2018 BMW X3 vs Volkswagen Tiguan

What's the difference?

BMW has form when it comes to performance SUVs, in the shape of M versions of its larger X5 and X6 models. And it has expertly applied that experience here. The X3 M40i is properly quick and dynamically sharp, yet comfortable, refined, and most of all practical when it needs to be. The price tag is large for a compact SUV, but the M40i's quality, value and all-around ability justify it.

The regular Tiguan is excellent, and the Tiguan Allspace is just more of a good thing... literally, with its extra cargo capacity and the ability to seat an extra two people if you have to. Impressive safety technology, a refined cabin, cool features, practical and great to drive.

The sweetspot in the Allspace range is the 132TSI Comfortline - great value, safety and just enough grunt.

It may have been born In Munich, but the X3's parentage is Australian, with the car's exterior design developed by former Sydney-sider Calvin Luk (also responsible for the X1, F20 1 Series, and just released Z4).

BMW is the master of design convergance, and the current X3 recognises the brand's heritage while seamlessly integrating with the current, exceptionally broad model range.

The biggest visual clue to the M40i's status and performance potential is the 'M Aerodynamics Package', consisting of a roof-mounted wing, 'Black Chrome' tailpipes, and various exterior trim elements finished in 'Cerium Grey'.

The nose treatment is unique with a more aggressive lower air intake, and exclusive pieces in the vents either side framing LED fog lights.

Big 21-inch rims are shod with fat Pirelli P Zero rubber, the headlights are adaptive LED, and high-gloss 'Shadow Line' trims, including the roof rails, have been pinched from the BMW Individual collection.

Inside, branded sill strips remind you you're in an M40i before you've even hit the driver's seat, and the general look and feel of the cabin will be familiar to any current-generation BMW owner.

One thing that does stand out, however, is the 12.3-inch hi-res colour instrument display, which shifts its layout and colour palette through each of four drive modes – 'Eco Pro', 'Comfort', 'Sport', and 'Sport+'.

The seats are immaculately trimmed in 'Vernasca' leather, the front pair featuring neatly integrated additional side bolsters for extra lateral support and a racier look.

Look up and you'll see the 'BMW Individual Anthracite' headliner. Move to the straight ahead and you're confronted with an 'M leather' trimmed sports steering wheel.

A standard ambient-lighting system allows you to dial in one of six colours to set the mood, and aluminium trim elements are combined with 'SensaTec' (faux leather) trim over the instrument binnacle and dashtop.

The Tiguan Allspace looks like a regular Tiguan only bigger. But, it’s not a Tiguan that’s just been scaled up in size. Nope, it’s a Tiguan that’s actually been stretched - by 215mm. 

Most of that length has been added to the space between the front and rear wheels, and its boot. That means more room in the cabin and also the way it drives, which I’ll talk about in the sections below.

The dimensions of the Tiguan Allspace aren’t a whole lot different to the Tiguan’s. The Allspace has the same width at 1839mm, and is only seven mm taller at 1665mm, but it’s length is 4701mm compared to the 4486mm long regular Tiguan. Compared to the Allspace the Hyundai Santa Fe is 70mm longer, 50mm wider and 15mm taller.

That elongated body, without much added to its height, and the flat roofline gives the Allspace a slightly wagon-like look and there are some unique styling points to its design, differentiating it from the Tiguan.

There’s the stepped-up bonnet edge, the ridged roof, and the bigger rear quarter windows.
 
There’s beauty in the Allspace’s chiselled looks, those super sharp creases and edges, it’s angular and strong looking with a prestige air.

The interior of the Allspace, too has those well-defined lines and is almost identical to the regular Tiguan.

The Allspace’s interior is a superbly designed cabin, but it’s not as premium feeling as I feel it should be – especially considering the levels competitors such as the Santa Fe are achieving.

There are two grades in the Tiguan Allspace line-up – the entry-level Comfortline and top of the range Highline. You can pick them apart by their wheels – the Comfortline has 18-inch alloys, while the Highline has 19-inch rims. The Highline has more chrome-looking trim around the lower air intake, its tail-lights are darker, and the rear windows are tinted. Inside the Highline has leather seat, while the Comfortline has cloth.

