2022 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan featured clean lines and balanced proportions, which some might have found boring, but it had a conservative, upscale, and timeless aesthetic that was likely to age well. It was large for its class, nearly as spacious inside as a Hyundai Santa Fe or Kia Sorento, and offered a roomy interior with plenty of space for four people, or five if necessary. An optional third-row seat expanded passenger capacity to seven, though at least three of those passengers would need to be children. The interior combined modern geometric forms with a no-nonsense control layout, though the engine start button's location on the center console was unusual. The cabin had somber tones and textures, shiny detailing, available digital instrumentation, and a flush touchscreen infotainment system, but it had too much hard plastic to be mistaken for an Audi.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT, on the other hand, did not impress with its new XRT treatment, which lacked a suspension lift and more aggressive tires. The side steps, while helpful for roof rack access, impeded entry and exit and reduced the breakover angle for off-roading. The XRT trim was priced higher than the SE and SEL trims but lower than the turbocharged Limited and Calligraphy trims. It included all the equipment in the Santa Fe SEL and its Convenience Package, with front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). The test vehicle, dressed in Portofino Gray paint with a black cloth interior, offered little visual contrast and felt like viewing an old black-and-white image. However, the interior patterns and brightwork made the cabin a pleasant place to spend time, demonstrating thoughtful design and high quality for the price point.

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 for passing 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 in combined driving with FWD and 24 mpg with AWD, but testing showed an average of 22.6 mpg with AWD.

Despite these drawbacks, the Tiguan provided a pleasurable driving experience with light but responsive steering, a soft and compliant ride, refined braking action, and tossable handling. However, it struggled with sharper speed bumps and railroad tracks, and the tires gave up grip early in corners, encouraging slower driving. On the highway, the Tiguan was remarkably quiet and composed, making long road trips more enjoyable.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT was equipped with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. With nearly two tons of curb weight, the engine was adequate for getting the Santa Fe up to freeway speeds and cruising at the posted limit. An eight-speed automatic transmission handled shifting, with Comfort, Smart, Sport, and Snow driving modes available. The default Smart mode was best for low-demand driving, but the engine struggled when more power was needed, such as climbing hills or rounding corners. The test vehicle averaged 22.3 mpg, slightly below the EPA rating of 24 mpg. The 281-hp turbo-four in the Limited and Calligraphy models offered the same EPA rating, while the Santa Fe Hybrid models returned between 32 mpg and 34 mpg in combined driving.

The Santa Fe XRT demonstrated excellent suspension isolation over speed bumps, cracks, and potholes, and was remarkably quiet on the highway. The ride quality was good, though occasional bounciness or stiffness was detected. The handling, steering, and braking were fine, providing a secure and controlled driving experience. The XRT treatment was cosmetic, and the running boards could detract from performance, but the Santa Fe was more capable off-road than it might seem.

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, ensuring proper support and excellent outward visibility. The perforated 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. The Tiguan's 40/20/40-split folding rear seat allowed for carrying long items and four passengers simultaneously. 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 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT included a dual-zone automatic climate control system with a Clean Air ionizer, and all trims had rear air conditioning vents. The XRT's eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat ensured a proper driving position and good comfort, with heated front seats. However, the front passenger's seat was not height-adjustable. The rear-seat accommodations were excellent, with plenty of room for a family of four, generous legroom and foot room, rear air conditioning vents, and USB charging ports. The Santa Fe XRT had Hyundai's hands-free power-opening "Smart Tailgate," which could sense when the key fob was nearby and automatically open the liftgate. Cargo space was 36.4 cubic feet behind the back seat, expanding to 72.1 cubic feet with the rear seatbacks folded down.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan featured the next-generation Modular Infotainment Toolkit (MIB) platform called MIB3, available starting with the SE trim. MIB3 included an 8-inch touchscreen, faster processing and response 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 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT had a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel paired with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Standard features included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, satellite radio, and Bluelink connected services with a complimentary three-year subscription. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with large power/volume and tuning knobs, clean on-screen graphics, and logical menu structures. The XRT trim did not have the infotainment system upgrade available for higher trims, but previous experience with Hyundai's larger 10.25-inch touchscreen system showed it to be among the class leaders. The Santa Fe XRT also featured Hyundai's digital key technology, allowing an Android-based smartphone to be used as the vehicle's key.

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. Adaptive cruise control was standard starting with SE trim, while the SEL added lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist, and the SEL Premium R-Line featured automatic high-beam headlights. The Tiguan's parking sensors and reversing camera provided additional safety, with a top-down surround-view vantage point available on the SEL Premium R-Line. The Tiguan earned a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the IIHS in SEL and SEL Premium R-Line trims.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT was equipped with Hyundai SmartSense, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability. The XRT also featured Junction Turning Detection, Safe Exit Assist, and an ultrasonic rear occupant alert system. Bluelink provided additional safety features like automatic emergency assistance and vehicle speed alerts. The Santa Fe earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS and five-star ratings from the NHTSA, except for a four-star rollover resistance score.