Volkswagen Tiguan vs Honda CRV Comparison | VW of Bozeman

Hunting for your next compact SUV in Bozeman? After any quick search, you’ll be inundated with brands and nameplates you’ve likely never heard of. If you’re looking for ways to narrow down your options, consider SUVs from two of the industry leaders: Volkswagen and Honda. These compact SUVs are entry points into both brands, but they also do a great job of showcasing what each does well. The Honda CR-V has a legacy stretching back to the 90s and boasts nearly 30 years of production across six generations. The Volkswagen Tiguan is a little newer to the field, approaching its 20th birthday this decade, spanning three generations. While both are excellent SUVs, in the sections below, we’ll compare and contrast everything you need to know about the two cars, from their safety ratings to their fuel economy, helping you determine which one makes the most sense for you. Before we get too far into our breakdown, though, it’s only fair to let you know that we’re a Volkswagen dealership based in Bozeman, and it’s only fair that we acknowledge that bias straight up. That said, we’re still big fans of the CRV and usually have a used one at our dealership if you’d like to test-drive both models to see which you prefer. Visit our Volkswagen dealer in Bozeman to get started today!

 

 

VW Tiguan vs Honda CRV Specs and Powertrains

Let’s start by comparing powertrains. Under the hood of the Honda SUV, you’ll find a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, capable of generating 190 horsepower. It routes power through a continuously variable automatic transmission, with your choice of front or all-wheel drive. If you’re driving in Montana, we assume you’ll want all-wheel drive for the weather, so we’ll default to those drivetrain specs for both SUVs. With AWD, you can expect to get 27 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the open road. The CRV offers four AWD drive modes: normal, econ, snow, and sport. The Tiguan has seven in AWD, including eco, normal, sport, custom, snow, off-road, and off-road custom. It should be noted that the Honda CRV has several hybrid options to choose from, but for the purposes of this breakdown, we’re focusing on traditional ICE powertrains.

 

The Volkswagen SUV’s base engine is a familiar one for folks who follow the brand: a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that delivers 201 horsepower, with more power and less weight than years past. Top trim levels get a more powerful version of that same engine, though, with output increased to 268 horsepower, making the Tiguan a legitimately fun everyday driver. It uses an eight-speed automatic transmission and also comes with FWD or AWD. Critics like Car and Driver praise the Tiguan for delivering eager handling and weighty steering for both engines. The AWD Tiguan gets 25 and 32 mpg in base AWD form. Car and Driver rated the Tiguan higher in terms of engagement when comparing both SUVs, and we’d tend to agree with them.  Both the Tiguan and CRV post lackluster towing numbers under 2,000 lbs. We’d give the nod to the Tiguan in this category, as we prefer an automatic engine, more horsepower, and more engine options. We also prefer the Tiguan for its more robust drive mode options, which make more sense for Montana drivers who spend time on gravel, dirt, or snowy roads.

 

Honda CRV vs VW Atlas Features and Safety Ratings

Whether you’re shopping at the top of the trim level or for an entry level model, both the Honda and the Volkswagen come generously equipped. For instance, the base Honda LX comes with a nine-inch infotainment display, push-button start, and a wireless phone charger. The base Tiguan comes standard with heated front seats, wireless charging, a 12.9-inch infotainment system, a 10.25-inch digital cockpit, and a ChatGPT voice assistant. We think the base VW offers a lot more features, but neither SUV is stingy to the point of criticism. When comparing top features, there is some variation, but you can expect features like leather seats, a moonroof, and more across the board. While we won’t take this time to break down features at each trim level for each car, the Volkswagen consistently delivers more than the Honda, including heated rear seats, ambient interior lighting, and massaging front seats. Both models earn passing safety scores, as they each received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA. Learn more about what you can expect from the Volkswagen SUV with VW of Bozeman today.

Comparing Volkswagen and Honda Pricing

So far, we’ve made the argument that the Volkswagen Tiguan has better features and powertrains than the Honda. So we should expect the Honda to demonstrate better value to compensate, right? Let’s compare. In the table below, we’ve lined up corresponding trim levels to see where the better value lies.

 

Model:	Lowest Listed MSRP:	Highest Listed MSRP:
Volkswagen Tiguan	$30,805	$43,085
Honda CRV	$30,920	$35,400

 

At the bottom and through the middle of both lineups, the MSRPs are about the same for each SUV. Honda has three trim levels ranging from about $31,000 to $35,000, while Volkswagen has three similar trim levels that line up from $31,000 to $37,000. The highest listed MSRP for the Tiguan is the R-Line Turbo, which adds the more powerful engine we highlighted above. Across the board, you can expect to pay about the same for a new German SUV as you would for a new Japanese SUV. 

 

Before moving on, we’d be remiss to compare the size of both these SUVs. The Volkswagen Tiguan has 26.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the 2nd row, with up to 58.9 cubic feet of total cargo space behind the first row. The CRV wins this category in a big way, offering 39 cubic feet behind the rear row and up to 76.5 cubic feet behind the rear row. 

Final Comparisons

Again, we’re a Volkswagen dealership, so we have some baked-in bias. We’d encourage you to test-drive both SUVs for yourself and come to your own conclusions. However, in our view, the Volkswagen Tiguan is better equipped, has more horsepower, and performs better in Montana’s conditions. The CRV is excellent competition, though, offering more cargo space to store your camping gear year-round. You don’t make it thirty years in the car industry if you’re not a great car. If you’d like to learn more about the Volkswagen Tiguan, just visit our Volkswagen dealer in Bozeman to explore our inventory and take one for a test drive today!