Volkswagen Tiguan vs Jeep Renegade

The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan stood out among its competitors with a design that was both creased and symmetrical, leaning towards a conservative aesthetic. This approach, while not overly emotional, appealed to fans of simplicity and minimalism and promised to age well. The refreshed front styling aligned the Tiguan with Volkswagen’s larger models, featuring a restyled grille with the new VW logo and available illuminated grille bar. Standard LED headlights, new nameplate lettering on the rear liftgate, and redesigned aluminum wheels added to its updated look.

Volkswagen simplified the Tiguan lineup for 2022, offering trims like S, SE, SE R-Line Black, and SEL R-Line with either FWD or AWD. Prices ranged from $25,995 to $36,995, with a destination charge of $1,195. The SEL R-Line test vehicle, priced at $37,970 MSRP, featured a sportier look, especially in Atlantic Blue Metallic with 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside, the Tiguan SEL R-Line boasted a richer cabin with leather upholstery, new technology, touch-sensing controls, and ambient lighting in 15 colors. However, the hard plastic in the lower half of the cabin hinted at its mass-market status. Standard features included keyless entry, push-button start, and heated front seats, with remote start available from the SE trim.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade, introduced in 2015 and refreshed in 2019, drew design inspiration from the iconic Wrangler SUV. It featured a boxy profile, circular headlights, and an upright seven-slat grille. For 2021, the Renegade continued with these design elements and made some previously optional features standard. Inside, the Renegade offered a modern, functional cabin with an upright center stack reminiscent of the Wrangler, putting controls within easy reach. The Renegade came in various trims and special editions, including Sport, Jeepster, Latitude, Upland, 80th Anniversary, Islander, Limited, and Trailhawk.

The Sport trim included push-button start, dual-zone climate control, a USB port, and a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Jeepster added keyless passive entry, remote start, 19-inch alloy wheels, and unique badging. The Latitude trim offered similar features to the Sport but added an extra USB port and 17-inch alloy wheels. The Upland trim, designed for adventure, featured beefed-up skid plates and a unique front bumper, while the 80th Anniversary trim included 19-inch alloy wheels, HD radio, and an 8.4-inch touchscreen with navigation. The Islander trim had exclusive hood graphics, white roof panels, a dual-panel panoramic moonroof, and a unique color palette. The Limited trim, the range-topping luxury option, provided leather upholstery, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, remote start, a power-adjustable driver's seat, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and standard 4WD. The Trailhawk trim, priced the same as the Limited, focused on off-road capability with skid plates, tow hooks, a lifted suspension, all-terrain tires, and an upgraded 4WD system.

The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan retained its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 184 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 221 pound-feet of torque at 1,900 rpm. An eight-speed automatic transmission transferred power to the front wheels, with an optional 4Motion AWD system that could send up to half the power to the rear wheels when needed. The Tiguan offered Eco, Normal, Sport, and programmable Individual driving modes, with 4Motion models adding Onroad, Snow, Offroad, and Custom Offroad settings. Hill Descent Control engaged in Offroad mode, operating at speeds up to 19 mph, but the Tiguan's 7.6 inches of ground clearance limited its off-road capabilities.

The Tiguan featured MacPherson struts in front and a multi-link independent rear suspension, with 13.4-inch vented front discs and 11.8-inch solid rear discs. Variable assist steering lightened at low speeds and firmed up at highway speeds. The engine's torque arrived later than some turbocharged engines, causing momentary turbo lag when accelerating from a stop. Despite this, the Tiguan was enjoyable to drive, though it could benefit from more power and performance. The EPA rated the R-Line with 4Motion at 24 mpg in combined driving, and a short drive in Malibu, California, yielded a 24.7 mpg average. The Tiguan felt nimble and responsive in normal driving but less so when pushed for outright fun.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade offered a base 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 180 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque. The upgraded engine was a turbocharged 1.3-liter four-cylinder unit, producing 177 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque. Both engines used a nine-speed automatic transmission, with FWD or available 4WD. The 2.4-liter engine was less refined and noisier under hard acceleration, while the turbocharged engine provided better motivation and refinement. The automatic transmission sometimes struggled with smooth shifts and gear selection.

