2018 Volkswagen Tiguan
Volkswagen has certainly had their ups and downs in recent years. But their current approach of making larger, more comfortable vehicles; and then selling them to Americans at attractive prices, is a real crowd pleaser. So, let’s see how that tactic works for their all-new compact utility, the Tiguan.
The first thing you notice about the all-new, second generation, 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan is how mega roomy it is inside. It may still be considered a compact crossover, but the feel is far more midsize, being clearly aimed at American buyers. In fact, it is even built just south of our border in Mexico.
Now, the first gen Tiguan was imported from Europe. And, while on sale here for ten years, it was never very popular.
The new Tiguan still looks a little like the original, but VW’s modern, angular theme is much more in play now. The very long rear doors not only speak to all the space inside, but indicate the Tiguan now rides on a stretched wheelbase version of VW’s flexible MQB platform. It’s more than 10-inches longer overall than before.
Inside, the front seats may appear flat and painful; but actually, it’s the opposite that is true. They are firm, but comfort is excellent; plus, there are plenty of adjustments, and getting in and out is very easy.
Our SE tester is just one step up from base trim, yet features an 8-inch touchscreen, push button start, dual automatic climate control, a host of safety features, and leatherette seat covers.
It’s in the 2nd row that you experience all that extra space the most. Legroom is equal to many midsize entries, and seats back here are very cozy as well.
Need more seats? A 3rd row is standard in front-wheel-drive Tiguans, optional with all-wheel-drive. But alas, this may be one roomy compact, but it is still a compact. The 3rd row’s two seats are only usable for small children. But, at least they do offer it.
With those seats folded, the cargo bay is also spacious of course; but there’s an unevenness to the space due to the folding 3rd row, that keeps it from being as efficiently packaged as it could be. Still, 33.0 cubic-ft. is quite good, maxing out at 65.7 with the standard 40/20/40 2nd row seats folded.
No power lift-gate on our SE trim, SEL and above only; but the very light hatch virtually lifts on its own anyway.
The Tiguan is not exactly stimulating or high-tech looking inside, but is highly functional and intuitive. The larger touch screen found in all but base S trim is much easier to use, the radio sounds very good, and gauges are clear and simplistic as always with VW.
Power comes from a revised 2.0-liter turbo I4 with standard auto stop/start. Horsepower is down from 200 to 184, but torque is up from 207 to 221 lb-ft. It has adequate guts to move the Tiguan’s, 3,800-lbs., but some may wish for more.
We surely did at our test track, where the Tiguan jogged to 60 in 8.8-seconds.It certainly didn’t help that it immediately cuts power at even a hint of wheel spin. Power builds slowly down the track, and the engine sounds pretty decent; but otherwise it’s an unremarkable 16.8-second ¼-mile trip that finishes at 84 miles-per-hour.
Tiguan redeems itself through the cones, however; with quick steering and a nimble chassis, like a slightly heavier Golf wagon, which essentially it is.
No surprise, brakes performed well. 118 feet from 60 to 0 with a short travel, firm, confidence inspiring pedal.
2-wheel-drive Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 22-City, 27-Highway, and 24-Combined. For an average Energy Impact Score of 13.7-barrels of yearly oil use with CO2 emissions of 6.1-tons.
Pricing starts at a reasonable $25,495; add $1,300 for all-wheel-drive.
With the new Tiguan, and the larger Atlas, Volkswagen is clearly pulling out all the stops to gain U.S. market share. Launching two 3-row SUVs in short order is very bold. And, backing them with a 6 year/72,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty is very smart.
The cosmetics may be unremarkable; but the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan is a comfy, highly useful, competent handling, well thought out, and yes…American-style crossover. To us it sure looks like VW is fast becoming the Honda of German cars.
Specifications
- Engine: 2.0 liter
- Horsepower: 184
- Torque: 221 lb-ft.
- 0-60 mph: 8.8 seconds
- 1/4 mile: 16.8 seconds @ 84 mph
- EPA: 22 mpg city / 27 mpg highway
- Energy Impact: 13.7 barrels of oil/yr
- CO2 Emissions: 6.1 tons/yr
2024 Lexus TX
Built To Please Luxury-Minded American Families On The Move
Lexus sells SUVs in just about every shape and size, but until now has never had a true large three-row family-style crossover in their lineup. Well, the new TX is just that. So, let’s find out if the seventh SUV to enter the Lexus brand is also able to usher in a new era of big-family luxury.