There’s an enormous array of accessories for the Tiguan Allspace including body kits with rear spoilers, sunblinds, sidesteps and luggage pods.

Gradual bracket creep has seen the current X3 sneakily out-grow the original (E53) X5 SUV that turned the BMW world upside down, close to 20 years ago.

At just over 4.7m nose-to-tail, and close to 2.0m across, the X3 is substantially longer (+49mm) and wider (+25mm) than its X5 ancestor, with an extra 44mm in the wheelbase to boot.

So, no surprise there's heaps of space everywhere, with plenty of head, leg and shoulder room for the driver and front-seat passenger.

Storage runs to a medium-size glove box, plus a pair of cupholders in the centre console and some oddments space in a roll-top covered area in front of the gearshift, which also offers up a 12-volt power outlet and a USB port.

There's a covered bin between the seats, which doubles as a comfy armrest, plus big bottle holders and storage bins in each door.

Switch to the rear and the generosity continues, with enough head and legroom for me (at 183cm) to sit comfortably behind the driver's seat set for my position.

Width is a different story, with enough shoulder room for three adults to get by on short journeys, but for anything lengthy it's best to stick with a kids/young-adult zone policy.

Individual vents with climate-control adjustment are a big plus, and back seaters are also provided with netted map pockets, door bins including bottle holders, and a pair of cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest.

The cargo area is properly thought through, with embedded rails on either side of the space to accommodate longitudinal movement of the standard tie-down hooks.

There's a netted storage space behind the passenger-side wheel tub, a 12-volt outlet, a pair of pull-out shopping bag hooks, two lights shining from near the door opening back into the load area, and release handles to unlock the 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat.

With the rear seats upright, luggage capacity runs to 550 litres. More than enough to accommodate the CarsGuide pram or our three-piece hard suitcase set (35, 68 and 105 litres). Flip the seatback forward and 1600 litres of space opens up.

Tyres are run-flat, so don't expect a spare of any description. And if you're keen on hooking up a trailer your limit is 2.4 tonnes braked and 750kg unbraked.

The Tiguan Allspace is the only seven-seat SUV in Volkswagen’s current line-up. Yes, the big Touareg SUV flagship is 10cm longer but in Australia we get the five-seater version. And yes, there is a real possibility that in the coming years another Volkswagen SUV known as the Atlas (USA) and Teramont (Europe/Asia) with seven seats could come, but for now the Allspace is carrying the responsibility all on its own.

So, does it do a good job of being a seven-seater? Yes, as long as those in the third row are younger children because even my colleague who is not the tallest adult at 175cm found those back seats to be cramped in both head and legroom. 

I’m a 191cm tall and the only way I could sit with my legs not touching the seat back was by sliding the second row forward as far as it goes which left no legroom for anybody in front of me. The limited headroom back there meant I also had to hunch.

But if your kids are as tall as me, then it might be time for them to get their own car or think about a Volkswagen Transporter (if you’re a fan of the brand) which are proper people movers that accommodate at least seven and with enormous amounts of room even for freaks like me.

Second row legroom in the Allspace is outstanding. I can sit behind my driving position with about 50mm of room between my knees and the seat back and headroom is excellent, too – seriously another whole entire Richard Berry could sit on my lap and still be comfortable. Okay, that’s weird.

Look at the size of those rear doors in the images. They are as big as the ones on a bank vault. When you compare them to the regular Tiguan’s back doors you can see where the extra length has gone in creating the Allspace and the size of the opening makes getting in and out of the second row easy. 

Entry into the third row is helped by those large door apertures, but it seems because this SUV was designed originally with left-hand drive markets in mind the second row splits 60/40 so that the smaller section is on our roadside and not our kerb. It’s no biggie, but it’s just not as easy to slide the larger section forward.

With the second-row seats in use there’s still 230 litres of boot space – enough for a set of golf clubs (as demonstrated by Volkswagen at the car's launch). But if, like me, you don’t play golf that means about as much as saying you could fit 10 chihuahuas in there, so be assured there was enough room two soft overnight bags or maybe just look at the bad photo I took on my phone.

With those rear seats folded flat boot space in the Tiguan Allspace is excellent at 700 litres which is 75 litres more luggage capacity than the regular Tiguan and makes the size of the Santa Fe’s 547 litre cargo area look tiny.

