Compare the2025 Volkswagen TiguanVS 2025 Hyundai Tucson

The Volkswagen Tiguan has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Tucson doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Tiguan has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Tucson doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The Tiguan has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Tucson doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Volkswagen Tiguan’s rear backup camera has a standard washer for maintaining a clear view under various conditions. In contrast, the Hyundai Tucson does not offer a rear camera washer, meaning its effectiveness relies on manual cleaning by the user when necessary.

Both the Tiguan and the Tucson have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The Volkswagen Tiguan’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the Tucson’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

The Tiguan’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 14 more horsepower (201 vs. 187) and 29 lbs.-ft. more torque (207 vs. 178) than the Tucson’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Tiguan’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 14 more horsepower (201 vs. 187) and 43 lbs.-ft. more torque (221 vs. 178) than the Tucson’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Tiguan FWD gets better fuel mileage than the Tucson FWD (26 city/34 hwy vs. 25 city/33 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the Tiguan’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Tucson doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Tiguan AWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Tucson (15.6 vs. 14.3 gallons).

For better stopping power the Tiguan’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Tucson:

	Tiguan	Tucson
Front Rotors	13.4 inches	12.8 inches

For better traction, the Tiguan’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Tucson (255/40R20 vs. 245/60R18).

The Tiguan’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Tucson’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Tiguan offers optional 20-inch wheels. The Tucson’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

The Tiguan has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Tucson doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tiguan’s wheelbase is 1.4 inches longer than on the Tucson (109.9 inches vs. 108.5 inches).

The design of the Volkswagen Tiguan amounts to more than styling. The Tiguan has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .3 Cd. That is lower than the Tucson (.33) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Tiguan get better fuel mileage.

The Tiguan uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Tucson uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The Tiguan’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Tucson’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. With the Tucson SEL/XRT/Limited’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Tiguan the driver can close them all from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Tucson can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Tiguan has standard KESSY Keyless Access that allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Only the Tucson SEL/XRT/Limited offers a Proximity Key.

The Tiguan’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Tucson’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Tiguan to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Tucson doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Tiguan SEL has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Tucson doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Tiguan also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Tiguan’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Hyundai only offers heated mirrors on the Tucson SEL/XRT/Limited.

Both the Volkswagen Tiguan and Hyundai Tucson offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The Tiguan offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Tucson’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

The Tiguan SEL has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Tucson.

The Tiguan has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Tucson SEL/XRT/Limited.

Both the Tiguan and the Tucson offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Tiguan has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Tucson doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen Tiguan has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Tucson SEL/XRT/Limited offers wireless charging.