Volkswagen Tiguan vs Cadillac LYRIQ

The 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ was a striking presence on the road, with its sleek design reminiscent of a long sedan rather than a typical SUV. Its long hood, short tail, and wide track gave it a unique style, drawing inspiration from the classic Seville Elegante of the early 1980s. The vertical light bars and LED headlights added a modern touch, creating a light show upon unlocking. The grille varied across trims, with the Sport trim featuring a muted dark triangular motif. The interior was equally impressive, with leather-wrapped seats, polished controls, and a sweeping 33-inch OLED display that blended seamlessly into the cabin.

In contrast, the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan embraced a modern redesign, shedding its conventional compact SUV styling for a sleeker look inspired by VW's electric vehicles. The front featured narrower headlights and a larger visual grille, while the rear sported a single bar taillight spanning the liftgate. The interior was minimalist, with a tablet-like infotainment display and digital instrument panel. The gear selector moved to the steering column, freeing up space in the center console. Materials were average for its class, with soft-touch surfaces in key areas, though some hard plastics remained.

The 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ, despite its sporty exterior, prioritized comfort over performance. It excelled on the interstate, offering a calm and poised ride with a dual-motor powertrain delivering 500 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque. The standard setup was a single rear motor with 340 hp. The 102-kilowatt-hour battery provided a range of 314 miles with RWD and 307 miles with AWD, though real-world testing showed closer to 260 miles. Charging was efficient, with the battery topping to 80% in about 30 to 35 minutes. However, the LYRIQ's handling was hindered by its 5,800-pound weight, resulting in significant understeer and uninspiring steering feel.

The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan was powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 201 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. The eight-speed automatic transmission offered smooth and linear power delivery, with an estimated 0-60 mph time of 8.5 seconds. The Tiguan's suspension favored comfort, smoothing over road imperfections while maintaining composure in corners. The cabin was quiet, with minimal tire and wind noise. While not sporty, the Tiguan was appropriately tuned for a balance of performance and comfort, with a more powerful Turbo version expected in 2026.

The 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ faced some build quality issues, with misaligned rear fenders and a problematic charging port. The interior had generous headroom and legroom, but cargo space was limited to 28 cubic feet behind the seats and 60.8 cubic feet when folded. The floating center console offered little functionality, and the glovebox was inconvenient to access while driving. Some controls were cumbersome, and the overall interior felt cobbled together, detracting from its luxury aspirations.

The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan, without a third row, offered increased second-row legroom by 1.5 inches. The interior featured traditional buttons, improving usability over the previous capacitive-touch controls. Visibility was good, and the center console provided ample storage with adjustable armrests and large door pockets. Cargo capacity was not finalized, but the space appeared smaller than the previous model's 37.6 cubic feet. The power liftgate and remote seatback releases added convenience.

The 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ boasted a 33-inch OLED screen with three sections, offering touch controls for lighting and gauge cluster layouts. The infotainment system ran Google Maps and Google Assistant, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. The Super Cruise system provided excellent hands-free driving, and the 19-speaker AKG stereo delivered impressive sound quality.

The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan came standard with a digital instrument panel and a 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen, with a 15-inch display available. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, paired with a wireless phone charger. The infotainment system included capacitive-touch sliders, but a new volume knob improved usability. The Atmospheres feature combined ambient lighting and audio settings to enhance mood, though it seemed out of place in a non-luxury vehicle.

The 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ had not been crash-tested by NHTSA or IIHS. Standard safety features included forward automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and Cadillac's Safety Alert Seat. Optional features included adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree camera system, and rear emergency braking.

The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan also lacked crash test results from NHTSA or IIHS. Standard safety features included frontal collision warning, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, and more. The Emergency Assist system could slow the vehicle to a stop if the driver was incapacitated. Higher trims added a head-up display, surround-view camera system, and semi-automated parking.