS has been fine, in fact I love it. Yes it takes a bit to train your right foot as the take up is more like a clutched car (which it is) rather than one with a convertor but once familiar it poses no problems. It just requires fine modulation of the accelerator pedal at slow speeds and from a stopped position. I'd buy a DSG again next car, no hesitation.

Skoda don't offer a sexy 4-seater hardtop convertible with the Gti engine so I choose a VW. Very happy

Top-down pics;



Back on topic. I've been umming and ahhing about whether to replace the Territory with a Skoda Scout for a while now, maybe I should wait for the new Tiguan before I decide. That looks good and would no doubt be large enough now that the teenagers move into adulthood and drive their own cars and still offer some of the Territory practicality



.

[new2ford]

OK I'll grant you that sexy beast in your photos

The main point about the DSG is why should the buyer be required to adapt the use of their right foot just to satisfy some car manufacturer's eccentricity when the natural thing when you want power is to simply plant your foot down? It's a very non-intuitive transmission.

I'm presently stepping between a car with ZF (also previously in the Territory) and one with DSG and I've always been a Fangio! The ZF gives me what I want in buckets straight away whereas if I forget I'm in the DSG car it gives me a heart-stopping pause while it sorts itself out, not to mention accelerating arthritically after you've tricked it. No car should be hobbled like that, especially when it increases your chance of being wiped out at an intersection.

Dual clutch is a dead end technology IMHO. They're just doing it to get better fuel consumption, but such a tiny gain (if at all) is hardly worth the compromise.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by mick74GT

Hey mate,

You would be surprised regarding the servicing. It isn't that much more expensive. Its more down to the dealer you go to.

My wife has a VW GTD. In 5 years she has put 160,000k on it. All we have spent on that car is servicing costs and tyres. the 100k service was expensive ($1700), otherwise they are mainly around the $330 mark.

the car still drives like new. pretty happy with VW. don't believe everything you read.

cheers

I dunno, the owner of the VW Golf who cracked it at the price of a new door lock assembly wasn't too happy when I told them it would cost $1100, which only included 1 hour labour to fit it.

Same deal on B series Falcon is like $300 odd.

[mick74GT]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

I dunno, the owner of the VW Golf who cracked it at the price of a new door lock assembly wasn't too happy when I told them it would cost $1100, which only included 1 hour labour to fit it.

Same deal on B series Falcon is like $300 odd.

yeah that's fair enough. Like I said that is our experience.

Point I was trying to get across is we have been lucky enough to have only ever spent money on tyres, rego, and servicing.

$300 doesn't sound like a lot, but $300 here and $300 there ads up..

[mik]

looks a bit X5 ?

[adumb]

We got a 132 TSI R Line for my wife earlier this year and we love it. Streets ahead of my G6ET! Plenty of get up and go for around town and on the freeway.

New one has a bit of a Mistsubishi ASX look to the back too

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by mik

looks a bit X5 ?

I agree, could be those tail lights

[Brazen]

I thought there was talk of a stretched 7 seater version too.

Looks great.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by mik

looks a bit X5 ?

There seem to be a few BMW design themes in there now you mention it!

Drop in a ZF and it might get across the line.

[Cav]

The only point to consider is that you have to get rid of it before the warranty runs out