Tiguan

oh - that Mazda CX5 is nice - we drove that as well - but they're claiming they cannot find them - I personally think it is a manufactured shortage - it means they're claiming they won't move off MSRP, which to me means I'm not buying...

3-second summary: Good overall crossover let down by some bean counters.

It's funny, for the longest time I'd convinced myself that the only vehicle on the market I'd want to buy would be the upcoming Mk7 Golf TDI. And likely, I will still consider it next year when it comes out. I saw the new Audi A3 hatch and Porsche Cayenne Diesel yesterday at VW/Audi/Porsche of Asheville. Neither were PDI-ed so I couldn't really get in, or even see them for that matter. But the A3 looks promising, snazzy interior and crisp exterior shape.

But back to the Tiguan. As I've moved close to the mountains of western NC where I ride my mountain bike nearly every weekend, I've been driving on forest and fireroads to get to destinations or to shuttle Downhill-specific trails with friends. These aren't always just gravel roads, rather some of them have rocks jutting out and drainage ditches running at various angles to the path, stuff that normal sedans don't really handle very well- indeed we bottomed out my friend's suspension once. So as much as I dislike SUVs, I've got to keep small crossovers on the list.

So I took a look at the Tiguan SEL "Track and Field" edition (all Tiguans in the US have this configuration), one that stickered around $34k. Sadly VW doesn't have a diesel Tiguan yet in the states, but I figured even the 2.0 TSI was worth a drive. Might be fun, right?

I don't know other's expectations here, but with the Sport suspension and 19", it actually was a pretty good drive. There was a tight, twisty road right near the dealership and the salesman had no qualms about me ripping up the pavement. Body motions are well controlled, the steering weighted up appropriately, and the chassis was reasonably tidy, although no BMW X1. But not far off from a standard X3 (F25) actually.

The interior was nice and functional too. The rear seats are adjustable for rake and move fore-aft, and both that and the front co-driver seat can fold flat for increased cargo capacity. The SEL comes with the RNS 315 (small sat nav) which appeared easy to operate although I don't like touchscreens, and the adaptive xenons, rain sensor, and cornering lights put it right in line with other German SUVs. Overall, I liked the interior more than that of the X1, and there's a gigantic 18" spare tire underneath the rear floor, although I wonder if a simple mobility kit wouldn't be a better use of space. And sadly for 2013, VW removed the Auto Hold function for US models. Really, how much money did y'all save?

To keep things brief, what effectively crosses it off the list for me is the 6-speed automatic gearbox. There's nothing functionally wrong with the Aisin unit and for 90% of drivers it works just fine, but for that kind of money, I expect something that shifts crisper/faster and doesn't date from the mid 2000s. In fact, the EU models are paired with the 7-speed DSG, and VW has mostly DSG pairings in the US, so it struck me as odd that VW would save on costs by sticking with a mediocre AT unit in North American models. It's just too slack, the torque converter doesn't lock up as it should (seeing the tach at neutral revs while coasting 70km/h is alarming for me), and shifts just aren't fast enough. Perhaps this is what Americans want though.......but not me.

Pity about that too, because the rest of the car's pretty good. It's sensible, practical, and decent to drive, and I think it should be on most folks' list. Just wish the execs didn't cheap out on the drivetrain.

Test conditions: The test drive was approximately 15km on suburban and winding rural roads in Buncombe County, NC. Weather was sunny and 26°C and pavement was good

So we may get a 2012 Acura RDX with Tech Package. That's the last body style. 14,000KM. Dealer car. What do you think of the car?

Just got home from completing the deal. Picking it up on Thursday after work!