Audi Q5 or VW Tiguan?

[v4vw]

Hi guys,

I am in the market to buy a compact SUV. My choices are Q5, Tiguan, RDX, MB GLK.

Being a long time VW driver, I am leaning towards Q5 BUT it is getting too pricey with the Dynamic suspension package.

I always had a belief that VW and Audi share alot of parts (internal components) since they both have common suppliers. Is Tiguan really that different than the Q5? and I am not asking about interior quality rather what's under the hood.

My brother has an Audi A5 2.0T and he loves it! I think that the 2.0T is good enough power for a compact SUV. Thoughts?

Thanks guys, I can use some help here. Since I am looking on purchasing the vehicle and keeping it for a long time (7+ years) hopefully.

[prtlndblnd]

I looked seriously at the RDX before deciding on the Tiguan. Nice vehicle but I felt that the RDX was louder.

Gas mileage in the Tiguan is a bit better - 17/22 versus 18/24 for the AWD . On my RDX test drive which included city and hwy, I got a combined of under 19. Just picked up Tig and seems to get a combined of 24.

And, having a 5 year old, I did not want the perforated leather seats. I also felt that the Premium nav/audio was better that what was offered in the RDX. But that is just my opinion.

Good luck!

[Bevmo]

Just my 2c:

Apart from the engine (new Q5 have very similar but not identical 2.0T option in US this year), the Audi has significantly different 4 wheel drive, gearbox, chassis, interior. 2.0T in Tig is plenty powerful - the rest of world has 6 other engine options, this is the top performance one, (less focus on fuel economy is downside), but it has plenty of headroom to tune it higher.

Frankly I don't know how you can compare the cars in your list to the Tig, they are bigger all round, and aimed at a different market segment.

VW is utilitarian, peoples car by name, (though the SEL is plenty fancy enough for me), good for families, good value. VWs definitely benefit from the trickle down effect of Audi quality, design, engineering 'for free' over the years. The quality of my Tig is now better than the A4s and A3s I had 10 years ago for example.

Your list is luxury, sport and fashion oriented, they are significantly more expensive, especially optioned. I think with VW you get what you pay for, and Audi is significantly better, but you're paying a premium beyond what I think is 'good value'.

Depends what you want.

[shawng]

I compared/test drove the Tiguan to a BMW X3 low end model and the Tiguan won out on all accounts. It had more features, more power and was a few thousand cheaper. On paper, I compared to many others. Thet Tiguan always came out on top for value.

[v4vw]

Thanks everyone for their replies.

I agree that when you pay more for Audi, you get more than VW. However, practically speaking Tig will be cheaper to maintain and I am not a "flashy" guy...so it would be a happy medium.

I am getting married soon, so Tig will be save for a kid and loading the weekly Costco runs

Have you guys heard of issues with Tig? When was it first introduced...I did some research and it seems 2009 was the first year...I am in Canada...and I think I started it seeing it in late 2009...but I could be wrong?!

[shawng]

Canadian here too. If you scour all the Tiguan forums you will find a few issues, but overall they seem to be very reliable. I could not justify the 10K give or take more for the Audi. I got the highline w/sport package and it is more than enough 'high end' to make everyone I know go ooh, ah. I have driven in more expensive vehicles over the years that have not been as comfortable or smooth to drive.

[v4vw]

what other SUV did you test drive before making your decision? So far, I have driven the Q5, GLK, CRV, and RDX.

[JonD-2.7tDallas]

The Q5 is a much different vehicle than the Tiguan. Much bigger and heavier. The Tigi is a fat GTI vs the Q5 which is more an SUV on an A4 chassis.

Audi will be releasing a Q3 next year that will be more along teh Tigi lines.

Don't get me wrong, I liked my loaner Q5, and with teh right mods, I could have driven it every day, but it is more of a cruiser

[chrishart1]

I like the Q5 a lot and I would like to have one (if I could afford it). Audi is now offering a lease deal (or least they recently were) that I could have afforded, but they had no such price break back when I was shopping. (And I'm trying to get myself to keep my latest car for more than 3 years, so lease wouldn't have been smart.)

