Originally Posted by
Gladbach
OK, here is a review so far - I've tried to cover everything but I know that there is so much I have missed. I'll add some more soon.
The car is amazing. To be completely honest, when I picked it up yesterday it took me a little while to acclimatise. It drives so differently to my 2012 Jetta so I was driving quite tentatively. I'm a lot more used it now, and the more I drive it, the more I love it.
-It was mentioned recently, but the progressive steering is possibly the best feature of the R-Line pack. It reaches full lock so quickly that navigating around abounds, performing U-turns and parking are absolute pleasures. The steering wheel itself is also superb.
-The interior lighting is really nice. Key areas being the buttons on the dash, the buttons on the ceiling, the foot well, the sides of the doors (LED strip), the bottom of the door sill (LED strip) and, in the case of a sunroof, the lovely LED strip that runs either side from front to back. The brightness is adjustable in the discover pro unit.
-I have enough head room, even with the sunroof. I'm 185cm. The sunroof is really nice, I know that sunroofs divide opinion, but the one in the Tiguan is lovely and large. Driving around the beach areas with the sunroof open is really nice, lovely fresh, coastal air entering the cabin without the "wind on your face" feeling that you get with the windows down. It’s a novelty for me having never had a sunroof, it was my wife that really wanted it, but I'm very impressed. Perhaps the novelty will wear off after a while but for now I'll enjoy it.
-The DSG is so much smoother and more sure of itself when compared with my 2012 Jetta (6 speed wet clutch). It's has taken me a little while to get used to as I've been overcompensating in anticipation of jerkiness. The more I've driven it, then more I've realised that I don't need to baby it as much as I do with the Jetta. In return, I'm getting more initial response in the low range, setting up for a quicker exit from corners and roundabouts etc.
-I've been trying to keep the revs down being a brand new car, but I have had a few sneaky bursts in sports mode. The power is there, and I'm looking forward to opening up the cylinders a bit once I've got around 1500km on the clock. It's not as raw as an older car (I find this every time I drive a new car), but I definitely got a good burst of acceleration. It's a different feeling though, more refined and smooth.
-I love the Active Info Display. I was driving home on Friday night and had one of those moments where you realize that you're in the future that you fantasised about when you were a kid. Even when there is no route programmed, I like having the nav screen (map) up, with the dials smaller and the gear and speed in the dials (I'm really used to having a digital speedo, so I always look for that rather than the speedo needle).
-Initially I was convinced that the sound is thin and lacks clarity. It's not as rich as the Jetta's system, but I'm starting to come around, and I don't think I'll bother with a speaker upgrade.
-I love the auto brake feature (can't remember what it's called) but it allows you to stop and then take your foot off the brake pedal. I tend to put my Jetta in neutral and pull up the handbrake when I'm at a long set of lights, so this feature in the Tiguan is very welcome. Also, I thought the engine off function would really annoy me, but in the short time I've had the car it hasn't been too much trouble.
-The driver's seat adjustment is very comprehensive. I've been slowly adjusting it to get more an more comfortable. The initial setting that I had it on yesterday afternoon was a lot less comfortable that what I've it set to now. The lumber support is magnificent (I hadn't really discovered that until this morning).
-I've got the driver profiles assigned to the keyfobs. It's awesome having he seat and mirrors change between drivers.
-The in built navigation is quite good, better than some I've experienced. Entering addresses is very easy as well, again, easier than some other cars I've driven. I do want to enable the traffic option though.
Overall, the car is really refined, and to be honest, it's hard to believe I'm not driving something with an Audi or BMW badge on it. I've also had a few heads turn! With all of the options, it's quite a pricey car, but considering that I was looking at a Tucson or CX-5 (and X1), the additional spend is well worth it. In my opinion, the level of refinement is miles ahead of the Korean and Japanese counterparts.
The dealer mentioned the complimentary 1500km check-up that's been discussed a bit. It does need to be done by the dealer and Penrith is about a 40 min drive from my work, but surprisingly (for a complimentary check-up) she said that they'd give me a courtesy car. I'll definitely take them up on the offer.
I will have pictures coming soon, I took a bunch today but I have a new phone (Google Pixel) which has a USB-C cable and left the USB-C to USB cable in my Jetta which is parked at work.
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