Compare the2025 Buick EnvisionVS 2024 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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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 Envision 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 Buick Envision 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.

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

Both the Envision and the Tiguan 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available front parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Buick Envision is safer than the Volkswagen Tiguan:

	Envision	Tiguan
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	175	260
Neck Injury Risk	21.3%	37%
Neck Stress	195 lbs.	417 lbs.
Neck Compression	25 lbs.	80 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	153/386 lbs.	408/641 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	23.1%	37%
Neck Stress	111 lbs.	261 lbs.
Neck Compression	61 lbs.	62 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	221/21 lbs.	428/471 lbs.

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

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 Buick Envision is safer than the Volkswagen Tiguan:

	Envision	Tiguan
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.7 inches
Hip Force	261 lbs.	337 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	249	330
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	49 G’s
Hip Force	313 lbs.	855 lbs.

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

Warranty

Buick’s powertrain warranty covers the Envision 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.

There are over 63 percent more Buick dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Envision’s warranty.

Reliability

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 Envision’s reliability 13 points higher than the Tiguan.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick above average in initial quality. With 77 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick third in reliability, above the industry average. With 118 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 27th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Buick 15 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Engine

The Envision’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 44 more horsepower (228 vs. 184) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 221) than the Tiguan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Buick Envision is faster than the Volkswagen Tiguan:

	Envision	Tiguan
Zero to 30 MPH	3.1 sec	4.1 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.5 sec	10.3 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.4 sec	6.5 sec
Quarter Mile	15.9 sec	17.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	92 MPH	83 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Envision’s fuel efficiency. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The Envision has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Buick Envision, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Tiguan.

Brakes and Stopping

The Envision’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 Envision stops shorter than the Tiguan:

	Envision	Tiguan
60 to 0 MPH	127 feet	131 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Envision has larger standard tires than the Tiguan (235/60R18 vs. 215/65R17).

The Envision Preferred’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 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 Envision Preferred has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Tiguan S.

Suspension and Handling

The Envision offers an available continuously variable suspension system. Using sensors on steering angle, speed and other driver inputs, the shocks soften to improve ride, or stiffen when appropriate to aid handling on tricky roads or off-road. The Tiguan’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Envision’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Tiguan doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Envision is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Tiguan.

Chassis

The Envision is 3.4 inches shorter than the Tiguan, making the Envision easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Envision 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.

The Envision 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.

Passenger Space

The Envision has .2 inches more front legroom, .6 inches more front hip room, .6 inches more rear legroom and .1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Tiguan.

Cargo Capacity

The Envision has a much larger cargo volume than the Tiguan with its rear seat up (25.2 vs. 12 cubic feet).

Towing

Standard Trailer Sway Control (TSC) on the Envision uses the StabiliTrak® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Tiguan doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Buick service is better than Volkswagen. J.D. Power ranks Buick third in service department satisfaction. With a 68% lower rating, Volkswagen is ranked 29th.

Ergonomics

The Envision’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Tiguan doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Envision’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Tiguan does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Envision has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, navigation instruction, infotainment and driver assistance information 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.

On a hot day the Envision’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Tiguan can’t use the remote to operate the windows.

The Envision’s standard Keyless Access allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, unlock the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Access standard on the Tiguan doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Envision 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 Envision’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 has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Envision and the Tiguan offer available heated front seats. The Envision Avenir 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 Envision Avenir has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Tiguan.

Compared to the Volkswagen Tiguan, the Buick Envision eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the overhead console.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Buick Envision has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Tiguan SE/SEL offers wireless charging.

The Envision Avenir has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Envision Avenir’s Enhanced Automatic Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting and stopping automatically, with the driver only responsible for switching from reverse to drive. The Tiguan SEL R-Line’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

Economic Advantages

The Envision will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Envision will retain 52.65% to 53.82% of its original price after five years, while the Tiguan only retains 48.29% to 50.45%.

Recommendations

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