The compact Volkswagen Tiguan was a decent seller through the first two thirds of its life, but since it was upgraded with a third row and more space a few years ago, sales have more than doubled. It's the company's most popular vehicle in the US, and it's VW's most popular vehicle in the world.

And we can see why. It's inoffensively styled, although gas mileage is a little low for the segment that includes the mega-selling Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, along with the Ford Escape. But it's the only seven-seat vehicle in the top part of the class. The base prices of all those cars are in the $25K-$27K range, so it really comes down to features and personal preference. This is a family, commuter car, so we're not looking to carve corners or nail apexes. Rather, we want a useful ride that isn't supremely boring to drive. In that context, we think VW did a good job.

Styling: Restrained German Execution

The 2022 Tiguan gets a revised front end with a new bumper and grille, along with standard LED headlights and daytime running lights. We like the R-Line package, which adds dark accents to the bumpers and side sills. It also adds the cool steering wheel, but we'll get to that in a minute.

The side profile is mostly the same, with the massaging of a few character lines. New, centered Tiguan lettering at the back will be the tip-off that this is the refreshed model, a trend started on the new Taos SUV earlier this year. The Tiguan will be offered in eight colors including two new ones: Kings Red Metallic and Oryx White. New wheels complete the package, ranging from 17 to 20 inches in size.

Driving Impressions: Yeoman’s Work

The new Tiguan sticks with the company's 2.0-liter turbo-four making 184 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque, the latter of which is available from only 1,600 rpm. VW tuned it a bit to get an extra mile per gallon combined, putting it at 26 mpg in front-wheel-drive guise. We can't say it felt quick, just acceptable. The takeoff from a standstill is better than trying to get from 60 to 80 mph, even exhibiting a little torque steer in the front wheels on FWD vehicles. Speaking of, VW's 4Motion all-wheel drive will add $1,500 on all trims except for the SEL R-Line, where it comes standard.

The brakes were a little squishy for our tastes, with a little too much travel. But they were easygoing and never let us think we weren't going to stop. For this type of vehicle, they were completely fine. It's quieter than expected inside as most of the road and wind noise is muted. Sightlines are great from the higher-than-average perch.

As we mentioned above, this isn't an enthusiast vehicle. Still, the steering is both better and quicker than most of the segment, though that's not surprising. VW's whole lineup has always felt slightly sportier than the competing Toyotas, though the RAV4 now has a few nice powertrain options.

The bumps are soaked up well by the suspension, especially with normal-sized 17- or 18-inch wheels. If you get the 19s or 20s, you will feel some of those road imperfections. Those bigger wheels come with a slight handling benefit, but we think you'll be much happier with one of the more reasonable options, especially if you spend any time on gravel, dirt or grass.

Interior: New Tech Abound

Most of the updates will be noticed in the cabin of the new Tiguan, where heated seats are now standard across the board, with a heated steering wheel and ventilated front seats available as options. The Volkswagen Digital Cockpit comes standard with an eight-inch display while the 10-inch Digital Cockpit Pro can be added. The only trim that doesn't come standard with VW's latest MIB3 infotainment is the base S model.

We sampled both the eight-inch and 10-inch Digital Cockpits and found them easy to read and control through the steering wheel, with lots of info to look over. We must be at the point where it's cheaper to just put a digital screen in the cluster instead of analog gauges.

The MIB3 infotainment worked fine, except it took us a few minutes (hours) to figure out how to get back to Apple CarPlay after we bounced into the native media system. It turns out we were supposed to press the "apps" button, which now seems obvious. The SE model we tested had a button for navigation, but no programming, which is probably the start of a feature subscription at play, in which the next owner could add the feature.

Wireless Apple CarPlay is standard, with wireless charging standard in SE and above trims. Also, on those upper three trims, VW's new Climatronic Touch interface for climate control comes standard. Normally we suggest knob controls for climate controls, but this little panel with touch sliders works well. R-Line models add a thicker, leather, perforated steering wheel with haptic buttons for radio and cruise control. Cloth seats are standard with leatherette and leather as optional. A panoramic sunroof, premium audio and ambient lighting are also extra-cost options.

We jumped in both the second and third row to see how adults fit. The second row reclines and slides, which leaves enough legroom in the third row for shorter adults. At 5-foot-10, my head was hitting the ceiling, so we wouldn't advise taking long trips back there. All FWD Tiguans will get a third row as standard and all AWD derivatives come with two rows. VW said it found that's how most of its customers use their vehicles anyway.

Pricing

The 2022 VW Tiguan S is the cheapest model starting at $25,995 and AWD is an extra $1,500. It comes with LED headlights, keyless entry, the digital cockpit, and the previous-gen MIB2 infotainment system with a 6.5-inch touchscreen. On that base model, the IQ.Drive Package costs $895 and adds features like active blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control.

The SE starts at $29,495 in FWD trim. It adds the upgraded infotainment system, wireless charging, more USB ports, and the new climate systems. The SE R-Line Black is next at $32,295. It gets 19-inch wheels, black exterior accents, a panoramic sunroof, and 15-color ambient lighting as standard. Finally, we have the SEL R-Line, which gets everything including 20-inch wheels, adaptive front lighting, a Parking Steering Assistant, a birds-eye view camera, navigation, and the bigger 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro. It also has the 4Motion AWD system equipped by default.

Our pick would be the SE R-Line Black. It starts at $33,795 with 4Motion AWD. It comes standard with IQ.DRIVE, VW's selection of safety and semi-autonomous features like forward collision warning, adaptive cruise, travel assist, and lane keeping. It also comes with the upgraded steering wheel and ventilation controls. Pick one of the new colors; they're definitely the best.

Verdict

The Volkswagen Tiguan was high on our list of compact crossovers until the Toyota RAV4 got a redesign to look more like the 4Runner. Now that's our number 1. The Honda CR-V is a little more comfortable, and maybe better as an all-rounder. However, the Tiguan has a third row, which is what will sell this VW. The Tiguan looks better than the CR-V to us, and it blows the Chevy Equinox out of the water. We do like the look and powertrains of the Ford Escape, if you don't need that third row.

But what you get with Volkswagen is a little more fun in the chassis, a little more directness in the steering, and a little more usefulness in the cabin. Gas mileage will be reasonably efficient on long trips but just remember to keep adults out of the third row.