Under the boot floor is a storage area for the cargo cover and under that compartment is the space saver spare wheel. Hooks, hard plastic bins for muddy shoes or wet swimmers and a torch can also be found in the boot.

Coming standard on the Allspace is a power tailgate with kick access, too – it only took me two kicks to open it but I’m uncoordinated, as you can clearly see in the video above.

Storage and utility throughout the cabin is unbeatable for this segment, with overhead luggage boxes galore, there are giant pockets in all the doors, two fold-down tables in the second row with a cupholder each.

There are another two cupholders in the rear centre armrest, another in the third row, two more up front in the cockpit, a dash-top covered box, and a deep centre console bin under the armrest. And that’s on all grades – the entry level Comfortline comes with more storage in the form of drawers under the driver and front passenger seats. All come with a glove box, too which adds more concealed storage and a CD player. Yes, a CD player – that makes me happy.

There are three USB ports on-board (two up front and one in the second row) and three 12-volt power supplies (front, second row and cargo area).

Hugely practical, but not great for carrying seven adults, think of the Tiguan Allspace as a five-seater with one of the biggest boots in the class and the flexibility to carry a couple of extra kids if you have to.

ow much is the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace? That depends on which one you get because there are two grades and a choice of engines.

The entry-level Comfortline grade can be had with the 110TSI petrol engine for $40,490, or step up to the more powerful 132TSI petrol for a list price of $45,490, or there’s a diesel 110TDI for $46,990.

With top of the range Highline grade you have a choice of two engines – the $52,990 162TSI or the 140TDI for $54,490.

Standard features on all Comfortlines include an 8.0-inch touchscreen with sat nav, reversing camera, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, eight-speaker stereo, three-zone climate control, proximity key (keyless entry) and push button start, LED headlights, power tailgate with gesture open, 18-inch alloy wheels in the Kingston design and an excellent armoury of advanced safety equipment you can read about below.

The Highline grade has of the Comfortline’s features but adds leather upholstery, a 9.2-inch touchscreen, adaptive chassis control, active cruise control, heated front and outside row two seats, power front seats, ambient lighting, premium LED tail-lights and 19-inch alloys in the 'Auckland' style.

A panoramic sunroof can be optioned on individually on the Highline for $2000 or part of the $4000 'Luxury package' for the Comfortline. The 'Driver Assistance Package' is also for the Comfortline and add adaptive cruise control among other cool stuff for $1600.

The pretty and clever 12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster can be optioned as part of the 'Sound and Vision package' for $3200.

Then there’s the R-Line package which costs $2900 but makes your Tiguan Allspace look like it’s ready for the apocalypse with 20-inch 'Suzuka' alloy rims, a tough R-Line body kit composed of bumpers and side sills, plus brushed aluminium pedal trims, black rear spoiler, R-Line steering wheel with paddle shifters and a black headliner.

The 3.0-litre B58 in-line six-cylinder engine is an all-alloy unit featuring direct injection and forced induction, courtesy of a single 'TwinScroll' turbo.

It also features a water-to-air intercooler, 'Double Vanos' variable cam timing, and 'Valvetronic' variable valve lift.

BMW's 'B' engines are a modular design, based on cylinders of the same dimensions and 500cc capacity. Rather than cast iron cylinder liners they use 'Electric Arc Wire Spraying' technology to form a thin coating of iron on the cylinder walls, to save weight and reduce manufacturing complexity.

Maximum torque of 500Nm is available from just 1520rpm all the way to 4800rpm, with peak power (265kW) on call from 5500rpm to 6500rpm.

Transmission is an eight-speed 'Sport Steptronic' (torque converter) auto, with drive going to all four wheels via a performance-tuned version of BMW's 'X Drive' all-wheel-drive system, incorporating a variable torque split from front to rear, and an 'M Sport Differential working in concert with the DSC to apportion torque across the rear axle.

There are five engines in the Tiguan Allspace range – three specifically for the Comfortline grade and two just for the Highline. 

Comfortline first: there’s the 110TSI, which is a 110kW/250Nm 1.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder and comes with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The 110TSI Comfortline is the only front wheel drive Allspace in the range – the rest are all-wheel drive and have seven speed dual clutch autos.

