2022 Land Rover Defender 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 notably large for its class, nearly matching the interior space of a Hyundai Santa Fe or Kia Sorento, thanks to its long-wheelbase version. This upsizing resulted in a roomy interior, accommodating up to seven passengers with an optional third-row seat, though it was best suited for children. The interior combined modern geometric forms with a no-nonsense control layout, though it had some hard plastics and flimsy steering wheel stalks. 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 Land Rover Defender retained its distinctive boxy profile, tailgate-mounted spare tire, and flat hood, visually tying it to the original version and classic Series Land Rovers. Despite these retro callbacks, it was a thoroughly modern design with rounded corners for better aerodynamics and recessed LED headlights. The Defender was much larger than the original, offering more interior space and better ergonomics. The interior design emphasized rugged character with bare metal and exposed screws, along with a mix of leather and suede upholstery. The Defender 90 V8 test car had a mix of materials that seemed more practical for off-road use. The Defender was available in two-door (Defender 90) and four-door (Defender 110) models, with the latter offering more cargo space and seating configurations.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan was powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. This engine, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, sent power to the front wheels by default, with 4Motion AWD available as an option. The powertrain was adequate but suffered from turbo lag, making it feel breathless during passing maneuvers. The Tiguan's nearly 4,000-pound curb weight contributed to this perception. The EPA rated the Tiguan at 25 mpg combined for FWD and 24 mpg for AWD, but real-world testing showed an average of 22.6 mpg for the AWD model. Despite its powertrain limitations, the Tiguan offered a pleasurable driving experience with light steering, a compliant ride, and nimble handling, though it struggled with sharper speed bumps and railroad tracks. It was quiet and composed on the highway, making it suitable for long road trips.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender offered three powertrains: a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six mild-hybrid powertrain with 395 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, and a new-for-2022 V8 engine producing 518 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of torque. The V8 could accelerate the Defender 90 from zero to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds, with a top speed of 149 mph. All models used a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and standard 4WD with a two-speed transfer case. The V8 model featured an electronic active rear differential, Dynamic drive mode, and unique suspension tuning for sportier handling, though it felt less poised than the six-cylinder model. The Defender was impressively comfortable on pavement, with a suspension that absorbed bumps well and minimal noise from the 22-inch tires. It was also less susceptible to crosswinds than a Jeep Wrangler. Off-road, the Defender lived up to Land Rover's reputation with a 4WD system, good approach, departure, and breakover angles, and up to 11.5 inches of ground clearance. It also had an 8,201-pound maximum towing capacity.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan prioritized comfort with large doors, tall seating hip points, and a wide range of front seat adjustments. The V-Tex leatherette upholstery and dual-zone climate control system added to the comfort. The back seat offered excellent support, generous legroom, and foot space, with air conditioning vents and USB charging ports. The Tiguan had a 40/20/40-split folding rear seat, providing flexibility for carrying long items and passengers. Cargo volume ranged from 33 to 37.6 cubic feet behind the second row, depending on whether the third-row seat was present, with a maximum capacity of 65.7 to 73.5 cubic feet.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender featured 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats, which were comfortable but challenging to access in the two-door Defender 90. The four-door Defender 110 offered more cargo space and seating configurations, with three-row models providing 11.4 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats in place, 35.4 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 70.4 cubic feet with the second row folded. Two-row versions had 18.1 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 51.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The interior design emphasized functionality, with a large caged storage space below the shifter and climate-control knobs, a sizable center-console storage bin, and optional refrigeration. The Defender also offered optional exterior cargo solutions, such as a basket-style roof rack and side-mounted cargo boxes.

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, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and Car-Net connected services. The system had some quirks, including subpar voice recognition and a six-speaker sound system that struggled with bass-heavy music. The SEL Premium R-Line trim offered a nine-speaker Fender premium audio system. Both the SEL and SEL Premium R-Line featured Volkswagen Digital Cockpit instrumentation.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender came standard with the Pivi Pro infotainment system, including a 10-inch central touchscreen and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster was standard on all trims except the base model, with an 11.4-inch touchscreen newly available for 2022. The user interface was well-designed, but the screen required a firm touch to respond. Optional features included a 14-speaker Meridian audio system, head-up display, and a surround-view camera system, which was particularly useful for off-roading.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan came standard 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. The SEL Premium R-Line featured automatic high-beam headlights and front and rear parking sensors. The adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist were effective but had some inconsistencies. The Tiguan earned a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the IIHS in SEL and SEL Premium R-Line trims, but the NHTSA had not published complete crash-test results.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender included standard driver-assist tech like lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking, and traffic-sign recognition with speed-limit adapter. Blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control were optional. The IIHS and NHTSA had not published safety ratings for the Defender, which was not unusual for luxury vehicles.