Everybody thinks they’re good drivers until they’re not. Crashes can happen to anyone, and if you’re anything like most people – the last thing you want to be dealing with is your insurance company not giving you money to fix your car. Or even worse – you don’t have insurance and have got no proof of the other person doing the wrong thing.
A Volkswagen Tiguan is a compact crossover vehicle that was first introduced in 2007 and quickly became an international hit. Tiguan has a five-star safety rating by the Euro NCAP and you can take safety to the next level with a little accessory called the dash cam. If you own a VW Tiguan, we have researched the 3 best dash cams for you. Each camera is well priced, versatile and has a track record of providing high-quality footage of crashes or any road incidents.
Whilst dash cams are no recent invention, their popularity has rapidly increased over the last 5 years due to various factors like increased commute time, and a seemingly global drop in driving skill. Why not install one? If you’re on the fence, should I get one, should I not, the answer is… get one! You don’t know when you’ll need it. Don’t let your insurance company screw you over due to a lack of ‘evidence’ about who caused the crash – invest in a dash cam.
What features should I be looking for?
What do I look for when buying a dash cam? Do I need Wi-Fi? Why is this one better than the other one? These are reasonable questions to have as a prospective dash cam owner and I assure you, we are here to answer them.
Form Factor
The small form factor is everything when it comes to dash cams – as I’m sure you can understand. The last thing you want is a big chunky camera creating another potentially hazardous blind spot on your front screen. As Tiguan owners, you have a large windscreen and therefore have an enormous range of dash cams to choose from. There are two factors when it comes to the size of a dash cam and how big, or how small it is.
Do I want a screen on my camera? If the answer is yes, then your style of dash cam will be slightly bigger than those without a screen. Cameras with a screen allow the user to quickly re-watch footage whenever they want, and as such come with a premium price tag most often. Having a screen does not correlate to worse camera quality – which is something important to note. Dash cams that don’t have a screen can have even better cameras than their screened counterparts. It all comes down to the resolution and megapixels of the sensor inside the dash cam.
WiFi
Features that greatly distinguish the higher end dash cams for the lower end ones are WiFi and their low-light capability. Naturally, cameras aren’t very good at shooting footage in low light because it is the light that they rely on to film, and obviously when it is dark, there is not much around. Having WiFi enabled on a dash cam is appropriate for editing the basic settings of the camera, viewing video and potentially downloading the video directly to your iPhone or Android device.
In addition, WiFi also enables the screen on your dash cam to be removed entirely, making the camera enclosure considerably smaller than your stock standard dash cam. The effect of having the LCD screen removed is that it is less likely to stand out, therefore less likely to capture the attention of a thief. WiFi enabled cameras can also detect movement outside your car at the darkest hours of the night.
Low Light
Like previously mentioned it is critical that your camera has excellent low light capability if you desire it to be able to film at night – detecting potential intruders.
Dash cams that have low light capability will usually list it as one of their main selling points, but there are a couple of ways to identify if the camera would be good in a dark environment. Cameras with a low aperture or F-Stop are sure to be very capable in low light as it allows more light to enter the lenses of the camera than a standard camera with a slower shutter speed would. Look for a F-Stop around F/1.8.
APEMAN 1440P & 1080P Dual Dash Cam
This dash cam has Ultra HD resolution which is a big surprise at this price point. Like the title suggests it is a Dual Dash Cam which means not only does it film the front but the rear of your car as well. The APEMAN dash camera install process is one of the best things about it! You take it out of the box, suction it to your window, plug the power cable into your cigarette lighter and there you go – how easy is that?
The camera comes with an Emergency Accident Lock feature which means when a collision is detected or an abnormal movement of the car, the camera will lock the current video, meaning it will not be overwritten with another video. Something even better is it will place that section of the video in a folder for later viewing. In addition, it comes with a 3-inch IPS display which increases the overall size of the unit, but it still maintains quite a small form factor, taking up only a small portion of your windscreen. Record longer video! The dash cam has the ability to support a 128gb memory card, at full capacity that would be over 48 hours worth of footage – you are sure to never run out.
Unfortunately, this camera does not come with WiFi so you will be unable to view the footage from your phone.
Pros
- Dual Channel Camera for max coverage
- IR Sensor for Night Vision
- High Quality 3" IPS Screen
Cons
- No WiFi App
Rove R2-4K Dash Cam
This dash cam can film in 4k resolution which places it at the top of the pile in terms of camera quality. Revolutionary low light recording technology has been placed inside this camera allowing it to obtain clearer footage and images at night than most other cameras.
Unlike the APEMAN, this dash cam comes included with WiFi which means the user can utilize the ROVE App to view and manage the recordings taken by the camera instantly from their phone. The app allows video to be downloaded directly to the phone’s camera roll – no technical equipment or know-how required. The anti-theft prevention in this camera is outstanding. It is GPS trackable through the app so you can see the position of your car at all times. You’ll be tracking the thief all over town and get your car back in a matter of hours if it gets stolen.
The largest aperture in a dash cam is included in this camera, which is testament to its amazing quality. It has 150 degrees field of vision – it will be sure to capture everything on the road no matter its position. The price of this camera is slightly above the others which may be a turn off for many, but its quality justifies the more expensive price tag.
Pros
- 4K Resolution w/ GPS
- Built-in WiFi for easy footage viewing
- Large Aperture at F-Stop 1.8 for Low Light
Cons
- Overheats under extreme temperatures
Rexing V1P Dash Cam 1080p
The Rexing dash cam has a discreet design which allows it to keep a low profile whilst recording what is happening on the road when you are driving. Due to it being a dual dash cam, it records both the front and the back of your car – ensuring maximum footage coverage. Like the ROVE, the Rexing is WiFi capable and the user can download footage directly to their phone from the camera. Unfortunately, you cannot track this camera through the app as there is no on board GPS technology.
A unique feature of this camera is its Parking Monitor mode. When the dash cam detects vibration or abnormal movement it will turn on and record for a designated period of time. You will get an alert on your phone that it has started recording as well as an invitation to view the footage to ensure your car is safe and sound.
Pros
- Dual Channel - Two Camera Setup
- 170 degree FOV
- Withstands high temperatures
- Great customer service
Cons
- Weak Suction Cup
Conclusion
These three dash cams are sure to protect your VW MK2 Tiguan from any misleading claims surrounding crashes and potential thiefs. You can be assured that with one of these great cameras your car will be safe for as long as they are installed.