2025 Lexus RX Hybrid vs 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan

The 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan presented itself as a stylish and premium-looking compact SUV, especially when compared to its non-European competitors. Its design elements, such as standard LED headlights and taillights, along with an illuminated grille light line on the SEL R-Line trim, contributed to its upscale appearance. The exterior featured silver roof rails on the SEL R-Line, while the lower trims had black ones. The rear end showcased the model name in a bold, all-caps style, complemented by the classic Volkswagen badge. However, the color options were somewhat limited, with the base Tiguan S only available in grayscale colors, and specific color combinations restricted by trim levels.

Inside, the Tiguan offered a range of features depending on the trim. The base Tiguan S included heated front seats and cloth upholstery, while the SE trim added leatherette upholstery, an eight-way power driver's seat, dual-zone climate control, and a power tailgate. The SE R-Line featured a panoramic sunroof, and the top-tier SEL R-Line upgraded to real leather, front-seat ventilation, a heated steering wheel, and three-position driver's seat memory. The SEL R-Line also provided eight-way power adjustability for the front passenger's seat, enhancing comfort and convenience.

The 2025 Lexus RX Hybrid, particularly the RX 500h Black Line Special Edition, was a $75,000 SUV that, despite its price, had an unremarkable appearance. Its exclusive Incognito paint job and orange brake calipers added some flair, but the overall design was not particularly striking. The RX lineup included three models: the RX 350h, RX 500h, and RX 450h+. The RX 350h was the base model, offering 246 horsepower and 36 mpg combined, while the RX 500h delivered 366 hp and 27 mpg. The RX 450h+ was a plug-in hybrid with an estimated 37 miles of electric-only range and 35 mpg in hybrid mode.

All RX models came with standard all-wheel drive, and the RX 350h offered various trim levels, including base, Premium, F Sport Design, Premium+, and Luxury. The RX 500h was available in F Sport Performance and Black Line Special Edition trims, while the RX 450h+ was exclusively in Luxury trim. The RX Hybrid's interior featured quality materials and ambient lighting, but the controls were a mix of intuitive and confusing. The infotainment system avoided the common single curved display approach, maintaining a more traditional layout.

The 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan was equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, offering a more traditional driving experience compared to the prevalent continuously variable transmissions (CVTs). The Tiguan came standard with front-wheel drive, but Volkswagen's 4Motion all-wheel drive was available for an additional $1,500 on the lower trims and standard on the top SEL R-Line trim. Opting for AWD also increased the fuel tank capacity slightly to 15.9 gallons, accommodating the AWD system's impact on fuel economy. The base Tiguan S achieved 27 mpg combined with FWD, dropping to 25 mpg with AWD, while the R-Line AWD trims were rated at 24 mpg combined.

Driving the Tiguan SEL R-Line revealed some inconsistencies in power delivery, with the turbo and transmission occasionally lagging behind driver inputs. The gas pedal was touchy, even in Eco mode, and the brake pedal had excessive travel, making it poorly matched with the accelerator. The steering was light and somewhat rubbery, but visibility and handling were commendable, making the vehicle feel more maneuverable than expected for its size. Road noise was minimal, and the ride was comfortable, though the seating surfaces drew some complaints from passengers.

The 2025 Lexus RX Hybrid offered a range of performance options across its models. The RX 350h, the least powerful but most efficient, featured a hybrid powertrain with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 246 hp and 233 pound-feet of torque. It achieved 36 mpg combined, but the CVT occasionally droned. The RX 450h+ PHEV used the same engine with a larger battery and more powerful electric motor, delivering 304 hp and a 0-60 mph time of 6.2 seconds. The RX 500h, with a turbocharged 2.4-liter engine and six-speed automatic transmission, produced 366 hp and 406 pound-feet of torque, offering better acceleration but lower fuel economy at 27 mpg combined.

The RX 500h featured a sport-tuned adaptive damping suspension, 21-inch wheels, and Lexus's Direct4 all-wheel-drive system, which continuously adjusted power distribution based on conditions. It also included performance brakes, dynamic rear-wheel steering, and a customizable driving mode. While the RX 500h provided plenty of power and quick acceleration, it was not very fuel-efficient, averaging 20.9 mpg in testing. The drivetrain occasionally hesitated in city driving, and the adaptive suspension produced unnatural sensations. Despite its capabilities, the RX 500h's communication with the driver was limited, making it more about sporty appearance and straight-line acceleration than dynamic satisfaction.

