2019 Volkswagen Tiguan - My Monterey Ride

Photo courtesy Page One Automotive

Let's face it if you're going to Monterey Car Week you need wheels. But media cars are in short supply. Every auto journalist wants a press car, and every auto company exec wants the best his company produces. I am often on the bottom of the list. Last year I drove my trusty '95 Chevrolet Lumina. I was super chuffed when Page One Automotive said they actually had a car I could use this year!

Now I would have been happy with whatever they had that no one else wanted. Imagine my surprise when I got a 2019 VW Tiguan. This was not some stripper with windup windows, manual steering and brakes, and no radio or a/c. This was a very nicely equipped SUV; it was an SEL Premium w/ 4Motion the next to the top Tiguan (the top would be a SEL Premium R-Line w/ 4Motion). I really didn't need the 4Motion (AWD) but what the heck if I decided to go off-roading it would have been handy. As it was the worst terrain I saw was a field that was being used as a parking lot.

The Tiguan is just about the right combination of size, comfort, and economy for a outing like Car Week. It's about 130 miles from my home to Carmel-By-The-Sea, the first stop during my week. Two hours of seat time isn't much but in some cars it is too much. Not the Tiguan - very comfy seats, great climate control, and a Fender Premium Sound System. 

I had to parallel park a few times and the Tiguan at 185" long was easy (and I'm not great at parallel parking).

The turbocharged 2.0-liter engine seemed to be under-rated for horsepower. Specs say it has 184 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque. It performed as if it had more. I didn't keep a close watch on the fuel economy but the onboard readout showed that it was in the ballpark for its rating of 29 mpg highway and 21 mpg city.

I traveled light, one small bag, my laptop, and a suit, so there was more than enough room. A family of four or five would have enough room for a week long trip.

The Tiguan I drove was $37,195, add on destination charges and it was $38,190. The least expensive Tiguan, same engine, FWD, and fewer amenities lists at $24,295. Check out a Tiguan or other Volkswagens at vw.com.