Compare the2025 Hyundai TucsonVS 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Tucson are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Hyundai Tucson achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Volkswagen Tiguan has not been tested.

The Tucson’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Tucson and the Tiguan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Hyundai Tucson has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Tiguan has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.

The Tucson comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Tiguan’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Tucson 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Tiguan. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Tiguan ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Tucson’s 7 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Tiguan runs out after 100,000 miles.

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Tucson for 1 year and 16000 miles longer than Volkswagen pays for maintenance for the Tiguan (3/36,000 vs. 2/20,000).

There are over 34 percent more Hyundai dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Tucson’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Tucson third among compact suvs in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The Tiguan isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 79 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 30th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen With 69 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Hyundai higher than Volkswagen.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 8 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

On the EPA test cycle the Tucson gets better mileage than the Tiguan:

The Tucson has a tether attaching its gas cap to prevent its loss. The Tiguan’s gas cap isn’t tethered, so it can be left at a gas station if the driver forgets to screw the cap back in.

For better traction, the Tucson has larger standard tires than the Tiguan (235/65R17 vs. 215/65R17).

The Tucson’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Tiguan doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Tucson is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Tiguan.

For greater off-road capability the Tucson has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Tiguan (8.3 vs. 7 inches), allowing the Tucson to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the Tucson uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Tiguan doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Tucson has 4.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Tiguan (108.2 vs. 103.8).

The Tucson has .6 inches more front headroom, 1.2 inches more front legroom, .1 inches more front hip room, .6 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear legroom, .6 inches more rear hip room and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Tiguan.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Tucson’s rear seats recline. The Tiguan’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Tucson has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Tiguan with its rear seat up (38.7 vs. 26.5 cubic feet). The Tucson has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Tiguan with its rear seat folded (74.8 vs. 58.9 cubic feet).

The Tucson’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Tiguan’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

The Tucson has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Tiguan (1288 vs. 949 lbs.).

The Tucson has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Tiguan (1289 vs. 1014 lbs.).

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Tucson has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Tiguan only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Compared to the Volkswagen Tiguan, the Hyundai Tucson eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

The Tucson Limited’s Remote Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Park Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Tiguan SEL R-Line’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Hyundai Tucson, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Hyundai Tucson outsold the Volkswagen Tiguan by over two to one during 2024.