2020 Mazda CX-5 vs 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan

Mazda executed the concept of premium better than its competitors with the 2020 CX-5. This model year saw more standard equipment, revised instrumentation, and control markings to enhance the cabin's appearance. Modifications were made to reduce noise, vibration, and harshness, and the turbocharged engine received an increase in torque output. Versions with all-wheel drive (AWD) gained a new off-road traction assistance feature. Prices ranged from $25,190 to $37,155, with the test vehicle in Signature trim costing $38,680, including the destination charge.

The original Mazda CX-5 set the company on its current design path, and nearly a decade later, the “Kodo” styling themes still looked terrific. The CX-5 managed to appear appealing, distinctive, and upscale simultaneously. The interior, especially in Signature trim, featured premium Nappa leather upholstery, real wood, and a black headliner, giving it a luxurious look and feel. However, the Caturra Brown leather was almost indistinguishable from the otherwise black cabin, lessening the level of contrast that often makes a vehicle seem premium.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan had clean lines and balanced proportions, offering a conservative, upscale, and timeless aesthetic. It was large for its class, nearly as big inside as a Hyundai Santa Fe or Kia Sorento. This second-generation model corrected the size issues of the first-generation Tiguan, adding a long-wheelbase version for regions where larger vehicles were preferred.

The Tiguan’s upsizing resulted in a roomy and accommodating interior with plenty of space for four people, and a small third-row seat expanded passenger capacity to seven. The third-row seat was optional for Tiguans with AWD. The interior featured modern geometric forms and a purposeful control layout, though the engine start button's location on the center console was unusual. Shiny detailing, available digital instrumentation, and a flush touchscreen infotainment system dressed up the cabin, but the presence of hard plastic and flimsy steering wheel stalks kept it from being confused with an Audi. Pricing ranged from $25,245 to $39,095, with the test vehicle in SEL trim costing $35,040, including the destination charge.

The 2020 Mazda CX-5 came standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine making 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission with a Sport mode. Front-wheel drive (FWD) was standard, with AWD optional. The Grand Touring Reserve and Signature trims featured a turbocharged version of the engine, generating 250 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque on premium fuel, or 227 hp and 310 lb-ft on regular fuel. The turbocharged engine came only with AWD and was rated at 24 mpg in combined driving, compared to 26 mpg combined for the naturally-aspirated engine with AWD. The test vehicle averaged 22.1 mpg.

The CX-5 Signature was engaging to drive, thanks to its G-Vectoring Control Plus (GVC Plus) technology, which used the brakes to stabilize the SUV when cornering. However, the SUV’s excessive body motions when hustling it down a favorite back road were a drawback. Despite this, the steering and brakes were up to the task, making the CX-5 Signature a delight in typical driving situations.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan featured a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine generating 184 horsepower at 4,360 rpm and 221 pound-feet of torque at 1,600 rpm. An eight-speed automatic transmission sent power to the front wheels by default, with the 4Motion AWD system available as a $1,400 option on most models and standard with SEL Premium R-Line. The powertrain was adequate but suffered from turbocharger lag, making the engine feel breathless when extra power was needed.

The Tiguan returned 25 mpg in combined driving with FWD and 24 mpg with AWD, averaging 22.6 mpg during testing. The SUV provided a pleasurable driving experience with light but responsive steering, a compliant ride, refined braking action, and tossable handling. However, the Tiguan’s lack of suspension isolation resulted in an unrefined character when crossing sharper speed bumps and railroad tracks. On curvy roads, the tires gave up their grip early, and the suspension allowed too much body motion, encouraging the driver to slow down. The Tiguan was remarkably quiet and composed on the highway, making long road trips more enjoyable.

The 2020 Mazda CX-5’s interior was more cramped than the sales leaders in the mainstream compact crossover segment, making it uncompetitive in terms of practicality and utility. However, Mazda focused on the CX-5’s upscale cabin and generous list of standard equipment to de-emphasize this demerit. The interior reflected style and good taste, with classy-looking gauges and elegant metallic accents.

Touring trim added dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, and rear air conditioning vents. Grand Touring trim included a power height-adjustable front passenger’s seat, while Grand Touring Reserve equipped the SUV with ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel. The Signature trim added Nappa leather, genuine wood trim, and more. The front seats were comfortable, but rear passengers might complain about legroom. Cargo space behind the rear seat measured 30.9 cubic feet, expanding to 59.6 cubic feet with the back seat folded down.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan prioritized comfort, with large doors and tall seating hip points making it easy to get in and out. The front seats offered a wide range of adjustments for proper support and excellent outward visibility. The V-Tex leatherette upholstery impersonated the real thing well, and the dual-zone climate control system was effective.

Back-seat space was generous, with excellent occupant support, legroom, and foot space. Passengers enjoyed air conditioning vents and USB charging ports, and the soft front seatback material ensured comfort for even the tallest riders. The Tiguan offered a 40/20/40-split folding rear seat, allowing owners to carry long items and four passengers simultaneously. Cargo volume ranged between 33 and 37.6 cubic feet behind the second row, with a maximum capacity of 65.7 to 73.5 cubic feet.

The 2020 Mazda CX-5 was equipped with a Mazda Connect infotainment system, which conveyed an upscale impression but could be frustrating to use. The Sport trim featured a 7-inch touchscreen display, Bluetooth, HD Radio, text messaging support, integrated internet radio apps, and E911 emergency notification. The Touring trim added Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The Grand Touring trim included a color 8-inch touchscreen, satellite radio, and a 10-speaker Bose premium sound system. The Signature trim enhanced the technology with a navigation system, a surround-view camera system, and a SiriusXM data subscription. Interaction with Mazda Connect was possible through the touchscreen, center console controls, steering wheel controls, or voice-recognition technology, though none of these solutions was ideal. For 2021, Mazda planned to update the system with a wider, more modern display.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan featured the next-generation Modular Infotainment Toolkit (MIB) platform called MIB3, available starting with the SE trim. MIB3 equipped the Tiguan with an 8-inch touchscreen, faster processing and response times, and an expanded offering of features and services, including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, WiFi for up to four devices, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and Car-Net connected services.

The MIB3 infotainment system was an improvement, but there were quirks with the user interface, and the voice recognition technology was lacking. The six-speaker sound system in all trims except for the SEL Premium R-Line struggled with certain music at moderate volumes. The SEL Premium R-Line featured a nine-speaker Fender premium audio system. Both the SEL and SEL Premium R-Line included Volkswagen Digital Cockpit instrumentation, taking an understated approach to technology and information display.

The 2020 Mazda CX-5 came with the i-Activsense package, which included adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, and lane-keep assist. Standard LED headlights and rain-sensing wipers were also included, with adaptive headlights available on Grand Touring trim and higher. The CX-5 earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan was equipped with the IQ Drive collection of advanced driving assistance systems, including forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Starting with SE trim, the SUV had adaptive cruise control, while the SEL added lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist. The SEL Premium R-Line featured automatic high-beam headlights and front and rear parking sensors.

The adaptive cruise control demonstrated smooth braking but was slow to recognize vehicles cutting into the gap ahead. Lane-keep assist was effective but inconsistent. The blind-spot warning indicator was easy to see, and the parking sensors were helpful but could be overly sensitive. The standard reversing camera provided a clear view, with a top-down surround-view available on the SEL Premium R-Line. The Tiguan also featured automatic post-collision braking and Car-Net connected services, including automatic collision notification and Family Guardian alerts. The 2021 Tiguan earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS in SEL and SEL Premium R-Line trims, but the NHTSA had not published complete crash-test results.