Crash Test Rating
Source   NHTSA
MPG (up to)
19 -20 City / 25 HWY
Horsepower
200
Seats
5
Front passenger 3/4 w/ wheels turned.

Positive Owner Reviews

accountCircle Lori B
The best car I have ever owned.
I love my tiguan! It is fun to drive and very comfortable. I like having the turbo when I take off from a stop light. My teenage sons even like to drive it. The navigation and cruise control are great features. I have had no problems with it. I would buy another tiguan in the future!
accountCircle Charlotte A
Airbag light, that Volkswagen will not turn off.
Love my car, airbag light is on in the car. Volkswagen, will not stand behind their work, paid them 3 times to turn it off, still on bad customer service, think before you buy. Keep trying to say it is this not that, probably given them 600, just gave up.
accountCircle Emily L
Great car for most adventures!
The tiguan is a great car for getting around town, road trips, and all sorts. It drives very sport-like and the panoramic sunroof provides for a convertible-type feel without compromising on space. However, I will say that the car has had some significant repairs over the years and it was very expensive. At this point, almost the entire engine has been repaired. Some of the repairs were even covered by Volkswagen as it was seen to be an underlying issue in the make of the car and thus was covered if requested by Volkswagen. I don't believe they make the tiguan like they used to, and I prefer my model over the newer ones.
accountCircle Becky M
It has a turbo engine, I guess.
I love that it is a manual transmission. It drives so smooth, and has a turbo engine. It is a good size. I do not like that if you open the rear windows only, it has terrible reverberation. And since it is the basic model, no sunroof or steering wheel controls.
accountCircle viola z
Maybe my cars big size is really convenient and safe.
I like its size, its big for a family. I dislike that it can only be used with 93 gasoline, which is quite expensive
accountCircle Cede M
Drives well in snow and gets great gas mileage.
Great car gets great gas mileage. Have not had to do any major repairs. Drives and handles well in the snow.
accountCircle Barbara B
It's the perfect size for a smaller family. Great for long or short distances, as it's very comfortable, but fuel efficient.
It's big enough to carry everything I need, but small enough to not be overwhelming. The only thing I wish it had is a backup camera. The giant moonroof helps makes my commute brighter and not feel so boxed in.
accountCircle emma C
Overall a very good car with great features.
It is a very smooth and comfortable ride, really good for road trips. It has gone from Texas to Ohio a few times with no problem whatsoever! The car is Bluetooth, so you do not have to have an aux cord. The CD player has 6 slots, and there are seat warmers in the car.

Negative Owner Reviews

accountCircle bubba W
VW quality is not good and stay away.
I had to replace the engine before 70k miles. My water pump blew out right after that. The connection on my passenger door also had to be replaced already. My old Toyota went 170k miles before things really needed fixing. Not happy with this VW.
accountCircle Heather M
I love the heated leather seats and the moon roof. My kids love it too.
Bought this car off a used lot, she's a beauty, but I've nothing but problems with it. All the parts are very expensive, and most of the time you have to go to a VW dealership to get the correct parts.
accountCircle Victoria M
Volkswagen tiguan broken engine.
My vehicle is a Volkswagen tiguan which has recently had some car troubles. The engine seized due to a timing belt and low oil. It has had several coolant leaks and spark plug repairs. Also has a new battery. Recently one of the belts was shredded but repaired.
accountCircle Nora C
Volkswagen tiguan - great features in a small SUV frame!
It is more expensive to fix than I originally anticipated, but it runs well otherwise. I like the size of the vehicle and I also like that it has a turbo! Makes accelerating on the highway much easier. The Bluetooth feature is really nice as well, as it makes hands-free calls more accessible.
accountCircle Emma L
Tiguan car rating based on personal experience.
It is a nice car the engine light will randomly turn on and its annoying. When it gets cold the tire pressure always goes down a lot which is also annoying because it makes me nervous that I am going to blow a tire which is fine but annoying. But overall I really like my car.
accountCircle Kathia H
The good and the not so bad
I love the features of the car. Bluetooth technology. I love the moon roof, the car has good handling around corners. I just don't like that parts and labor are expensive and there's not very much room in the car.
accountCircle Carrie K
Great comfortable car with lots of features
Car runs smoothly and has great features - stereo, heated seats, moonroof, etc. It has been fairly reliable but the driver's door handle has broken and was an expensive fix. It is very comfortable but the truck space is insufficient at times.
accountCircle Hannah B
2011 Volkswagen tiguan, comfortable but financially draining.
My car has had quite a few problems some with ac, the sunroof, windows, and engine. I love my car but the problems and reliability are starting to become a financial burden on a struggling college student. It's a comfortable car and definitely helps the nine hour drive to college better.

