Compare the2023 Volkswagen TiguanVS 2023 Jeep Cherokee

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 Cherokee 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 Tiguan SEL R-Line has a standard Area View to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Cherokee only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

Both the Tiguan and the Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 lane departure warning systems.

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 Volkswagen Tiguan is safer than the Jeep Cherokee:

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

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Tiguan its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cherokee has not been tested, yet.

The Tiguan comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Cherokee’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Tiguan’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Cherokee’s (7 vs. 5 years).

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

The Tiguan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 4 more horsepower (184 vs. 180) and 50 lbs.-ft. more torque (221 vs. 171) than the Cherokee’s standard 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Volkswagen Tiguan is faster than the Jeep Cherokee 4 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the Tiguan gets better mileage than the Cherokee:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Tiguan uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Cherokee Trailhawk requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Tiguan has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Cherokee. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volkswagen Tiguan higher (7 out of 10) than the Jeep Cherokee (5 to 6). This means the Tiguan produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Cherokee every 15,000 miles.

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

The Tiguan stops shorter than the Cherokee:

For better traction, the Tiguan SE R-Line Black’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Cherokee (255/45R19 vs. 245/65R17).

The Tiguan SEL R-Line’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cherokee Altitude LUX’s optional 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Tiguan SEL R-Line has standard 20-inch wheels. The Cherokee’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tiguan’s wheelbase is 3.3 inches longer than on the Cherokee (109.9 inches vs. 106.6 inches).

The Tiguan’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (55.9% to 44.1%) than the Cherokee’s (57.8% to 42.2%). This gives the Tiguan more stable handling and braking.

The Tiguan 4Motion® handles at .82 G’s, while the Cherokee pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Tiguan offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the Cherokee can only carry 5.

The Tiguan has 20.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cherokee (123.9 vs. 103.5).

The Tiguan has .2 inches more front headroom, .7 inches more front hip room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 3.6 inches more rear hip room and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cherokee.

The Tiguan’s cargo area provides more volume than the Cherokee.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Tiguan easier. The Tiguan’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29.4 inches, while the Cherokee’s liftover is 30.9 inches.

The Tiguan’s cargo area is larger than the Cherokee’s in every dimension:

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the Tiguan’s second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Cherokee doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Tiguan has a higher maximum payload capacity than the Cherokee (1157 vs. 1000 lbs.).

If the windows are left open on the Tiguan SE/SEL/SEL Premium the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows with the driver’s door power window switch. The driver of the Cherokee can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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

Consumer Reports rated the Tiguan’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Cherokee’s headlights, which were rated “Fair” to “Good” (depending on model and options).

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

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen Tiguan SE/SEL has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Cherokee doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Tiguan is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Tiguan is less expensive to operate than the Cherokee because typical repairs cost much less on the Tiguan than the Cherokee, including $164 less for a muffler, $63 less for front brake pads, $130 less for a fuel pump and $359 less for a timing belt/chain.

The Volkswagen Tiguan outsold the Jeep Cherokee by over two to one during 2022.