2021 Volkswagen Tiguan vs 2022 Honda Passport

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan featured clean lines and balanced proportions, which some might have found boring, but others appreciated for its conservative, upscale, and timeless aesthetic. It was a large SUV for its class, nearly as big inside as a Hyundai Santa Fe or Kia Sorento, offering a roomy and accommodating interior with plenty of space for four people, and an optional third-row seat expanding capacity to seven, though three of those would need to be children. The interior combined modern geometric forms with a no-nonsense control layout, though it had some oddities like the engine start button's location. The cabin was dressed up with shiny detailing, digital instrumentation, and a flush touchscreen infotainment system, but it had too much hard plastic to be mistaken for an Audi.

In contrast, the 2022 Honda Passport's new styling made it a dead-ringer for the Honda Ridgeline pickup truck forward of the doors and windshield. Sharing a platform with the Ridgeline, Odyssey minivan, and Pilot three-row SUV, the Passport was essentially a shorter Pilot without a third-row seat. Honda styled the Passport's new nose to give it a tougher look, and the updated design applied to all three trim levels: EX-L, TrailSport, and Elite. The TrailSport trim aimed to appeal to off-road enthusiasts, though it was more about looks than actual capability. The Passport boasted one of the largest interiors in the two-row midsize SUV segment, with quality materials and careful assembly, and the TrailSport trim added unique design touches like orange contrast stitching and amber ambient lighting.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan was powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine generating 184 horsepower at 4,360 rpm and 221 pound-feet of torque at a low 1,600 rpm. An eight-speed automatic transmission sent power to the front wheels by default, with the 4Motion AWD system available as a $1,400 option on most models and standard with SEL Premium R-Line. The powertrain was adequate but suffered from turbocharger lag, making the engine feel breathless when extra power was needed. The Tiguan returned 25 mpg in combined driving with FWD and 24 mpg with AWD, though testing showed an average of 22.6 mpg with AWD. The Tiguan provided a pleasurable driving experience with light but responsive steering, a soft and compliant ride, and refined braking action, though it struggled with sharper speed bumps and railroad tracks. On curvy roads, the Tiguan's tires gave up grip early, and the suspension allowed too much body motion, encouraging slower driving. However, it was remarkably quiet and composed on the highway.

The 2022 Honda Passport retained its 3.5-liter V6 engine making 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and available with FWD or AWD. The V6 was smooth and felt stronger than its power ratings suggested, partnering well with the nine-speed automatic. The Passport returned 22 mpg in combined driving with FWD and 21 mpg with AWD, with the TrailSport test vehicle averaging 21.3 mpg. The i-VTM4 AWD system, standard on TrailSport and Elite trims, featured mechanical torque vectoring and could deliver up to 70 percent of the engine's power to a single rear wheel when necessary. The Passport offered a firm, communicative ride and surprisingly athletic handling, with good steering feel and excellent outward visibility. However, the brakes could heat up and vibrate when descending mountain grades, which was concerning given the Passport's 5,000-pound towing capacity.

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 well. The back seat provided excellent support, generous legroom, and air conditioning vents and USB charging ports. The Tiguan had a 40/20/40-split folding rear seat and a usefully shaped cargo space with deep wells on each side. Cargo volume ranged from 33 to 37.6 cubic feet behind the second row, depending on whether the SUV had the optional third-row seat, with a maximum capacity of 65.7 to 73.5 cubic feet.

The 2022 Honda Passport featured large doors and a low step-in height for easy entry and exit. The front seats were large and comfortable, with inboard adjustable armrests and good thigh support. Leather upholstery and heated front seats were standard, with the Elite trim adding ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats. The rear passengers enjoyed plenty of room and a slightly elevated seating position, with large side windows making the area feel open and airy. The Passport had ample storage, including a massive center console storage bin and shelving in the front door panels. Cargo space was generous, measuring 41.2 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 77.7 cubic feet with the back seat folded down.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan featured the next-generation Modular Infotainment Toolkit (MIB) platform called MIB3, available starting with the SE trim. MIB3 equipped the Tiguan with an 8-inch touchscreen, faster processing times, and features like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, WiFi for up to four devices, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and Car-Net connected services. The SEL and SEL Premium R-Line trims featured Volkswagen Digital Cockpit instrumentation. However, the voice recognition technology was lacking, and the standard six-speaker sound system struggled with bass-heavy music. The SEL Premium R-Line's nine-speaker Fender premium audio system was a better option.

The 2022 Honda Passport's infotainment system included an 8-inch touchscreen display, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and satellite radio on all trims. The TrailSport trim added a navigation system, while the Elite trim featured a 10-speaker premium sound system and HondaLink connected services, including a WiFi hotspot. The system had shortcut buttons for the Home menu, a Back button, a screen brightness button, and a stereo volume and power knob, but lacked a stereo tuning knob. The navigation system was clunky, and Apple CarPlay was preferred for ease of use. Wireless smartphone charging was standard, but the Passport was not technologically advanced.

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. SE trim added adaptive cruise control, while the SEL included lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist, and the SEL Premium R-Line featured automatic high-beam headlights. The adaptive cruise control was smooth but slow to accelerate when traffic cleared, and the lane-keep assist was effective but inconsistent. The Tiguan's parking sensors were sensitive, and the reversing camera provided a clear view. The Tiguan earned a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the IIHS in SEL and SEL Premium R-Line trims.

The 2022 Honda Passport included the Honda Sensing collection of driver aids, such as adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and lane-centering assist. It also had blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high-beam headlights, a rear-seat reminder system, and a seatbelt reminder system. The lane-departure warning and lane-centering assist functions were intrusive, and the adaptive cruise control was not smooth in heavy traffic. The blind-spot monitoring warning light was poorly placed. The Passport received five-star ratings from the NHTSA in most categories but earned four stars for front passenger protection in a frontal-impact collision and rollover resistance. The IIHS gave the Passport top ratings in most respects but an Acceptable rating for front-passenger protection in a small overlap collision.