2022 Chevrolet Suburban vs 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan featured clean lines and balanced proportions, offering a conservative, upscale, and timeless aesthetic. While some might have found its understated styling boring, the design was likely to age well. The Tiguan was notably large for its class, nearly matching the interior space of a Hyundai Santa Fe or Kia Sorento. This second-generation model corrected the size issues of its predecessor, offering a long-wheelbase version for regions favoring larger vehicles.

Inside, the Tiguan provided a roomy and accommodating interior, comfortably seating four people, with the option to carry five or even seven with an optional third-row seat. The interior combined modern geometric forms with a no-nonsense control layout, though the placement of the engine start button was unconventional. The cabin featured shiny detailing, digital instrumentation, and a flush touchscreen infotainment system, but it had too much hard plastic to be mistaken for an Audi. The Tiguan was available in S, SE, and SEL trims, with sporty R-Line variants, and pricing ranged from $25,245 to $39,095, excluding destination charges.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban adopted Chevrolet's full-size truck design language, sharing its exterior styling with the Tahoe SUV and Silverado 1500 pickup. The Suburban's tall hood, long proportions, and large wheels gave it a supersized appearance. The SUV was available in six trims, offering a fair degree of customization. Our RST test vehicle featured a Cherry Red Tintcoat exterior and 22-inch bright-machined black-painted wheels, giving it a sporty look.

Inside, the Suburban offered a spacious cabin, ranging from economically comfortable on the base LS trim to plush on the High Country. Leather seats were standard starting on the LT trim, with material quality improving with price. Our RST tester had 10-way power seats, bright sill plates, and Jet Black perforated leather seats with Victory Red stitching. The optional Luxury package added heated second-row seats. However, the predominantly black interior made the cabin feel dark, despite the chrome sill plates and red stitching.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan was powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 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 4Motion AWD available for an additional $1,400 on most models. The powertrain was adequate but suffered from turbocharger lag, making the engine feel breathless during passing maneuvers. 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 offered a pleasurable driving experience with light but responsive steering, a compliant ride, refined braking, and nimble handling. However, the suspension struggled with sharper speed bumps and railroad tracks, and the tires lacked grip in corners. On the highway, the Tiguan was quiet and composed, making long road trips enjoyable.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban offered three engine choices: a 5.3-liter V8, a 6.2-liter V8, and a new 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-six. All engines were paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. The 5.3-liter V8 produced 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque, while the 6.2-liter V8 delivered 420 hp and 460 lb-ft. The 3.0-liter diesel engine provided 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque, offering excellent fuel economy and a five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

Our RST test vehicle featured the 6.2-liter V8, part of the $3,815 Sport Performance package, including Magnetic Ride Control and dual exhaust tips. The 6.2-liter engine's extra power was noticeable and appreciated, making towing and acceleration effortless. The Suburban's maximum towing capacity was 8,300 pounds, and the SUV performed well during an 80-mile tow test, pulling a Chevrolet Impala sedan on a trailer with ease.

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, and the V-Tex leatherette upholstery mimicked real leather. The back seat provided excellent support, legroom, and foot space, with air conditioning vents and USB charging ports for passengers. The Tiguan's 40/20/40-split folding rear seat allowed for versatile cargo and passenger configurations, with cargo volume ranging from 33 to 37.6 cubic feet behind the second row and up to 73.5 cubic feet with the seats folded.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban excelled in space, accommodating up to nine occupants with the optional front-row bench seat. Most Suburbans offered seven- or eight-passenger seating, with the third row providing adequate headroom, knee room, and legroom for adults. The Suburban boasted 41.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 144.7 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded flat. The second-row seats slid forward or backward up to 5.5 inches, and both rows folded flat with ease. The optional power-sliding center console added storage space, and the cabin featured numerous storage cubbies.

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, SiriusXM 360L, and Amazon Alexa compatibility. The system had some quirks, and the standard six-speaker sound system struggled with bass-heavy music. The SEL Premium R-Line featured a nine-speaker Fender premium audio system and Volkswagen Digital Cockpit instrumentation.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban offered a surprising level of technology, with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and Google built-in on LT trims and above. The Chevrolet Infotainment 3 System with an 8-inch touchscreen was standard on the LS, while the LT and above featured a 10.2-inch system with Google built-in and satellite radio. Wireless device charging and a WiFi hotspot were standard on the LT and above. The Suburban LS had a basic six-speaker audio system, while the LT featured a nine-speaker Bose system. The Premier and High Country trims offered a premium Bose 10-speaker Surround with CenterPoint audio system.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan came with the IQ Drive suite of advanced driving assistance systems, including forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Adaptive cruise control was standard on SE trims and above, 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 Tiguan earned a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the IIHS in SEL and SEL Premium R-Line trims.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban included the Chevy Safety Assist suite, with automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, front pedestrian braking, rear park assist, following distance indicator, automatic high-beam headlights, and an HD rear-vision camera. For 2022, front park assist, lane-keeping assistance, and lane-departure warning were added as standard features. Optional features included adaptive cruise control, HD surround vision, rear pedestrian alert, reverse automatic braking, lane-changing assistance, blind-spot monitoring, and a head-up display. The Suburban received a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA.