One of the best on the road, the completely redesigned 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan is a kickin’ little SUV that has a lot going for it, including up to 70 cubic feet of cargo space when needed.
First off, let me state upfront that I am not a fan of Artificial Intelligence.
In fact, I hate AI, especially when it tries to help me write.
It has a nasty habit of creeping into everyday life, and while doing research for this review, the term ‘budget Audi’ for the Tiguan kept popping up.
But I will admit, that is an appropriate term for this little gem of a car, which has a current starting price of just over $30K US.
I always encourage everyone to do research when shopping for a car, and that means I need to do a lot of research as well.
One of my most trusted sources for unbiased information on new cars is U.S. News and World Report, and they feel this year’s Tiguan is one of the best Compact Cars of the model year, right up there with the Hyundai Tucson and the Mazda CX-5, both of which I have driven and love.
The base S trim for the Tiguan starts at just over $30K US and, anymore, that’s a steal. (Keep in mind that by the time you finally sign all the papers, you will have agreed to pay much more than that. Just sayin’.)
You do get a turbo, 17-inch alloy wheels and roof rails (which do look nice but I’m not sure those car toppers add a whole lot of functionality to the car.)
You will also get a combined 28 mpg, a 12.9-inch touchscreen, dual-zone climate control, leather-wrapped steering wheel, ambient lighting, heated front seats (always a joy in the Rockies), heated mirrors, 10 airbags (standard is usually just 6), blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision warning with braking and pedestrian / cyclist detection, and lane-keep assist, to name a few.
The Tiguan is indeed considered a Compact SUV, but it is quite roomy inside, and if you are not too much on the hefty side (I say that lovingly as I am solidly on the hefty side), you and your 4 other advert-camera-ready friends should fit inside nicely.
I tested the SEL R-Line Turbo trim, which is the top-tier ‘seated next to Michelle and Barack Obama at the HRC Dinner’ trim, which starts at just over $43K US.
(The fact that Volkswagen loaned it to me means that the boys in the Actuary Department only checked risk for me going back just two years.)
On this A-Gay trim, you get 286 horses, 20-inch wheels, massaging leather seats, a 15-inch infotainment screen, 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio (Freddie Mercury sounds great), hands-free liftgate and advanced parking assist, as in cameras everywhere.
If you can afford to buy new, I would definitely do so, but I would also consider a used Tiguan if one is available. And if you need a one-size-up, the Volkswagen Atlas, a midsize SUV, is a worth a look.
I will admit publicly; I did not know the name Hormuz or where the Strait of Hormuz was at the beginning of 2026. Now, we here in the colonies cannot escape the impact it is having on our daily lives.
Readers of gaywheels.com are some of the smartest people on the planet. I don’t need to tell you what’s going on. I just wish I could tell you what the future holds for 2026. Or what it holds for The Merry, Merry Month of May. I wish I could spell it out in seashells.
Ten years ago, many of us barely knew the term Gaslighting, but I will tell you the 1944 movie Gaslight starring Ingrid Bergman and directed by gay George Cukor (one of the best directors ever) is one of the best movies of the 20th Century.
Let me know how you are coping. This is a no-shame zone. We all do what we need to do to get by and cope.
My big beef with the Democratic Party is that we toss aside candidates who aren’t perfect. For the life of me, I don’t understand why one of my political heroes, Barney Frank, has to trash extreme liberals like me on his way to the clouds.
Regardless, we need extreme liberals, and that means we need candidates and office holders who are flawed, because that means they are human and know how to fight. But It Ain’t Me, Babe. I will be the first to admit that I have plenty of skeletons. I am not running for office. Honestly, I could not be elected dog catcher.
Remain flawed and please keep reading – and stay informed.
I gave up on being the perfect homo a long time ago. And I could not be happier.
