Compare the2025 Mitsubishi OutlanderVS 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan

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 Outlander 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 Mitsubishi Outlander has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help 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 a front passenger side knee airbag.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Mitsubishi Outlander achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Volkswagen Tiguan has not been tested.

The Outlander’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 Outlander and the Tiguan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, front seat center airbag, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, 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 Outlander comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Tiguan’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Mitsubishi’s powertrain warranty covers the Outlander 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Tiguan. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Tiguan ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Outlander has a standard 720-amp battery. The Tiguan’s 360-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mitsubishi vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mitsubishi above average in initial quality. With 50 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is rated below average.

On the EPA test cycle the Outlander AWC gets better fuel mileage than the Tiguan 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder (24 city/30 hwy vs. 22 city/30 hwy).

The Outlander 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 or a tether to prevent losing the cap.

The Outlander 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.

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

The Outlander’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.

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

The Outlander ES’ 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 Outlander ES has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Tiguan.

The Outlander has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Tiguan doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Outlander is .5 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Tiguan.

For better maneuverability, the Outlander’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Tiguan’s (36.1 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outlander ES has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Tiguan (8.3 vs. 7 inches), allowing the Outlander to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outlander SE/SEL/Platinum’s minimum ground clearance is 1.4 inches higher than on the Tiguan (8.4 vs. 7 inches).

The front grille of the Outlander 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 Outlander has standard seating for 7 passengers; the Tiguan can only carry 5.

The Outlander has 21.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Tiguan (125.5 vs. 103.8).

The Outlander has 1.1 inches more front headroom, 1.5 inches more front legroom, .9 inches more front shoulder room and .2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Tiguan.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Outlander’s middle and third row seats recline. The Tiguan’s rear seats don’t recline.

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

The Outlander’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Tiguan’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Outlander 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.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Outlander S-AWC has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Tiguan doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Outlander to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Tiguan doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Compared to the Volkswagen Tiguan, the Mitsubishi Outlander SE/SEL/Platinum eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its standard integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Mitsubishi Outlander, based on reliability, safety and performance.