► Enjoy high-rise 4x4 practicality...
► ... without the hatred
► Part five of our used car stars
VW Tiguan (2008-on) – from £7k!
The Tiguan is one of those cars that sneaks up on you. VW’s first compact SUV launched in 2008 with four trim levels and two engines; 138bhp 2.0 TDI or 148bhp 1.4 TSI. Both were exclusively equipped with Haldex all-wheel drive, the only punctuation to the handsome but generic styling coming with the rufty-tufty Escape edition.
The powertrain range later swelled to encompass more powerful petrols and diesels, front-wheel-drive-only versions for reduced fuel consumption and the addition of the DSG transmission, while sporty R Line and high value Match bolstered the choice of specification.
It’s not an instant thriller, the Tiguan, but those understated looks and VW’s magic aura of quality means that over time, it’s become the brand’s third best-selling model in the UK. Together with the imminent arrival of an all-new replacement, this is good news for used buyers as there are plenty to choose from and values are falling. Buy with as much diesel power as you can afford.
A satisfyingly no-nonsense machine complete with that all-important VW air of worthy respectability.
VW Tiguan 2.0 TDI 170
2.0-litre turbodiesel 4-cyl, 168bhp, 8.9sec 0-62mph, 125mph
Cars we found
2012 Tiguan 2.0 TDI 170 Sport 4wd, manual, blue, 39,000 miles, full VW service history, DAB, three-year warranty and MOT package included, £13,999
Buying intel
Rough ride on early cars
> Check for off-road damage
> Run-out Match models best value
> Avoid bare bones S model
> Post-2011 facelift prettier, better equipped, better built and priced from £9k
Used car stars 2016 continued...
Used car stars 2016: save £35k on a BMW i8, plus 11 other used car bargains
Used car stars 2016: Peugeot RCZ-R vs Audi S5
Used car stars 2016: Jaguar F-type vs Porsche Boxster S
Used car stars 2016: Mercedes S-class vs Lexus GS
Used car stars 2016: 208 GTi vs Swift Sport vs Focus ST
Used car stars 2016: Ferrari 458 Italia
Read more from the June 2016 issue of CAR magazine