The Q5 is based on the A4 chassis, whereas the Tig is based on the Golf chassis. The Q5 has more powerful engines and a different AWD system. They are very different vehicles. I like low end torque and I miss the V6 of my old Passat. The Tig has plenty of power, but it just doesn't have it right off the line, where I like it. The Q5 can be had with a V6, which responds quickly at all RPM (of course you pay for the privilege).

I also looked at the RDX and my purchase came down to it, or the Tig. The RDX feels a little more luxurious and has better seats than the Tig, but I didn't like the pedal placement. In contrast to the other chap, I thought the stereo and satnav in the Acura were much better than the VW. The RDX has more cargo room, but it also has worse rear visibility.

The RDX has more power, but much more turbo lag. I disliked that greatly. However I did like the handling of the RDX just a little better compared to the Tig. I care a lot about interior noise and as I recall it was a wash between these two cars.

The biggest reason I decided against the RDX was the appearance and aesthetics. The look of the exterior and the feel of the interior are too high-tech and cold for me. I prefer the organic, hand-shaped feel of the Tig. I also like the VW drivetrain better. It may have less total horsepower, but the driveability is much better than the Acura.

The MB GLK was entirely out of my range, so I didn't even look at it. I also don't like the looks of it. Car & Driver rated the GLK as a really poor value -- in an SUV comparo article -- and they said they didn't think it was worth the price premium.

I looked at the BMW X3 several times over the years. But ultimately decided against it at purchase time for a few reasons. Key among them was the poor driver footwell space -- my big feet felt very cramped down there. I also didn't want to buy an SUV design that is so long in the tooth. I also found the interior just a little too stark for my taste.

I pushed the BMW store to give me an indication of whether or not a new X3 was on the way. They couldn't say for sure when, but they knew it wouldn't be inside the time window I was looking to buy.

BMW has now introduced the new X3. I think it's handsome and a really strong design (although I have not yet seen it in person). The interior is a big step up from the previous edition. I am anxious to see it in person.

The problem with BMW is, their cars have very cryptic controls and feature the pain-in-the-ass iDrive system. I can't stand it. It's like someone giving you an scientific calculator when all you want to do is figure out the lunch tip. I think it's horrendous that they make cars with such a distracting, frustrating device in the center of the dashboard. I think it might actually stop me from buying one of their cars.

You might want to take a look at Volvo's offerings. They have some pretty appealing cars. I haven't driven their SUV, but it seems like a worthy competitor.

[reservoircat]

Canadian here too. If you scour all the Tiguan forums you will find a few issues, but overall they seem to be very reliable. I could not justify the 10K give or take more for the Audi. I got the highline w/sport package and it is more than enough 'high end' to make everyone I know go ooh, ah. I have driven in more expensive vehicles over the years that have not been as comfortable or smooth to drive.

As another Canuck, I'll testify to the practical value of the Tiguan in winter snow and ice. I've owned many vehicles in my time, and the Tiguan really is an excellent choice for commuting in all-weather conditions, plus for soft-roading forays into deep snow and forest cut lines.

My wife and I chose our Tiguan after looking at Mazda, Toyota, Honda, Ford, GM, BMW, and Rover options. We didn't look at Volvo or Hyundai, but when we compared the Tiggy to the RDX, X3, Freelander, Acadia, Edge, RAV4, and CRV, the Tiguan clearly was our kind of CUV.

[JonD-2.7tDallas]

As another Canuck, I'll testify to the practical value of the Tiguan in winter snow and ice. I've owned many vehicles in my time, and the Tiguan really is an excellent choice for commuting in all-weather conditions, plus for soft-roading forays into deep snow and forest cut lines.

My wife and I chose our Tiguan after looking at Mazda, Toyota, Honda, Ford, GM, BMW, and Rover options. We didn't look at Volvo or Hyundai, but when we compared the Tiggy to the RDX, X3, Freelander, Acadia, Edge, RAV4, and CRV, the Tiguan clearly was our kind of CUV.

If I could have gotten a 6 speed 4motion tig, I would have. But alas, no way. Once I pawn this one off on my son, I may go for a used 4motion automatic and bump the HP up to 250-300

[chrishart1]

....
I am getting married soon, so Tig will be save for a kid and loading the weekly Costco runs
....
Have you guys heard of issues with Tig? When was it first introduced...I did some research and it seems 2009 was the first year...

Based on what you're saying, I think the Tig is a good choice for you. Probably smart to buy the least expensive car you'd be satisfied with at this point, so that you can have cash for those unexpected newlywed/baby expenses.

