Compare the2024 Volkswagen TiguanVS 2023 Honda Passport

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 Passport 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Tiguan SE R-Line Black/SEL R-Line has standard Maneuver Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Passport doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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

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 Passport only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Tiguan and the Passport 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

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 Honda Passport:

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 Passport is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick.”

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

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

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Tiguan’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Passport’s camshafts. If the Passport’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Volkswagen vehicles are more reliable than Honda With 13 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Volkswagen higher than Honda.

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

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volkswagen Tiguan higher (7 out of 10) than the Honda Passport (3). This means the Tiguan produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Passport every 15,000 miles.

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

The Tiguan stops much shorter than the Passport:

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 Passport EX-L/Elite’s 45 series tires.

The Tiguan’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (55.9% to 44.1%) than the Passport’s (58.5% to 41.5%). This gives the Tiguan more stable handling and braking.

The Tiguan SEL R-Line 4Motion® handles at .83 G’s, while the Passport Elite pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Tiguan’s turning circle is 1.2 feet tighter than the Passport AWD’s (38.1 feet vs. 39.3 feet).

The Volkswagen Tiguan may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 500 pounds less than the Honda Passport.

The Tiguan is 3 inches shorter than the Passport, making the Tiguan easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Tiguan is 6.2 inches narrower than the Passport, making the Tiguan easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Tiguan 4Motion® is quieter than the Passport Elite (73 vs. 76 dB).

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

The Tiguan has 9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Passport (123.9 vs. 114.9).

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 Passport’s liftover is 32 inches.

The Tiguan uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Passport 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 power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Passport’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the Tiguan and the Passport have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Tiguan is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Passport prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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 Passport’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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 Passport’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

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 Passport doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

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 Passport 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.

The Tiguan’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Passport’s power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

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 Passport doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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

The Volkswagen Tiguan outsold the Honda Passport by over two to one during 2022.