Entering its fourth year, the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan underwent a number of minor changes to help the vehicle carve market share in the ultra-competitive compact crossover niche. Many of these changes were geared toward improving fuel economy, such as updating the automatic transmission (which now uses two overdrive gears) and a tire change. As a result, the Tiguan, which remains powerful and torquey for a vehicle of its size, now can make fewer trips to the gas station as well.

Twelve trims are available for the 4-door hatchback 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan: S, S w/Sunroof, S 4Motion, S 4Motion w/Sunroof, SE, SE w/Sunroof and Navigation, SE 4Motion, SE 4Motion w/Sunroof and Navigation, SEL, SEL w/Premium Navigation, SEL 4Motion, and SEL 4Motion w/Premium Navigation and Dynaudio. All trims come equipped with a 2.0-liter TSI, 16-valve, DOHC, inline 4-cylinder turbocharged engine (with intercooler and variable valve timing) that achieves 200 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque.

The S and S w/Sunroof trims can be configured with a 6-speed manual transmission, and the S, S w/Sunroof, SE, SE w/Sunroof and Navigation, SEL, and SEL w/Premium Navigation can be equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission (with Tiptronic® and Sport mode) — all of these trims are front-wheel drive. Finally, all trims except the SEL w/Premium Navigation are available with 4-wheel drive and a 6-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic and Sport mode in 4Motion trims. All trims of the Tiguan run on premium unleaded fuel. The S trim with a manual transmission gets 18 mpg city/26 hwy, while the FWD trims equipped with an automatic transmission achieve 22/27. All 4Motion trims are rated by the EPA at 21/27.

Standard equipment on the S trims includes manual single-zone climate control, cruise control, heated power side mirrors, power windows, power locks, 8-way manual driver's and front passenger seat (with adjustable lumbar support), power steering, 3-spoke steering wheel (with height-adjustable telescopic steering column), rear window defroster, side mirror defroster/defogger, cloth seats, 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat (with slide adjustment and adjustable backrest), antitheft alarm system, immobilizer theft-deterrent system, 8-speaker sound system (with MP3- and WMA-compatible in-dash CD player and AM/FM radio), Bluetooth HandsFree system, aux-in for portable audio players, rear window wiper, electric tailgate opener, power-assisted front-vented disc brakes, rear solid disc brakes, halogen headlights, daytime running lights and 16-inch steel wheels (with all-season tires). The S w/ Sunroof trim also comes standard with a panoramic sunroof and 16-inch Portland aluminum alloy wheels (with all-season tires and wheel locks).

For those choosing the SE trims, which come standard with all of the S features mentioned, you also get V-Tex leatherette seating surfaces, heated front seats, fold-flat front passenger seat, 3-spoke multifunction steering wheel (with height-adjustable telescopic steering column), leather-wrapped shift knob, multifunction trip computer, Sirius XM satellite radio (with a 3-month trial subscription), touchscreen Premium VIII sound system (with media device interface and iPod cable), tinted and heat-insulated glass, halogen fog lights, silver roof rails, heated windshield wiper nozzles, and 18-inch New York aluminum alloy wheels (with all-season tires and wheel locks) as standard equipment. A panoramic sunroof and RNS 315 navigation system (with touchscreen) is available on the SE w/Sunroof and Navigation trim as well.

The SEL trims all come standard with navigation, Climatronic dual-zone electronic climate control (with pollen filter), 12-way power adjustable driver seat, memory function for driver seat and exterior mirrors, bi-Xenon high-intensity headlights (with adaptive front-lighting system), LED daytime running lights, 19-inch Savannah alloy wheels (with all-season tires and wheel locks), The SEL w/Premium Navigation and SEL w/Premium Navigation and Dynaudio upgrades to an RNS 510 navigation system (with touchscreen), rear-view camera and Dynaudio premium sound system.

Numerous safety features come standard on the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan. These include 6 airbags (driver and front passenger front airbags, driver and front passenger side thorax airbags and front and rear side curtain airbags), rear seat head restraints, tire pressure monitoring system, antilock braking system (with electronic brake pressure distribution, engine braking assist and hydraulic braking assist), electronic stability control, anti-intrusion side door beams and intelligent crash response system.

Interior color options for the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan include Black Cloth for the S trims, Titanium Black Leatherette and Beige Leatherette for the SE trims, and Titanium Black Leather and Beige Leather for the SEL trims. All trims are available in Candy White, Pepper Gray Metallic, Deep Black Metallic, Wild Cherry Metallic, Reflex Silver Metallic, White Gold Metallic and Night Blue Metallic as exterior colors.

User reviews are generally favorable for the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan. Some note some turbo lag, especially when cornering, but overall they generally give the vehicle high marks for both available power and handling capabilities. Many reviewers note that the Tiguan rides more like a car than an SUV, and it generally is regarded as a very pleasant vehicle to drive.

The 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan more than handles its own against competition such as the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-7 and Toyota RAV4. Whereas those compact crossovers get better mileage and more cargo space, they are easily trumped by Tiguan’s horsepower and torque, making the Tiguan a much more fun vehicle to drive, whether driving across town or across the country.