My Tiguan has arrived and this is my experience so far

[Gladbach]

You just confirmed what I posted, restricted driving time, stock video etc.

I guess I was trying to reassure you that it's not just a sign of the times, but merely a timing issue.

[Ozsko]

I know what you mean and I realise that what has taken place was only a taster for the journos. A normal road test these days does not go into detail like they used to, brake tests, performance figures, are the seats actually comfortable and so on which was the point I was trying to make. I like it when a new model appears and the journos proceed to bag the old one but when the old one was current they never said a word.

[IsDon]

I'll preface this with I haven't taken delivery of our Tig yet. Next month fingers crossed. I do, however, own a 3 year old Audi A6 that I've tinkered with extensively. The answers are based on my knowledge of VAG vehicles in general, and how expect they will work on the Tig. Many of the systems are identical to that found in the later Audis.

Does the car lock itself once you turn it off and walk away?

I haven't activated this personally, but I believe it is something that can be easily activated with VCDS.

I didnt have the time to actually check it out. Also how long does the engine fan stay on after car is switched off?

The only time the fan stays running after the engine is switched off, as far as I've witnessed, is when the car decides it needs to do a DPF regen. This is a clever system, but it only applies to diesel vehicles. If the diesel has spent a lot of time in city traffic the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) can start to load up. When it get to a certain percentage of its maximum load it does a regen which, I understand, involves pumping fuel into the DPF to heat it up and burn off the particulates which then end up as soot. If you reach your destination and turn off the engine before it completes this operation, it continues with the engine switched off. The fan will run flat out while this finishes. Could be 5-10 minutes. You'll also notice an acrid smell. If you're ordering a petrol then ignore all of the above.

And lastly how do you activate the feature that lets you keep safe distance with car in front of you??

If you're asking about adaptive cruise control then this is active by default. To actually use it you just switch it on like any other cruise control. The only additional control is a setting for the distance you want it to maintain from the vehicle ahead. Personal preference. Too far and cars jump into the gap in front of you. Bloody annoying. Too close makes for nervous passengers.

Oh and for me personally first thing indo when i start up the car is to immediately turn off auto start stop function since ive read how it will ruin the battery in the long term.

Personally I think the issues with start stop ruining the battery are rubbish. It is a very clever system that will only turn off the donk when a whole bunch of hurdles are met. Battery above a certain charge, air conditioner compressor not required, engine up to temperature, stationary, foot fairly firmly in the brake etc etc etc. Like you I thought I would hate it. Now I actually think it's pretty cool. If it cuts down on the diesel idling in traffic (which is bad for them) you will probably save yourself some maintenance later on and save yourself some fuel. A lot more than you would pay for a new battery even if this was an issue, which I doubt.

That said, if you really want it gone this is easily accomplished with VCDS. Your options are to have it never activate (by changing the threshold battery voltage to a higher figure than the battery will ever get to.

Or to set it so the car remembers what your preference was when you turned off the engine. By default it will reactivate each time you start the car so you have to push the button to turn it off each time you start the car. With VCDS you can set it to remember what you had set when you switched the engine off last. If you turned it off before turning off the engine, when you next start the engine it will remain off. This is a good middle ground.

I live in the Shire in South Sydney. I have a VCDS to help with these things if you wish.

[REXman]

You just confirmed what I posted, restricted driving time, stock video etc.

I think it's important to make the distinction that they do not have the authority to write something negative.

Maybe a meaningless point, "I don't like the position of the aircon buttons" for example. This gives it a flavour of it being a real review.

They couldn't write "it was awful to drive, handled like a barge, gross interior", or something of that nature.

Unfortunately they aren't reviews, they are controlled advertisements.



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[Ozsko]

I think it's important to make the distinction that they do not have the authority to write something negative.

Oh Really! What happened to the independent press? Are you saying that VW lines up the journos and gives them a lecture on what they are allowed to write? I don't doubt that it happens but what self respecting journo would play that game when they all profess to be independent.

[REXman]

Self respecting is the key word.. or "bills to pay" is probably the culprit.


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[Ozsko]

Bills to pay never concerned journos years ago so why should it be any different now. If it had a problem they said so unlike today where barely a criticism ever gets uttered.

[JB286]

After a very long wait I finally managed to get my hands on my 162 R-Line with DAP and Sunroof.

I picked it up on Thursday afternoon and have spent a bit of time getting used to it, learning about it, finding out what else I need to know and driving it on regular work and weekend duties.

My thoughts so far:

Overall

It is an impressive overall package with all the options and looks amazing with the R-Line package. The 20inch wheels look fantastic and really give the car a sporty and muscular presence on the road. The sunroof for me is a must have as once you stow the inside blind, the car becomes much lighter and feels a lot more spacious. I also love driving with windows open but sometimes the noise can become too much, the sunroof means I can get the fresh air without having to open the windows. It has also been great for letting all the hot air out of the car after sitting at cricket for most of the day. The headlights are super impressive, extremely white light and great range. Haven't really tested the dynamic hi beams or the auto dimming (I don't think I have anyway) but the normal lights are fantastic.

Negatives
Will get this bit out of the way first. Requested the tow bar option but when we went to pick it up we were told that there was a software issue and that the delivery would be delayed. From what I was told they were unable to get the towing updates into my car and this was a known issue from VW Australia. This then meant that they weren't willing to let me have the full tow bar until they have the software update sorted. So they went to pull the tow bar tongue off and then took it for a test drive only for the ACC to play up so they asked us to come back in 30 mins while they sorted it. We returned an hour later and still not fixed so we sat around for another 30 mins or so until it was finally sorted. So no tow bar and not really the greatest delivery experience. And as we found out later, probably less than half a tank of petrol included.

