# MQB Tiguans: What could they have done better? Design issues? Not quite right?



## VWmechatronic (Dec 17, 2019)

I got a Volkswagen company survey after bringing my '19 Tiguan in for the 24GB recall. VW wanted to know what I thought of the vehicle itself. The service experience was a prior separate survey. 

*What have others here said (or would like to say) on a review of what needs improvement* on a 2018-2020 Tiguan, the MQB new ones? 

It's a good vehicle overall, but there are a few things which could be better.

---That engine growling sound when the throttle is advanced is a little odd. 

---The 215/65-17 size tires are too small for the wheel wells (other CUVs like the Equinox uses 225/65-17, which will fit this Tiguan better). 

---Needs port fuel injection with it's direct injection, to keep the valve stems from coking up with deposits. 

---Weighs too much compared to competitors of the same size. 

We did come in 2nd in a 6-way comparison recently. I can basically see how we lost to the excellent Mazda CX-5, but they don't have a 6-year warranty...
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison-test/a32161895/2020-compact-crossover-comparison/


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## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

VWmechatronic said:


> ....---Needs port fuel injection with it's direct injection, to keep the valve stems from coking up with deposits....


Show us any real data that would indicate the EA888 Gen3 has this issue at all. It is no 2010 anymore....


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## blipsman (Nov 20, 2001)

I drive a first generation Tiguan and have been contemplating the current one, but one of my biggest misgivings is the decrease in horsepower -- especially while increasing size. I like the peppiness and handling of my current Tiguan and am worried that I'll be disappointed by the performance of a new one.


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## Paddie.e.kelly (Jan 4, 2020)

Based on this review the Tiguan doesn't seem much slower than its rivals. I'll take that if it means better fuel economy and more space.


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## FOLK_VAHGEN (Aug 14, 2020)

Trunk could look less like a mini-van.... Lol


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## VWmechatronic (Dec 17, 2019)

blipsman & Paddie.e.kelly, The current Tiguan is about a second slower 0-60 than the first generation one. This bucks a trend in most cars, which usually keep getting faster in newer model years. 

The current Tiguan's peak torque of 221 ft-lbs at a low 1600 RPM, and 8-speed transmission, do make it feel fast enough. The Budack-cycle engine using thinner, low-drag, 0w-20 oil helps fuel economy quite a bit. It's a bigger heavier vehicle than 10 years ago.

I'm hoping VW-Audi-Porsche figured out how to configure the PCV routing to keep the valve stems from needing messy walnut shell cleaning after a few thousand miles, like the older ones were infamous for. Not sure a better PCV design would really work at that. European Tiguans get the valves cleaned while you drive with port fuel injection to supplement the DI, not U.S. ones though.

One thing I forgot to put on the VW Survey Review: Yellow turn signals, instead of red lights. "Turns" out, it matters for safety. Something about the way a human brain processes the action seen. I've been thinking about screwing on a neat, small, yellow reflector on to the rear tailight over where the turn signal flashes. https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/car-technology/a32718015/turn-signal-dangers-july-2020/


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## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

VWmechatronic said:


> ....I'm hoping VW-Audi-Porsche figured out how to configure the PCV routing to keep the valve stems from needing messy walnut shell cleaning after a few thousand miles, like the older ones were infamous for. Not sure a better PCV design would really work at that. European Tiguans get the valves cleaned while you drive with port fuel injection to supplement the DI, not U.S. ones though....


The EA888 Gen3 engine has this handled. There is an oil separator built into the PCV system and puts the oil back into the sump.


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## Jadams871 (Mar 9, 2017)

I think the fact that the SEL still comes with those horrible halogen headlights is laughable. I’d give up the digital cockpit in the SEL for the LED’s. 


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

My concerns have been around quality touches that are missing on the highest trim level (Highline in Canada):


no rear seat heating
inability to unluck rear doors via keyless
lack of garage door control standard (in mirror)
super-cheap carpet

The first 3 may be due to the price point, but a lot of cars in the same category have it.

