2021 Volkswagen Tiguan vs 2021 Chevrolet Traverse

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse was a nod to the past, with Chevy using styling details to give each trim level its own identity. The exterior was a typical SUV design with a tall roof, chunky wheel arches, and a big grille, which appealed to many buyers. However, it lacked the personality of the Ford Explorer and Kia Telluride, and the streamlined appearance of the Mazda CX-9. The Traverse's restrained styling highlighted the cosmetic elements of different trims, such as blacked-out trim on the RS model and chrome on the High Country. The base model had 18-inch wheels, while higher trims offered 20-inch wheels. Sharing a platform with the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Cadillac XT6, the Traverse aimed for a more blue-collar feel and featured car-like unibody construction, unlike the body-on-frame Chevy Tahoe.

Inside, the Traverse continued its restrained styling, with the standout feature being an optional Dual SkyScape two-panel sunroof. The materials in the higher-level RS model were decent but not quite up to the $50,000 MSRP. This was a common issue among midsize three-row crossovers, which tend to get expensive with options. The Traverse offered a comfortable and practical interior, but it didn't quite match the premium feel of its platform-sharing siblings.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan, on the other hand, boasted clean lines and balanced proportions, giving it a conservative, upscale, and timeless aesthetic. It was large for its class, nearly as spacious inside as the Hyundai Santa Fe or Kia Sorento. The Tiguan's upsizing resulted in a roomy interior with plenty of space for four people, and an optional third-row seat expanded capacity to seven, though it was best suited for children. The interior featured modern geometric forms and a no-nonsense control layout, with the only oddity being the engine start button's location on the center console.

Volkswagen dressed up the Tiguan's cabin with shiny detailing, digital instrumentation, and a well-integrated touchscreen infotainment system. However, it didn't quite match the luxury feel of an Audi, with too much hard plastic and flimsy steering wheel stalks. The Tiguan was available in S, SE, and SEL trims, with sporty R-Line variants offering additional design and equipment upgrades. Pricing ranged from $25,245 to $39,095, with our test vehicle, an SEL with 4Motion AWD, priced at $35,040.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse was powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine producing 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. While the V6 didn't feel particularly strong off the line, it provided ample power for highway merging and overtaking. The nine-speed automatic performed well overall, though it occasionally had rough shifts. The Traverse impressed with its highway road manners, offering a quiet cabin, bump-absorbing suspension, and precise steering. However, it lacked agility on twistier roads, partly due to its AWD system, which required manual activation and could send torque to individual wheels but didn't noticeably improve handling.

The Traverse had off-road and tow/haul drive modes, with a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds. This was average for the segment, with competitors like the Nissan Pathfinder and Ford Explorer offering higher towing capacities.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan featured a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine generating 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The 4Motion AWD system was a $1,400 option on most models and standard on the SEL Premium R-Line. The powertrain was adequate but suffered from turbocharger lag, making the engine feel breathless during passing maneuvers or freeway merging. The Tiguan's nearly 4,000-pound curb weight contributed to this perception of lethargy.

The EPA rated the Tiguan at 25 mpg combined with FWD and 24 mpg with AWD. During testing, the AWD model averaged 22.6 mpg. Despite the powertrain's shortcomings, the Tiguan provided a pleasurable driving experience with light, responsive steering, a compliant ride, refined braking, and nimble handling. However, it struggled with sharper speed bumps and railroad tracks, revealing a lack of suspension isolation. On curvy roads, the Tiguan's tires lost grip early, and the suspension allowed too much body motion, encouraging slower driving. On the highway, the Tiguan was quiet and composed, making long road trips more enjoyable.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse offered seating for seven or eight, depending on the second-row configuration. Headroom and legroom in all three rows were above average but not segment-leading. Heated front seats were standard on the RS model, with ventilated front seats and heated outboard rear seats available on higher trims. The Traverse excelled in cargo space, offering 23.0 cubic feet with all seats in place, 57.8 cubic feet with the third row stowed, and 98.2 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. A power liftgate was optional on the LT Cloth trim and standard on higher trims, with a gesture-activated liftgate available on the Premier and High Country models. The RS and higher trims also featured a power 60/40 split-folding third row.

