2020 Volkswagen Tiguan vs 2020 Honda CR-V

Which SUV is better: Tiguan vs CR-V?

Price should be the first thing you look at when you are car shopping, but definitely not the last. The Tiguan does have a slightly lower MSRP, but it’s not enough to make you immediately see that it is the right choice until you realize that for that price you get seating for an additional two people! That’s right, the Tiguan offers up to three rows of seating, something the CR-V cannot match no matter what trim you go to or how much you are willing to pay.

The Honda CR-V makes do with a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine that is naturally aspirated and underwhelming. The Tiguan kicks things up a notch. Not only does it have a higher displacement at 2.0 liters, but it also packs in the power with a turbocharger. That difference will really show in the torque department as the 2020 Tiguan provides 221 pound-feet of torque whereas the Honda CR-V only provides 179 pound-feet of torque.

With that power difference, the Tiguan manages to offer the same 1,500-pound towing capacity as the Honda CR-V despite being the larger SUV. Not only does having extra power help, but also having a robust 8-speed automatic transmission helps too. A modern CVT can feel slow to respond at highway speeds and it can also suffer from reliability issues especially on an SUV where the stress involved is typically higher.