2021 Toyota Venza vs 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen completely overhauled the Tiguan for the 2018 model year, introducing an all-new second generation of its compact crossover SUV. The redesign addressed the original Tiguan’s biggest shortcoming—its diminutive size—and aimed to make it more competitively priced against rivals like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. The result was a vehicle that maintained a stylish and conservatively German exterior but showed some evidence of cost-cutting upon closer inspection. The Tiguan's design featured clean and simple lines, with a horizontal grille connecting the headlights, and a new flat logo. However, the interior was less impressive, with dull surfaces and hard black plastic, making it appear plain and somewhat boring. The focus seemed to have shifted to electronics, with an optional digital dashboard and a glass-covered touchscreen infotainment system standing out as highlights.

The 2021 Toyota Venza, on the other hand, was a more compact and lower vehicle compared to the Toyota RAV4, yet it shared the same wheelbase. Critics noted that the Venza looked more like a Lexus, with a design reminiscent of the Lexus LF-1 Limitless concept. Toyota offered the Venza in three trim levels: LE, XLE, and Limited, with a choice of seven paint colors. Standard equipment included features like a dual chrome-tipped exhaust, LED headlights and taillights, automatic high beams, and 18-inch alloy wheels. The base LE model came with a wireless charging pad, leather-trimmed steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control, and an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen. Higher trims added more luxurious features, such as a 12.3-inch infotainment screen and the Star Gaze panoramic roof on the Limited trim.

The 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan was powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. This engine drove either the front or all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Tiguan's powertrain offered a snappy throttle response with minimal turbo lag, but it was only moderately quick due to its substantial curb weight of 3,757 pounds for the front-wheel-drive model and 3,847 pounds for the all-wheel-drive version. The Tiguan's handling was impacted by its larger size, with a longer wheelbase making it less nimble. However, the suspension provided a comfortable driving experience, even on rough roads. The Tiguan was a quiet highway cruiser, with a well-insulated cabin that minimized wind noise, although some road noise could filter through on rough surfaces.

The 2021 Toyota Venza came standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine paired with a lithium-ion battery pack and electric motors, resulting in a combined 219 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid system used an electronically-controlled continuously-variable transmission (eCVT) with a sequential-shifting feature for regenerative braking. While the Venza's acceleration was smooth and appropriate for its target audience, it was a noisy affair, with engine and road noise permeating the cabin. The Venza's handling was confident and typical of a Toyota, with nothing out of the ordinary. The Venza excelled in fuel economy, achieving an EPA-estimated 40 mpg on the highway, 37 mpg in the city, and 39 mpg combined, making it significantly more fuel-efficient than its competitors. Toyota backed the hybrid powertrain with a 10-year/150,000-mile hybrid battery warranty and an eight-year/100,000-mile Hybrid System warranty.

The 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan offered practicality with its second-row seats that could slide up to seven inches, making the third row more usable. While the third row was not spacious, it provided enough legroom for shorter adults and children. Front-drive Tiguans came with a standard third row, while all-wheel-drive models had it as an option. The main issue with the third row was the low cushion position relative to the floor. The split second-row seats folded flat, providing 65.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the third row collapsed, and 73.5 cubic feet in two-row models. The Tiguan's front seats offered plenty of hip and shoulder room, and the abundant glass and seating position made it feel roomier than its competitors.

The 2021 Toyota Venza, known for its practicality, featured a unique cabin design with premium appointments in the center stack. The deep center console included resizable cup holders, a traditional stick shifter, drive mode buttons, and a wireless charging pad. The driver and passenger seats were accommodating, and the rear seats were comfortable for extended drives. The Venza had more headroom and nearly equal shoulder and hip room compared to the RAV4. However, it had around 60 percent of the cargo space of the RAV4, with a maximum of 55.1 cubic feet. Despite this, the cargo space was sufficient for daily driving needs, and the quick-flip releases on the 60/40 split-folding rear seatbacks made arranging the cargo space easy.

The 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan featured the MIB II infotainment system, which was set to be replaced by MIB3 the following year. The current system was already one of the best on the market, with a 6.5-inch touchscreen display in the base S trim and an 8-inch capacitive touchscreen in higher trims. The system was responsive and user-friendly, with bright colors and graphics. The Tiguan S had a single USB-C port, while higher trims had USB-A ports and a wireless charging pad. The Digital Cockpit, available on top SEL trims, was a fully digital instrument panel that could be customized and reconfigured. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and a WiFi hotspot.

The 2021 Toyota Venza came with an 8-inch infotainment system in the LE and XLE trims, while the Limited trim had a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen. The Entune infotainment system, though improved, was not the best in the industry. The larger screen had good response time but was not easy to use, requiring multiple menu trips for simple functions. The Venza included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, AM/FM/HD Radio, Bluetooth, and a six-speaker audio system as standard. A Wi-Fi hotspot was also standard, with a free trial period. The Venza XLE and Limited offered a nine-speaker JBL premium audio system. Toyota connected services, such as Safety Connect, Remote Connect, and Service Connect, were standard, with dynamic navigation available on models with the larger screen.

For the 2020 model year, Volkswagen improved the Tiguan’s standard safety package, adding forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert to all models. However, features like adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assistance and LED headlights with automatic high beams were reserved for the top SEL trim. All 2020 Tiguan models came with Car-Net, a telematics package that connected the vehicle to an owner’s smartphone or watch through an app. The IIHS rated the Tiguan a Top Safety Pick for top-of-the-line SEL Premium models with LED headlights, while most Tiguans with halogen headlights received a poor rating.

Toyota equipped every trim level of the 2021 Venza with nearly the same safety features as part of the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 suite. This included eight airbags, a rearview camera, hill start assist, parking distance sensors, tire pressure monitoring, and adjustable front seatbelt anchors. Additional features included a pre-collision warning system with pedestrian detection, lane-departure alert with steering assist, lane-tracing assist, automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, and road sign assist. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was standard, with an upgrade to automatic braking available on the XLE and Limited trims. The Venza had two full sets of LATCH connections on the rear outboard seats.