The 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan offered a versatile interior with seating for five in AWD models and seven in FWD configurations. The top-trim SEL R-Line, being AWD-only, did not include a third row, allowing for more cargo space. The two-row Tiguan provided 37.6 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats in place, expanding to 73.4 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. In the three-row Tiguan, cargo space was reduced to 12 cubic feet behind the third row, 33 cubic feet with it folded, and 65.3 cubic feet with only the front seats in use.

Passenger space was largely unaffected by the third-row option, with the driver and front passenger enjoying up to 39.6 inches of headroom and 40.2 inches of legroom. The second row offered 38.7 inches of legroom, dropping to 36.6 inches with the third row. The third row itself was tight, with 33.8 inches of headroom and 27.9 inches of legroom, making it less spacious than a Mazda3 hatchback. Despite this, the Tiguan was one of only two compact crossovers in its class to offer a third row, with the Mitsubishi Outlander providing even less legroom.

The 2025 Lexus RX Hybrid focused on occupant comfort and practical cargo space, having ditched the RX L version with third-row seats in favor of the new Lexus TX model. The RX 500h F Sport Performance test vehicle featured heated and ventilated front seats with enhanced bolstering, though the bottom cushions were not very comfortable for long drives. The automatic climate system's fan was loud, and the panoramic sunroof extended over the rear seat. Optional power-reclining, heated, and ventilated rear seats provided comfort, and the RX offered ample room for adults in the back.

Interior storage was plentiful, with practical locations and an illuminated shelf under the air vents. However, the rear center armrest storage compartment lacked lining, potentially causing noise and vibration. The RX Hybrid offered 29.6 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up, with hooks for grocery bags and some storage under the load floor. Folding down the second row increased cargo volume to 46.2 cubic feet, which was modest for a midsize SUV.

The 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan featured haptic touch slider buttons for climate control, which were responsive and easy to use. However, the physical volume knob was problematic due to its integrated on/off button, which rotated with the knob and was sensitive. The infotainment system relied on monochromatic graphics, accessed through an 8-inch center touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The base Tiguan S had a 6.5-inch touchscreen and only two USB-C ports, while higher trims offered four ports and wireless charging. Navigation was only available on the top trim.

Volkswagen's Digital Cockpit System was standard, with the SEL R-Line featuring a fully configurable 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro screen with up to four views. Other trims had an 8-inch version with two views. The nine-speaker Fender Premium Audio System on the SEL R-Line received positive feedback from an audiophile passenger.

The 2025 Lexus RX Hybrid met luxury expectations with its technology offerings. However, some features, like digital key functionality, a camera-based digital rearview mirror, and a hands-free power liftgate, were optional even on the top RX 500h Black Line Special Edition. The 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel was traditional in presentation, but the unlabeled, dual-function steering wheel controls were distracting and potentially dangerous.

The Lexus Interface infotainment system was advanced, featuring a volume knob and large dials for climate control. The RX 500h had a 14-inch touchscreen display with generous subscriptions to connected services, including a three-year Drive Connect plan with a digital voice assistant. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, along with SiriusXM satellite radio and streaming options. The system experienced an intermittent glitch with satellite radio, and the head-up display was smaller than some rivals. The optional 21-speaker Mark Levinson audio system sounded great, but the steering wheel controls were frustrating to use.

The 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan earned a 2022 Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and its safety features improved for 2024. The IQ.DRIVE suite of driver-assistance features became standard, including adaptive cruise control with stop and go, active blind-spot monitoring with steering intervention, Lane Assist, Travel Assist, and Emergency Assist. These features provided semi-autonomous highway driving, unresponsive driver detection, and parking assistance. Additional safety features included rain-sensing wipers, rear cross-traffic alert, an automatic post-collision braking system, and forward collision warning with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking. Park Distance Control was standard on the SE R-Line Black trim, though its Maneuver Braking feature was intrusive.

The 2025 Lexus RX Hybrid came with Safety Connect, a connected service plan offering automatic collision notification, an SOS emergency assistance button, and roadside assistance for up to ten years. Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 (LSS+ 3.0) was standard, including forward collision warning with intersection assist, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, and adaptive cruise control. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was also standard.

Predictive Driving Assist (PDA) was part of LSS+ 3.0, actively monitoring progress and using braking or steering input to maintain safe distances and avoid obstacles. The RX's PDA was mostly agreeable, encouraging drivers to keep it on. The optional Convenience Package included a surround-view camera, which was useful during testing. LSS+ 3.0 worked well, though Traffic Jam Assist (TJA) asked to record the driver, which was unsettling. Lane-change assist was slow, and adjusting adaptive cruise control settings required using the frustrating steering wheel controls. The RX earned a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), but the IIHS rated it Poor in an updated frontal-impact test.