2022 Volkswagen Tiguan vs 2022 Honda Passport

The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan stood out among its competitors with a conservative yet elegant design. Its refreshed front styling aligned it with Volkswagen’s larger models, featuring a new grille, standard LED headlights, and redesigned aluminum wheels. The SEL R-Line trim, in particular, boasted a sportier look with blacked-out elements and a striking Atlantic Blue Metallic paint. Inside, the Tiguan SEL R-Line offered a luxurious cabin with leather upholstery, new technology, and ambient lighting, though the hard plastic in the lower half of the cabin hinted at its mass-market status.

In contrast, the 2022 Honda Passport adopted a more rugged appearance, closely resembling the Honda Ridgeline pickup truck. The Passport shared its platform with the Ridgeline, Odyssey, and Pilot, but featured a shorter length and no third-row seat. The new TrailSport trim aimed to appeal to off-road enthusiasts with its unique wheels, roof rack, and skid plates. Inside, the Passport offered a spacious and comfortable cabin with leather seats, triple-zone climate control, and ample storage. The TrailSport trim added orange stitching and amber lighting for a distinctive touch.

The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan retained its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission transferred power to the front wheels, with an optional 4Motion AWD system available. The Tiguan offered various driving modes, including Eco, Normal, Sport, and Individual, with additional off-road settings for AWD models. Despite its enjoyable driving experience, the Tiguan's engine exhibited some turbo lag, and its fuel economy was modest at 24 mpg combined.

The 2022 Honda Passport featured a 3.5-liter V6 engine, delivering 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Passport offered FWD on the EX-L trim, while the TrailSport and Elite trims came with standard AWD. The i-VTM4 AWD system provided mechanical torque vectoring and could deliver up to 70% of power to a single rear wheel. The Passport excelled in on-road performance, with firm handling and satisfying acceleration, though its brakes showed some weakness on mountain descents. The TrailSport trim averaged 21.3 mpg in various driving conditions.

The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan offered a spacious interior, comparable to smaller midsize SUVs. The SEL R-Line trim featured comfortable leather seats with power adjustments, excellent outward visibility, and a panoramic sunroof. The second row provided ample space for adults and children, with rear air vents and USB charging ports. Cargo space was generous, with 37.6 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 73.4 cubic feet with the seats folded down. However, the new touch controls on the steering wheel and dashboard were less user-friendly.

The 2022 Honda Passport provided easy access with large doors and a low step-in height. The front seats were large and comfortable, with leather upholstery and heated seats as standard. The Elite trim added ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats. Rear passengers enjoyed plenty of space and a slightly elevated seating position. The Passport offered ample storage, including a massive center console bin and various door panel shelves. Cargo space was impressive, with 41.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 77.7 cubic feet with the seats folded down.

The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan came with standard digital instrumentation, with the SEL R-Line featuring a 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro system. The MIB3 infotainment system, available on all but the base trim, included an 8-inch touchscreen, Car-Net connected services, and smartphone mirroring. The SEL R-Line added a redesigned navigation system and a nine-speaker Fender audio system. However, the natural voice recognition feature required a subscription and was not active during testing. The Tiguan also offered a Park Assist system for autonomous parking.

The 2022 Honda Passport's infotainment system included an 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and satellite radio. The TrailSport trim added a navigation system, while the Elite trim featured a 10-speaker premium sound system and HondaLink connected services. The Passport's infotainment system was functional but not advanced, with some clunky navigation features. Wireless smartphone charging was standard, but the overall technology package was less sophisticated than the Tiguan's.

The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan came with standard Front Assist and Side Assist, along with Travel Assist and Emergency Assist in the IQ Drive package. Travel Assist combined adaptive cruise control with lane-centering assistance, while Emergency Assist could bring the vehicle to a stop if the driver became unresponsive. The 2021 Tiguan earned a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the IIHS, and the 2022 model's new features aimed to improve safety further.

The 2022 Honda Passport included the Honda Sensing suite of driver aids, such as adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and lane-centering assist. The Passport also featured blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic high-beam headlights. However, some Honda Sensing features were less refined, with intrusive lane-departure warnings and lane-centering assist. The Passport received five-star ratings from the NHTSA in most categories but earned four stars for front passenger protection and rollover resistance. The IIHS gave the Passport top ratings in most respects, with an Acceptable rating for front-passenger protection in a small overlap collision.