2017 Volkswagen Tiguan

The 2017 Tiguan is the final US model year of the first generation (5N, PQ46), using a single 2.0 TSI turbo four rated 200 hp on every trim — modest for a compact SUV.

207 lb-ft from low rpm gives decent around-town punch, but the figure trails turbocharged rivals' upgrade engines.

Instrumented tests of the 200-hp first-generation Tiguan land around 7.5–8.3 s for FWD, quicker than the 2018+ second generation and about average for the class.

The 2.0 TSI is smooth with strong low-end torque and feels livelier than many class rivals' base engines, though some turbo lag off the line is noted and it wants premium fuel.

The 6-speed Tiptronic automatic shifts smoothly and decisively with a Sport mode, but has only six ratios when rivals had moved to 8- and 9-speeds, costing economy.

Rated at 2,200 lbs, more than the 1,500 lbs of the second-generation Tiguan and in line with typical compact SUVs, but well short of 3,500-lb rivals.

4Motion Haldex-based AWD is available across the range (offered on S, Wolfsburg Edition and SEL), but it is a basic on-demand system without selectable terrain modes.

Hill-descent/hill-start assist and 4Motion help on dirt roads, but modest ground clearance, no skid plates and no off-road trim in the US make it pavement-oriented.

One engine and one transmission across all trims with no hybrid or diesel in the US, while rivals offered hybrids (RAV4) or multiple engines (Escape, CR-V).

The FWD volume configuration is EPA-rated 22 MPG combined and 4Motion 21 — below most 2017 compact SUVs, hampered by the 6-speed automatic and older platform.

20 MPG city is on the low side for a four-cylinder compact SUV.

24 MPG highway is notably weak; most 2017 rivals rated 28–33 MPG highway.

Computed from the 16.9-gal tank and 22 MPG combined; the larger tank partly offsets the poor economy.

EPA estimate at 15,000 mi/yr on premium fuel at current prices — high, driven by both modest MPG and the premium-fuel rating.

The 2.0 TSI is rated on premium (91 octane) by VW and the EPA, raising running costs versus regular-fuel rivals; the 2018+ Tiguan switched to regular.

The first-generation 2017 Tiguan (final US year of the PQ46 car) earned 4 stars overall from NHTSA, held back by a 3-star frontal crash result.

Good in moderate overlap, side, roof strength and head restraints, but only Marginal in the driver-side small overlap test and no IIHS award for 2017.

The aging first-gen Tiguan offered no AEB, lane keeping, adaptive cruise or blind-spot monitoring on any trim; a rearview camera was the only standard driver aid.

No automatic emergency braking was available on the 2017 Tiguan, so IIHS has no front crash prevention rating.

Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were not offered on the first-generation US Tiguan; only rear parking sensors on upper trims.

Neither lane departure warning nor lane keeping assist was available on the 2017 Tiguan.

Conventional cruise control only; adaptive cruise arrived with the second-generation 2018 Tiguan.

No hands-free or even hands-on assisted driving system was offered.

Volume S trim's halogen reflectors rate Poor; the HID curve-adaptive projectors on SE/SEL rate Acceptable, and Good-rated lights were never offered.

Upright greenhouse and tall seating give decent forward and side sightlines, though thick rear pillars limit rear-quarter view; standard rearview camera helps but no surround view.

IIHS rates LATCH Acceptable with two full LATCH positions plus a tether-only center; the compact rear bench makes multiple seats a squeeze.

First-generation (5N) Tiguan is a two-row, five-seat compact SUV on every 2017 trim.

Published front headroom is 39.1 in, slightly below the middle of the SUV band.

Front legroom is at the bottom of the SUV band; the first-gen Tiguan's cabin is short by compact-SUV standards.

Tall, upright roofline gives generous rear headroom for the class.

Mid-pack rear legroom; the sliding rear bench lets owners trade cargo space for legroom.

No third row is offered; the 2017 Tiguan is a strict two-row, five-seat SUV (seven seats arrived with the 2018 second generation).

Cargo space behind the rear seat is well below the compact-SUV norm and below the band floor.

Max cargo volume trails segment leaders (CR-V ~70.9 cu ft) by a wide margin.

Sliding, reclining 40/20/40 rear bench with center pass-through is a genuinely flexible touch, but bin and console storage is ordinary and the cargo hold is small.

Front seats are supportive and heated V-Tex seats are standard, but reviewers noted intrusive head restraints and the rear bench is merely average.

Base S rides smoothly with good poise; Sport and Wolfsburg trims' sport suspension and 18-19 in wheels add impact harshness.