Next in the Comfortline grade is the more powerful 132TS,I which is a 132kW/320Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol. Then there’s the diesel 110TDI which makes 110kW and 340Nm from its 2.0-litre turbo-four.

The Highline gets the most powerful engines. There’s the 162TSI which makes 162kW/350Nm from its 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four cylinder and the 140TDI which produces 140kW/400Nm from the turbo-diesel four. 

Claimed fuel economy for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 8.9L/100km, the X3 M40i emitting 204g/km of CO2 in the process.

Over roughly 300km of city, urban and freeway running (some of it 'enthusiastic') we saw an average figure of 12.7L/100km (at the bowser), although we managed 8.1L/100km (dash indicated) on one lengthy freeway trip.

Stop-start is standard, and I must admit to turning it off much of the time, although with the system enabled restarting was subtle and swift.

Minimum fuel requirement is 95 RON premium unleaded and you'll need 65 litres of it to fill the tank.

Volkswagen calculates its fuel economies over a combination of open and urban roads. I carried out testing on the same 27km country loop on each variant and recorded my own mileages off the trip computer.

So, officially the 132 TSI Comfortline gets 7.9L/100km (I recorded 10.1L/100km). The 162TSI Highline’s official figure is 8.3l/100km (I recorded 11.2L/100km). The official 140TDI Highline consumption is 6.0L/100km (I recorded 8.3L/100km).
 
It’s important to point out Volkswagen’s not wrong, this is a bit of an apples and oranges comparison as a combined average takes in motorways which will reduce your fuel economy a lot, my loop was on a hilly winding road with hard acceleration and no use of stop-start tech.

While I drove the 110TSI Comfortline it was not on the same route, but officially the fuel consumption is 6.6L/100km. The 110TDI Comfortline wasn't driven at all but its claimed mileage is 6.1L/100km.

For some, the idea of a performance-focused SUV is a contradiction in terms. Why lift a car up, give it a higher centre of gravity, then try and make it handle like a low-slung sports car?

Happily, the world isn't a logical place. Lots of people want their SUV practicality delivered with a sting in the tail, and the X3 M40i offers up exactly that.

Under the bonnet of the M140i/M240i this engine is a proven gem, and it's just as lively in this application.

We may have even given the standard launch control function a workout, to see if the factory 0-100km/h claim of 4.8sec is realistic. And let's just say the X3 M40i feels sub-five fast.

With 500Nm on tap from just off idle through to 4800rpm, it's always eager and ready to rip with even a modest squeeze of the right pedal. Mid-range response is immediate and strong, accompanied by a satisfyingly guttural growl from the 'M Performance exhaust'.

And if you really need to get the groceries home quickly, 265kW of peak power between 5500 and 6500rpm makes for an urgent top end.

The eight-speed auto is smooth and quick, the wheel-mounted paddles adding to the fun, especially in Sport mode.

Rolling on 21-inch rims wrapped with high-performance Pirelli P Zero (run-flat) rubber (275/35 rear – 245/40 front) the adaptive suspension has to balance day-to-day comfort with special occasion B-road response, and it does a damn good job of it.

Comfort mode is as good as its word, managing to smooth out the truly ordinary bitumen we Australians laughingly refer to as roads, while Sport buttons everything down as best it can.

But you've got to remember, compared to an M240i coupe, the X3 M40i is 268mm taller, it's ground clearance is 74mm greater, and it's 58kg heavier. So, despite its slick suspension set-up, the M40i still handles like an SUV. A dynamically outstanding one, but an SUV nonetheless.

That means more body roll in cornering (accentuated by the fact you're sitting higher), although the nicely weighted, electrically assisted steering manages to deliver decent road feel.

Like a swan gliding effortlessly across the lake, with legs paddling busily under the surface, the X Drive AWD system and M Sport diff help the X3 M40i put its power down effectively and without fuss, turning you into a backroad-blasting hero.

The sports front seats are nice and grippy (with standard heating a welcome inclusion on chilly mornings), and the M Sport brakes are professional grade.

In my view the regular Tiguan is the best driving mid-sized SUV in its price range – particularly the 162 TSI.

But how does stretching the front and rear wheels apart by more that 200mm, plus the extra weight of the rear seats, bigger doors and body affect that? If you’ve ever put on weight, like me, and then had to run in attempt to drop the extra kegs, you’ll find bits jiggle more and you don’t corner, stop and accelerate like you did when you were slimmer. Same goes for cars. This was going to be interesting.

