Ex-wife and ex-husband “team” Brenda Priddy and John Priddy might not be a couple any longer, but they’ve agreed to evaluate a new car together in what Leftlane hopes will be come a popular semi-regular series of reviews called “Battle of the Exes: Car reviews from ex-spouses.”

The first subject to be dissected by this he said/she said couple: A 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan SE 4Motion, Volkswagen’s latest entry into the burgeoning small SUV/crossover class. Let’s see what the couple thinks…

She says
Truth is, we’ve always been a bit partial to Volkswagens. The styling, fun factor and price point put three different models in our driveway (when it was “ours”) at the same time. Everyone in our then-household had a VW – everyone except me. And yet, I think I was the primary decision-maker for all three purchases, but Volkswagen didn’t offer the 4Motion all-wheel-drive option in the vehicle I desired, so I stuck with an ever-dependable Subaru.

My mother drove a New Beetle – as it was the only car that she was able to see “over” the steering wheel and not just “through-it.” And our daughter bought a Jetta when she went off to college – as it was the least expensive car (at that time) with side airbags. And “He” – well, he dragged me to car dealerships for five straight weekends looking for pickup trucks. And he drove every truck out there – at least three times.

Finally, on our last trip to the dealership, as he was fretting over a Dodge Ram, I pointed to a shiny sliver GTI across the lot and said, “screw the truck, THAT’S what you REALLY want!” We wrapped up the deal and were quickly outta there with the GTI.

So, like I said – even with our separate and single status, we’re all a bit partial to Volkswagens and everyone, including my Jetta-driving daughter, was fighting over the keys when the sapphire blue (metallic) Tiguan showed up Thanksgiving weekend.

And the most difficult part about driving the Tiguan? Getting the keys away from the ex!

He says
I don’t know about driving every truck three times. And maybe we stopped at three dealerships during the weekend shopping sprees that we used to endure. And it was a Dakota, not a Ram that I was looking at buying.

But I did end up with a new-at-the-time 2004 Volkswagen GTI 1.8T and I couldn’t have been happier. It’s small and nimble, rock solid, with a killer Monsoon stereo system, and if I could keep the traffic behind me from stuffing their grilles up my tailpipe (Hear that, Sable driver? Hope you got your air bag replaced), it was a blast to drive, even with its archaic turbo lag.

So, yes, I too had to wait my turn to get behind the wheel of the Tiguan – behind our daughter, the Jetta driver. And I even had to chase the dog out of the driver’s seat.

What we agree on
Anyone who’s driven a new Jetta, Rabbit or GTI will be right at home in this vehicle. Aside from being a little taller, the Tiguan has many of the same dynamics as the platform it’s based on. The steering is boosted a little more than we prefer and lacks decent feedback, but it’s still fun to drive.

This shouldn’t be surprise since it’s built off a Golf, uh, Rabbit platform with its MacPherson strut/wishbone front suspension. In the rear, a Passat independent suspension is used and provides a supple and responsive ride. There’s a little more body lean than a car, but that’s to be expected in a light SUV. The seating position is comfortably upright and the dash layout is right out of the GTI as well. But it’s the engine that makes the driving so enjoyable.

A direct-injection 2.0-liter, turbocharged, four-valve, double-overhead cam, four-cylinder gasoline engine with 200-hp provides the motive force. It’s a cast-iron block, aluminum-head design with chain-driven (yippee! No more timing belts to change out!) variable-valve-timing cams. Acting through a six-speed Tiptronic auto-manual transmission, this power combination provides an unexpected kick-ass level of performance. There’s just a bit of turbo-lag, but unless you’re pretending to be Joe Racer, it’s mostly unnoticeable and power just keeps on climbing all the way to the redline.

Standard equipment on even the base Tiguan includes a full range of electronic driving enhanced safety equipment: Four-wheel ABS, traction control, stability control, brake assist, electronic brake force distribution, and an electronic locking differential. A manual 6-speed is only available on the Spartan base model, so most buyers will have to settle for the excellent 6-speed auto box.

And there’s a ton of premium standard equipment: Six air bags, A/C with vents for the rear passengers, heated mirrors with integrated turn signal indicators, power one-touch windows, automatic power door locks, keyless entry, tilt/tele steering wheel, automatic door unlocking if the air bags go off, iPod jack. You get the idea. If you’re thinking mini-Touareg, you are right on.

Then there are two more trim levels with correspondingly more equipment and options available: The SE and SEL models. Either is available with 4Motion, VW’s all-wheel-drive system. There’s the pricey nav-system that includes a backup camera, and the equally pricy but spectacularly impressive panoramic (some say solar rotisserie) sunroof. If you want leather and the cool steering HID headlamps, you’ll have to ante up to the SEL.

His final observation
In mixed city/highway driving including a bit of performance testing (don’t worry, Brenda, I didn’t break anything) our blue SE 4Motion got 18.9 mpg, which isn’t the most spectacular, but it sure beats being seen in a RAV4 or CR-V. And a heck of a lot more fun.

… But she gets the final word
It WAS five straight weekends. And we drove every Dodge Ram in the city. Subject closed!

2009 Volkswagen Tiguan SE 4Motion AWD base price, $28,875. As tested, $33,165.
Navigation with rear back-up camera, $1,950; Panoramic moon roof, $1,300; Rear side airbags, $350.

Words and photos by ex-couple Brenda Priddy and John Priddy

For an in-depth review of the Tiguan, check out Leftlane reviewer Mark Elias’ full feature.

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