Compare the2026 Honda CR-VVS 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan

The Honda CR-V 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.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the CR-V deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The CR-V’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Tiguan’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The CR-V’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 CR-V and the Tiguan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the CR-V 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 CR-V’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Tiguan’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are over 69 percent more Honda dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the CR-V’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the CR-V has a standard 410-amp battery. The Tiguan’s 360-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 46 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in long-term dependability. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Volkswagen is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda fourth in overall reliability. Volkswagen is ranked 18th.

As tested in Motor Trend the CR-V Hybrid 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Volkswagen Tiguan turbo 4 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the CR-V gets better mileage than the Tiguan:

The CR-V 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 CR-V 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 CR-V’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Tiguan:

The CR-V stops shorter than the Tiguan:

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

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the CR-V is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Tiguan.

The CR-V EX-L AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the Tiguan SE pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The CR-V EX-L AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Tiguan SE (27.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the CR-V Hybrid’s turning circle is 1.1 feet tighter than the Tiguan’s (37 feet vs. 38.1 feet). The CR-V 1.5T’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Tiguan’s (37.3 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the CR-V has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Tiguan (8.2 vs. 7 inches), allowing the CR-V to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the CR-V 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 CR-V 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.

The CR-V has 2.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Tiguan (106 vs. 103.8).

The CR-V has .5 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more front hip room, .9 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear legroom and .2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Tiguan.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the CR-V’s rear seats recline. The Tiguan’s rear seats don’t recline.

The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Tiguan with its rear seat up (39.3 vs. 33.8 cubic feet). The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Tiguan with its rear seat folded (76.5 vs. 69.8 cubic feet).

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

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Honda service is better than Volkswagen. J.D. Power ranks Honda 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 52% lower rating, Volkswagen is ranked 31st.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the CR-V 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.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2026 Honda CR-V retains 61.29% to 65.48% of its original value after 5 years, significantly more than the 52.24% resale value of the 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan after five years, which can save the Honda’s owner.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda CR-V, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The CR-V was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “5Best Trucks/10Best” for 2025 and 5 more times in the last 25 years. The Tiguan has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

Motor Trend selected the CR-V as their 2018 Sport Utility of the Year. The Tiguan has never been chosen.

The Honda CR-V outsold the Volkswagen Tiguan by over five to one during 2025.