On the last one, it's hard to explain, but it's the type of carpet you'd see in trunks. It's sort of this thin, yet "hairy" carpet and it's tough to vacuum clean. For whatever reason this type of carpet is in the entire interior.


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## zaider (May 30, 2018)

phlegm said:


> My concerns have been around quality touches that are missing on the highest trim level (Highline in Canada):
> 
> 
> no rear seat heating
> ...


Agree with all of these. 

Also:

front passenger seat isn't powered. 
that you not only lose ACC when the sensors get dirty, but you lose regular cruise. 
ventilated seats aren't an option

Not sure it fits but my pet peeve is the ambient temperature sensor that dings whenever it hits 4*C. I get it. Its winter. I dont need reminders that its icy every day for 6 months.


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## LennyNero (Aug 25, 2018)

Honestly, the only real gripes I have with the Tig as-built are little fiddly things. I do however genuinely wish that VW had offered us the full option set (dynaudio speakers, high line tails with amber turns, power passenger seat, rear heated seats, autohold, traffic jam assist, park assist, DSG, etc.) from the EU/ROW even if it had meant special ordering with German build. 

*Engine: *
Wish they had gone with getting the dual injected engine EPA certified. No matter how much better PCV routing and other measures are, valves and intake runners will always be dirtier than the dual injected variant of the engine.

*Exterior:*

No forward radar lens heating system like on other vehicles. The times when you need front-assist most are the times when it gets iced up and starts malfunctioning. (I've researched ways to accomplish this in an aftermarket way with radiant, PTC, thin film, etc. heaters, but have come to no workable solution yet) 

Lane assist lamps in-mirror instead of in mirror housing (this has been changed in later models and is not an issue anymore)

Non-existent roof rain guttering (i'm sure deleted due to aero issues) allows pooled water to pour into the cabin as soon as a door is opened.

No vortex generator tabs at the windshield side edges (again aerodynamic optimization) means a single open window causes extreme buffeting noise unless another window is opened. I've tested this by temporarily adding a small tab to the windshield edge and driving. The noise is virtually eliminated. How much of an effect this has on overall aerodynamics is questionable, but I don't have a good way to model the vehicle in software to see.

Rear-of-vehicle aerodynamics are poor and allow far too much dirt to be sucked up and onto the rear of the vehicle. Other brands add vortex generators, air curtains and other features to prevent this from happening and improve overall vehicle aero at the same time.

*Interior:*

Terrible cargo bay lighting on pano-roof equipped vehicles. That single NON-LED lamp at the left is an absolute travesty. (I've wired in a very nice LED flood lamp at the rear roof which bathes the entire cargo bay in bright light and looks darn near OEM)

Further, on interior lighting, a silly feature I've come to love in a lot of cars is the single dim LED ambient light that shines down on the center console area. (I've added this feature with a switch and will post a write-up in a bit with BOM and directions if someone wants to add this)

Lack of an adjustable center console armrest.

As someone else mentioned, interior floor carpet quality is very poor.

No door lamps in the rear doors

Further, no good reflectors in the front or the rear doors. (I've added reflective tape strips to all my inside door edges)

The base level non-adjustable headrests up front and the high-profile headrests in the rear should be eliminated and go to the high-line versions.



I'm sure there's more, but that's just off the top of my head.


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## ENGIN3RD (Aug 11, 2018)

The powertrain is the biggest disappointment. Latest software recall makes our 2018 passable but the engine remains underpowered and noisy. Needs more refinement and at least 250hp / 250lbft.


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## Reihenmotor5 (Dec 1, 2006)

These seem reasonable:

Ventilated seats

Power passenger seat

For the love of all things holy make the passenger side sun visor telescopic! It’s my wife’s biggest complaint since she can’t block the sun from the side. It’s the only model VW that doesn’t do this. I even purchased a visor from the driver side in the UK and it didn’t telescope.  

