If you’re a long-time follower of mine on social media, you know how much I love Volkswagen. I came home from the hospital in a Bug, and since then, VW has been a part of my life. So it’s always a pleasure to be invited to test drive one of their vehicles, as I did last week with the 2025 VW Tiguan.
VW hosted me in Montana, but I was not compensated for this review. All words, opinions, and photos [unless specified] are my own.
Test driving the Tiguan was fun, and the Montana scenery added an extra wow factor. While we didn’t have the best weather, it didn’t matter. Inside the Tiguan it was a sanctuary of heated and massaging seats, dramatic views through the panoramic sunroof, and incredible sound coming out of the Harmon Kardon sound system.
Test driving the 2025 VW Tiguan
We started in Bozeman and did a 2.5-hour loop through countryside dotted with cows and horses. We even stopped at one of the oldest, continuously operating independent grocery stores in Montana, next to a coffee shop where the Mayor served us coffee!
My driving partner, Emily Moore, and I tested the SEL R-Line 4Motion in Avocado Green with a black roof. On a cold, blustery day where the wind tried to throw us around, it was incredible to get back in the Tiguan with its seat memory, heat, and massaging capability.
High winds, varying road conditions, and constantly changing weather patterns that sometimes featured driving rain made for great opportunities to test the vehicle. It handled perfectly, and there wasn’t a moment when I felt the car couldn’t handle it. Our Tiguan had the 2.0L TSI®️ 16-valve turbo 4-cylinder 8-speed Automatic engine with 4Motion®️ all-wheel drive.
Driving mode selection worked well and even eco didn’t seem to render the car with any lag while accelerating onto the interstate or speeding up after a curve.
This is the Monroney for the Tiguan we test drove: 
What does the 2025 VW Tiguan cost?
I’m always impressed by all the features VW packs into their standard, or S, model. And it’s for what I think is a fair price. The S starts under $30,000 in the case of the 2025 VW Tiguan.
I drove the 2025 VW Tiguan SEL R-Line 4Motion, as I mentioned before, and that’s under $40,000. Here’s the side-by-side comparison for the different trim levels that are available with prices current as of the day of publishing [they are subject to change as the tariff situation evolves]: 
So is it worth the price?
I think it is.
But don’t just take my word for it. Jalopnik says the “Tiguan SE Is The Best New VW In A Long Time, Especially For Under $35,000.” MotorTrend says the 2025 Tiguan, ditching its third row seats, puts VW “back in the game.” And finally, Scotty at A Girl’s Guide to Cars seems to be a fan. But she’s also made a comparison of available VW SUVs, which is so helpful.
Did any features stand out on the 2025 VW Tiguan?
Yes. Several. The American Walnut dash decor. Heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel. Heated & ventilated, power adjustable 10-point full-back massage function with lumbar support and position memory. Since I can’t ever tire of looking at the sky, I really liked the panoramic sunroof as well and I wouldn’t buy this car without that feature. It made a compact vehicle feel larger and more spacious. Plus, as I said, I just can’t ever tire of being able to see the sky! And finally, the rain-sensing, variable intermittent front wipers with heated washer nozzles made a stormy day a cinch. I never had to worry about whether or not the wipers were on or on the right setting.
Would I buy the 2025 VW Tiguan?
Yes! I absolutely would. But my partner and I are focused on owning an EV (like the ID.4 or the Buzz) as the next vehicle after our Jetta.
If the availability of electric chargers in California changes for the worse, or another factor out of our control necessitates that we own a gas-powered vehicle, the Tiguan would be ideal for our small apartment parking space since it’s still a compact SUV. And we know a Hybrid version of the VW Tiguan is finally coming to the US [it’s already in Europe]! So I’m keeping a close eye on that development!
What is the 2025 VW Tiguan like for a road trip?
The Tiguan felt like an ideal car for a road trip. While still compact, it has plenty of room for all the gear my partner and I need. The cockpit, for the passenger and driver, would be more than comfortable on those long stretches of driving between destinations. And the 2025 VW Tiguan SEL R-Line 4Motion felt like a sanctuary. One of the most important things for me on a road trip is music, and the Harmon Kardon sound system would not fail me.
If you can ever rent this for a road trip, make sure you do! I’m pretty sure that as of the publishing of this post: Europcar, SIXT, Hertz, Fox Rent A Car, and Budget Rent A Car have VW vehicles in their fleet.
So, what do you think?
Would you consider buying, or renting, the 2025 VW Tiguan?