Yes, 2009 was the first year in N.A. That was a source of concern for me when I bought my pre-owned Tig. VW reliability obviously varies widely and first year cars can be a disaster. When I was looking to buy, Consumer Reports had not yet published reliability info on the Tig, which nearly prevented me from getting this car.

But I liked it a hell of a lot and it was one of the few cars that met virtually all of my criteria. So, before pulling the trigger, I spoke with an acquaintance who is a VW dealer tech and asked his opinion. He said it's a solid car and he wouldn't hesitate to buy one.

A big reason for the Tig's overall reliability is that it's based on the Golf. The current Golf and Jetta are some of the most reliable cars that VW has ever made (took them long enough to get it right, damn it.) So it's got some good genes to begin with.

The car's not without issues, but on the whole the reports of problems have been very limited. Even the ones that have been on the road for 2 years with mileage exceeding 35k are still making us VW fans proud. Let's hope I'm saying the same thing at 70k miles.

[11tigse]

We also looked at the 2011 CRV, thought we would really like it since we had a 2002 EW AWD that we traded for a 2025 EX AWD. I guess my wife described it best "this thing is a pig!". Highly unimpressed with the power and reluctance of the transmission to down shift. Vehicle also had major dash rattles which I never expected. I feel that Honda is riding on their reputation since they are getting behind on technology (no direct injection and still using the same 5 speed auto).

Also looked at the RDX, Very nice stereo and nav and drove well however still stuck with 5 speed auto and the new nasty Acura corporate face. Very pronounced turbo lag. From all of the research I did it seems that gas mileage is terrible compared to the Tig.

I guess our next favorite CUV was the Infiniti EX35, very nice driving dynamics. We drove a RWD version so I dont know how much the dynamics would change with the added weight of AWD. Extremely nice audio and nav and interior, however this vehicle seemed tight in the rear seat space. I wish it would have been up to date with Infiniti's latest offerings with the 7 speed auto and the 3.7 engine.

Looked at RAV4, nice with V6 but struck us as having cheap interior materials.

Looked at Hyundai Sante Fe, ok vehicle but nothing jumped out at us as being special. Would always be concerned about resale value.

Thought about new Q5 but after looking at the 38-40k vehicles we decided to cut back some, wish we would of drove one with the new 8 speed automatic with the 2.0T. Maybe that tranny will trickle down to us!!

In the end it the Tig won out. We ended up with an SE with sunroof and nav. The vehicle just hit a sweet spot with us, drives well, gas mileage is improving with miles (about 1500 now) to around 24 combined. When we had the CRV's I now realize how much more they where transportation compared to the TIG. The VW is so much more fun to drive because it performs so much better in every category.

Sorry for such a long post! Good luck with your search and let us know what you end up with!

[v4vw]

Thanks for the informative feedback above...I really need that

I went to my local VW dealer today to test drive the TIG...but they didn't have one for me...going on the weekend to test drive both FWD and 4Motion...I am definitely getting the AWD version but wanted to drive the FWD to compare.

My initial thoughts about Tig is that it is smaller than the Q5 forsure! and I agree with comments made above "Q5 and TIG are two different cars)...indeed they are. BUT I have a theory that VW's are 70% Audis underneath ...so why not pay less and get more!! My first car was a 2001.5 VW Passat...and loved it...until the gaskets started to leak on me...the repairs were too much and I traded it in for an Acura CSX...for the non- Canadians...that's Acura's Civic.

I don't really want to get into another Acura...they are reliable but not nearly as fun to drive as VW or Audi's for that! My only concern is that I want a Fully Loaded Tig and it is coming to about $40K Canadian...and the Audi dealer is giving a killer incentive on their 2010 models, which makes the Q5 $10K more (which is still alot of money).

Next stop is to test drive the BMW X3...eventhough I have seen that car for TOOO LONG, and not a fan of their i-Drive either...but worth a shot and to see what incentives they offer.

Volvo is also a good option, however I have heard horror stories about their reliabilities....Land Rover is off my list...too much money for a ****ty car...they are not reliable!! Great for a lease but not for buying!

