On this blog, we’ve written extensively about the Volkswagen Tiguan and its capabilities. Today we’re going to take a deep dive into the fuel requirements of this SUV to see what you should and shouldn’t use. Let’s start with a quick answer:
All Volkswagen Tiguans manufactured between 2008 – Present-day use gasoline with an AKI octane rating of 91 (95 RON). Tiguans with a diesel engine use No. 2 Ultra Low Sulfur diesel fuel or No. 2 Ultra Low Sulfur climatized diesel fuels.
However, that doesn’t tell the whole story. Below we dive deeper into the fuel requirements of this car, about if additives should be used, what octane levels can sometimes be used, and much more. Finally, we also discuss the gas mileage of the car and the tank size. Read on!
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Also read: How Many Miles Can A Volkswagen Tiguan Last? (Answered)
What Type Of Gasoline Can Or Can’t Be Used?
Octane Levels
As stated previously, Volkswagen Tiguans need fuel with an octane rating of 91 AKI (95 RON). The 91 AKI stands for the American way of measuring octane, whereas the 95 RON is the European way of measuring octane levels. Furthermore, Tiguans can run on 87 AKI (91 RON) temporarily, but the engine will not perform optimally when doing so. Depending on the country you’re in, you’ll therefore need to look for different numbers.
Furthermore, Volkswagen doesn’t state clearly in their owner’s manuals what kind of diesel fuel should be used for the American market. Only for the European one, which says that EN 590 should be used.
However, given that 99,9% of diesel cars drive on No. 2 Ultra Low Sulfur (climatized) diesel fuel, this is a safe recommendation to make.
Gasoline With Alcohol Or MTBE
Blends of gasoline and methanol (wood alcohol or methyl alcohol):
- Anti-Knock Index (AKI) must be 87 or higher.
- Blend must contain no more than 3% methanol.
- Blend must contain more than 2% co-solvents.
Blends of gasoline and ethanol (grain alcohol or ethyl alcohol):
- Anti-Knock Index (AKI) must be 87 or higher.
- Blend must contain no more than 15% ethanol.
Blends of gasoline and MTBE:
- Anti-Knock Index (AKI) must be 87 or higher.
- Blend must contain no more than 15% MTBE
Also read: This Is Where The Volkswagen Tiguan Is Made
Gasoline With Additives
As a general rule of thumb, Volkswagen recommends using gasoline that already has the right mix of additives mixed into it. The recommendation is to use TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline. Certified retailers of this fuel can be found on toptiergas.com.
If high-quality gasoline is not available, Volkswagen recommends mixing in the right amount of additives yourself. However, make sure that these additives do not contain any metal since this will cause severe damage to the engine and the fuel system.
For recommendations about what additives to use, it’s best to contact your local Volkswagen dealer since they will have the most updated information available.
E-85 And Biodiesel
Volkswagen does not have any recommendations in its owners’ manuals for the use of E-85 or biodiesel. Because of this reason, we recommend you steer clear of these kinds of fuel in the Tiguan.
This is because not all cars can use diesel with a methanol level of higher than 15%, and since both E-85 and biodiesel have this, this may cause severe damage to the engine and the fuel system.
Furthermore, using these fuels typically comes with more maintenance, specialized instructions, reduced mileage, and reduced spark plug life, increasing maintenance costs.
Gas Mileage Of The Volkswagen Tiguan
For an SUV, Volkswagen Tiguans have a very reasonable gas mileage. On average, the 2.0L gasoline engine of the Tiguan gets a combined MPG of 23, a city MPG of 21, and a highway MPG of 27. The diesel engines do better with a combined city and highway MPG of 45, 36, and 51.
2021 – Present-day
| Engine | Combined MPG | City MPG | Highway MPG |
| 2.0 | 25 | 23 | 29 |
2016 – 2020
| Engine | Combined MPG | City MPG | Highway MPG |
| 2.0 diesel | 50 | 41 | 56 |
| 2.0 | 25 | 22 | 29 |
2011 – 2016
| Engine | Combined MPG | City MPG | Highway MPG |
| 2.0 diesel | 39 | 31 | 46 |
| 2.0 | 23 | 21 | 26 |
2008 – 2011
| Engine | Combined MPG | City MPG | Highway MPG |
| 1.4 | 31 | 24 | 37 |
| 2.0 | 21 | 19 | 26 |
What If The Engine Makes A Knocking Noise After Refilling?
Hearing a slight knocking noise after refilling is not necessarily a reason for concern. If you filled the Tiguan with the right gasoline with the right octane level of 91 AKI, then a knocking noise will rarely occur. However, if you fill up the Tiguan with gasoline with an octane of 87 AKI, then a knocking noise will most likely be heard.
This is because gasoline with a lower octane level is not ideal for this car, and the system has to put in more effort to burn this fuel, resulting in a knocking noise. This is not a problem from time to time but shouldn’t be the standard.
If you hear a very loud knocking noise, you have a reason for concern, and you should stop the car immediately. The fuel you’ve used most likely doesn’t have the proper octane level, or there’s another problem that needs to be looked at.
Also read: 17 Common Problems Of A Volkswagen Tiguan
What’s The Tank Size Of A Tiguan?
Volkswagen Tiguans manufactured between 2008 – 2016 have a fuel tank size of 16.8 gallons (63.5 liters) with 2 gallons of reserve (7.5 liters). Tiguans manufactured between 2016 – Present-day have a fuel tank size of 16.6 gallons (63 liters) with a 2.1-gallon (8 liters) reserve.
How Much Does It Cost To Fill Up A Volkswagen Tiguan?
On average, it costs around $55.24 to fill up a Volkswagen Tiguan with an average gallon price of $3.288. Texas is the cheapest state to fill up a Tiguan with an average cost of $49.09, whereas California is the most expensive state with an average price of $74.72.
Volkswagen Tiguans with a diesel engine cost around $60.48 to fill up with an average gallon price of $3.60. Mississippi is the cheapest state to fill up with an average cost of $52.94, whereas California is the most expensive, with $75.81 for a full diesel tank.
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Hi! My name is Stefan; I’m the owner and lead writer at TheDriverAdviser.com.
I’m an active writer on this blog myself, as well as a novice car mechanic. For the really technical stuff, I find writers with experience as a mechanic or who have studied mechanical engineering.
Read more about our fantastic team on our about page!