Published April 10 2021

2021 Volkswagen Tiguan vs 2021 Toyota RAV4 : Better value and more performance in the Tiguan

Buying a new compact SUV means having an impressive number of options at your disposal and finding your way through the segment can be tricky. The key is identifying your needs and then determining which model best meets these needs. Take the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan and the 2021 Toyota RAV4.

Both are popular, both are spacious, both offer plenty of features, and both offer above-average performance. The thing is:

The Volkswagen Tiguan offers better performance
The Volkswagen Tiguan offers more interior space
The Volkswagen Tiguan offers more value

Let’s take a closer look at these three points.

The Volkswagen Tiguan offers better performance

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan comes standard with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that delivers 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. The 2021 Toyota RAV4 offers a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre that delivers 203 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque.

On paper, the RAV4 looks to have more power, but the key to urban and highway performance is actually torque. Horsepower matters on a race track, torque matters in everyday life. Torque dictates how quickly a vehicle accelerates from a stop or passes on the highway, meaning that the Tiguan, in everyday situations, performs with more confidence and gusto than the RAV4.

The Volkswagen Tiguan offers more interior space

Both the Tiguan and the RAV4 are spacious, but the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan has slightly more total cargo space than the Toyota with 2,081 litres vs 1,977 litres. Those extra 100 litres will come in handy on your next trip to Costco or your next family vacation.

The Volkswagen Tiguan offers more value

The major difference between the Tiguan and the RAV4, however, is that the Tiguan gives you more performance and more space for less money. More importantly, it gives you more value.

For example, the base 2021 Tiguan comes with standard 4Motion all-wheel drive and blind spot assist, which you won’t find in the 2021 base RAV4 despite the fact that they have roughly the same starting price.

Secondly, the 2021 Tiguan is protected by a base 4-year/80,000 kilometre warranty while the RAV4 has just a 3-year or 60,000 kilometre warranty.

Lastly, the 2021 Tiguan has better interest rates:

	2021 Volkswagen Tiguan	2021 Toyota RAV4
36-month lease rate	1.99%	3.99%
60-month financing rate	1.99%	3.89%

That means that regardless of which version of the Tiguan you choose, when you lease or finance, you are paying more of the vehicle and getting better value overall.