[AudiSportA4]

After 15 Audis, I took a break with 2 new Hondas. Overall, I had LOTS of problems and poor cust service. It wasbad enough to end up in court over something that could have been fixed by HoA with $50 in paint but they said FU, the judge took 2 minutes to decide in my favour, a full respray of my 2007 Accord.

A few months later, karma got me on a visit to NYC and ruined a good deal of that work. So, I scratched Honda off the list FOR GOOD, and got a 2010 Tiguan fwd 6 manual for under $22k at .9%.

At 4k now, very happy. Would not consider a new CRV or RDX for the same price, although our old CRV was kind of amazing.

Getting an APR chip this week, power is not an issue. I ditched the oem Pirellis for plus sized Yoko TRZ. I highly recommend selling the Scorpions rather than driving on them in misery.

[tdubsvdub]

The Audi for sure if the price difference isn't an issue.
I enjoy my Tig, but don't love it.

[Pelican18TQA4]

Get a Tiguan SEL, load it up with options (4Motion, sunroof, nav, etc.) and revel in the thought that you still spent far less than you would've on the other vehicles you're looking at. Then, get an APR stage 1 ECU tune and leave them in your dust!

[Pelican18TQA4]

Looks like you picked up your Tig at Holbert's!

[AudiSportA4]

Yep, good eye. Got my APR flash today, fwiw.

[Pelican18TQA4]

Yep, good eye. Got my APR flash today, fwiw.

Well, my dad did work there for about 30 years, so...

Is that Alpine Gray?

[AudiSportA4]

Yes. It's a strange colour. I think of it as beige-brown grey, but it depends on the light. Other people don't see it as anything except plain grey.

[chrishart1]

OK, enough thread-jacking, Mr. Audi Lover

...I guess our next favorite CUV was the Infiniti EX35, very nice driving dynamics. We drove a RWD version so I dont know how much the dynamics would change with the added weight of AWD. Extremely nice audio and nav and interior, however this vehicle seemed tight in the rear seat space....

Yeah, I forgot to mention the EX35. I also drove it, despite the fact that it would have been another "lease-only" vehicle for me.

As you say, the driving dynamics are excellent. The salesman allowed me to really toss the thing around and I loved it. But the interior and cargo space are pretty tight. That wasn't a huge priority for me (I did buy a Tig after all), but I don't like to feel cramped. But that's just how I felt in the Infiniti while in the driver's seat.

Part of that was due to the center console, which feels a little crowding for this big guy. But what was worse was B door pillar, which is absolutely huge and wants to be where my elbow wants to be. This is actually a problem with all the Nissan cars I have driven. They make their door pillars massive. No doubt this is for crash strength, but other car makers seem to be able to achieve the same thing, while still leaving some elbow room.

...Looked at RAV4, nice with V6 but struck us as having cheap interior materials....

Yes, very cheap. And, like the CR-V, there is limited legroom for us big boys.

Another thing those two have in common: Mediocre AWD systems. If you ended up with all four tires on ice in one of those vehicles, you are going nowhere. Not that the Tig won't have its work cut out for it, but you won't be outright stuck (at least not on level ground, and with decent tires).

...Looked at Hyundai Sante Fe, ok vehicle but nothing jumped out at us as being special. Would always be concerned about resale value....

Hyundai has come a long way, but I don't think they're up to competing with the Tig at this point. The Tucson is actually their vehicle that directly competes with the Tig. I have not driven this latest iteration as of yet. MotorWeek said some nice things about it, but they definitely had some negatives to say. Can't remember them all, but I do recall they said the ride quality is very poor. Of course the Tig ain't great in that regard, so I'm not sure which is worse.

...When we had the CRV's I now realize how much more they where transportation compared to the TIG. The VW is so much more fun to drive because it performs so much better in every category....

Amen. My mother has the latest generation of CR-V and it's very nice and a very "good" car. But it's boring compared to my Tig!

...Volvo is also a good option, however I have heard horror stories about their reliabilities....Land Rover is off my list...too much money for a ****ty car...they are not reliable!!

You're right that Volvo reliability is inconsistent. And Consumer Reports has not yet reported anything for their small SUV (too new). Land Rover is a disaster for reliability.

[AudiSportA4]

Promoting the Tiguan over the other candidates is not really threadjacking.