Lexus has been in the SUV game longer than most luxury brands, but the all-new 2024 Lexus TX is their first purpose-built, large three-row crossover utility. Looking equal parts enormous and luxurious outside, it’s a big jump up from the no longer available RX350L, as far as space inside front to back, but especially in the third row when it comes to legroom, but also in flexibility and ease of use compared to their other current three-row offering, the truck-based LX600.
The TX’s 20.2 cubic-feet of space behind that third row is a real bonus too. That space expands to 57.4 cubic-feet when you fold the second-row seatbacks, with a 97.0 cubic-foot max with all seats stored and folded. And of course, there are charging ports just about everywhere you look inside, ensuring families are as connected as they are comfortable. And it is a very comfortable family hauler with seating arrangements for either six or seven passengers.
It’s easy to make things bigger inside, much more difficult if you’re Lexus to make them vastly better. And while the TX interior is very nice, it’s not as big of an upgrade from platform mate Toyota Grand Highlander as we expected. Though considering our Premium trim tester is just one step up from base, there’s lots of standard content, but also a lot going on when it comes to controls and touch-sensitive surfaces. It did take some getting used to, with many dash controls looking very similar, and the steering wheel controls being somewhat temperamental.
There are plenty of choices when it comes to the powertrain. Standard is this 2.4-liter I4 turbo in the TX350 rated at 275 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque. It works with an eight-speed automatic transmission and comes in front- or all-wheel drive. An available 500h adds hybrid assistance to that 2.4-liter, and at the top of the lineup is Lexus’ first-ever V6-based plug-in hybrid, the 550h+, which packs 301-total horsepower and delivers 33-miles of EV range. Both hybrids are all-wheel drive, and all TXs are rated to tow 5,000-lbs.
There are charging ports just about everywhere you look inside, ensuring families are as connected as they are comfortable.
Our all-wheel drive 350 had a nice little jolt of power for getting a nice little jump off the line at our Mason Dixon test track, and then after a slight pause, power began pouring on in full force, ushering us to 60 in 7.5 seconds. The engine was plenty willing to keep dealing out the power, but the ultra-smooth automatic shifts were a tad sluggish, creating a noticeable drop-off in momentum as we worked our way down the track. Still, a 15.6-second 92 miles-per-hour quarter-mile is quite acceptable for a family hauler.
The TX is almost 17-feet long, but it sure doesn’t feel that big when you’re driving it around, and it scooted thorough our slalom course with the ease of a vehicle half that size. Its predictable nature allowed us to easily manage its luxury-minded steering feel and carry quite a bit of speed through the cones. While the TX shares the same basic suspension design as the Grand Highlander, tuning is unique.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 20-City, 26-Highway and 23-Combined; we averaged a great 25.3 miles-per-gallon of Premium, and it only goes up from there with either of the two available hybrids.
Pricing starts reasonably for a luxury SUV with the TX350 beginning at $55,050 and all-wheel drive a $1,600 option, but things can escalate quickly from there.
While not their first three-row utility, the 2024 Lexus TX is their first dedicated three-row platform aimed squarely at the heart of the American market. Clearly, they’ve hit a bullseye, as it makes us want to pack up the family and hit the road. But this is also the first Lexus to be built in Indiana.
While most of the car business seems to revolve around novelty, wow-factor, and gadgetry these days, Lexus continues to deliver quality, calm, and comfort, all while keeping the luxury experience remarkably attainable.
Specifications
As Tested
- Engine: 2.4-liter I4 turbo
- Horsepower: 275
- 0-60 mph: 7.5 seconds
- EPA: 20 City | 26 Highway | 23 Combined
- Transmission: 8-speed automatic
- Torque: 317 lb-ft
- 1/4 Mile: 15.6 seconds at 92 mph
- MW Fuel Economy: 25.3 mpg (Premium)
2024 Subaru BRZ tS
The Light Way Is The Right Way
Back in 2013, Subaru, the long-time purveyor of all-wheel drive wagons and utilities, shocked us all when they unleashed the lightweight, rear-wheel drive BRZ sport coupe into this SUV-crazy world. It was like a fantastic breath of sports car nostalgia that we just couldn’t get enough of. And Subaru has only made it better since then, finally giving it an STI-like treatments. So, let’s hit the track in the new BRZ tS!