Reviewers split: Edmunds called it quiet, KBB singled out a somewhat noisy cabin as an area where it lags rivals.

Heated front seats are standard and dual-zone automatic climate arrives on Sport/SEL, but there are no ventilated seats, heated wheel or remote start.

The 2017 Tiguan S, the final model year of the first generation (5N), opened the range at $25,860 delivered, a typical entry price for the compact-SUV class.

The mid-range Wolfsburg Edition was the core 2017 seller. Its sticker sits above a comparably equipped CR-V EX or RAV4 XLE, although heavy lame-duck discounting narrowed that gap on transaction prices.

Free maintenance covered only the first year, and the older-generation 2.0T (premium fuel, known timing-chain tensioner, water-pump and PCV repairs) carries German-brand labour rates. That puts the 5-year spend well above the Toyota and Honda rivals.

The Tiguan depreciates faster than the compact-SUV average, and the 2017 was a lame-duck model, outdated within a year by the larger second generation and the 'Tiguan Limited' rebadge. The 2021–22 used-car spike only partly offset this.

MY2017 predates VW's 6-year/72,000-mile People First warranty, which arrived with the 2018 Tiguan. The 2017 carries the mainstream-minimum 3/36 term.

The 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain term matches the mainstream norm but is half of Hyundai's and Kia's 10/100.

For MY2015–2017, VW's Carefree Maintenance shrank to the first scheduled service (1 year/10,000 miles). It came with 3-year/36,000-mile roadside assistance. This is basic coverage, short of the multi-year plans of the 2009–2014 cars and of ToyotaCare's 2 years.

$30,960 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (47% retained, or about $14,551) leaves about $16,409 in depreciation. Add the projected $6,800 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $23,209 in total.

2017 is the final US year of the first-generation (2009-2017) Tiguan, a mature carry-over year that was later sold on as the Tiguan Limited. J.D. Power rates its quality and reliability 'Great' (81/100). Consumer Reports, however, rates the 2017 Tiguan less reliable than the average car of its year. With the two sources split, it lands in the middle of the mid band.

In 2016-2018, Volkswagen sat in the lower third of Consumer Reports' brand reliability rankings and below the industry average in J.D. Power's Vehicle Dependability Study. Electrical and accessory faults drove the complaints.

MY2017 has four NHTSA campaigns, and each one is small. Two are compliance recalls on internal-use and evaluation vehicles of under 300 units. The other two are airbag campaigns: non-US driver airbags on 3,768 Tiguan Limiteds, and an airbag/pretensioner campaign across VW and Audi models. None involves the powertrain or a fire risk, and the share of the fleet affected is low, though both airbag campaigns are safety-system recalls.

The 2017 US Tiguan's only powertrain is the 200-hp EA888 2.0T TSI with a six-speed Aisin automatic. The transmission is robust. The engine family carries known issues: oil consumption, direct-injection carbon buildup and water-pump/thermostat-housing coolant leaks. The early timing-chain tensioner failures were largely remedied before 2017 but still color its reputation, so it sits in the mixed-history part of the mid band.

The cabin is solidly built, with soft-touch upper surfaces and good switchgear feel for the class. By 2017 the design was a decade old and reviewers called it plain and dated, with hard plastics lower down and a small touchscreen.

In its final year, the long-running German-built first generation had well-sorted assembly. J.D. Power's 'Great' quality score and owner reviews show few rattle or panel-gap complaints; the problems owners report are mostly electrical and engine-related.

Volkswagen's roughly 600-650 US dealers give solid metro coverage but thinner rural reach than Toyota, Honda, Ford or Chevrolet, and VW's service satisfaction is mid-pack. MY2017 carried only the 3-year/36,000-mile basic and 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty; VW's 6yr/72k 'People First' warranty began with MY2018.

The EA888 engine and PQ46 platform are shared widely across the VW Group, so parts are plentiful and the aftermarket is deep. German-brand component pricing and labor times push typical repair costs above the compact SUV average, and older EA888 engines tend to need costly cooling-system and timing work.

Every 2017 Tiguan uses a 6.3-inch touchscreen, below the band floor for the segment.

The MIB II unit is simple and backed by physical knobs, but the small screen and dated graphics were already behind rivals in 2017.

Wired Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink (App-Connect) are standard from the base S; no wireless projection on any trim.

Native navigation only on Sport/SEL with a basic command-style voice system; most owners will default to phone projection.

Eight-speaker base system is adequate; a Fender premium audio system is offered on the top SEL.