DSG

Upgraded LED rear tails like the Euro models for the NAR models with a yellow turn signal

Dynamic turn signals standard for front, side wings and rear tails with LED light systems

Homelink standard on SEL and up trims

These are extras:

30 color ambient lighting

Rear ambient lights in the doors like the front

GTI or VR6 engine in the R Line for the NAR models since I doubt we will see the Tiguan R, but at least differentiate for the R Line. 

Heated rear seats

Digital Key support

Blacked out rear emblem on Black Edition and on SEL-P R Line

Overall I’m happy and love my Tiguan, these would be just nice little fixes/touches or ways to differentiate between trims. 


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## LennyNero (Aug 25, 2018)

I don't understand why VWNA/VAG is so desperate to neuter the id.4/Taos/Tiguan/Atlas in the NA market and keep such a huge step between VW and Audi. In ROW, particularly EU market, VW sits at similar price points to Audi and Skoda when fully equipped and each brand has its loyal following and unique brand style and image. IIRC a fully spec'd Tiguan R-line in Germany was close to USD75k. I think VWNA is doing a great disservice to its potential buyers and brand loyal fans by maintaining its status-quo, 2% of worldwide sales is enough for the US sales strategy.

Personally, I fully had the money for an Audi Q5. But, VWs more updated styling and huge interior compared to the Q5 won me over DESPITE its lower performance numbers and other detractors. If it had been offered with more features, or a special order German build version were offered, I would have jumped on it right then and there. The fact that VWs offer more tweakability and moddability via VCDS was icing on the cake.


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## OttaCee (Mar 31, 2000)

Might be duplicates but just emphasizing we need these:

Engine:
If 3B is the engine we are stuck with, please add soundakator (why am I saying that?!) because the sounds this engine makes, forces me to turn up the music 

Exterior:
Keyless entry on the rear doors - If you have kids this one is a no-brainer
Address the awful wind noise when one window is open, can easily be fixed with small tabs
Redesign bumper so you can fit a tight hitch - Removeable piece of the bumper so users dont need to cut up their bumper

Interior:
Rear cargo lighting is a joke - there's 2/3 spots to add more lights
Cooled seats (for the SEL-P level)
Audio notification for blind spot monitoring
Adjustable armrest
Dual screen AppleCar play integration

Honestly if the car just came with a more powerful stock engine, would not care about any of the stuff above. VWoA dropped the ball on making the 30-50yr old ex-GTI owners with kids happy.


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## Kgking1 (Feb 14, 2015)

*That frigging rear-view mirror!*

I traded in my 2015 GTI for a 2018 Tiggy SEL Prem and the rear-view mirror is maddeningly too small. The GTI mirror would be perfect and maybe I can retrofit it. I'm extremely cautious as my commute takes me from the North Bay to Oakland and people are complete IDIOTS on Hwy 80 so the better view I have if traffic behind me the safer I feel. 

You can't see the entire rear view in the stock mirror without having to adjust your sight constantly. I know its a small detail but God lives in those ya know.


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## herkguy (Jan 11, 2006)

zaider said:


> Agree with all of these.
> 
> Also:
> 
> ...


Agree, heated rear seats, cooled front seats, power pass seat. My 2017 Passat would also park itself...not that I let it..lol


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## VWmechatronic (Dec 17, 2019)

Great responses here! Thanks, a lot to read and understand. Much of it appeals to my engineering & software side.

At this point, I may try to send the URL link of this excellent list of stuff to VAG somehow. I'll see if I can find some email addresses that would actually get attention. This is better than the Ownership Survey they do! Or at least supplements it. If anybody knows of good contact methods, let me know. I'll try Twitter since that actually was used by Ford not long ago.

