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A tiger and an iguana meet in a bar. One thing leads to another, and a few months later, the iguana hatches a baby born of their union - A Tiguan. Seriously. That's the derivation of the VW Tiguan's name. Luckily, the vehicle itself isn't nearly as tortured. It's a compact crossover vehicle, a competitor in one of the most highly contested automotive segments. The 2014 Volkswagen Tiguan bellies up to the bar with base prices from $22,995 to $38,490 ($37,635 as tested), including a 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty, a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty and EPA fuel economy estimates of 18 city/26 highway (FWD MT), 21 city/26 highway (FWD AT) and 20 city/26 highway (AWD AT).

Let's drive.

First Glance

Tiguan's designers definitely didn't meet in a bar. They were sober and levelheaded when they drew up the attractive exterior. A raked windshield proclaims that Tiguan is a sporty vehicle, while chiseled body lines give an air of strength and solidity. The front fascia is a little bit undercut, giving the Tiguan a jutting jawline and an off-road worthy approach angle of 28 degrees. As always, a prominent chromed VW badge decorates the center of Tiguan's grille. Fit and finish are superb, befitting a vehicle that received its final turns of the wrench in Wolfsburg, Germany.

My test vehicle was a top-of-the-line R-Line model. This is the first year that VW has offered the R-Line trim level on a Tiguan, previously offered on the Beetle, Beetle Convertible, CC and Touareg only. R-Line vehicles get interior and exterior enhancements. On the Tiguan, that means 19" aluminum alloy wheels (up from 16" on the base model, 17" on SE and 18" on SE with appearance package), a roof spoiler, body skirts, power foldable heated side mirrors and R-Line badges.

R-Line also includes a big panoramic sunroof, Bi-Xenon headlights, LED daytime running lights, a sport suspension, chrome interior accents, leather seats, and power front seats, a whole host of features to justify a near four grand jump over the SE with appearance package trim level. There was a time when I'd have been sure that you were drinking if you told me that a compact crossover from Volkswagen had a list price close to forty thousand dollars, but the R-Line's premium features seem very much in line with the price.

In the Driver's Seat

I'm a big guy, and sometimes that means that I feel crowded in a compact crossover. Not so in the Tiguan. The slender center console leaves ample room for big legs and knees, both on the driver's and passenger's side of the vehicle, and the comfortable seats are broad and supportive. I did a couple of 200-mile days in the Tiguan, driving from my home in Los Angeles up to California's Central Coast and back again. 200 miles in Southern California traffic translated to six hours in the saddle, plenty of time to reveal a seat's true nature -- and the Tiguan's seats showed themselves to be excellent.

VW has done a very good job of integrating technology into the Tiguan. Even the base model comes with standard Bluetooth connectivity, and the features keep loading up from there. My R-Line test vehicle incorporated a touchscreen radio with Sirius Satellite radio, and a navigation system. I really appreciated the center console iPod connection, complete with a built-in cable, though searching for music on my 160 gb iPod Classic was rather tedious with the Tiguan's interface. I'll have to remember to create a bunch of playlists to make my music collection more manageable.

VW has partnered with Fender, the musical instrument company, to include a Fender branded sound system in the Tiguan, an interesting choice considering that Fender isn't really known for car or home audio, but it is a brand with a rock and roll reputation and a thick layer of cool. The Fender equipment in the Tiguan did the job, but didn't really blow me away as I was hoping it would. I own several Fender guitars and amps, so I'm a fan of the brand -- but I wouldn't be likely to buy a Tiguan just to get the Fender sound in my SUV.

On the Road

VW is quite committed to the concept of a small turbocharged engine, and their 2.0 T is the only powerplant that they stuff under the Tiguan's hood for the US market. It's a very good, proven engine with direct injection, tuned in this case to produce 200 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque. There's very little turbo lag, and little if any torque steer -- the bane of front wheel-drive vehicles. The engine is a good match for the 3,400 lb Tiguan, providing decent acceleration and passing power. Fuel economy numbers are a little on the low side for the class, but Tiguan's performance feels a little better than most of the competition. Two transmissions are offered for the base S model: A six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic. All other trim levels get the automatic only. Front wheel drive is standard; VW's 4Motion all-wheel drive system adds $1,955 to the price tag.

Handling is a real Tiguan strength. VW has really got the electronic power assist rack-and-pinion steering dialed in, and the Sport suspension on my R-Line test vehicle managed the compromise between sport and comfort really well. I really enjoyed driving the Tiguan in almost every situation. It was also incredibly easy to park, with great outward visibility and easy maneuverability, which was a bit of a surprise when I noticed that it had a wide 39.0' turning circle. Sometimes the spec sheet doesn't tell the whole story.

Journey's End

My Tiguan story was a happy one. I grew more and more enamored with the SUV the more I drove it. My only real disappointment came at the gas pump, where Volkswagen recommends Premium fuel. It's like that beauty at the bar ordered a double Johnny Walker Blue when you offered to buy her a drink -- expecting to pay for a $2 Happy Hour Margarita.

The bar is crowded when it comes to compact crossovers. The heavy hitters are the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV-4. The Mazda CX-5, Ford Escape, Jeep Cherokee, Subaru Forester and Nissan Rogue each offer a different take on the segment. Then there's the Audi Q5, based on the same platform as the Tiguan, with a higher degree of luxury and more available premium features.

Come closing time, you may find yourself going home with a Tiguan, or you might discover that a competitor is more to your liking. Just remember what the tiger said to the iguana, and you'll be fine: Your place or mine?

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.