Among crossover SUVs, the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan stands out for its spacious interior—so long as every seat isn’t filled in seven-seat versions.

The VW Tiguan aces real-world utility with its excellent outward vision, comfortable interior, available active safety gear, and good infotainment system. It’s less thrifty than some rivals and its third row—well, the dog will like it.

Overall, we rate the 2019 VW Tiguan at 6.0 out of 10. Notably, that figure doesn’t account for a safety score since the Tiguan hasn’t been fully crash tested. (Read more about how we rate cars.)

Review continues below

After an extensive redesign last year, the Tiguan is unchanged for 2019.

Available in S, SE, and SEL trim levels, the Tiguan comes standard with front-wheel drive and offers all-wheel drive as an option. A 2.0-liter turbo-4 rated at 184 horsepower is paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The Tiguan rides softly, with good composure thanks in part to its 109.8-inch wheelbase. Its steering is quick and light, and it has a confident feel on a curvy road.

At 24 mpg combined with all-wheel drive, the Tiguan lags competitors such as the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester, which come closer to 30 mpg combined.

Those rivals don’t offer three rows of seats, although we don’t consider the third row that’s standard on front-drive Tiguans and optional with all-wheel drive to be a major asset. The Tiguan’s front seats are firm and supportive, while row two boasts excellent ingress and egress and a bench that slides forward for more leg room or cargo space. That third row, though. It robs valuable cargo room.  

Most Tiguans have standard active safety hardware such as automatic emergency braking, and the IIHS gave it top "Good" scores in its crash tests, but the NHTSA hasn't rated the compact crossover yet.

At about $29,000 with all-wheel drive, the Tiguan SE is a lot of crossover for the money. The range-topping Tiguan SEL Premium trim level loads on niceties such as a digital instrument cluster, a panoramic moonroof, adaptive cruise control, and leather upholstery, but it costs nearly $40,000.

All Tiguans include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

The 2019 Tiguan is not related to the Tiguan Limited, an older design that VW discontinued after the 2018 model year but may still be in dealer inventories.