Many cool comments above. Replying to the part above about aerodyamics, I think I know why a car maker might not put a little more effort into lowering the Cd even further, especially on the aft & rear hatch area.
A few years back, I had a Ford C-Max Hybrid (on the nice Focus chassis). Ford decided they needed to get a higher EPA MPG sticker to show off to consumers, since consumers shopping these cars tend to look for higher MPG numbers as the raison d'etre in the hybrid market. Also, remember that adding +1 or +2 MPG, seen on the window sticker at purchase time, requires less of a drag reduction in the 45 MPG area than the 30 MPG area (our Tiguans). Ford proceeded to add little plastic pieces to the rear hatch area to create more pressure against the back window (pair of deflectors to create a swirl from the hatchback sides), and also some plastic pieces just to the rear of each tire. Long story, but VW probably decided they couldn't advance the EPA MPG by even +1 MPG in the 30 MPG power consumption ranges, and it's not a hybrid anyway, with cheap gasoline prices in the U.S. as well, which means few consumers care. .... So you'll see interesting aero tweaks on Hybrid models which usually get skipped on cars in the 30 MPG area like ours.


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## OttaCee (Mar 31, 2000)

VWmechatronic said:


> Great responses here! Thanks, a lot to read and understand. Much of it appeals to my engineering & software side.
> 
> At this point, I may try to send the URL link of this excellent list of stuff to VAG somehow. I'll see if I can find some email addresses that would actually get attention. This is better than the Ownership Survey they do! Or at least supplements it. If anybody knows of good contact methods, let me know. I'll try Twitter since that actually was used by Ford not long ago.


Bit of advise from someone that works at large Fortune 100 company on getting this feedback to the right people - Find someone from the Marketing team, could be product development or product manager. Their sole responsibility is to include "voice of the customer" when developing a product. You want this info to get directly to them. Anywhere else is a black hole. Suggest telling them about this page (and im 100% sure they already come on here). Doing a quick search found one of the right people: http://www.trucktrend.com/features/1708-interview-jeff-ng-product-manager-2018-volkswagen-tiguan


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## IbsFt (Dec 15, 2018)

VWmechatronic said:


> ......
> 
> At this point, I may try to send the URL link of this excellent list of stuff to VAG somehow. I'll see if I can find some email addresses that would actually get attention. This is better than the Ownership Survey they do! Or at least supplements it. If anybody knows of good contact methods, let me know. I'll try Twitter since that actually was used by Ford not long ago.
> 
> ......


A bit naive, but if you're going to do it anyway you may want to make a concise list (they will not read all the threads) and supply a link to this thread as supporting evidence as well as links to these others since most of this has been covered before (and be thankful that the aggressive thread police on this site haven't merged your thread with one of those) https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthr...guan-having-owned-it-for-a-bit-any-pet-peeves or this one https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?9063082-2019-Model-Wishlist

We own a 2019 base model for transportation purposes. Even without all the useless fluff there are still way too many nannies and other dumb stuff. Overall it is a very good vehicle which makes the little nuisance things stand out even more.

1. Have a dashboard mounted dimmer switch (thumb wheel or whatever) for the instrument light brightness.
2. Have the instrument lighting turn on in the parking light setting. In the early AM leaving the driveway I keep the headlights off until I'm pointing down the road so as not to shine them in the neighbors houses. It would be nice to see the instruments with the headlights off.
3. Door relocking nannie that locks the car if you don't open a door soon enough after unlocking the car. Are people really so incompetent they need this? Allow that feature to be permanently turned off by the operator.
4. Tractor engine? Nuff said.
5. Useful arm rests.
6. Better steering wheel with more room for adult male size hands. A main issue is the useless spokes at the bottom taking up too much space. Make it one narrow solid bar allowing more room for hands at the bottom of the wheel or make the wheel larger.
7. Mirror heaters that default to off. The knob combining the mirror adjustment and heaters is awful. The mirror heaters should be a separate momentary switch.
8. Cruise control that defaults to off when the car is shut off (not a huge deal, but it blocks the odometer when cruise is on and it takes getting used to since for decades cruise always defaulted to off).
9. I'll wait for the results of the 24GB update before ranting about the drivetrain.
10. Backup camera is terrible, especially at night. Can't see crap with it backing out of the driveway in the dark and the in car display blinds you from seeing out the mirrors even on the dimmest setting. Being able to easily shut off the display is a nice feature, better if it could be permanently disabled at night or if they fix the issue with a better camera or better reverse lighting, whichever is the root cause of the problem.
11. Better documentation on exactly how the drivers aids work. The wife had an incident where either the panic braking assist or the collision avoidance kicked in which almost caused the car behind her to hit her. She was in complete control and was driving around the vehicle in front of her who suddenly stopped to make a left. She was caught off guard by what the car did and we still don't know which nannie was at fault.
12. Drivers side sun visor extends short of the B pillar which allows the sun in for those of us having the seat back all the way. If it extended all the way to the B pillar it would be more useful.


