2023 Volkswagen Tiguan vs 2022 Buick Enclave

The 2022 Buick Enclave represented a significant shift in Buick's design philosophy, moving away from its traditionally conservative styling to embrace a more modern and upscale appearance. This transformation was part of Buick's broader strategy to focus exclusively on SUVs, reflecting the changing preferences of North American consumers. The Enclave, with its refreshed exterior featuring a new grille, updated fascias, and distinctive wheel designs, particularly in the Avenir trim, offered a more premium look. Inside, the Enclave's cabin was enhanced with upgraded materials, a restyled centre console, and advanced comfort features like climate-controlled seats and a split sunroof, making it a compelling choice for those seeking a blend of comfort and style.

In contrast, the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan maintained its established design with minimal changes from the previous year. The Tiguan's exterior, available in various trims like the sporty R-Line, featured a conservative yet gracefully aging design. The interior, while offering quality materials and a spacious cabin, was marred by the use of touch-sensing controls that detracted from usability. Despite these quirks, the Tiguan's cabin was well-appointed with features like a panoramic sunroof and digital instrumentation, providing an upscale feel. The Tiguan's design choices, particularly in the R-Line trim, gave it a sporty appearance that belied its price point, making it an attractive option for those seeking a stylish yet practical SUV.

The 2022 Buick Enclave was powered by a robust 3.6-litre V6 engine, delivering 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. This powertrain provided the Enclave with impressive acceleration, even when fully loaded with passengers and cargo. The Enclave's all-wheel-drive system, standard in Canada, ensured confident handling in various driving conditions. The SUV's ride quality was further enhanced by the Avenir Technology package, which included a premium ride suspension and real-time chassis damping, offering a smooth and quiet driving experience. With a towing capacity of up to 2,268 kilograms, the Enclave was well-suited for those needing to haul larger loads.

The 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan, on the other hand, was equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, producing 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. While the Tiguan's power output was modest compared to the Enclave, it offered a range of driving modes, including Eco, Normal, and Sport, allowing drivers to tailor the driving experience to their preferences. The Tiguan's 4Motion all-wheel-drive system provided excellent traction and stability, with settings for various road conditions. However, the Tiguan's powertrain exhibited some quirks, such as turbo lag and delayed downshifts, which could affect the driving experience. Despite these issues, the Tiguan's handling was commendable, with responsive steering and good road grip, making it enjoyable to drive on winding roads.

The 2022 Buick Enclave excelled in providing a spacious and comfortable interior, with ample room for passengers in all three rows. The SUV's large windows and windshield offered excellent visibility, while the power-adjustable front seats and tri-zone climate control ensured comfort for all occupants. The Enclave's second-row captain's chairs facilitated easy access to the third row, which could comfortably accommodate adult passengers. The Enclave also offered generous cargo space, with 668 litres available behind the third row, expanding to 2,758 litres with both rear rows folded. The power-folding third-row seats added convenience, making it easy to maximize cargo capacity.

The 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan also offered a roomy interior, with comfortable front seats featuring power adjustments, heating, and ventilation. The Tiguan's rear seat provided ample legroom and headroom, making it suitable for adult passengers. However, the SUV's interior was let down by its touch-sensing controls, which were difficult to use and detracted from the overall experience. The Tiguan's cargo area was spacious, with 1,064 litres available behind the second row and 2,078 litres with the rear seats folded, providing ample storage for larger items. The hands-free power liftgate and adjustable load floor added to the Tiguan's practicality, making it a versatile choice for families.

The 2022 Buick Enclave featured a comprehensive suite of technology, with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system offering Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and wireless phone charging. The Premium and Avenir trims added navigation and a 10-speaker Bose audio system, providing an enhanced listening experience. The Enclave's infotainment system supported multiple device pairings and included a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot, ensuring connectivity on the go. The SUV also offered a range of advanced safety features, including adaptive cruise control, a head-up display, and a surround-view camera, enhancing driver confidence and convenience.

The 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan came equipped with digital instrumentation, with the R-Line trims featuring a larger 10.25-inch display. The infotainment system, available with an 8-inch touchscreen, included Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a nine-speaker Fender premium sound system. However, the system's user interface was complicated by touch-sensitive controls and sub-menus, which could be distracting to use while driving. Despite these challenges, the Tiguan offered a range of connected services and safety features, including adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and a surround-view camera, providing a comprehensive suite of driver assistance technologies.

The 2022 Buick Enclave was equipped with a robust suite of safety features, including the standard Buick Driver Confidence Plus package, which offered automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, and lane-keep assist. The Enclave also featured a Safety Alert driver's seat, rear-seat reminder, and HD reversing camera. The SUV received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and "Good" ratings from the IIHS, with an "Acceptable" score in the updated side-impact test.

The 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan offered an impressive array of safety features, with standard Front Assist and Side Assist systems providing forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, and blind-spot monitoring. The Tiguan's IQ.Drive package added adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and semi-autonomous driving capabilities. The SUV's safety technology was well-executed, with minimal false alerts and smooth operation. However, the Tiguan's crash-test ratings were incomplete, with concerns about the driver's door unlatching during side-impact tests. The IIHS awarded the 2023 Tiguan a Top Safety Pick+ rating for the 2022 calendar year, though this did not apply for 2023.