Despite its size, the Traverse was stingy on interior storage options, a common issue among midsize three-row crossovers. Minivans offered better practicality with more storage space, lower floors, and sliding doors for easier loading and unloading.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan prioritized comfort with large doors and tall seating hip points for easy entry and exit. The front seats offered a wide range of adjustments for proper support and excellent visibility. The V-Tex leatherette upholstery mimicked real leather, and the dual-zone climate control system was effective. The back seat provided excellent occupant support, generous legroom, and foot space, with air conditioning vents and USB charging ports for passengers. The Tiguan also offered ample clearance for reverse-facing child safety seats.

A large panoramic sunroof was available, featuring a wind deflector to eliminate noise and buffeting. Storage space was limited, with a large glovebox and fabric-lined door panel bins. The slot forward of the shifter served as a wireless smartphone charger but was tricky to use. The Tiguan had a 40/20/40-split folding rear seat, allowing owners to carry long items and four passengers simultaneously. Cargo space ranged from 33 to 37.6 cubic feet behind the second row, depending on the presence of the third-row seat, with a maximum capacity of 65.7 to 73.5 cubic feet.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and Bluetooth. Higher trims offered an 8-inch touchscreen, navigation, a 4G-LTE WiFi hotspot, and a Bose 10-speaker audio system. While competitors like Ford and Toyota offered larger screens, the Traverse's 8-inch screen was easy to use with large smartphone-like icons. Chevy retained analog controls for audio volume and climate control, which were appreciated. The Traverse's analog instruments, supplemented by a small LCD screen, were functional but might seem dated to tech-savvy buyers.

The Traverse also featured a rearview camera mirror, which toggled between a standard mirror view and a camera feed, eliminating blind spots. An optional HD surround-view camera system made parking easier. Chevy provided two USB ports for each row as standard, with wireless phone charging standard on the Premier and High Country models.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan introduced the MIB3 infotainment system starting with the SE trim. MIB3 featured an 8-inch touchscreen, faster processing, and an expanded offering of features, including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, WiFi for up to four devices, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and a long list of Car-Net connected services. These services included remote engine starting, automatic crash notification, and Family Guardian safe teen driving settings.

While the MIB3 system was an improvement, it had some quirks, and the voice recognition technology was lacking. The standard six-speaker sound system struggled with bass-heavy music, while the SEL Premium R-Line's nine-speaker Fender audio system was a better option. The SEL and SEL Premium R-Line featured Volkswagen Digital Cockpit instrumentation, offering an understated approach to technology and information display.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse received top "Good" scores in all crash tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and a "Superior" rating for front-crash prevention tech. However, it received "Acceptable" and "Poor" headlight ratings and an "Acceptable" rating for LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the Traverse a five-star overall safety rating, with four stars in frontal and rollover crash tests and five stars in side-impact crash tests.

Chevy offered less standard driver-assist tech than competitors, with adaptive cruise control only available on the top High Country trim. Other features like automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert were optional extras, while many rivals offered these as standard.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan came 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 the SE trim, the Tiguan added adaptive cruise control, while the SEL included lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist. The SEL Premium R-Line featured automatic high-beam headlights and front and rear parking sensors.

During testing, the adaptive cruise control demonstrated smooth braking but was slow to recognize vehicles cutting in and to accelerate when traffic cleared. Lane-keep assist was effective but inconsistent in warnings and response. The blind-spot warning indicator was easy to see, and the parking sensors were helpful but sometimes overly sensitive. The standard reversing camera provided a clear view, with a top-down surround-view available on the SEL Premium R-Line. Automatic post-collision braking was standard, designed to prevent secondary impacts after a collision.

Car-Net connected services equipped the Tiguan with features like automatic collision notification, emergency calling, and Family Guardian alerts, allowing parents to set geographic boundaries, speed, and curfew limits for teen drivers. The IIHS awarded the Tiguan a "Top Safety Pick" rating for the SEL and SEL Premium R-Line trims, thanks to high-performing LED headlights. The NHTSA had not published complete crash-test results for the Tiguan.