New 2018 MQB Tiguan

[JSWTDI09]

Well, for a variety of reasons I recently purchased a new 2018 VW Tiguan SE. This is VW’s first MQB Tiguan and it has a new variant of the venerable (if flawed) EA888 2.0L gasoline engine. It is commonly referred to as the EA888 Generation 3b (the “B” is for Budack, but I will get into that later).


First, the chassis is based on the MQB platform just like the newer Golfs, Passats, and Jettas. The wheelbase has been stretched almost 9 inches and the car is about 10.5 inches longer than the previous (PQ35 chassis) Tiguan. This gives enough room for a vestigial 3rd row of seats. This third row of seats is probably only suitable for children. No full-size adult could possibly be comfortable in these seats for any more than a short trip. However, front and second row seating is quite generous. Second and third row seats also fold flat for a large cargo area. Interestingly, for legal reasons, the Front wheel drive version always has the third row of seats but they are a $500 option in the 4motion version. Of course, it also is equipped with rear view camera, emergency self-braking, blind spot detection, car play, Android Auto, etc.



The power train consists of that new “B-cycle” or “Budack cycle” EA888 engine, I mentioned earlier, coupled with an Aisin 8 speed automatic transmission. Apparently the “Budack cycle” is a modified Miller cycle which (as I understand it) is a modified Atkinson cycle. It was named after a VW engine design engineer named Ralf Budack. It is a method of getting more efficiency (read: economy) out of the same size 2.0L engine. It uses a rather complex camshaft design to create a cylinder expansion volume that is larger than the compression volume. Compared to the 2017 EA888 Tiguan engine – it has a little less horsepower but more torque. What I find very interesting is that the increased torque kicks in at a very diesel like 1600 rpms and the torque curve is quite flat to over 4000 rpm. I have no idea why I keep ending up driving new VW engine designs (I had an ’09 TDI). I hope this one turns out to be reasonably reliable. The one thing that worries me a little is that VW says it should use another special motor oil - VW 508/509 which is a 0W-20 full synthetic. I live in a hot climate and I wonder if that might be too thin. Anyway, time will tell. As for economy, it is rated for better mileage that the 2017 even though it is longer and heavier. I have not yet refilled the tank, so I do not have any hand calculated (accurate) mileage numbers, but If I believe the MFD it is beating the EPA estimates in the city by a good margin and 30mpg is not hard to get on the highway. I am not used to a gasser beating the EPA estimates like the TDIs often do. The other good news is that this car comes with a 6 year, 72,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty. If you want more info, Google “EA888 gen (or generation) 3b”.


I believe that this Aisin 8 speed transmission would work perfectly with a diesel engine, as is. For economy, it loves to run the engine at rather low rpms unless you are pushing it. It would probably not even need a tune to change the shift points. It is very smooth shifting. It can sometimes actually be difficult to tell when it shifts unless you are watching the tachometer. It is a real pity that the Tiguan was never sold with a diesel engine on this side of the pond. If there was a new diesel compact SUV that I could fit in and afford, I would be driving it. A Mazda salesman told me that the CX5 diesel should be for sale by February, but I don’t fit well in that car, so I ended up with the Tiguan.


The only “feature” in this car that I have not yet decided whether I like it or not is the auto start-stop. When I come to a stop for more than a few seconds (like at a light) the engine shuts off. It then re-starts as soon as I take my foot off the brake pedal. So far it is working perfectly and it eliminates that one thing I have always hated about slushboxes and that is the tendency to inch forward if you do not put sufficient pressure on the brake pedal. Time will also tell, whether or not this “feature” gets turned off in the future.


Have Fun!


Don

[DerekG]

Thanks for this. I looked at one of these this weekend and it has MUCH more interior room than the previous gen. We will be upgrading my wife's car soon-ish and the new Tiguan wasn't even on our list until I saw one in person on Saturday. We had been considering the new Pilot, a ~2yr old 4runner, and a 2-3yr old X5d.

