When I arrived at the dealership and viewed two vehicles side by side, the morning fog still hung on.
The difference was obvious at once: one was a story of German manufacturing precision, the other Japanese reliability meets durability.
The Volkswagen Tiguan R Line and the Toyota Fortuner represent two very different approaches to the SUV market. But it is often that they find themselves together at the same buyers, who are looking for versatile, spacious vehicles able to tangle with all kinds of terrain.
Stood between the two competitors, I could not help thinking of the environments they were designed to survive.
With its sleek European lines and sporty ag es, the Tiguan R Line seems more at home in an urban jungle than on winding coastal roads.
Taller and more imposing, the Fortuner seems geared to leave the pavement far behind.
To Invest or to Value: Perspectives on Price
“When somebody comes in,” noted James Wilson, a sales manager I’ve known for years, “the tag is just indicating where we start.”
Before we left the Tiguan R Line, he pointed to y of his peers’ know the VW’s inception of refined finish.
“People always forget substitution costs total.” (James, eg as a young mechanic before moving into sales, has a pair of calloused hands.)
The Volkswagen Tiguan R Line is priced at a premium level in its segment, with base models starting at $42,790 and top-end versions costing over $50,000.
This pricing reflects the European badge value of VW, its state-of-the-art drivetrain technology and interior appointments that wouldn’t look out of place in luxury segments.
On the other side of the lot, the Toyota Fortuner presents a different value proposition.
Starting at $38,560 and going all the way up top of line models, where you’ll find a $45,000 trim level not many other but one like it can currently produce.
Fortuner’s muscular wheel arches and high ground clearance were illuminated by the morning sun that also shone on what these features did. Features come with practical benefits not aesthetic
“Toyota buyers often say they are buying peace of mind.” Sarah Chen, a product specialist who came along on our tour, said.
How the Fortuner began life with Toyota, and will inherit its legendary quality.
“If not for that reputation, you could hardly find the bodies of two-decade-old Land Cruisers and Hiluxes hanging on in some of the world’s most inhospitable environments”
What’s Beneath the Surface: Power Philosophies
A vehicle’s mechanical heart says much about what it’s meant for.
As I lifted the hood on the Tiguan R Line, a small and very densely packed engine compartment spoke volumes about Volkswagen’s attitude toward performance.
In terms of performance, the Tiguan R Line is typically equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 that makes approximately 184 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque.
This engine goes hand in glove with Volkswagen’s eight-speed automatic and, where requested, 4MOTION all-wheel drive.
“It’s just a perfect example of modern efficiency engineering,” 30-year auto mechanic Michael Torres said.
Later that day, I found myself at his shop – still suffused with that mix of oily smells and fresh coffee one associates most closely with the traditional garage.
“These engines have been designed to have power on tap right where you need it, without squandering any fuel.”
The Toyota Fortuner, by contrast, fights back with a bigger 2.8-liter turbocharged four in most markets, developing some 201 horsepower and a more than impressive 369lb-ft of torque.
Pair it up with either a six-speed manual transmission or automatic, plus true four-wheel drive and low-range gears; it is a vehicle aimed at an entirely different set of needs.
“That torque is what makes everything come right,” explained Torres, wiping his hands with a shop rag, he reflected on a customer’s Fortuner last week.
“Diesel torque is the difference when you’re pulling a boat up a slick ramp or sloshing through a rainstorm’s mud and slime.”
Fuel economy figures also form a part of the picture: The Tiguan R Line gets about 23 miles per gallon in the city and 29 mpg on highways.
Thanks partly to its diesel efficiency, the Fortuner gets only 17 miles per gallon in town and 21 mpg out of town-the penalty it must pay for its stronger build plus offroad capabilities.
Interior Landscapes: Comfort or Efficiency?
As I settled comfortably into the Tiguan R Line driver’s seat, the first impression I got was of a thoughtful ergonomic design in which everything fell to hand naturally.
The touch-sensitive surfaces, piano black accents, and easily understood layout all communicate Volkswagen’s concern for the driver as human being.
Here, I thought, as I repositioned the power-adjustable ten-way seat and wrapped my hands around the wheel with which Volkswagen dresses this. This
Received crisp graphics and information displays that could be configured through a press of a button, the personalizable digital cockpit came to life.
The R Line, meanwhile, heightens the experience with its sport seats, light-coloured stitching, extra-large gas pedal plus force-selectable ride settings; you can also create away some shadow-play after dark by switching on ambient interior illumination.
Nature Continues: Sunset
The panoramic sunroof takes the natural light inside, making the already spacious cabin feel even more open and refreshingly light-filled.
It was the exact reverse when afternoon arrived and I switched to this Taro Man Eater.
Here the cabin prioritizes terms of durability and function supplies, with materials chosen on the basis of their resilience over first touch.
It has a higher seating position, which makes for a better view than most SUV models. This is something that many buyers specifically want. Lastyear, one of our customers drove his Fortuner through a flash flood. Chen said during the tour. As she spoke, I noticed small children pointing.
The family must be from a city, its parents imagined away road trip complete with all of the necessary aids for children including diapers, water bottles and food packets “He came back the next day just to show us how the interior had held up perfectly after a quick cleaning – that’s the kind of story that sells these vehicles.”