Positives
Sport mode is awesome!! If I wasn't paying for petrol, that is where it would live all the time. I prefer the tighter suspension and the better response from the throttle but the gears hold on for just a bit too long to be used in normal operations. Active Cruise Control is also fantastic once you get used to it and have used it pretty much every time I get in the car now. It is also very spacious and comfortable, the R-Line seats feel fantastic to me but YMMV. I love the Virtual Cockpit once I sorted out my driving profile and getting the information that I want on display.

I am very happy with the car, the boot space could be a little bit more as it struggled with two (admittedly massive) cricket kits without having to fold a seat down. I wish the Virtual Cockpit was a little more flexible with customising it (big speed readout on right plus fuel economy on left instead of gear selected for example) and the central infotainment display is a little boring when not in NAV mode. It will take some time to fully understand all of what it can do and how to best use it. We had a 1 hour session being shown how to set everything up and while the guy was great and knowledgeable, it can be information overload. I highly recommend reading the manual.

Driver profiles are fantastic, you can set 3 and it remembers your seat, mirrors and Virtual Cockpit setup so that is one less thing I need to get coded in VCDS and you can also configure the windows to open and close if you hold down the appropriate key button.

I should have got a boot lip protector, that will probably be requested for when I have to take it back in for the tow bar update but apart from that no regrets or concerns. Still thinking about the idea of a tune, not sold just yet for how I use the vehicle but I wouldn't mind upgrading the brakes just for own piece of mind when the time comes to replace the current ones. Apart from that, just need to find a roof rack that can clear the sunroof and she will be already for some camping and road trips.

Hope that this helps people, happy to answer any questions anyone might have!



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[Gladbach]

Great write up, thanks. I love reading everyone's reviews. I wasn't aware that the mirror settings, seat settings and active info display settings where all linked to the driver profile - that's great info, and news well received

[Chocolate_Bear]

After a very long wait I finally managed to get my hands on my 162 R-Line with DAP and Sunroof.

I picked it up on Thursday afternoon and have spent a bit of time getting used to it, learning about it, finding out what else I need to know and driving it on regular work and weekend duties.

My thoughts so far:

Overall

It is an impressive overall package with all the options and looks amazing with the R-Line package. The 20inch wheels look fantastic and really give the car a sporty and muscular presence on the road. The sunroof for me is a must have as once you stow the inside blind, the car becomes much lighter and feels a lot more spacious. I also love driving with windows open but sometimes the noise can become too much, the sunroof means I can get the fresh air without having to open the windows. It has also been great for letting all the hot air out of the car after sitting at cricket for most of the day. The headlights are super impressive, extremely white light and great range. Haven't really tested the dynamic hi beams or the auto dimming (I don't think I have anyway) but the normal lights are fantastic.

Negatives
Will get this bit out of the way first. Requested the tow bar option but when we went to pick it up we were told that there was a software issue and that the delivery would be delayed. From what I was told they were unable to get the towing updates into my car and this was a known issue from VW Australia. This then meant that they weren't willing to let me have the full tow bar until they have the software update sorted. So they went to pull the tow bar tongue off and then took it for a test drive only for the ACC to play up so they asked us to come back in 30 mins while they sorted it. We returned an hour later and still not fixed so we sat around for another 30 mins or so until it was finally sorted. So no tow bar and not really the greatest delivery experience. And as we found out later, probably less than half a tank of petrol included.

Positives
Sport mode is awesome!! If I wasn't paying for petrol, that is where it would live all the time. I prefer the tighter suspension and the better response from the throttle but the gears hold on for just a bit too long to be used in normal operations. Active Cruise Control is also fantastic once you get used to it and have used it pretty much every time I get in the car now. It is also very spacious and comfortable, the R-Line seats feel fantastic to me but YMMV. I love the Virtual Cockpit once I sorted out my driving profile and getting the information that I want on display.

I am very happy with the car, the boot space could be a little bit more as it struggled with two (admittedly massive) cricket kits without having to fold a seat down. I wish the Virtual Cockpit was a little more flexible with customising it (big speed readout on right plus fuel economy on left instead of gear selected for example) and the central infotainment display is a little boring when not in NAV mode. It will take some time to fully understand all of what it can do and how to best use it. We had a 1 hour session being shown how to set everything up and while the guy was great and knowledgeable, it can be information overload. I highly recommend reading the manual.

Driver profiles are fantastic, you can set 3 and it remembers your seat, mirrors and Virtual Cockpit setup so that is one less thing I need to get coded in VCDS and you can also configure the windows to open and close if you hold down the appropriate key button.

I should have got a boot lip protector, that will probably be requested for when I have to take it back in for the tow bar update but apart from that no regrets or concerns. Still thinking about the idea of a tune, not sold just yet for how I use the vehicle but I wouldn't mind upgrading the brakes just for own piece of mind when the time comes to replace the current ones. Apart from that, just need to find a roof rack that can clear the sunroof and she will be already for some camping and road trips.

Hope that this helps people, happy to answer any questions anyone might have!



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Congrats mate! Nice review ! Thanks for sharing! Car looks sweet !! Good luck with the tow bar and safe driving


Tiguan 162tsi rline (May 2017) - NSW, Northern Beaches