We test drove the previous gen Tig when my son was born in 2015 and it was just too small and now with another baby on the way our 2004 5-series is about to get really cramped. I priced out an SE with 4motion, 3rd row, and a few accessories (cross bars, bumper protector, mats) and it was right in the price range we have been looking at, but with a much better warranty lol

The only worry I have is the power while towing our camper. It has the towing capacity and I'm sure it will feel stable, but that is one clear advantage the rest of the cars on our list have over the Tig.....

@JSWTDI09 Do you plan to do any towing with it?

[JSWTDI09]

Originally Posted by DerekG

@JSWTDI09 Do you plan to do any towing with it?

No, not at this time. I have nothing to tow and no plans to buy something to tow. I just needed a vehicle that was easier to get in and out of that did not have a clutch pedal.

Have Fun!

Don

[cevans]

Nice purchase JSWTDI09! The new Tiguan, IMO, is spectacular. I'd buy one today if they had an EA288 series in it.
Have you noticed the fuel filler door? It is elongated, ready for a DEF port...I'm holding out some hope that we'll get a diesel version...some day.

[weebl]

JSWTDI09, we just bought one ourselves, a Comfortline (Canadian equivalent to the SE), with the third row and navigation. Love the vehicle so far. Like you, I'm undecided on the stop/start, but I plan on getting VCDS in the near future so I can deal with it if I decide I don't want the stop/start.

We did cross shop outside of the VW brand. The Rav 4 was competent enough, but just lacking in character. The real contender was the Forester with a 6 speed manual. It was a tough call, but the Tiguan edged out over it for us, as there was the option for the third row (in case friends of our kids need a ride), and the road feel and interior seemed nicer to us.

I must say though, that I do really miss our 2014 Passat TDI, as it was a great and trouble free car for us, and is likely to be the last manual we will ever have, given how scarce they are these days, and only becoming more scarce as each year passes.

My only hope now for access to a manual will be when my eldest buys his first set of wheels in a few years' time, though he may just end up buying our slushbox van if it is still running well, and we are looking to part ways with it.

[JSWTDI09]

Originally Posted by weebl

I must say though, that I do really miss our 2014 Passat TDI, as it was a great and trouble free car for us, and is likely to be the last manual we will ever have, given how scarce they are these days, and only becoming more scarce as each year passes.

My only hope now for access to a manual will be when my eldest buys his first set of wheels in a few years' time, though he may just end up buying our slushbox van if it is still running well, and we are looking to part ways with it.

I also really liked my TDI and my manual transmission. However, VW offered me a crazy amount of money for my almost 9 year old car. What they paid me for my old TDI was almost exactly half what my new Tiguan cost me. I am also getting old and I have also been having trouble (pain) in my left knee, so this Tiguan is the first car that I have ever owned without a clutch pedal - in over 50 years of driving. My wife's car still has a clutch, but this one will probably be her last manual as well.

I have reached the age where almost every part of my body hurts (at least occasionally), and those few parts that don't hurt often don't work very well anymore.

Have Fun!

Don

[truman]

The new Tiguan appears to be what the old one should have been.
Visually inspecting the Tiguan and Atlas side by side, the Tiguan seemed more solidly built.
Doors seemed to have more of a German feel than the Atlas. Atlas seems to directly compete with Explorer.
Tiguan and Forester are very direct competitors.
Wife has a 2010 Forester that has been boringly reliable, but underpowered and noisy on the road. Excellent around town, with mediocre fuel economy- 20-22mpg.

[weebl]

Originally Posted by JSWTDI09

I also really liked my TDI and my manual transmission. However, VW offered me a crazy amount of money for my almost 9 year old car. What they paid me for my old TDI was almost exactly half what my new Tiguan cost me. I am also getting old and I have also been having trouble (pain) in my left knee, so this Tiguan is the first car that I have ever owned without a clutch pedal - in over 50 years of driving. My wife's car still has a clutch, but this one will probably be her last manual as well.

I have reached the age where almost every part of my body hurts (at least occasionally), and those few parts that don't hurt often don't work very well anymore.

Have Fun!