The Subaru BRZ indeed seemed to come out of nowhere when it arrived 11 years ago, and we’ve been loving every chance we’ve had behind the wheel of this throwback rear-drive sport coupe ever since. Now, there’s a new BRZ for us to enjoy, this 2024 Subaru BRZ tS.
The phrase “sport-tuned” is vague and often over-used, so what does that really mean for the BRZ? And how does that translate to performance at Savannah, GA’s Roebling Road Raceway?
Well, what Subaru has done with the tS, is indeed made the BRZ more capable on track and thus even more fun to drive overall. The big additions here are suspension and brakes, replacing the standard shocks and struts with Hitachi Sensitive Frequency Response Dampers, and upgrading the brakes to Brembos with gold calipers that clamp down on larger 12.8-inch discs up front and 12.4-inch discs in the rear. Unique 18-inch alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 performance tires complete the package.
Subaru falls short of calling it a full-on STi model, but does claim it has been tuned by STi, and there are prominently displayed STi logos on the start button and in the gauge display, along with unique trim and leather covered sport seats with Ultrasuede inserts, and lots of blue stitching on the seats and elsewhere in the cabin.
Outside, it’s mostly just the same tidy, low, wide, and lightweight aluminized BRZ we’ve come to love, with new logos, and black painted mirror caps. What there isn’t is any additional power, as the tS soldiers on with the standard BRZ’s naturally aspirated 2.4-liter flat-four rated at 228 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. Now, those numbers don’t exactly scream track performance, but the fact that the tS is only available with a six-speed manual transmission does reveal what this particular BRZ is all about.
What Subaru has done with the tS, is indeed made the BRZ more capable on track and thus even more fun to drive overall.
And it was pure joy working that shifter in and out of the turns here at Roebling; the BRZ was already so well-balanced to begin with that it took a few laps of really pushing to feel the increased firmness and more settled nature on turn-ins of the new suspension setup. The better brakes addition was more easily noticed, and much appreciated, as we were able to dive into corners just a bit deeper than before.
Surprisingly, even on this big, fast track, the BRZ still doesn’t feel underpowered, just fun, as it and its platform-mate Toyota GR86 have from the very beginning. And 6.1 seconds to 60 is still plenty quick for anyone, and that’s actually a bit slower than we’ve gotten typically in the BRZ. Under more ideal conditions than this unusually cold winter’s day in coastal Georgia, mid fives shouldn’t be a problem.
Good clutch feel and decent grip from the 215 rear tires allowed for surprisingly high rpm launches. Short throws and positive action to the shifter meant we had no problem maintaining momentum through the 14.5-second quarter-mile which we finished at 99 mph.
Would we love to see and feel more horsepower coming from under the hood, a high-output turbo from the Toyota stable perhaps? Absolutely, but truth be told, it doesn’t really need it, as it puts the power that it has to use better than most cars on the road.
So, it may not be the full STi model that people have been clamoring for, but it’s not priced like one either, essentially tacking just $2,650 onto the price of a top Limited BRZ. It’s also worth noting, that while previous tS models were limited production, there are no such limits this time around, and this tS is the first manual transmission Subaru to come equipped with their EyeSight Driver Assist Technology.
So, if you want a BRZ that’s noticeably better for your track days, or just cars and coffee bragging rights, here it is. And everything that went into making the 2024 Subaru BRZ tS a more potent performer on the track, also makes it a better street car. That’s the kind of no compromise performance enhancement we can all get behind, and what continues to make the BRZ a winner no matter where the pavement takes you.
Specifications
As Tested
- Engine: 2.4-liter flat-4
- Horsepower: 228
- 0-60 mph: 6.1 seconds
- Starting Price: $36,465
- Transmission: 6-speed manual
- Torque: 184 lb-ft.
- 1/4 Mile: 14.5 seconds at 99 mph