I fell in love with a VW

When Volkswagen offered me the chance to drive a Tiguan with a diesel engine, I jumped at it. After all, there is something special about driving anything diesel — beyond the price of the fuel, that is.

I was doubly excited because this is the first VW that I would actually be able to take home. While I had test driven the Beetle many years ago, that was only for a few hours and a VW expert accompanied me as I drove.

There was much to like in the Tiguan, starting with the size — a compact SUV. This compact is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine.

The turbo engine never felt sluggish as I drove it down the SLEX. Quick, and the diesel engine performed with quiet abandon even at top speed. Often it made me forget that indeed, this baby had a diesel engine.

Looking inside

I really fell in love with the upscale interiors of the Tiguan, starting with the three-way manual front seats with height and lumbar adjustments. I appreciate this in a car because I am a small driver and the more I can adjust the seats to my comfort, the better the driving experience is for me. A leather-trimmed steering wheel always is a welcome because it lends an air of class to the vehicle. The reclining rear seats had my back seat passengers wanting me to do more driving and less stopping — which is something that a driver like me is always happy to oblige.

The other little amenities like the trip computer, cruise control and an eight-speaker audio system with an auxiliary input complete a comfortable drive.

So, I made sure that I had enough CDs to play for a really long drive so that my passengers would be entertained as well as feel comfy as we made our way to Quezon on the Tiguan.

Let the driving begin

I like that the Tiguan felt heavy — I mean this in a good way. This four-wheel drive SUV never made me feel that I was not in control of the drive at all times. It was steady on the road when I pushed the pedal and it kept its composure when I did some overtaking on the smaller roads in Laguna.

The 2.0T engine is a real gem, delivering sprightly acceleration almost from idle to redline.

It was a joy being behind the wheel, as it seems that the Tiguan was built with the driver’s comfort in mind.

In the smaller highways that make up Laguna, driving the Tiguan was truly comfortable as it suppressed road and wind noise so well that it made me forget that I was driving. I must add though that even on some of the uneven pavements of the country roads, the Tiguan drove really smoothly, thanks to its combination of decent ground clearance and generous ride compliance.

Hit the road

Driving allows me time to clear my mind and gets me into the zen zone. Being behind the wheel of the Tiguan made this so much easier. Much has been going on in my life over that past year — and the drive, the longer the better — gave me lots of time to pause from the daily grind and to take stock of what really matters. Green grass, fresh air, cool company and being at the wheel of a great ride.

We made it to Quezon in a little over two hours. We looked for a spot for a small picnic and put out the food we had bought on the way to the picnic.

I parked the Tiguan close by so that I could give it a once over as I enjoyed the food laid before me. We are a really quiet bunch, each one taking in the clean air and taking stock of the precious time away from the Metro.

I took time to give my verdict about the Tiguan. I, of course, must say that this 2.0 TD engine SUV is really one cool drive — because aside from the fuel saving aspect, it has a really smooth ride and drive, too.

Although the design of the Tiguan is nothing really fancy, I fell in love with the way it handles on the road — and for me looks come second to a good drive.

It was then that I knew, after having eaten my supply of buco and banana, that the Tiguan had captured the heart of this driver.

The Tiguan is a respected SUV, and if you’re looking for an alternative to the typical family hatchback, the Tiguan remains a safe, practical and reliable choice.

It was getting late and time to head on back to Manila. I was more than ready to get back into the Tiguan and drive — another three hours of pure bliss. Who could ask for more?