She said Anavigation system, backup camera and three rows of seats Fortuner offers seven seats When equipped with a third row seat for children or smaller adults, the Tiguan is able to carry no less than six people in supreme comfort. Depending on the market and trim levels, some of those seats can remind you that this is very much afor adults only house.It in the end all about buyer choice.
The biggest problem is astandard that looks so random when you get up to lt. At 5’8 I found thewindow over 17 inches above my head For user convenience, Volkswagen’s Tiguan R-Line has a 20-inch-tall, 9.2-inch smart infotainment system with both Apple Car Play and Android AutoThe full touch air conditioning controls are a little unusual.
I’ll take time to get used to them having been used until recently with traditional knobs and buttons for so long.
“My teenage daughter figured out all the settings before I even left the parking lot,” laughed Robert Patel, a Tiguan owner I met at a local cars and coffee event the weekend after my dealership visit.
There were people driving around like mortsand sitting ducks.” Asked for comment about public reaction to the Civic’s styling direction, a Honda employee said that it had not been announced. “It is all a matter of personal style, if you will,” VWowner Cornelius mused when asked about this also.
His VWAmerican Mille Migliarescorted by two police cruisers through towncenter streets like some fairy-tale land. “It I’m pretty good atcomputers”, you can probably be done relatively well without anytrouble, maybe even just an app download or two.
For one who is not a technology whiz, taking an entire week to become proficient with your new smartphone might be stretching things a little far.The Fortuner adopts a conservative approach to technology integration. An 8-inch touchscreen attempts to emphasize simplicity over high-tech options.
As the touchscreen interface is equipped with physical buttons, drivers receive tactile feedback: Many drivers who grew up with these controls have become used to them. For those in particular living in forests and mountains, or alongside rivers or sea shores where one fingertip slip could send you over a cliff, bringing together both technologies makes all kinds of sense. Many more drivers were surprised to find that the cockpit arrangement for automobile this model is so very different in comparison with others.
Both vehicles offer comprehensive safety technology suites though they have somewhat different orientations.
The Tiguan R Line offers more advanced driver assistance systems including adaptive cruise control with stop and go function, lane-keeping assist, and semi-automated parking.
But the Fortuner excels in active safety features like trailer sway control, downhill assist control, and Multi Terrain Select systems that greatly expand its capabilities under difficult conditions.
On The Road: Driving Impressions
The Tiguan R Line was welcomed with a bit of warmth that afternoon, which I immediately appreciated if only for its handling manners similar to those of a car.
The turbocharged engine gave confident acceleration for merging, and the high-tech suspension soaked up road irregularities so smoothly that harshness never reached inside the vehicle.
Taking a detour down some less-traveled roads of winding terrain had Japanese import vibes.
In contrast with its utilitarian SUV packaging, the R Line’s sport-tuned suspension and progressive steering provide cornering performance that’s both nimble and precise.
“It drives like it’s one class down from how big it really is,” I noted in my diary for 2007, with the taste still in my throat of coffee from a roadside stop as I wrote.
The adaptive chassis control system permitted instant changes in character, from relaxed cruiser to responsive sports mode accelerating fluidly.
A steady rain fell the next morning — conditions which were perfect for observing this side of the Fortuner’s character.
While the Tiguan excelled in on-road agility, the Fortuner’s body-on-frame construction and high center of gravity worked against it.
So when I deliberately turned off onto an unpaved access road that had been softened overnight by rain to make it muddy, the Fortuner showed itself in its true character.
Turning on the four-wheel drive mode, the Toyota triumphantly sailed over land that would have left the more road-oriented four-wheel-drive system of the Tiguan conducting some heavy lifting these cars have pulled endless iggins from the ditch. muttered Chenthe proud owner of a first generation Tiguan during a previous conversationAppreciation of the technology behind them wasn’t just sales pitch on her part but genuine investmentin the product itself
“Even though they seldom drive at full capacity, this is a feature our customers still value.”
Choose Your Direction After spending quite a while with both vehicles, the decision between Volkswagen Tiguan R Line and Toyota Fortuner finally depends on an honest inventory of your driving needs and individual tastes.
Choose the Tiguan R Line if: You arable to balance on performance of all kinds both on the road and off Advanced technology aggregates are something important in everyday life Your sporadic excursions are mainly in areas with decent roads and easy terrain Inside decor and European building styles are to percent up your lane.
Choose the Toyota Fortuner if: You like to blame genuine off-road capability right at the top of your list 9 Your regular family use requires seats for three people over se Many year reliability is a factor which should not be taken lightly at the time of purchase You plan to do a lot of towing or often travel areas where public infrastructure is scarce As the storm went at last on that final test dayI watched two cars from a grassy knoll.
The Tiguan R Line sat comfortably back in the chic mall parking lot so far away while Fortuner looked as though it were longing to head out into wild hinterland just beyond horizon.If you this editorial has whetted your appetite for that more meaty productWhat kind of SUV are could be better to write?Different tools for different trips–every canine romp must choose its own sled. Today’s excellent SUV market gives you that extent of choice available.