I should have mentioned specifically that I frequently had an RDX as a loaner when my Hondas were in the shop. Although I'm done w/Hondas, I did ~really~ like the RDX. It sucked gas and the stock 18" were not ideal. It drove great, but I don't trust the long-term reliability. New CRV would be a safer bet, but isn't under consideration.

[chrishart1]

You're talking about what you're doing to your car and posting pictures that you've already posted in other threads before. Don't really see how that's applicable to the discussion.

[AudiSportA4]

It's not really up to you to decide what other members post, is it? All I did was answer the OP as I saw fit, and answer another member's direct question. It was about the colour of my Tiguan, so pics seem appropriate. Also it seems appropriate for a Tiguan thread on a Tiguan forum to have...Tiguan pics.

Should I just ignore a member who is local to me to suit your personal preferences? Would it be that difficult for you to ignore it and read past, like I did for your repeated lengthy posts? You're stepping over the line, my friend.

This is not even to mention the irony of posting off-topic to draw attention to other potentially off-topic subjects.

[chrishart1]

You're stepping over the line...

Oh, so you think I'm trying to exercise control over what gets posted. But you have anointed yourself the arbiter of "The Line?"

Nice.

[v4vw]

wow...take it easy guys

I am sure we all get too excited sometimes with our point of views..hehe.

Well, so I have made a decision...after test driving everything under the sun in compact/small SUV category. My heart got stuck on BMW X3 3.0is. The drive is soo good...room is decent, and brand holds it's value better than VW (no offence) eventhough I am a VW guy but this time around...Tiguan price is not cutting it. I think in Canada they are asking for alot of money for a compact SUV that is competing against Toyota and Hondas.

I haven't purchased my X3 yet...but that's the vehicle I am going to be focused on. Btw I am looking at Certified Pre-Owned (2007/2008 model years). They are coming out to be cheaper than a brand new Tiguan.

Thanks for all the feedback and discussion. I wish Tig was cheaper in Canada or if I could find some for mid $20K

[Pelican18TQA4]

The X3 is a sweet little SUV. I've looked at CPO ones on a number of occasions and the problems is, at least around here, that you can rarely find them with decent options and color combos. Price-wise however, they are better-priced than a new Tiguan. But then again, they're 2-3 years old so I would expect that.

[mhzpower]

My wife and I looked at the Rav4 and the only advantages were interior space, price, and V6 power.

We chose the Tiguan because we owned a 2004 golf (and loved it), the sunroof, fuel economy, road handling, radio and interior quality.

Sure we paid about 3k more, but we looked at the VW as a vehicle that we would keep for a long time like the golf before. The 2010 Rav4 seemed dated and we wanted something that felt newer inside and out.

[jedbiker2]

I use to have a Tiguan and drove enought q5's. I would say it would come down to the price. The Audi is worth it for sure. If i had the money for the Q5, would be my choice.

[Scrawnyirishboy]

For people who own/consider owning these vehicles who are starting families, I strongly advise looking up the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's pictures of the vehicle's rollover strength. It'll easily scratch 3/4 of the competition off your list. The roof-strength of these cars is unbelievable. Literally unbelievable.

[chrishart1]

Very true. The roof tests are quite telling of the vehicle's structural integrity, beyond the formulaic frontal crash tests.

Tiguan:
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/roof/detailsbyclass.aspx?58

Q5:
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/roof/detailsbyclass.aspx?50

Article and pictures:
http://www.themotorreport.com.au/245...titute-ratings

[Scrawnyirishboy]

Keep in mind with the tiguan, the next vehicle even remotely close to its roof strength suffered structural integrity loss 6,000 lbs before the tiguan. That means the closest car to the tiguans roof strength is about 75% as close, maybe less.

The pictures are very, very telling.

[mhzpower]

I thought this was a great plus, but I did wonder how the sun roof version would fair under the same test. The panoramic sun roof was a huge plus over most other mSUV.

[Scrawnyirishboy]

We asked representatives from our VW corporate training team this question as well just this week. They said it made no difference because the laser welded seems on the tiguan where the sides of the vehicle meet the roof are identical. Vehicles with the panoramic sunroof were reinforced further as well to avoid the chance of reducing the structural integrity of the roof.

and to further agree, the panoramic roof is an amazing feature, it really opens the car up and makes it feel so much bigger inside. Especially with a cornsilk beige interior, but that's solely my opinion.