Volkswagen Tiguan Models

Models also known as Trim Levels, are used to identify a vehicle's level of equipment or special features.

car
S
200 HP 22 MPG 5 Seats
car
S 4Motion
200 HP 21 MPG 5 Seats
car
SE
200 HP 22 MPG 5 Seats
car
SE 4Motion
200 HP 21 MPG 5 Seats
car
SE w/Sunroof & Navi
200 HP 22 MPG 5 Seats
car
SE 4Motion wSunroof & Navi
200 HP 21 MPG 5 Seats
car
SEL
200 HP 22 MPG 5 Seats
car
SEL w/Premium Navi
200 HP 22 MPG 5 Seats
car
SEL 4Motion
200 HP 21 MPG 5 Seats
car
SEL 4Motion w/Premium Navi & Dynaudio
200 HP 21 MPG 5 Seats
Photos may not match model

2011 Volkswagen Tiguan Owner Reviews

4.27
70 Reviews
close Write Review
5 stars 46%
4 stars 41%
3 stars 9%
2 stars 3%
1 star 1%
accountCircle Emma O on May 30, 2021
Great car for value buyers.
I really love this vehicle, it handles great and presents a smooth fun ride. It is big enough to be a (smaller) family car, but small enough to zip around town for errands without the bulkiness of full-size SUVs. Mpg is a plus and the gas tank holds a ton of gas so less stops to the gas station. The only problem I have experienced is a slight creaking noise within the suspension whenever there is a temperature drop. Odd and slightly annoying, but nothing major.
accountCircle Shay R on May 16, 2021
Great family car, reliable and comfortable.
It is very comfortable, a lot of room the seats fold down in the back to make even more room, it is a hatch trunk, there’s plenty of room for my son, the seats raise up for the driver, very reliable ok on gas and goes when you need it to, it has a nice stereo that gets pretty loud.

Pros from Owners

likeFilled Yisa C.

Really good space trunk, awesome gas mileage, nice car, reliable for commute. When I was looking for a car I did some research and I have Tiguan was by far the best option. Car is really easy to drive and maintain. This is the first VW that I purchase and certainly will not be the last. I am truly a fan, it makes me feel safe on the road.

likeFilled Bernadette W.

Its AWD and there were freebies thrown in. I have GPS,, heated seats, Sirius, dual smart phones. It gets okay gas mileage and has good visibility for the driver to see. It has some power, but not so much that it eats gas up.

likeFilled Adair K.

I love my tiguan. It is a smooth drive, gets decent gas mileage, is user friendly to drive and looks great. The interior is very comfortable and has great utilities. There is plenty of room and easy to modify to carry a decent amount of cargo. I have taken this on long road trips with multiple people in the car and it is always comfortable.

Cons from Owners

dislikeFilled Yisa C.

It does have a nice touch screen stereo format factory but does not seem to have GPS. Maybe it is a feature that can be added, but other than that I am. Really happy with my purchase. Will see if it is a feature that can be added in the future.

dislikeFilled Bernadette W.

This has really poor reliability. This vehicle is always breaking down. I have friends that like theirs, but I have had really poor luck with this vehicle and I cannot recommend it. It is a money pit, for me.

dislikeFilled Adair K.