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## smg64ct203 (Jan 26, 2003)

VW could stand by their customers. I drove VW’s since high school and now they drove me away. The last couple of VW’s I bought were lemons and I just had enough. I had a 2018 Tiguan Sel and I really did like it, especially the size. I had a lot of issues but the hesitation the worst it would just die when you hit the gas. I brought it back many times and even called corporate and they said it’s normal operation. I begged them to fix it. I had an early build and I had no b pillar noise or sunroof leaks. It was paid off and I was hoping to keep it a while. It was white silver and I kept it in showroom condition. 

I’m a little bitter at VW and they lost a very good customer. It was sad to say goodbye to the Tiguan but I just couldn’t live with the way it drove. I wish you all good luck with your Tiguans.


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## VWmechatronic (Dec 17, 2019)

I got a kinda lame response from VW on Twitter @VW, DM'ed them. At least they responded...... I guess the official Owner Survey is something VW uses to mine user thoughts anyway. Probably a group of folks who try to rank the suggestions & gripes, and merge it with Focus Group feedback too. Above, mentioned from a TruckTrend magazine article, was the Jeff Ng (pronunciation "Ing" Vietnamese name), Product Man dude; can't find his email, but it would be buried if I tried anyway!



smg64ct203 said:


> . I had a lot of issues but the hesitation the worst it would just die when you hit the gas..


 Maybe the software update 24GB Recall would have fixed the throttle response. That 24 GB addressed some "driveability" issues in early MQB Tiguans, and also added some better OBDII diagnostics detections. It does look like the first 2018 MQB Tiguans had some issues. Some that may still persist, but so far my 2019 is OK. In fact, I don't think I noticed any throttle-response difference after I got the 24GB re-flash recently.


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## smg64ct203 (Jan 26, 2003)

VWmechatronic said:


> I got a kinda lame response from VW on Twitter @VW, DM'ed them. At least they responded...... I guess the official Owner Survey is something VW uses to mine user thoughts anyway. Probably a group of folks who try to rank the suggestions & gripes, and merge it with Focus Group feedback too. Above, mentioned from a TruckTrend magazine article, was the Jeff Ng (pronunciation "Ing" Vietnamese name), Product Man dude; can't find his email, but it would be buried if I tried anyway!
> 
> Maybe the software update 24GB Recall would have fixed the throttle response. That 24 GB addressed some "driveability" issues in early MQB Tiguans, and also added some better OBDII diagnostics detections. It does look like the first 2018 MQB Tiguans had some issues. Some that may still persist, but so far my 2019 is OK. In fact, I don't think I noticed any throttle-response difference after I got the 24GB re-flash recently.


I tried for a long time and had to put up with this for 3 years. I finally gave up and I do miss having a VW.


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## VWmechatronic (Dec 17, 2019)

smg64ct203 said:


> I finally gave up and I do miss having a VW.


 Except for maybe the "special" top status of the VW GTI, there are tons of other choices out there. The best in this category may just be the Mazda CX-5. 

I got a Tiguan for the 6-year warranty & low purchase price, and for something different. The Tiguan at my cheap trim level is spartan & basic non-luxury transportation. I'd say its OK, nothing special. And who doesn't like a Budack Cycle engine?!?, the Atkinson Cycle's weird cousin.

*Best: * Mazda CX-5 (OK, maybe Honda CRV Hybrid, for different reasons...)

*Runner-up:* Chevy Equinox is actually very reliable, handles great, looks decent, ... I'm just coming off a 3-year lease and it's good.

