2021 Volkswagen Tiguan vs 2021 Toyota Highlander

The 2021 Toyota Highlander was anything but boring. It stood out among midsize SUVs with its distinctive design, featuring wide headlights, a long hood, and an assertive trapezoidal grille. The character line along its side, reminiscent of the Supra sports car, and Lexus-like taillights added to its unique appearance. The Highlander XSE trim, with its aggressive front end and 20-inch wheels, aimed to blend sportiness with practicality, although it leaned more towards luxury, especially in the Limited trim with its upscale interior and near-flawless fit and finish.

In contrast, the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan offered a conservative, upscale, and timeless design. Its clean lines and balanced proportions were designed to age well. The Tiguan was large for its class, providing a roomy and accommodating interior with plenty of space for four people, and an optional third-row seat expanded capacity to seven. The interior featured modern geometric forms, a no-nonsense control layout, and shiny detailing, although it had more hard plastic than one might find in an Audi. The SEL trim, with its 4Motion AWD, provided a well-rounded package.

The 2021 Toyota Highlander was powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 295 horsepower and 263 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It offered both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options. While it wasn't designed for drag races, it provided smooth and predictable operation, making it a reliable family car. The XSE trim added higher-rated springs, retuned shock absorbers, power steering, and a rear stabilizer bar for a slightly sportier feel, but it remained a comfortable three-row crossover.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan featured a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine generating 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The 4Motion AWD system was optional on most models and standard on the SEL Premium R-Line. The Tiguan's powertrain was adequate but suffered from turbo lag, making it feel breathless during passing maneuvers. It returned 25 mpg in combined driving with FWD and 24 mpg with AWD, although real-world testing showed slightly lower fuel economy. The Tiguan offered a pleasurable driving experience with light, responsive steering, a compliant ride, and nimble handling, although it struggled with sharper speed bumps and railroad tracks.

The 2021 Toyota Highlander excelled in interior space and comfort. It featured large shelves ahead of the front seats for storage, a wireless charging pad in higher trims, and plenty of legroom for second-row passengers. The third row was suitable for adults only if the second row was adjusted forward. Cargo space was 16 cubic feet behind the third row, 48.4 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 84.3 cubic feet with both the second and third rows folded.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan prioritized comfort with large doors, tall seating hip points, and a wide range of adjustments for the front seats. The back seat offered excellent support, generous legroom, and air conditioning vents. The Tiguan's 40/20/40-split folding rear seat allowed for flexible cargo configurations, with cargo volume ranging from 33 to 37.6 cubic feet behind the second row and 65.7 to 73.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, depending on whether it had the optional third-row seat.

The 2021 Toyota Highlander came with an 8-inch touchscreen on lower trims, while the Limited trim offered a 12.3-inch touchscreen as an option. The Platinum trim featured the larger screen as standard. Both systems were user-friendly, with standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The 12.3-inch screen was bright and crisp, but its navigation system struggled with points of interest. The JBL audio system was decent but not exceptional.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan introduced the MIB3 infotainment system starting with the SE trim, featuring an 8-inch touchscreen, faster processing, and expanded features like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, WiFi, and Amazon Alexa compatibility. The SEL and SEL Premium R-Line trims included Volkswagen Digital Cockpit instrumentation. The MIB3 system was an improvement, but the voice recognition technology and standard six-speaker sound system had room for improvement. The SEL Premium R-Line's nine-speaker Fender audio system was a notable upgrade.

The 2021 Toyota Highlander featured Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+ (TSS 2.5+), including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and intersection support, road-sign assist, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-tracing assist, and automatic high beams. The Highlander received a five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and was named a Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan came with IQ Drive, including forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The SE trim 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. The Tiguan's adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist were effective but had some inconsistencies. The Tiguan earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS for the SEL and SEL Premium R-Line trims, but the NHTSA had not published complete crash-test results.