Compare the2025 Toyota Rav4VS 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan

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

Safety

© 1999 - 2024Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (“Advanta-STAR”). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. XPYNN-M34HG 2a06:98c0:3600::103 2024/12/21

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Rav4 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 Rav4 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 Toyota Rav4 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.

With its standard Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, the Toyota Rav4 is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Volkswagen Tiguan, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Rav4	Tiguan
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	-21 MPH	-12 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-20 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-20 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	No Slowing
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	No Slowing
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Brights	1.8 sec	No Warning
37 MPH Low beams	-20 MPH	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Low beams	1 sec	No Warning

The Rav4’s 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 Rav4 and the Tiguan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Rav4 is safer than the Volkswagen Tiguan:

	Rav4	Tiguan
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	152	260
Neck Injury Risk	29.3%	37%
Neck Stress	306 lbs.	417 lbs.
Neck Compression	56 lbs.	80 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	400/388 lbs.	408/641 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches
Neck Stress	258 lbs.	261 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	340/190 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 Toyota Rav4 is safer than the Volkswagen Tiguan:

	Rav4	Tiguan
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.7 inches
Hip Force	246 lbs.	337 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	146	156
Hip Force	508 lbs.	510 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	299	330
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	49 G’s
Hip Force	835 lbs.	855 lbs.

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

Warranty

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Rav4 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 Rav4’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Tiguan’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are almost 2 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Rav4’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 Rav4’s reliability 46 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 Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in initial quality. With 49 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 Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota second in reliability, above the industry average. With 120 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 27th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Volkswagen is ranked 27th.

Engine

The Rav4’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 19 more horsepower (203 vs. 184) than the Tiguan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Toyota Rav4 is faster than the Volkswagen Tiguan:

	Rav4	Tiguan
Zero to 30 MPH	3.1 sec	4.1 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	8.3 sec	10.3 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.5 sec	6.5 sec
Quarter Mile	16.5 sec	17.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	88 MPH	83 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Rav4 gets better mileage than the Tiguan:

			MPG
Rav4
	FWD	XLE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/34 hwy
		LE/Limited 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/35 hwy
	AWD	LE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/34 hwy
		XLE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/33 hwy
		Limited 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/33 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.	22 city/29 hwy

Brakes and Stopping

The Rav4 stops much shorter than the Tiguan:

	Rav4	Tiguan
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	183 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	134 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Rav4 has larger standard tires than the Tiguan (225/65R17 vs. 215/65R17).

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Rav4 is .6 inches wider in the front and 1.6 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Tiguan.

The Rav4 4WD handles at .84 G’s, while the Tiguan 4Motion® pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Rav4 4WD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Tiguan 4Motion® (27.1 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Rav4 LE/XLE’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Tiguan’s (36.1 feet vs. 38.1 feet). The Rav4 XLE Premium/Limited’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Tiguan’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Rav4 LE/XLE has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Tiguan (8.4 vs. 7.6 inches), allowing the Rav4 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Rav4 XLE Premium/Limited’s minimum ground clearance is 1 inch higher than on the Tiguan (8.6 vs. 7.6 inches).

Chassis

The Toyota Rav4 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 350 pounds less than the Volkswagen Tiguan.

The Rav4 is 5.2 inches shorter than the Tiguan, making the Rav4 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Rav4 Limited 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.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Rav4 Limited 4WD is quieter than the Tiguan SEL R-Line 4Motion®:

	Rav4	Tiguan
At idle	38 dB	44 dB
70 MPH Cruising	66 dB	71 dB

Passenger Space

The Rav4 has .8 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Tiguan.

Cargo Capacity

The Rav4 has a much larger cargo volume than the Tiguan with its rear seat up (37.6 vs. 12 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Rav4 easier. The Rav4’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 27.8 inches, while the Tiguan’s liftover is 29.4 inches.

The Rav4’s cargo area is larger than the Tiguan’s in almost every dimension:

	Rav4	Tiguan
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	40”/73.4”	17.2”/39.7”/74.5”
Max Width	59”	55”
Min Width	39.4”	39.8”
Height	36.6”	33.5”

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Rav4. The Tiguan doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Payload and Towing

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Rav4 uses the Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control 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.

The Rav4 has a higher standard payload capacity than the Tiguan (1120 vs. 1014 lbs.).

Ergonomics

If the windows are left open on the Rav4 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Tiguan can’t use the remote to operate the windows.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Rav4 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 Rav4’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Tiguan’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

Both the Rav4 and the Tiguan offer available heated front seats. The Rav4 Limited also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated second row seats aren’t available in the Tiguan.

Compared to the Volkswagen Tiguan, the Toyota Rav4 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 rear view mirror.

Economic Advantages

The Rav4 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Rav4 will retain 60.29% to 62.45% of its original price after five years, while the Tiguan only retains 48.29% to 50.45%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Rav4 is less expensive to operate than the Tiguan because it costs $91 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Rav4 than the Tiguan, including $373 less for a water pump, $464 less for a muffler, $171 less for a starter, $128 less for fuel injection, $298 less for front struts and $133 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Rav4, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Volkswagen Tiguan isn't recommended.

The Toyota Rav4 outsold the Volkswagen Tiguan by almost six to one during 2023.

See Available Inventory