Price Volkswagen Tiguan

Design Volkswagen Tiguan

The Volkswagen Tiguan hasn't exactly enjoyed booming success on the U.S. market. In a land populated by a people distrustful of anything with less than a league of ground clearance under the belly pan, the high-riding CUV should have been right at home.

But a preponderance of well-oiled competitors like the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape meant elbowing onto the scene was a bit more difficult than Volkswagen anticipated. That trend has been hard to buck in the three years since the machine first touched our shores. While the model has seen a steady climb from the 13,903 units it sold in 2009 to the 25,990 that went home last year, those figures pale in comparison to the heavyweight Honda. Buyers bought nearly eight times the number of CR-V models in 2011.

Volkswagen chose to run the refresh playbook word-for-word on the 2012 Tiguan, starting with a new front fascia. The CUV's nose now wears the same corporate grille found elsewhere in the stable, and the change is for the better. The split bar looks handsome enough and helps draw some much-needed parallels to the larger Touareg.

LED daytime running lights now grace the headlights up front, and a simplified bumper cover takes much of the business from the crossover's face. Of course, the change also more closely links the machine to the Golf. That's fitting given both machines share a chassis.

By contrast, competitors like the 2012 Honda CR-V and 2013 Ford Escape are stuck with fixed rear benches, though that fact doesn't impede the two on space. The CR-V delivers 2.5 inches more rear leg room and a full 13.4 more cubic feet of cargo area with the rear seats up. Likewise, the Escape is no slouch.

Engine Volkswagen Tiguan

The Ford serves up 36.8 inches of rear leg room to the Tiguan's 35.8, and 34.3 cubic feet of cargo space. Compared to the 23.8 cubes found in the Volkswagen, the Escape begins to look downright cavernous.

Then there's the price. A well-equipped, front-wheel-drive Tiguan hits the wallet for a lofty $31,425 with destination. While that does include the nice leatherette interior, expansive sunroof and navigation, there's little else on this machine. By comparison, the 2013 Ford Escape starts at $22,470, and the SEL trim with its real leather seats and MyFord Touch system lands at $29,790 with a more powerful EcoBoost 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Likewise, the 2012 Honda CR-V EX-L serves up all the niceties of our Tiguan in a $29,325 package. All prices include destination.