Analog gauges with a small center multifunction display on all trims; VW's Digital Cockpit came only with the 2018 second-generation Tiguan.

No over-the-air software updates; map and software updates require SD card or dealer service.

Car-Net Security & Service offered subscription-based remote lock/unlock, vehicle status and crash notification, but no remote start or digital key.

A single front USB port plus 12V outlets; no USB-C, no rear USB, no wireless charging.

KESSY keyless access with push-button start is standard from the S, but there is no remote start, hands-free liftgate or phone key.

Rearview camera standard; Park Distance Control sensors only on SEL; no surround view or park assist.

No head-up display offered on any 2017 Tiguan trim.

Generous rear headroom, a sliding 40/20/40 bench and Acceptable LATCH ease help, but 23.8 cu ft of cargo is tight for a stroller plus groceries.

Four-star NHTSA overall with a three-star frontal, Marginal IIHS small overlap, and no AEB, blind-spot or lane-keeping on any trim.

Comfortable rear headroom and smooth ride on base trims, but the small cargo hold, thin rear amenities and noisy cabin limit long family trips.

Punchy 2.0T and smooth, quick six-speed automatic make it easy in traffic, with keyless start standard; no stop-and-go adaptive cruise.

22 MPG combined on premium fuel makes it one of the thirstier compact SUVs of its era to commute in.

Compact footprint and upright glasshouse with good visibility make it easy to place; sensors only on SEL and a ~39-ft turning circle is average.

2,200-lb towing and a small cargo hold suit only light utility trailers and small loads.

A car-based, premium-leaning compact SUV with a turbocharged direct-injection engine that rewards careful maintenance; no fleet reputation.

Roof rails and a modest cargo area are the extent of it; no onboard AC power, few tie-downs, no upfit ecosystem.

Stable, comfortable highway manner, but ~370-mile range on premium, some cabin noise and no adaptive cruise make it a middling tourer.

Available 4Motion AWD, ~7.9 in clearance and roof rails handle gravel and snow; the off-road-oriented trim was not sold in the US for 2017.

Sliding 40/20/40 rear seat with pass-through and roof rails add flexibility, but absolute volume (56.1 cu ft max) is small.

Composed chassis earns praise as one of the sportier compact SUVs of its time, though heavier and less agile than the GTI; base S feels secure rather than athletic.

Precise, nicely weighted VW steering typical of the era, though light on genuine feedback.

Four-wheel discs with a firm pedal; no reviewer flagged braking problems, but no standout instrumented result either.

The 200-hp 2.0T is responsive with strong low-end torque, and the conventional six-speed automatic shifts smoothly and quickly; Sport mode holds gears longer.

The turbo four is refined at cruise but contributes to a cabin KBB judged somewhat noisy.

Published turning radius of 19.5 ft equates to a ~39-ft curb-to-curb circle, mid-pack for compact SUVs.

Upright seating with good outward visibility and straightforward controls; power seats from Wolfsburg up, but front legroom is limited for tall drivers.

Punchy turbo engine and GTI-flavored chassis make it more engaging than most 2017 compact SUVs, especially in Sport form.

For about $25k the S came with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, heated front seats, leatherette, push-button start and auto climate control, which is generous for 2017. However, no active safety tech (AEB, blind-spot) was available on any trim, while rivals were adding it.

The cabin is refined and the turbo is punchy, but the Tiguan offers less cargo and rear legroom, premium-fuel economy and no driver aids for prices at or above bigger, newer rivals. It is fair value only once lame-duck discounts are applied.

There were three trims (S, Wolfsburg Edition, SEL), each with FWD or 4Motion, but only one engine and transmission. The final-year lineup was a thin, run-out spread.

The first-generation Tiguan sold only a few tens of thousands a year in the US, a fraction of CR-V/RAV4/Rogue volumes. Slow sales of the carried-over model led VW to drop the Tiguan Limited after 2018.

VW's near-premium German image helps, but in 2017 the brand was still recovering from the 2015 Dieselgate scandal and carried a weak reliability reputation, which weighed on consideration and resale.

As an outgoing generation clearing dealer lots ahead of the all-new 2018 model, the 2017 Tiguan carried substantial cash-back and low-APR offers, and transaction prices were well below sticker.

This is the final US year of a generation launched in 2007–2009 on the PQ46 platform, with an all-new, larger MQB Tiguan arriving for 2018. That makes it about as stale as a 2017 compact SUV could be.

Reviewers liked its handling, punchy engine and upscale cabin but ranked it toward the back of the compact-SUV class for space, economy, safety tech and age. It won no comparisons or major awards.