Compare the2024 Subaru OutbackVS 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Outback have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. 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 Outback 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 Subaru Outback 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 Tiguan doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Outback has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Outback. But it costs extra on the Tiguan.

The Outback’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.

The Outback’s optional driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Outback and the Tiguan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

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 Subaru Outback is safer than the Volkswagen Tiguan:

	Outback	Tiguan
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	28	49
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.7 inches
Hip Force	247 lbs.	337 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	116	156
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	146	330
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	49 G’s
Hip Force	674 lbs.	855 lbs.

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Outback its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 30 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Tiguan was last a “Top Safety Pick Plus” in 2022 but no longer qualifies.

Warranty

Subaru’s powertrain warranty covers the Outback 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Tiguan. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Tiguan ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Outback’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Tiguan’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Outback has a standard 620-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 Outback’s reliability 24 points higher than the Tiguan.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Subaru above average in initial quality. With 64 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 16 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Engine

The Outback XT/Wilderness’ standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 76 more horsepower (260 vs. 184) and 56 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 221) than the Tiguan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Subaru Outback is faster than the Volkswagen Tiguan:

	Outback 2.5i	Outback XT/Wilderness	Tiguan
Zero to 60 MPH	8.6 sec	5.9 sec	8.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	83.9 MPH	95.9 MPH	83.8 MPH

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Outback lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The Tiguan doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Outback
	AWD	2.5 DOHC flat-4	26 city/32 hwy
		XT 2.4 turbo flat-4	22 city/29 hwy
Tiguan
	FWD	S 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/31 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/30 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/29 hwy
		R-Line 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy

The Outback has 3.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Tiguan FWD’s standard fuel tank (18.5 vs. 15.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Outback has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Tiguan AWD’s standard fuel tank (18.5 vs. 15.9 gallons).

Transmission

The Outback 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.

Brakes and Stopping

The Outback’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 Outback stops shorter than the Tiguan:

	Outback	Tiguan
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	134 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Outback has larger tires than the Tiguan (225/65R17 vs. 215/65R17).

The Outback Wilderness/Onyx XT has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Tiguan; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

The Outback Limited handles at .79 G’s, while the Tiguan 4Motion® pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Outback Wilderness executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the Tiguan 4Motion® (27.2 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Outback’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the Tiguan’s (36.1 feet vs. 37.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outback has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Tiguan (8.7 vs. 7.6 inches), allowing the Outback to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outback Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is 1.9 inches higher than on the Tiguan (9.5 vs. 7.6 inches).

Chassis

The front grille of the Outback 2.5i uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Tiguan doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Outback has .5 inches more front headroom, 2.6 inches more front legroom, 1 inch more front hip room, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, 2.9 inches more rear legroom, 1.3 inches more rear hip room and 1.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Tiguan.

Cargo Capacity

The Outback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Tiguan with its rear seat up (32.6 vs. 12 cubic feet). The Outback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Tiguan with its rear seat folded (75.6 vs. 73.4 cubic feet).

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

	Outback	Tiguan
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	42”/75”	17.2”/39.7”/74.5”
Max Width	51”	55”
Min Width	43.3”	39.8”
Height	32.1”	33.5”

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

Towing

The Outback’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Tiguan’s (2700 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Volkswagen Tiguan is only 1500 pounds. The Outback offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Outback is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Tiguan. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Outback’s available exterior PIN entry system (not available on Outback Base). The Tiguan doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Car-Net can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Outback 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 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Outback’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Tiguan’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The Outback’s optional 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 Outback and the Tiguan offer available heated front seats. The Outback Limited/Touring/Onyx XT/Wilderness 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.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Outback owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Outback with a number “5” insurance rate while the Tiguan is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Outback is less expensive to operate than the Tiguan because typical repairs cost much less on the Outback than the Tiguan, including $324 less for a water pump, $479 less for a muffler, $248 less for a starter, $198 less for fuel injection, $110 less for a fuel pump, $82 less for front struts and $240 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

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

The Subaru Outback outsold the Volkswagen Tiguan by 66% during 2022.