2021 Volkswagen Tiguan vs 2022 Chevrolet Traverse

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan had an understated yet elegant aesthetic. While some might have found its styling too conservative, many appreciated its clean lines and balanced proportions. It offered an upscale, timeless look bound to age gracefully. Its design was less about flashy elements and more about maintaining a poised and refined exterior. The Volkswagen Tiguan was also notably large for its class, almost as spacious inside as a Hyundai Santa Fe or Kia Sorento. This upsizing resulted in a roomy interior, comfortably seating four people, with an option for five. Additionally, the Tiguan offered a small, optional third-row seat, which extended the capacity to seven — especially convenient if at least three passengers were children. This third-row seat was available only in the AWD models. Volkswagen accentuated the Tiguan’s interior by focusing on practical, geometric layouts combined with sophisticated detailing. Despite an abundance of hard plastic, the cabin featured a variety of trims such as digital instrumentation and an integrated touchscreen infotainment system. Different available trims, including the S, SE, SEL, and the sporty R-Line variants like the SE R-Line Black and the SEL Premium R-Line, provided consumers with plenty of choices, priced between $25,245 and $39,095 before destination charges. Meanwhile, the 2022 Chevrolet Traverse, essentially a minivan in an SUV’s clothing, maintained a more aggressive appearance. It blended practicality with appealing design elements, featuring new headlights and taillights, refreshed bumpers, grille designs, and updated wheel options. It offered special editions like the Redline Edition, Midnight Edition, and Sport Edition, enhancing its visual appeal with blacked-out trim. The RS trim of the Traverse, priced at $48,895, boasted attractive dark gray 20-inch wheels and a well-crafted design. Its stylish details and robust lines showcased a level of restraint unique in today’s SUV market. In essence, while the Traverse had an assertive look, its design choices kept it practical without compromising style.

For the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan, every model was equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 184 horsepower at 4,360 rpm and 221 pound-feet of torque at a low 1,600 rpm. This engine’s power was sent to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, with the 4Motion AWD system available for an additional $1,400 on most trims and standard on the SEL Premium R-Line. Although adequate for daily tasks, the Tiguan’s engine had noticeable turbocharger lag. This lag meant a delay in response when accelerating, creating a brief period where the vehicle felt unresponsive. Despite its near 4,000-pound curb weight contributing to a sense of sluggishness, the Tiguan handled nimble tasks well, offering light and responsive steering, a compliant ride, and refined braking. However, it struggled with mid-range power, feeling particularly breathless when passing or accelerating onto freeways. According to the EPA, the Tiguan’s fuel economy was 25 mpg in combined driving with FWD and 24 mpg with AWD. In real-world testing, the AWD Tiguan came out at 22.6 mpg. For the 2022 Chevrolet Traverse, there was no need to choose between different engines as it featured a single 3.6-liter V6 engine delivering 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. This powerful V6 provided smooth performance and a comfortable driving experience, even though it was tested with lighter family duties. The AWD Traverse had a tow rating of 5,000 pounds when properly equipped. The SUV offered different driving modes such as Tow/Haul, Snow, and Off-Road to adapt to various conditions. While the V6 engine produced a noticeable whine under acceleration, it seamlessly matched the Traverse’s substantial size. The EPA estimated fuel economy for the AWD Traverse was 20 mpg combined, aligning with our tests that recorded 20.9 mpg. On the road, the Traverse offered a firm yet compliant ride, absorbing minor road imperfections but struggled with larger anomalies. The need to drive slowly over speed humps and drainage dips was essential to avoid scraping the air dam. On highways, the Traverse provided a quiet yet occasionally noisy ride due to wind and road noise. Its V6 engine, responsive steering, and effective suspension ensured an unexpectedly athletic performance, but quick driving on undulating pavements caused a soft, disconnected feel.