Compare the2023 Volkswagen TiguanVS 2023 Toyota Venza

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Tiguan’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Venza doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the Tiguan and the Venza have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems 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 Volkswagen Tiguan is safer than the Toyota Venza:

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

The Tiguan comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Venza’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 Venza’s (7 vs. 5 years).

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

Both the Tiguan and Venza have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The Tiguan has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Tiguan AWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Venza (15.9 vs. 14.5 gallons).

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

The Tiguan stops shorter than the Venza:

For better traction, the Tiguan SE R-Line Black’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Venza (255/45R19 vs. 225/60R18).

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 Venza XLE/Nightshade/Limited’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Tiguan SEL R-Line has standard 20-inch wheels. The Venza’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 Venza doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tiguan’s wheelbase is 4 inches longer than on the Venza (109.9 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

The Tiguan SEL R-Line 4Motion® handles at .83 G’s, while the Venza Limited pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

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

The Tiguan has 25.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Venza (123.9 vs. 98.3).

The Tiguan has 1 inch more front headroom, .1 inches more front hip room, .1 inches more rear headroom and 8.3 inches more rear hip room than the Venza.

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

The Tiguan’s cargo area is larger than the Venza’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 Venza doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Tiguan has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The Venza has no towing capacity.

The Tiguan has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Venza (1157 vs. 900 lbs.).

The Tiguan uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Venza 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 SE/SEL has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Venza doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

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 Venza doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Consumer Reports rated the Tiguan’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Venza’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

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 Venza 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.

When the Tiguan SEL Premium is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Venza’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Tiguan SEL R-Line’s Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Venza doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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

The Volkswagen Tiguan outsold the Toyota Venza by almost three to one during 2022.