2023 Volkswagen ID.4 vs 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan

The 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan, following its significant updates in 2022, remained largely unchanged. Volkswagen announced a complementary five-year Car-Net Safe & Secure connected services plan for Tiguan owners. The Tiguan was available in S, SE, SE R-Line Black, and SEL R-Line trims, with prices ranging from $26,950 to $37,680, plus a $1,295 destination charge. Our test vehicle, an SEL R-Line, had an MSRP of $38,975. Despite the variety of exterior colors, interior colors, wheel designs, and upholstery options, choices were restricted based on trim levels, limiting customization.

Our test Tiguan featured Atlantic Blue paint and Storm Gray leather interior. The SEL R-Line trim, with its sporty appearance and 20-inch machined-finish wheels, looked more expensive than it was. The design, though conservative, aged gracefully. The interior, despite some materials reflecting its base price, felt upscale with quality leather upholstery, artificial wood trim, soft-touch materials, digital instrumentation, and a panoramic sunroof. The Tiguan displayed robust construction and felt solidly assembled.

The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 received subtle styling updates, including gloss black trim on the front bumper and a more squared-off rear bumper design. New wheel designs and colors were introduced, and the rear VW logo now lit up. The ID.4, based on VW’s MEB platform, was designed specifically for EVs, offering modularity to support various models. The interior carried over the best qualities from recent VW gasoline-car interiors, featuring a minimalist design and a feeling of quality. The base ID.4 Standard model, despite having a manual driver’s seat, didn’t feel like a downgrade from the higher-level ID.4 Pro S.

The ID.4’s interior changes for 2023 included a conventional lid for the center console, a better spot for a phone, and three-zone climate control with rear-seat controls and heated outboard rear seats. The ID.4 offered more interior space than other affordable EVs, with 30.3 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up and 64.2 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. It also provided some towing capability, with a quoted towing capacity of 2,200 pounds for RWD models and 2,700 pounds for AWD models.

The 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan was equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive (FWD) was standard, with VW’s 4Motion all-wheel-drive (AWD) system available. The SEL R-Line trim included AWD as standard, adding Onroad, Snow, Offroad, and Custom Offroad settings. The EPA estimated the Tiguan SEL R-Line’s fuel economy at 24 mpg combined, but our test vehicle achieved 22.6 mpg.

The Tiguan’s turbo-four engine provided adequate power, but higher engine revs lacked motive force. The automatic transmission occasionally stumbled due to delayed downshifts. The Tiguan’s dynamic qualities were rewarding, with light and lively variable-assist steering, excellent tire grip, and stable handling. The ride quality was compliant without causing unwanted body motions. Road noise entered the cabin, communicating road texture and anomalies. The Tiguan offered excellent outward visibility and was easy to park, thanks to the variable-assist steering and surround-view camera.

The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 offered a new 62-kWh battery pack for the base Standard and S models, available only with RWD. The Pro, Pro S, and Pro S Plus trims retained the 82-kWh pack, available with RWD or AWD. Single-motor RWD models produced 201 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque, while dual-motor AWD models delivered 295 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque, achieving 0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds. The smaller battery pack reduced curb weight by 240 pounds, improving acceleration and handling.

The ID.4’s AWD provided acceleration comparable to hot hatchbacks but lacked handling precision. The ID.4 was comfortable and refined but allowed too much body roll on twisty roads. Regenerative braking was present but didn’t support one-pedal driving, providing a more familiar experience for EV newcomers. The ID.4’s driving dynamics were spritely, but more seat time was needed for a proper comparison with the larger-battery RWD version.

The 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan offered a roomy and affordable SUV option, with FWD versions featuring a standard third-row seat. However, the third row reduced cargo space, making AWD versions with larger cargo areas more practical. Our SEL R-Line test vehicle had comfortable front seats with eight-way power adjustment, heating, and ventilation. The dashboard’s touch-sensing controls were problematic, with reflections and placement issues hampering usability.

The Tiguan excelled in passenger and cargo space, with large rear door openings and a spacious back seat. The cargo area was cavernous, with an adjustable load floor height, deep storage wells, and handy levers for folding the seats. AWD models offered 37.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row and 73.4 cubic feet behind the front seats, while FWD models had slightly less cargo space.

The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 provided more interior space than other affordable EVs, with ample front-seat and rear-seat legroom and headroom. The ID.4 offered 30.3 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up and 64.2 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. It also provided some towing capability, with a quoted towing capacity of 2,200 pounds for RWD models and 2,700 pounds for AWD models.

VW made small changes to the ID.4’s interior for 2023, including a conventional lid for the center console, a better spot for a phone, and three-zone climate control with rear-seat controls and heated outboard rear seats. The ID.4’s interior changes improved functionality, making it a practical choice for SUV buyers.

The 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan featured digital instrumentation, with an 8-inch display on most trims and a 10.25-inch display on the SEL R-Line. The larger display offered a sophisticated appearance and a wider array of data. The Tiguan’s infotainment system included a touchscreen display, with a 6.5-inch screen on the base S trim and an 8-inch touchscreen on other trims. Our test vehicle had wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, Car-Net connected services, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, and a nine-speaker Fender premium sound system.

The Tiguan’s infotainment system had some quirks, with sub-menus appearing as your fingertips approached the screen, creating multi-step processes for simple tasks. The voice-recognition system didn’t perform to expectations, frequently indicating a lack of data connection. The touch-sensing controls on the dashboard and steering wheel were distracting and introduced unnecessary complexity.

The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 featured a 12.0-inch touchscreen as standard on all models, replacing the 10.0-inch screen on lower trims. The infotainment system received software updates to improve responsiveness, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto remaining standard. The ID.Cockpit digital instrument cluster was also standard. The ID.4’s user interface included haptic touchpads on the dashboard and steering wheel, which replaced conventional buttons. The setup was distracting, but the voice recognition system made it redundant in most situations.

The ID.4 also featured ID.Light, an ambient lighting system that changed color depending on the drive mode and provided visual cues for navigation. The ID.4’s infotainment system offered sharp graphics and a choice of smartphone-like icons or a traditional automotive split-screen view.

The 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan offered a comprehensive suite of safety features, including Front Assist and Side Assist as standard. Front Assist included forward collision warning with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking, while Side Assist added blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. The Tiguan also had an Automatic Post Collision Braking System. The IQ.Drive package, standard on most trims, added adaptive cruise control, active blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, semi-autonomous driving assist, and Emergency Assist.

The Tiguan’s safety technology worked well, with minimal false alerts and smooth performance. However, the 2023 Tiguan’s crash-test ratings were incomplete, with the NHTSA noting a safety concern regarding the driver’s door unlatching during a side-impact test. The IIHS gave the 2022 Tiguan a Top Safety Pick+ rating, but this rating did not apply to the 2023 model.

The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover crash tests. The 2022 ID.4 received the IIHS’ highest “Top Safety Pick+” rating, with top scores in all crash tests and high ratings for vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention. The ID.4’s standard headlights received an “Average” score, while the Pro S model’s headlights received a “Good” score.

The ID.4’s standard driver-assist features included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear park distance control, automatic high beams, traffic-sign recognition, and Travel Assist 2.0. The ID.4 also added standard Park Assist Plus automated parking, an automated lane-change feature for Travel Assist, and a 360-degree camera system for 2023.