Don

Thanks, you too! We were also offered an insane amount for our TDI, which was only a few hundred dollars short of what we paid for it brand new at the beginning of 2014, and since we got another VW, they used part of the value as a "trade-in" against the Tiguan, meaning the tax reduction put us a few hundred dollars ahead of what we paid for the Passat. Hard to argue that math, either way.

[740GLE]

Let us know what you're getting MPG wise, if I'm careful I can get 32 in our alltrack, which is sad.

[oilhammer]

Heh, my B5 4mo struggles to get 25. Of course, it is 14 years old, has 220k miles on the clock, and is solid and rattle free and will roll down the road at 100 MPH and be stable and it goes through snow and muck almost as good as my old Vanagon syncro did. AWD and slushboxes really sap fuel economy for sure.

Mine will hopefully be converted to diesel and manual before too long. But knock on wood the old AWM 1.8t still performs well.

Just read an article today about the new "tech" stuff on new vehicles is causing a lot of problems, and companies are starting to really feel the warranty drain on them. Some items like the dreaded stop-start nonsense are also cited as being virtually useless in real world testing. I suspect the Tiggy has the ability to eliminate that. I figured it out on my dad's new F150. There will probably be some website popping up soon with accumulated knowledge on how to defeat that.

It would be nice if you could opt out of some of this stuff on a new car. Happy my Sprinter is pretty spartan in that regard.

My wife likes the new Tiguan. I told her not with spark plugs she doesn't.

[dubStrom]

Originally Posted by JSWTDI09

No, not at this time. I have nothing to tow and no plans to buy something to tow. I just needed a vehicle that was easier to get in and out of that did not have a clutch pedal.

Have Fun!

Don

I had a Grand Cherokee loaner with stop/start (airbag recall on my '07 Ram 2500 TD). Surprised me when I got to a light. All I could think of was how soon would I have to replace the starter (or the flywheel starter ring!). Maybe not that bad, but a smaller TD engine in the Cherokee would save more fuel than stop/start!

[SilverGhost]

Funny hearing the talk about having 3rd row. Here I am ticking the 4motion box to get rid of the 3rd row.

Biggest draw back I have noticed from driving them is the sometimes horrible lag from a stop.

Nit picky stuff - have to get SEL premium to get past the halogen headlamps, but all trim levels get LED tail lamps. Also the advanced cluster is an OPTION on the SEL premium, but not on any other trim. And tow rating is down to 1500lbs MAX on Tiguan.

Wife is leaning more to the Atlas, but it has it's own nit picks - LED headlamps on every trim, but LED tail lamps only on SEL premium. Also advanced cluster and leather only on SEL premium. Only factory tow equipped are 5000lbs, all accessory tow are 2000lbs.

Wish VW would let you add popular options to lower trim lines like they were doing a couple years ago.

Jason

[JSWTDI09]

Originally Posted by dubStrom

All I could think of was how soon would I have to replace the starter (or the flywheel starter ring!). Maybe not that bad, but a smaller TD engine in the Cherokee would save more fuel than stop/start!

That thought has occurred to me also. There is a button on the console that will disable the auto stop-start, but it defaults to on the next time you start the car. I am pretty certain that this default can be changed with VCDS, but I am waiting for Ross-Tech to supply label files for several control modules. I have sent them controller maps. New car, new controllers - this must be fun for Ross-Tech.

Have Fun!

Don

[aja8888]

Don:

Thanks for the write up. On that warranty of 6 years, 72,000 miles, is that really for everything? Including electronics, etc, etc? I'm assuming wear items are excluded) If it is, that's amazing.

(Oh, I just turned 74 and I'm hurting in places I didn't know could hurt! )

[JSWTDI09]

Originally Posted by aja8888

On that warranty of 6 years, 72,000 miles, is that really for everything? Including electronics, etc, etc? I'm assuming wear items are excluded) If it is, that's amazing.

I was told that it covers everything except for "wear items" (tires, brakes, etc) and routine scheduled maintenance (oil, filters, etc). Time will tell how good it really is.

Have Fun!

Don