Compare the2025 Toyota 4RunnerVS 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 4Runner 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 Toyota 4Runner 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.

The 4Runner’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 4Runner and the Tiguan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available four-wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Toyota 4Runner weighs 654 to 1937 pounds more than the Volkswagen Tiguan. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the 4Runner 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 4Runner’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Tiguan’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are almost 2 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the 4Runner’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the 4Runner has a standard 776-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 Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in initial quality. With 49 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota second in reliability, above the industry average. With 120 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 27th.

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

The 4Runner has more powerful engines than the Tiguan:

The 4Runner has 4.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Tiguan FWD’s standard fuel tank (19 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The 4Runner has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Tiguan AWD’s standard fuel tank (19 vs. 15.6 gallons).

The 4Runner has a tether attaching its gas cap to prevent its loss. The Tiguan’s gas cap isn’t tethered, so it can be left at a gas station if the driver forgets to screw the cap back in.

The 4Runner’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 4Runner has larger tires than the Tiguan (265/70R17 vs. 215/65R17). The 4Runner SR5’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Tiguan (265/70R17 vs. 255/40R20).

The Toyota 4Runner’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Volkswagen Tiguan only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The 4Runner has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Tiguan; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The 4Runner Trailhunter/TRD Pro has an active front sway bar, which helps keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnects at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Tiguan doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The 4Runner offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Tiguan’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the 4Runner’s wheelbase is 2.3 inches longer than on the Tiguan (112.2 inches vs. 109.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the 4Runner is 4.5 inches wider in the front and 4.9 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Tiguan.

For greater off-road capability the 4Runner SR5 has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Tiguan (8.1 vs. 7 inches), allowing the 4Runner to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The 4Runner Trailhunter/TRD Pro’s minimum ground clearance is 3.1 inches higher than on the Tiguan (10.1 vs. 7 inches).

The 4Runner offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the Tiguan can only carry 5.

The 4Runner has 32.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Tiguan (136 vs. 103.8).

The 4Runner has .2 inches more front headroom, 1.6 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more front hip room, 1 inch more front shoulder room, 2.8 inches more rear hip room and 2.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Tiguan.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the 4Runner’s middle and third row seats recline. The Tiguan’s rear seats don’t recline.

The 4Runner’s cargo area provides more volume than the Tiguan.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the 4Runner. The Tiguan doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The 4Runner’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Tiguan’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The 4Runner’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Tiguan’s (6000 vs. 1500 pounds).

The 4Runner has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Tiguan (1390 vs. 949 lbs.).

The 4Runner has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Tiguan (1550 vs. 1014 lbs.).

The engine in the 4Runner is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Tiguan. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The 4Runner’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Tiguan does not have an oil pressure gauge.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the 4Runner 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.

Compared to the Volkswagen Tiguan, the Toyota 4Runner Premium/Limited/Platinum/Trailhunter/TRD Pro 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.

The 4Runner TRD/Limited/Platinum/Trailhunter has a 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Toyota 4Runner outsold the Volkswagen Tiguan by 2900 units during 2024.