The only true con in my opinion is that Volkswagens in generally are a little more expensive to fix as they are more of a luxury brand. Otherwise, I love the car and brand and always recommend it to people looking for a new vehicle.

Ranks #11 Compact SUV by Owners

The 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan has an average owner rating of 4.29 out of 5 which ranks it #11 of 26 other Compact SUVs.

1
car
4.67
2
Tie
car
4.56
11
car
4.27

Ranks #8 Compact SUV by Fuel Economy

The 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan has a combined MPG of 30 which ranks it #8 of 26 other Compact SUVs.

1
Tie
car
32 MPG
1
Tie
car
32 MPG
8
car
25 MPG

Is The 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan A Good Car?

It is a great vehicle, however the amount of money I have had to pour into it is not great. It seems like everything goes wrong and it is all very expensive.
Jenny K.
For the most part yes. Engine is zippy, gets good gas mileage and have had relatively few issues with it. I really like the sun roof which is a panoramic sunroof. The navigation comes in handy as... Read More
Lara F.
Yes. It has sufficient space with enough performance to handle traffic. Great cargo space too and good gas mileage
Jessica R.
Yes. I have enjoyed driving the Volkswagen Tiguan. It's around the size of a small SUV, but gets better gas mileage.
Sharon B.
Yes great car low maintenance..safe fun to drive great gas mileage..a lot of extra features... easy to drive
Brittany G.

How Reliable Is The 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan?

It has a lot of different issues. All of which are very expensive to replace and cannot run without them being fixed.
Jenny K.
It is very reliable. Beyond routine maintenance I have had no issues beyond replacing the water pump.
Lara F.
My dome light has never worked. The layout of 5h3 engine compartment doesn't lend itself to do it yourself maintenance but I don't do that anyway.
Doris R.
It is fairly reliable. There have been several recalls on different parts, which has been very annoying.
Danielle S.
It is very reliable...I have never had in problems... only things I have had to do is get new tires brakes and wipers very low maintenance
Nicole R.

Is The 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan A Good Value?

I bought it used and I felt like it was still expensive. I was buying the brand which was supposed to be dependable.
Jenny K.
I think for what I got it is a good value. It has a turbo engine, sunroof, navigation and leather seats.
Lara F.
It was approximately $35k. I think it is a good value. I haven't had to do much maintenance and have drive over 100k miles
Kim P.
It is around $50.00 to fill up. It only takes premium gas and I am not sure why that is. It is not the best value.
Janet G.

Related Articles for 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan

From the Vehicle History blog

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All About the 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan Recalls
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Volkswagen Tiguan Safety Ratings to Review

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 2011 VW Tiguan have a timing belt or chain?

Answer: The 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan has a timing chain on the engine rather than a belt. The timing chain is a better option than a belt because it will not have to be replaced as often. A timing belt usually needs to...

2011 Volkswagen Tiguan: What is the size of the trunk and cargo space?

Answer: The 2011 VW Tiguan only offers 23.8 cubic feet with all the seats in use and 56.1 with the rear seats folded. That said, other cars in thE-Class offer a lot more cargo space and plenty of interior cubbies that...

2011 Volkswagen Tiguan: What is the oil type and capacity?

Answer: There are SRX different configurations available on the 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan, but across them, only one engine is used. You're certain to have a 2.0L 4Cylinder engine under the hood, which requires the use of...

Does the 2011 VW Tiguan have Bluetooth?

Answer: If You are looking for information on bluetooth being available on Your 2011 VW Tiguan, You've come to the right place. Your Tiguan does happen to have bluetooth capabilities as a part of its system. Bluetooth...

Answers are provided by third parties. We do not guarantee accuracy of responses

Safety & Reliability

NHTSA Logo
NHTSA Crash Test

Overall

Front

Not Rated

Rollover

Side

Not Rated
*National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
IIHS Logo
IIHS Crash Test

Moderate Overlap Front

Side

Roof Strength

Driver-side Overlap Front

*Insurance Institute for Highway Safety