2022 Toyota Venza 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. It was large 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 for AWD models that expanded passenger capacity to seven. The interior combined modern geometric forms with a no-nonsense control layout, though it had some hard plastic 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 the $1,195 destination charge.

The 2022 Toyota Venza, reintroduced for the 2021 model year, rode on the proven Toyota New Global Architecture K (TGNA-K) platform. It measured 186.6 inches long, 73.0 inches wide, and 65.9 inches tall, with a 105.9-inch wheelbase. The Venza had excellent proportions and a modern exterior design, with a deeply scalloped body side and a prominent nose. Inside, it featured an elegant layout with high-quality materials, a layered dash, and a well-placed touchscreen display. The front seats were supportive and comfortable, and the rear seats could accommodate three adults easily. The Venza's interior was Lexus-like, with numerous convenience features and a quiet, serene cabin.

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 1,600 rpm. An eight-speed automatic transmission sent power to the front wheels by default, with 4Motion AWD as a $1,400 option on most models. The powertrain was adequate but suffered from turbocharger lag, making the engine feel breathless during passing maneuvers. The Tiguan returned 25 mpg in combined driving with FWD and 24 mpg with AWD, though testing showed an average of 22.6 mpg for the AWD model. The Tiguan provided a pleasurable driving experience with light, responsive steering, a compliant ride, and nimble handling, though it struggled with sharper speed bumps and railroad tracks.

The 2022 Toyota Venza featured a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder gasoline engine and three electric motors, producing a combined 219 horsepower. The Venza balanced electric and gas drive for optimum efficiency and performance, with drivers able to select among Normal, Eco, and Sport drive modes. Regenerative braking helped recharge the lithium-ion battery, and the Venza's hybrid setup required no special attention. The Venza offered sprightly performance and agile handling, feeling maneuverable like the Camry. It delivered a comfortable ride and performance suitable for a midsize family hauler.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan prioritized comfort with large doors, tall seating hip points, and a wide range of front seat adjustments. The back seat provided excellent occupant 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 and a usefully shaped cargo space, 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 flat.

The 2022 Toyota Venza seated five in two rows, with good headroom and legroom in both rows. The second row had 45.2 inches of hip room, adequate for three adults. The cabin featured numerous convenience features, including an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat, electric parking brake, and sliding sun visors. The Venza's lithium-ion battery pack had little impact on cargo capacity, offering 28.8 cubic feet of luggage space behind the second row and up to 55.1 cubic feet with the seats folded flat. The cabin was quiet and serene, thanks to extensive sound-blocking and absorbing insulation.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan featured the next-generation Modular Infotainment Toolkit (MIB3) platform starting with the SE trim, with an 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, WiFi, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and Car-Net connected services. The MIB3 system had some quirks, and the standard six-speaker sound system struggled with bass-heavy music. The SEL Premium R-Line trim included a nine-speaker Fender premium audio system and Volkswagen Digital Cockpit instrumentation.

The 2022 Toyota Venza's hybrid powertrain required no special attention, with a tank of gas yielding well over 500 miles. The Venza featured Predicted Efficient Drive (PED) to optimize battery charging. The LE and XLE models came with an eight-inch touchscreen, AM/FM/HD Radio, SiriusXM satellite radio, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa, and Bluetooth connectivity. The Limited trim added a nine-speaker JBL audio system, 12.3-inch touchscreen, and intelligent touch-capacitive controls. Both multimedia setups included Toyota Connected Services, and an Advanced Technology Package was available for the Limited trim.

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, and 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 Toyota Venza included the Toyota Star Safety System with stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, smart stop technology, and a rearview camera. It also had eight airbags, three-point seatbelts, and LATCH lower anchors for child safety seats. The Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 (TSS 2.0) group of driver aids was standard, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure alert with steering assist, automatic high beams, lane tracing assist, and road-sign assist. The Venza received a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS and a five-star rating from the NHTSA.