Tiguan or Passat B8

[Janko]

I am currently tossing between the new Tiguan (132 TSI)and Passat B8 comfortline Sedan.Wife wants the Tiguan because of the high driving position and she thinks sedans are boring.We do not go offroad so the AWD is not of much use.With kids turning into teens we do not need need extra boot space for prams etc.I am keen on the Passat as it has more bells and whistles like lane assist, adaptive cruise control, stop-start etc. and the better fuel economy is an added attraction.If you have been through something similar I am keen to hear how you reached a decision.

[cellrsx]

If you have been through something similar I am keen to hear how you reached a decision.

Been through a similar situation but with the Passat wagon. I was set on a Passat B8 wagon for the space, practicality, panoramic sunroof, but my wife hates wagons (the shape). When the B8 launched I did a test drive on a number of variants and I came to the following personal dilemma. I personally think the B8 Passat wagon looks butt-ugly in anything except R-line spec. So R-line it was, except when test driving it I realized how much the suspension had been lowered that it was impractical for us. I scraped the front bumper pulling back into the dealer yard, and with us sometimes having to mount kerbs to get parked for school drop-offs, it just wouldn't cut it.

I didn't like the Passat B8 sedan because the sloping roof in the back really restricts head-room.

My wife saw me watching a video of the Tiguan R-line from the 2015 Frankfurt motor show and she was sold on its looks, and whilst I'm normally against SUVs, the shape of the new Tiguan appealed to me and the space [while not in the same league as the Passat B8] is good enough for us (to be confirmed this September hopefully). And with the Tiguan R-line spec only lowering the clearance by 15mm (from 200mm to 185mm) it's more practical for us and it looks great. The 162TSI engine is very appealing to me too, and whilst the fuel economy won't be as good as the Passat 132TSI, it probably ticks more boxes for us.

The "happy wife" box is ticked which is important

Just test-drive both (when the new Tiguan is available) and make your decision then.

[tigger73]

One big difference between the 2 which is a major selling point for the Tiguan is that it runs the high torque DQ500 7 speed DSG, whereas the Passat 132TSI runs the DQ200 7 speed DSG. Although the DQ200 is better these days I'd still much rather the DQ500 in the Tiguan as it's a far stronger gearbox and runs a wet clutch instead of the dry clutch in the DQ200.

The diesel Passat and the new 206TSI Passat AWD (being released in Sept also) run the better DQ250.

If you're only going to keep it for the warranty period I wouldn't be majorly concerned (other than hassles of taking cars back/getting towed for warranty repairs). But if you are looking at keeping it medium-long term then I'd much rather have the Tiguan DQ500 as these are a ton more reliable.

Also the Tiguan is a 2 litre motor whereas the Passat is 1.8litre. Both have same power output (132kW) but the Tiguan has a big chunk more torque (320Nm) vs Passat (250Nm).

You should be able to option up the Tiguan to a similar spec as the Passat. Pricing should be similar to the current model but still waiting on this to be released.

And if it helps your decision making my wife much prefers the Tiguan (SUV) over a Passat (wagon) any day too. Must be all the women pushing the UV sales through the roof

[Janko]

Thanks Cellrsx for your response.Ground clearance is not great for most sedans.I thought the sensors would warn you when you are about to hit a kerb

Thanks Tigger for clarifying about the difference in DSG models which I was not aware of.Since I intend to keep it for few years this will be a major turn-off for me.

[tigger73]

Thanks Tigger for clarifying about the difference in DSG models which I was not aware of.Since I intend to keep it for few years this will be a major turn-off for me.

If you have a look at the threads/posts with DSG issues, 90% of them are the earlier DQ200 gearbox from the lower power Polo/Golf/Passat. The later units are certainly better, however if you're going to keep it longer term I'd be looking at either a manual or a 6 speed DQ250 DSG available in the Passat diesel or 206TSI, though this does end up pushing up the price.

So if you're trying to keep to a budget then the Tiguan does start to make a lot of sense. The 132TSI in the Tiguan is a detuned version of the 162TSI - same engine as Mk7 Golf GTI and Octavia RS. The AWD in the Tiguan also provides a lot more grip that the FWD cars lack especially if pushed off the line or in the wet.

But then I am a fan of the Tiguan as there's a lot to like about it. And I think the new Tiguan coming in September is going to set the standard for the mid-size SUV market.

[Notso Swift]

Not sure how often you churn your cars but Even though it will be more comfortable and dynamic "and, and, and," the Passat is not going to have the resale of the Tig
Australia has been conned by the small SUV craze and people will continue to desire them for years

[Janko]

if you're going to keep it longer term I'd be looking at either a manual or a 6 speed DQ250 DSG available in the Passat diesel or 206TSI, though this does end up pushing up the price

Yes the Diesel Passat seems over priced at 55K with the optional luxury pack.So waiting for the Tiguan seems to be the go now.Hopefully the 132 TSI Tiguan with all options will land in the mid 40s!The risk in waiting is that AUD can weaken in the next 3-4 months and may impact pricing