Im debating trading in my VW Tiguan and was wondering what this car community thought as you have such real world grounded ideas.
I have a 2010 SEL AWD VW Tiguan that is staring to act up . Specifically, the parking light goes on but the brake isn’t on (mechanic verified), and now the emission light comes on intermittently, and it is starting to loose a little stability and firmness at higher speeds (over 45). some of the non-essential “add ons” also are starting to fail … (iphone connector doesn’t charge and much more often than not, wont even play on in car system, navigation system is often so wrong it isnt worth using.). On the positive side, it handles well in snow., and compared to the Prius v, is less noisy when accelerating. Not sure but I think from the general interior road noise is comparable between them and drivers seat comfort also seems about equal.
Im a single, young middle age-ish women in Northern VA (meaning maybe 2 bad snow/ice events per winter) who doesnt need an SUV per se, but cargo space I occasionally need. Most of my driving is local with an occasional 3-5 hour trip. (Longer trips usually find me the passenger in a very nice Jeep!). I love the prospect of 41 mpg Gas mileage and Toyota still means something good to me.
Im just worried that thinking about trading in the Tuguan for the Prius v is a really dumb idea…any thoughts? Thanks so much.
Sounds like the VW is full of problems, large and small. For a relatively new car it isn’t holding up well. I’d trade it. As to what to get next that’s up to you I don’t have any experience with the Prius V. In general Prius has been a good brand, but they are expanding the Prius name with new models so there may be “teething” issues with the new models.
You’ve described 2 different issues. The first deals with the tiguan reliability. A 2010 is by no means an old vehicle in need of replacement (btw how many miles?). The issues you mentioned can all be repaired (did you get an estimate from your mechanic?). It looks like by telling us about these problems you’re trying to convince yourself that you don’t want the vehicle anymore. Answer this question: do you like/want to keep the tiguan? If the answer is yes then get it fixed. If the answer is no (I think this is what you really want) then issue 2 is what vehicle to get?
If you opt for a new vehicle think about what you want/need in a vehicle. You live in Northern VA - DC area? Is the majority of your driving city traffic (60 - 80%)? Then that’s a + for a hybrid. You mention cargo space - how much (ie what are you hauling)? Is a Prius V large enough? (You also might want to consider a Ford C Max). Add to this any other criteria important to you (eg price).
If you have the $$$$ then trading in the Tiguan is not a dumb idea. If you’re financially stretched to make a car payment then maybe it’s back to the tiguan. Only you know what’s right for you.
@my2cents
I think “if you have the money…” says it all. There are lots of good reasons to trade or not, this one makes the most sense regardless of how new the car is. If you can afford it and want a more reliable and efficient car…go or it.
Thanks for your straightforward and insightful comments…and follow on questions. I guess it might just be that I do not want an SUV, even a small one. That’s one question answered as my2cents pointed out. Time to look at a wider array of cars with some room for the occasional need to move larger items and boxes, and with respectable mpg.