First, let’s start with the 162TSI Highline with the R-Line package. Okay, it’s still quick – we’re talking 0-100km/h in 6.8sec which is only 0.3s slower than the regular Tiguan 162TSI. While I’d like to say I actually tested that figure, those are Volkswagen’s claim, but I can confirm it feels that quick.
 
Ride on those 225/40 R20 Pirelli Scorpion tyres was good for such big wheels and low-profile rubber, but not as comfy as the lower grades. The ride overall is more comfortable than the regular Tiguan thanks to the longer wheelbase. 

Steering is light, which is great for car parks but even in sport mode the weight could be heavier.

Handling is also good. The Highline comes with adaptive chassis control - but just to labour the body weight analogy a bit further, as when you put on a bit the car’s body control isn’t as composed as the regular (lighter) Tiguan. In the twists and turns of the test route I found the chassis wrestling to restore order – and it did.
 
Steering is light, which is great for car parks but even in sport mode the weight could be heavier. 

The seating position is a bit too high, but that’s the case for the regular Tiguan, too. I prefer the Mazda CX-8’s lower driving position. 

Visibility out of the Allspace is excellent. Well-designed A-pillars, non-obstructing wing mirrors and big windows (including the rear quarter window) give you a clear view all around.

Next the 132TSI Comfortline and 110TSI Comfortline. Right, the 132TSI is probably as low as you should go for engine power in the Tiguan Allspace. While both look identical inside and out, that 110TSI engine may not give you the grunt you’ll need to easily carry you, the family and the mountain of gear which goes with it. The 132TSI performed well, with great shifts from that seven speed 'DSG' dual-clutch auto.
 
Ride is excellent and so is handling, but again you can feel the extra size and weight. Does being bigger make it harder to drive? No because while the Tiguan is longer, it’s the same width, and not much taller. This means the Allspace feels more like a little van or wagon to drive, not a monster truck.
 
Finally, the 140 TDI Highline. Great torque and enough power from this diesel engine with that excellent seven speed DSG shifting intuitively coming into corners, up hills and on inclines. Our test car wore different tyres to the 162TSI ,with the 235 50 R19s delivering good grip and a comfortable ride.

The only variant I didn’t have the chance to drive was the 110TDI Comfortline, hopefully I’ll be reviewing that down the track.

The Tiguan Allspace shares the same maximum five-star ANCAP rating as the regular Tiguan, based on a 2016 assessment.

The level of safety equipment is impressive. Along with a suite of airbags that extend to cover the third row, every Allspace comes standard with AEB (for city and highway speeds); pedestrian monitoring, auto parking, lane keep assist, front and rear parking sensors, and 'Manoeuvre Braking' that will brake the car if somebody walks behind it while you're reversing. That’s outstanding.

The Highline adds more safety equipment in the form of rear traffic alert, side assist and emergency assist, the latter activating the hazard lights and bringing the car to a stop if it detects you haven’t touched the steering wheel for a certain period of time. Amazing stuff.

Only the second row is equipped for child seats with three top tether points, and two ISOFIX mounts in the outboard positions.

Warranty cover is three years/unlimited km, with 24/7 roadside assistance included for three years, and additional support from BMW 'Servicemobiles' (07:00 – 23:00 every day) staffed by trained techs and stocked with key service parts.

Maintenance on the BMW X3 is controlled by a 'Condition Based Servicing' system, which piles real-time data (mileage, time since last service, fuel consumption, and how the car has been driven) into an on-board algorithm to determine whether an annual vehicle inspection or service is due.

BMW offers the 'Service Inclusive' program, a one-off advance payment to cover scheduled costs at the 'Basic' or 'Plus' level.

The Tiguan Allspace is covered by Volkswagen’s three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. 

Servicing is recommended every 12 months or 15,000km for both diesel and petrol variants, with capped price servicing for the first five years. 

Servicing can be more expensive for the Tiguan than Japanese and Korean rivals and you can expect to pay $426 for the first service on a 132TSI and 162TSI engine, with prices heading higher for subsequent services.

Free roadside assistance is also offered for the first three years of ownership (from new).