2023 Volkswagen Tiguan vs 2024 Land Rover Defender

The 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan maintained its design from the previous year, offering a range of trims from S to SEL R-Line, with prices starting at $26,950. The SEL R-Line trim, priced at $38,975, featured sporty styling and 20-inch wheels. Despite a variety of color and upholstery options, choices were limited by trim level, restricting customization. The Tiguan's design was conservative yet aging gracefully, with features like adaptive front lighting and a light bar across the grille. Inside, the cabin was upscale with quality materials, digital instrumentation, and a panoramic sunroof, though some materials reminded of its lower base price.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender combined a classic boxy profile with modern features, offering three body styles: the two-door 90, four-door 110, and extended-wheelbase 130. The Defender 110 S, with a County visual package, showcased vintage graphics and white wheels. Standard features included 19-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, and a panoramic glass roof. The interior was durable and adventure-ready, with soft-touch materials and practical features. The Defender's trims offered various styling and comfort upgrades, with the Carpathian Edition and Outbound trim providing unique looks and functionality.

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 was standard, with an optional 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. The SEL R-Line trim included AWD as standard, offering various driving modes for different conditions. The Tiguan averaged 24 mpg in combined driving, though our test achieved 22.6 mpg. The powertrain provided adequate power but struggled at higher speeds, with some turbo lag and transmission delays. Despite these quirks, the Tiguan offered rewarding dynamics, with excellent tire grip and stability, though the brake pedal required more effort than expected.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender offered multiple powertrains, starting with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the P300, producing 296 horsepower. Our P400 test model featured a mild-hybrid turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. Two supercharged V8 options, the P500 and P525, provided up to 518 hp. All engines used an eight-speed automatic transmission with full-time active 4WD. The Defender excelled off-road, with features like adaptive air suspension and Terrain Response 2. The P400 model had ample power for highway speeds, though there was some lurching at low speeds. Overall, the Defender offered a pleasant on-road ride with impressive off-road capabilities.

The 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan offered a spacious interior, with FWD models featuring a standard third-row seat. However, the third row reduced cargo space, making AWD models more practical for cargo needs. The SEL R-Line trim had comfortable front seats with power adjustments, heating, and ventilation. The dashboard's touch-sensing controls were a drawback, with poor ergonomics and usability. Despite this, the Tiguan excelled in passenger and cargo space, with generous rear legroom and a large cargo area. With AWD, the Tiguan offered 37.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row and 73.4 cubic feet with the seats folded.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender balanced luxury and functionality, with soft-touch materials and practical features like grip handles and rubberized floors. Seating capacity varied by model, with the Defender 110 offering an optional third row for children. The Defender 130 provided more space, with up to eight seats, though still limited for adults. Cargo capacity depended on the model, with the Defender 130 offering 15.3 cubic feet behind the third row and 76.1 cubic feet with seats folded. The Defender 110 provided 34 cubic feet behind the second row and 78.8 cubic feet with seats folded. The two-door Defender 90 offered up to 58.3 cubic feet of cargo space.

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 full-panel navigation. The infotainment system included a touchscreen display, with sizes varying by trim. The SEL R-Line had an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, and a nine-speaker Fender sound system. However, the system's user interface was complex, with multi-step processes for simple tasks. The voice-recognition system underperformed, likely due to inactive subscriptions.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender came with a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and an 11.4-inch touchscreen. The screen, though smaller than some competitors, was simple and utilitarian, fitting the Defender's persona. It included navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, satellite radio, and a 10-speaker Meridian stereo system. The straightforward setup provided a blend of refinement and utility, with home buttons for easy navigation.

The 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan excelled in safety features, offering tech often found in luxury models. Standard features included Front Assist with forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, and Side Assist with blind-spot monitoring. The IQ.Drive package added adaptive cruise control, active blind-spot monitoring, Lane Assist, Travel Assist, and Emergency Assist. The Tiguan's safety tech worked well, with minimal false alerts. However, crash-test ratings were incomplete, with concerns about the driver's door unlatching during a side-impact test.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender included a comprehensive list of standard driver assistance features, such as forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitoring. Additional features included traffic sign recognition, automatic high beams, and a 360-degree parking camera. The lane-departure and lane-keeping assist were overly sensitive, but could be deactivated. As of this writing, the Defender had not been crash-tested by major safety organizations.