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan emphasized interior comfort. Large doors and high seating points made entry and exit easy. The front seats, with multiple adjustments, provided excellent support and visibility. The perforated V-Tex leatherette upholstery mimicked genuine leather nicely, and the dual-zone climate control worked effectively. Rear seat space in the Tiguan was substantial, offering generous legroom and foot space with support. Rear passengers enjoyed amenities like air conditioning vents, USB ports, and soft seatback materials, making it ideal even for taller passengers. The optional panoramic sunroof added an enjoyable open-air feel without excessive noise or buffeting. However, storage was somewhat limited, with smaller compartments failing to compensate for the lack of significant in-cabin storage space. Cargo flexibility in the Tiguan was impressive with a 40/20/40-split folding rear seat and levers for easy folding. Depending on the configuration, cargo capacity varied. The three-row model offered 33 cubic feet behind the second row and 65.7 cubic feet with all seats folded, whereas the two-row model provided 37.6 cubic feet behind the rear seats and a maximum of 73.5 cubic feet. The 2022 Chevrolet Traverse offered significant space but lacked a second-row bench seat in RS, Premier, and High Country trims, reducing capacity to seven passengers. The RS trim provided power-adjustable, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and triple-zone climate control. The Smart Slide function on the second-row seats combined with the long doors made third-row access easier. Despite the all-black interior and non-ventilated seats in RS trim, the air conditioning and generous spaces kept everyone comfortable. However, second-row seats lacked leg support and were overly reclined by default. While the third-row wasn’t as comfortable as some rivals, the Traverse’s spacious interior, equipped with hidden compartments and functional storage spaces, added convenience. The cargo area was substantial, offering 23 cubic feet behind the third row, expandable to 98.2 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. However, adjustments were sometimes needed to fold seats flat, affecting ease of use.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan introduced the MIB3 infotainment platform starting from the SE trim. This system featured an 8-inch touchscreen, faster processing times, and enhanced features such as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, WiFi, SiriusXM 360L, and Amazon Alexa compatibility. Car-Net services, including remote start, automatic crash notification, and Family Guardian settings, also added to the technological appeal. Despite these advancements, quirks in the user interface and underwhelming voice recognition detracted from the experience. The standard six-speaker sound system struggled with bass-heavy tracks, while the nine-speaker Fender audio system in the SEL Premium R-Line provided a much better sound experience. The VW Digital Cockpit instrumentation in upper trims offered a subtle yet functional approach to technology. In the 2022 Chevrolet Traverse, LS and LT Cloth models featured a 7-inch touchscreen, with higher trims offering an 8-inch high-definition display. The Premier and High Country trims included an additional 8-inch digital instrumentation panel. Both systems supported Bluetooth for two devices, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and connected services with a WiFi hotspot. The 8-inch system, available with navigation and expanded services, was supplemented by a Bose seven-speaker system starting at RS trim. Despite the relatively small screen, the Traverse’s Infotainment System 3 was robust, with responsive voice recognition and convenient features like a digital rearview mirror and surround-view camera aiding visibility and ease of use.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan came with IQ Drive, a comprehensive suite of standard advanced driving aids such as forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. SE trims and higher included adaptive cruise control, while SEL and above added lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist. However, the parking sensors sometimes triggered false alarms, and the adaptive cruise control responded slowly to cleared traffic. The Tiguan’s safety systems, while generally effective, had some inconsistencies in warnings and responsiveness. The top-down surround-view camera was available only in the SEL Premium R-Line trim. The Car-Net connected services expanded on safety features, providing automatic collision notification, emergency calling, and teen driving alerts. The IIHS awarded the Tiguan a “Top Safety Pick” rating for its SEL and SEL Premium R-Line trims, though the NHTSA had yet to complete crash-test evaluations. For 2022, the Chevrolet Traverse standardizes Chevy Safety Assist across all trims, including features like forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, automatic high beams, and following-distance indicator. Advanced systems like adaptive cruise control and high-speed automatic emergency braking equipped the RS, Premier, and High Country trims, also available as extras in the LT Leather trim. The Traverse’s Safety Package for the LS included rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, lane-change assist, and rear cross-traffic alert, standard on all other trims. The IIHS rated the Traverse well in collision tests but provided only moderate ratings for the new side-impact tests. NHTSA ratings were pending.