Despite these issues, the Renegade had a solid ride quality and was surprisingly planted through corners, given its tall profile. The suspension was composed over rougher road surfaces, though the Trailhawk's off-road setup was less so. The Renegade's short wheelbase made it maneuverable in tight spaces, and its impressive visibility made it a great city car. The Renegade's terrain management system offered Auto, Snow, Sand, Mud, and Rock drive modes, with the Trailhawk trim leveraging its 8.7 inches of ground clearance and off-road suspension for trail capability. The Trailhawk was the only trim with Jeep's "Trail Rated" designation, indicating its off-road prowess.

The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan was a giant among compact crossover SUVs, with an interior spacious enough to compare to smaller midsize SUVs like the Chevrolet Blazer, Hyundai Santa Fe, Jeep Cherokee, and Kia Sorento. Volkswagen even included a standard third-row seat in FWD models, though 4Motion models did not offer this feature. The SEL R-Line test vehicle was exceptionally comfortable, with leather-wrapped front seats offering eight-way power adjustment, heating, and ventilation. The tall driving position and excellent outward visibility, combined with a panoramic glass sunroof, added to the comfort.

The Tiguan's second row was roomy and comfortable for adults, easily accommodating children, even in reverse-facing child safety seats. The SEL R-Line test vehicle had rear air conditioning vents, a USB smartphone charging port, and decent storage. One significant change for 2022 was the switch to touch controls on the steering wheel and dashboard, which, while sophisticated, were harder to use and could be distracting. Cargo space was among the best in the class, with FWD models offering 12 cubic feet behind the third row, 33 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 65.5 cubic feet with the rear seat folded. The 4Motion model provided 37.6 cubic feet behind the back seat and 73.4 cubic feet with the rear seat folded, rivaling midsize SUVs.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade offered 50.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 18.5 cubic feet with the rear seats in use. These specs were above average for the subcompact SUV segment, though the 2021 Kia Soul and 2021 Honda HR-V offered more. The Renegade's tall, boxy design provided plenty of headroom in both rows, with great legroom in the front seats and suitable rear seats for adults. The Renegade featured helpful storage solutions, from small cubbies and trays to unique optional equipment tie-down solutions. The front passenger seat could fold completely forward, creating a table for gear or added space for long items.

For 2022, the Volkswagen Tiguan featured standard digital instrumentation, called Digital Cockpit, with an 8-inch display in most versions and a 10.25-inch display in the SEL R-Line. The MIB3 infotainment system, introduced last year, carried over in all but the base Tiguan S, which used MIB2 with a 6.5-inch touchscreen. The MIB3 system included an 8-inch touchscreen display, standard Car-Net connected services, App-Connect smartphone mirroring, and SiriusXM 360L satellite radio. The SEL R-Line added a redesigned navigation system and a nine-speaker Fender premium audio system.

Volkswagen touted natural voice recognition with MIB3, but it required a Plus Speech upgrade and an active Car-Net Hotspot subscription plan, costing nine dollars annually. The evaluation vehicle did not have this feature active, so it was recommended to use Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, or Mirror Link through Car-Net App Connect. The Remote Access plan was complimentary for five years, allowing remote engine start, door lock operation, vehicle location, and Family Guardian alerts. The Safe & Secure plan, an upgrade, included automatic crash notification and emergency assistance. The Hotspot plan provided a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot via Verizon or T-Mobile, with additional Plus Speech, Plus Navigation, and Plus Online Radio options. The 2022 Tiguan also offered an available Park Assist system, standard with SEL R-Line trim, for autonomous parking.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade came with a standard 7-inch touchscreen, with an optional 8.4-inch screen on some mid-tier trims and standard on higher trims. Both touchscreens ran the intuitive Uconnect infotainment system, featuring a logical menu layout, easy-to-read graphics, and a helpful dock at the bottom of the screen with icons for major functions. Both screens also included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A Kenwood premium audio system was available.

For 2022, the Volkswagen Tiguan included standard Front Assist (forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection) and Side Assist (blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert). Volkswagen added Travel Assist, combining adaptive cruise control with lane-centering assistance, and Emergency Assist, which operated when Travel Assist was active. If the driver became unresponsive, Emergency Assist would slow the SUV and bring it to a full stop. The 2021 Tiguan earned a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the IIHS, and the 2022 model's new features could improve that score.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade made previously optional safety features standard across the lineup, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-path detection. The Trailhawk trim was the exception for emergency braking. Adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and front and rear parking sensors were available as options. Despite these additions, the NHTSA awarded the Renegade only four out of five stars in crash tests. Parallel parking assist was also available as an option.