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By Cliff Leppke
VW rolled out its uber Tiguan at this year’s Midwest Automotive Media Association’s Spring Rally at Road America. William Gock, VW’s PR guru, let me take the inspired Turbo, Turbo Tiggy, for a fling on an undulating scenic route, wending its way through the Kettle Moraine surrounding what’s billed as America’s National Park of Speed: Road America at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
VW stuffed a higher output engine under the hood and graced the interior with fine materials such as the dashboard’s walnut veneer. Whereas the run-of-the-mill not-capital-T turbo Tiguan has 201 ponies, the stouter Turbo cranks out 268 hp. Now, the Tiguan is one of the quickest compact crossover chariots. Passing speeds are much improved.
The go-for-the-gusto mill mates to an eight-speed automatic transmission. A rotary dial lets you twirl your way through interior LED ambience choices and drive modes. I picked Sport. VW cites EPA estimates of 22 mpg city and 29 mpg highway with regular fuel. This Tiguan has VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive. Your right foot will notice the Turbo’s prompt response, and your ears will hear an agreeable bark. Wind and road noise are hushed too.
The Turbo isn’t a Golf R in disguise. While its chassis dynamics are playful, its 20-inch tires have modest grip. The tilted upward tiller’s response is light but accurate. A bit more heft, and less wheel rake would be nice. Ride quality is firm. I didn’t evaluate this Tiguan’s stop-and-go behavior. Some VW turbocharged models with economy-oriented eight-speed automatic transmissions can be clunky.
VW asks about $45,500 for the Turbo. Those dollars net a pleasing interior with quilted leather seating, stitched leatherette trim, warm walnut accent and front-seat massage. Its ambiance won over
WardsAuto, an automotive trade publication. Wards’ judges, impressed from the moment they stepped into the ground-illuminating puddle light and opened the door, selected the SEL R-Line for its 10 Best Interiors. WA used words “dazzling,” “driver oriented,” “seems like a steal” and “on brand” for the bud-vase company’s Turbo Tiggy.
In a segment where “bland vanilla is the norm,” with the Tiguan you get the fine-car vibe at what’s become a mainstream price. VW, however, persists with its tricky touchscreen and now illuminated touch-sensor controls. Say, “hello Volkswagen, tell me a joke” and the voice assistant will utter one of several Dad lines.
All said, the zesty turbo, Turbo Tiguan is a terrific compact family grocery getter. This luxurious, powerful SUV tempts you to escape to Wisconsin’s paths through the wilderness, enjoying the twisty bits while planted in the Tiguan’s thrones.
’27 ID. Buzz gets weekend camper gear
Gock says the retro-vibe ID. Buzz van returns to VW’s 2027 American lineup. Probably the most significant upgrade is the Tourer model. It’s equipped » for overnight camping at Road America’s trackside grounds if you’re so inclined. It has a fold-out mattress and platform, window blinds, front window ventilation panels and exterior table with chairs.
Gock says VW ditched the former ID’s haptic steering wheel switchgear for conventional pushbuttons. On the exterior, it tweaked the two-tone color schemes. First, VW discontinued the single-hue Buzz. “Buyers,” Gock says, “prefer two-tone Buzzes.” Second, VW added Candy White over Cherry Red while deleting both the white over orange and silver over red combos.
VW says the Buzz has an updated infotainment system with its Android-based ID.S 6 software. The travel assist now includes lane changes with “on hold” wait-for-clear function. You get an NACS (Tesla) charging adapter. The Buzz comes in either Pro S or Pro S Plus trims, with the former in either rear-drive or 4Motion. Tourer vans are based on the Pro S 4Motion.
VW hasn’t announced pricing.
Black-flagging it with a Schwinn
I should have been black-flagged. Not for my on-track vehicle command but instead for botching Turn 3 with my two-wheel Schwinn Paramount OS. After our track driving sessions ended, Kia offered a tempting option — a lap for fitness. We could walk, run or bike around Road America. I biked, why walk?
I selected my Waterford, Wisconsin-made Paramount for this adventure, which became my two laps of fitness. I haven’t ridden the Paramount since 2024 and hadn’t ridden a bike for anything more than a hardware-store jaunt this year. Let’s say I’m not in fine bike shape. Mark Schirmer of Cox Auto rode one of those fantastic mega-geared bikes (10 speeds on just the rear freewheel) with electric shifting and hydraulic disc brakes and killed me in hill climbing.
I’m often derided as a retro grouch. My bikes usually stay vintage correct. If clipless pedals, electric shifting, hydraulic brakes and other biking updates arrive, my older bikes don’t get them. Instead, my cycles remain stuck in their eras. For the Paramount, this means a crazy combo of Shimano’s “tricolor” 600 aero bike components (circa 1990), plus Shimano’s funky toe clips and shoe-mounted cleats. Right, you strap yourself in.
Why the black flag? After Turn 1, I gained momentum going downhill to Turn 3 (Turn 2 is a slight bend) preparing for Moraine Straight only to discover that my bike’s front tire wouldn’t grip when cornering to the right. The front tire began skipping and hopping. The front wheel oscillated as if it were a hula hoop without that aural, pleasing whoosh of sand. I’ve climbed and descended the Rockies near Salt Lake City. Two years ago I did a lap at Road America with this bike and its fresh Continental tires. I never encountered this kind of front-wheel skittishness.
I should have squeezed the right brake lever, checking whether I could slow my AWOL bike using the rear-brake caliper — a different kind of trail braking!
Instead, fearing a crash, I made the turn much wider-than-normal heading off the asphalt, as if I were a Toro lawnmower without a floating mower deck to navigate uneven terrain. That’s a black-flag moment.
My bike’s front tire/wheel repeated its shenanigans whizzing through RA’s Hurry Downs. My eyes noticed sand-like particles kicked up by the bike’s tires and landing on the machine’s frame. I suspect the cold track and bits of rubber from enthusiastic motorsports activity proved too much for my tread-less 115-psi Continental front tire. Reduced front tire pressure might have helped.
Continental, I checked, says new tires have less grip due to lubricants employed in the tire-molding process. Therefore, some riders roughen its bike tires with sandpaper. My bike tires haven’t traveled more than 20 miles; the front one has visible flashing. In contrast, the rear tire, which has a wear area, behaved well.
You might recall an article I researched and wrote about new-tire grip. Contrary to common wisdom, new tire grip is often lower than your vehicle’s old tires. This is one reason one rotates tires to equalize wear; replacing all four at one time. And if you must mix old and new tires, carmakers might recommend placing the new ones in front. VW has very specific treadwear or tire-tread depth rules for its 4Motion vehicles.
My RA handlebar-experience revealed cyclists, too, must tread lightly on newly minted tires.
Making the grade or climbing it, if you will, after the Canada Corner up Thunder Valley took the ginger out of me. Mr. Schirmer crested it rather easily and from then on, I was a follower. For my second lap, I moderated my downhill velocity. Have you ever heard a Hoover vacuum riding a bike? I did, as did others.
MAMA members swiveled their heads to see who huffed like a shop vac. They heard my massive intake and exhaust of air as I ascended from Turn 14 to RA’s main straight. My bike doesn’t have hill-climbing “granny” gears. I cannot downshift into an alpine gear, rotating the crank a lot more times to reduce the immediate forces I must employ. Ideally, I would have stood on my OS, tilting the frame left or right so I could put as much of my weight down on a pedal.
Alas, my standing balance wasn’t Tour de France ready. Although, the extra oomph was what I needed. In the end, I returned to the saddle and slowly reached the straight where we assembled for group photos. 
Cliff Leppke | leppke.cliff@gmail.com
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