Volkswagen Tiguan
Many people think of the Volkswagen Tiguan is a kind of GTI on stilts. The older Tiguan’s smallish size wedded to a 2.0L turbo engine under the hood make the SUV an excellent choice on the used-vehicle market. Here again, take care that the model you’re going to shell out for actually has AWD – some were sold with front-wheel drive. To make sure you’re getting winter-ready power to all four wheels, look for the 4MOTION badge.
“I’m not usually a fan of SUVs. But there’s always an exception to the rule, and here it’s Volkswagen’s Tiguan. I have to say, the little ‘ute really does justice to the “sport” in Sport Utility Vehicle – and that’s rarely the case in this class… When coupled with the 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system, the Tiguan takes its utility role very seriously. In normal circumstances the SUV reacts like a simple front-wheel-drive model, but at the slightest hint of slippage or wheel spin it dispatches power to the rear to limit any mishaps.”
- From Auto123’s original review of the 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan