What is a Tiguan? The Tiguan is a compact SUV built in the Puebla, Mexico, assembly plant and sold in North America by Volkswagen. The 2025 Tiguan is a completely redesigned crossover SUV that is now exclusively a 2 row vehicle. It features a new platform, an updated turbocharged engine, and a more premium interior, with a large infotainment screen and colorful digital displays. The new model offers improved technology, safety features and a more athletic exterior design.
The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV competes primarily with compact crossovers like the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Subaru Forester and the Mazda CX-50. This is a pretty large field of SUV’s to choose from and the VW Tiguan has a clear advantage over all of them.
The 2025 VW Tiguan is considered a best buy for its upscale and spacious interior, refined European driving dynamics, and updated technology, which sets it apart from the competitors. Its turbocharged engine offers responsive performance, while the cabin provides high quality materials, and a quieter ride compared to its rivals. Key features include available massaging front seats and a choice between larger touchscreen displays.
There are five good reasons the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan is a strong compact SUV to buy:
Upscale and spacious interior: The cabin features high quality materials with soft touch surfaces and a refined design that has a more premium feel than many competitors. It also offers one of the roomiest cabins in its class, with generous second row legroom and lots of flexible rear cargo space for all your stuff and gear.
Refined driving experience: The Tiguan’s turbocharged engine is tuned for a smoother and more responsive feel, delivering a composed and confident ride. The handling is described as agile and confident, providing a more engaging driving experience.
Updated technology: The 2025 model comes with new, larger touchscreen options, a 12.9″ and a 15″ screen, and a new platform that improves performance and tech integration.
European Styling: The Tiguan brings a distinctive, upscale European design to the compact crossover SUV market, which many consumers may find appealing.
Changes for 2025: The new Tiguan moves the gearshift lever to the column to make room for a larger center console with increased storage space, and overall material quality gets a boost, including real wood accents, and a leather and heated steering wheel.
To showcase this new model, this week Volkswagen sent me a Tiguan SEL SUV to test drive and review. The base window sticker price for this AWD R-Line Edition is $39,755. The options on the test SUV are: none. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), including the $1,425 delivery charge is: $41,180
After adding in the state and local sales tax, plus the DMV and dealer fees, the out the door and in your garage total purchase price came to $46,328. At just 328 bucks over $46 Grand, you get a nicely optioned, SEL R-Line edition compact SUV with 4-Motion AWD that gets 22 MPG in the city, 30 MPG on the highway and a nice 25 MPG in combined driving. Plus, this SUV costs $2,418 less than the average transaction price of $48,800.
You should consider buying the 2025 VW Tiguan for its premium feel at a mainstream price, upgraded standard tech and safety features, and a refined driving experience. New features include a more powerful turbocharged engine, a redesigned exterior and interior with high quality materials, and a comprehensive set of driver assistance technologies included on all trims. Additionally, a new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model offers significant electric powered only driving range.
Six more reasons to buy a 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL R-Line 4 Motion SUV:
Premium interior and exterior: The Tiguan has undergone a significant redesign, with a more modern and aggressive exterior look and a high quality interior featuring premium materials, like quilted leather and genuine walnut wood trim on higher equipped models.
Advanced standard technology: Every model now comes with standard features that were previously optional, or unavailable, including a 12.9″ inch touchscreen, digital cockpit pro, and a comprehensive set of IQ.DRIVE driver assistance features, such as front braking assist and lane changing assist.
More powerful and responsive engine: The turbocharged 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engine is updated for 2025, now producing 201 horsepower (HP) and up to 221 pound-feet of torque, routed through an 8 speed automatic transmission for improved performance, especially in the mid driving range for acceleration and merging.
Comfortable and refined driving experience: Despite being a compact SUV, the Tiguan offers a German inspired blend of a comfortable ride and composed handling. The ride is firm enough for confidence in corners, but remains pleasant for daily driving.
Plug-in hybrid option: A new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant is available, which provides an impressive 62 miles of all electric range, and supports DC level 3 fast charging.
More value for your money: The new 2025 Tiguan offers a luxury like feel, without the premium brand price tag, making it a smart and stylish choice in the compact SUV class.
The 2025 Tiguan starts at the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), of $29,495 for the front wheel drive (FWD) S trim model, plus a $1,425 destination fee. Higher trims like the SE start around $30,456, the SE R-Line Black is in the mid $35,000s, and the top tier SEL R-Line has the window sticker starting at $39,755. The final price will depend on the options, sales tax, dealer and DMV fees, minus any factory discounts or rebates.
Why then is the 2025 VW Tiguan SUV a best buy in its class? The engine is more powerful, the sheet metal is more streamlined, and it got better and leaner all around. In the process, it shed its third row seat, got more upscale options, has new touch screen based digital controls and tech and now the Tiguan SUV is VW’s best selling vehicle.
So call, click or visit your local Volkswagen dealer for a test drive, and a Bottom Line price review, on the new 2025 Tiguan SEL R-Line 4 Motion SUV. And remember that the base price for a new Tiguan starts at only $29,495. “Now Anybody can drive like Somebody.” This is the specific new tagline for the 2025 Tiguan SUV sales campaign, highlighting accessible luxury and design, with a starting price of less than $30,000.
The key to life is to learn something new every day, and by reading my Bottom Line review, I hope you did just that, learned about something new and exciting. So, be smart, stay safe, and just breathe. Remember, You Are What You Drive, and maybe, just for those reasons alone, you should Drive one, Buy one, Today. Drive safely, have a great day, and enjoy the ride, as the future looks nice and bright – Tony the Car Guy.
This Bottom Line new vehicle review is a Nut & Bolt and Dollars & Sense editorial provided by Tony Leopardo. Tony the Car Guy is an automotive writer, editor and publisher in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you have a question, or comment for Tony, send it to tonyleo@pacbell.net and visit AutoWire.Net at www.autowire.net