Compare the2023 Infiniti QX50VS 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Infiniti QX50 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Volkswagen Tiguan doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the QX50 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Infiniti QX50 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Tiguan doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The QX50’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Tiguan.

Both the QX50 and the Tiguan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Infiniti QX50 is safer than the Volkswagen Tiguan:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the QX50 is 1.3% to 2.1% less likely to roll over than the Tiguan.

The QX50 comes with a full 4-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Tiguan’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 10,000 miles sooner.

Infiniti’s powertrain warranty covers the QX50 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Tiguan. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Tiguan ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The QX50’s 7 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Tiguan runs out after 100,000 miles.

Infiniti pays for scheduled maintenance on the QX50 for 1 year and 16000 miles longer than Volkswagen pays for maintenance for the Tiguan (3/36,000 vs. 2/20,000).

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the QX50 has a standard 720-amp battery. The Tiguan’s 360-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the QX50’s reliability 32 points higher than the Tiguan.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Infiniti vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. With 26 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Infiniti higher than Volkswagen.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Infiniti vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Infiniti 13 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

The QX50’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 84 more horsepower (268 vs. 184) and 59 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 221) than the Tiguan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Infiniti QX50 is faster than the Volkswagen Tiguan:

On the EPA test cycle the QX50 AWD gets better fuel mileage than the Tiguan R-Line 4Motion® (22 city/28 hwy vs. 21 city/28 hwy).

The QX50 has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a CVT.

The QX50’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Tiguan are solid, not vented.

The QX50 stops much shorter than the Tiguan:

For better traction, the QX50 has larger standard tires than the Tiguan (235/55R19 vs. 215/65R17).

The QX50’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Tiguan S’ standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the QX50 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Tiguan S.

The QX50 has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Tiguan doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the QX50 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Tiguan doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the QX50 is 2.2 inches wider in the front and 2.1 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Tiguan.

The QX50 AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the Tiguan 4Motion® pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The QX50 AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.6 seconds quicker than the Tiguan 4Motion® (26.7 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the QX50’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Tiguan’s (36.4 feet vs. 37.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the QX50 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Tiguan (8.6 vs. 7.6 inches), allowing the QX50 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The design of the Infiniti QX50 amounts to more than styling. The QX50 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .32 Cd. That is lower than the Tiguan (.34) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the QX50 get better fuel mileage.

The QX50 uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Tiguan doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The QX50 has 1.4 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front hip room, .9 inches more front shoulder room, 2.1 inches more rear legroom, .3 inches more rear hip room and 1.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Tiguan.

The QX50 has a much larger cargo volume than the Tiguan with its rear seat up (31.4 vs. 12 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the QX50 easier. The QX50’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 26.6 inches, while the Tiguan’s liftover is 29.4 inches.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the QX50. The Tiguan doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Maximum trailer towing in the Volkswagen Tiguan is limited to 1500 pounds. The QX50 AWD offers up to a 3000 lbs. towing capacity.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Infiniti service is better than Volkswagen. J.D. Power ranks Infiniti 9th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 29% lower rating, Volkswagen is ranked 28th.

The QX50 Luxe/Sport/Sensory/Autograph’s standard Entry/Exit Assist raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Tiguan doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The QX50 Sensory/Autograph has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

If the windows are left open on the QX50 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Tiguan can’t use the remote to operate the windows.

The QX50’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Tiguan’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the QX50 has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Tiguan only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The QX50’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Tiguan offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the QX50 and the Tiguan offer available heated front seats. The QX50 Sport/Sensory/Autograph also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated second row seats aren’t available in the Tiguan.

The QX50 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 Tiguan SE/SEL.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Infiniti QX50 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) for the front seat. Only the Tiguan SE/SEL offers wireless charging.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the QX50 is less expensive to operate than the Tiguan because it costs $464 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the QX50 than the Tiguan, including $55 less for a muffler, $129 less for a starter, $104 less for fuel injection, $47 less for a fuel pump and $123 less for front struts.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Infiniti QX50, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Volkswagen Tiguan isn't recommended.

The Infiniti QX50 outsold the Volkswagen Tiguan by 75% during 2021.