All of the above are more reliable than Tiguan.


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## Srkennedy95 (Oct 15, 2018)

Overall I'm pretty happy with my Tiguan, but a few little things:

1. It would be nice if they at least offered a more powerful engine in higher-trim models. It's honestly not as slow as people make it sound (in my opinion) but there should be a sportier option, maybe with a DSG and the 235 hp version of the 2.0T used in the Atlas
2. LED headlights should be standard, as they are with the Atlas, Jetta, and 2020 Passat.
3. SE and above should have power passenger seat


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## Zabes64 (Aug 29, 2018)

Srkennedy95 said:


> Overall I'm pretty happy with my Tiguan, but a few little things:
> 
> 1. It would be nice if they at least offered a more powerful engine in higher-trim models. It's honestly not as slow as people make it sound (in my opinion) but their should be a sportier option, maybe with a DSG and the 235 hp version of the 2.0T used in the Atlas
> 2. LED headlights should be standard, as they are with the Atlas, Jetta, and 2020 Passat.
> 3. SE and above should have power passenger seat


21 has power passenger at least on sel-p if not lower as well


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## upthewazzu (Nov 4, 2020)

I've had me 2020 SE for about 4 days and put 500 miles on it...

1.) The armrest/center console is kind of a joke. Coming from a Ram 1500 where I had acres of storage and a nice place to rest my arm, this thing is pretty worthless. I feel like it should at least be adjustable.
2.) No floormats in an SE??? Sucks that I had to spend $200 on weathertech's out of the gate.
3.) Why no auto-dimming rear view mirror with/Home Link as standard?!?! I wouldn't have expected that level of cost-cutting in a mid size German SUV.
4.) The stereo is pretty bad. I'm a SiriusXM subscriber and this is by far the worst receiver I've used (this is my 4th vehicle with satellite radio). It kinda sounds like the old school CD-to-cassette tape adapters that we all used 15-20 years ago. Connecting to my phone via Android Auto helps a little, but it still sounds pretty low end.


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## VWmechatronic (Dec 17, 2019)

GTINC said:


> Show us any real data that would indicate the EA888 Gen3 has this issue at all. It is no 2010 anymore....


Here is an EA888 Gen3 '19 Golf R that carboned quite a bit with it's DI at a mere 10,000 miles. There was a thread on it. VAG has never claimed to have solved the carbon problem.
It is the nature of DI to coat those things. Factors may play a role (high HP, short trips, RPMs it lives at...) yet it is hard to keep carbon off those intake valves.


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## __raj (Apr 28, 2018)

VWmechatronic said:


> I got a Volkswagen company survey after bringing my '19 Tiguan in for the 24GB recall. VW wanted to know what I thought of the vehicle itself. The service experience was a prior separate survey.
> 
> *What have others here said (or would like to say) on a review of what needs improvement* on a 2018-2020 Tiguan, the MQB new ones?
> 
> ...


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## __raj (Apr 28, 2018)

2.5 years and 72k miles for a $25k otd 2018 SE 4motion with panoramic.

Really like everything but the cargo illumination placed in bottom left corner is stupid. Why not ceiling ?


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## Passatsquared (Oct 26, 2014)

Engine and tranny tuning. Had they gotten this right, right out of the gate, they would have eliminated the ONE thing every reviewer complained about.....performance.

Other things that annoy me:

Headlights aimed too low
All the nannies on the infotainment system
The fender system sounds like crap. (Samsung phones have a built in eg and a button that selects a "tube amp" simulation. This transforms the system in a great way. No complain ts after this discovery)


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## GregRob (Dec 16, 2020)

Engine - Engine - Engine!!!. Why can't they give the Tig the same 2.0L that's in the Atlas? Is it because the Tiguan is the highest selling vehicle they have so VW thought it would make more impact on their CAFE numbers to de-tune the engine? Smaller turbo, smaller valves, smaller main bearings, oily water for lubricant? Because the Atlas is larger and heavier, the engine performance is close but in the lighter Tiguan it would be great. The potential would be so much more.


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