2022 Cadillac XT5 vs 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan

The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan presented a conservative yet timeless design, distinguishing itself from its more ostentatious competitors. Its refreshed exterior featured new front styling that aligned with Volkswagen’s larger models, a restyled grille with the new VW logo, and standard LED headlights. The Tiguan offered four trim levels in Canada, all with standard 4Motion AWD, and prices ranged from $33,395 to $43,395. The R-Line models boasted a sportier look, with the Comfortline R-Line Black Edition offering a trendy blacked-out appearance. Inside, the Tiguan Highline R-Line featured a luxurious cabin with leather upholstery, new technology, and ambient lighting, though the hard plastic in the lower half of the cabin hinted at its mass-market status.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 combined Cadillac’s trademark design cues with a compact footprint and tall profile, resulting in a somewhat ungainly appearance. The Premium Luxury and Sport models had distinct styling cues, with the former featuring bright chrome and the latter darker trim and a mesh grille. The interior, while luxurious, relied heavily on the optional Platinum Package for its standout features, such as semi-aniline leather upholstery and a microfibre sueded headliner. The XT5’s interior lacked a strong design theme and brand-specific markers, making it less distinctive compared to its competitors.

The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan retained its turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, producing 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission transferred power to the 4Motion AWD system, which could decouple the rear axle to save fuel. The Tiguan offered Eco, Normal, Sport, and Individual driving modes, along with Onroad, Snow, Offroad, and Custom Offroad settings. Despite its enjoyable drive, the Tiguan’s engine exhibited some turbo lag, and its fuel efficiency was rated at 9.8 L/100 km in combined driving.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 offered a base 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, while a 3.6-litre V6 was standard on the Sport model and optional on the Premium Luxury, producing 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque. Both engines were paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The V6 provided linear power delivery and smooth shifts, and the optional Platinum Package included a performance suspension with adaptive dampers, offering a comfortable ride. The XT5’s steering was well-suited to luxury driving, and the cabin was notably quiet.

The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan stood out among compact crossovers with its spacious interior, comparable to smaller midsize SUVs. It offered an optional third row, and the Highline R-Line trim featured comfortable leather seats with power adjustment, heating, and ventilation. The second row provided ample headroom and legroom, and the cargo space was generous, with a maximum capacity of 2,078 litres in the two-row configuration. However, the switch to touch controls on the steering wheel and dashboard proved challenging to use.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 offered favourable interior space compared to German luxury crossovers, with more front headroom than the Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLC, but less than the BMW X3. The XT5 had more legroom in both rows, though the seats could have been more comfortable. Cadillac quoted 850 litres of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 1,784 litres with them folded, surpassing its German rivals. The centre console housed a rotary controller and capacitive touchpads, which were not ideally placed and lacked physical feedback.

The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan featured standard digital gauges, with the Highline R-Line offering a 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro system. The MIB3 infotainment system, available on most trims, included an 8-inch touchscreen, Car-Net connected services, and smartphone mirroring. The Highline R-Line added a redesigned navigation system and a nine-speaker Fender audio system. However, the natural voice recognition was disappointing, and the Park Assist system was standard on the Highline R-Line.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 came with an 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, and a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The optional Technology Package added a digital instrument cluster and head-up display. While the touchscreen was easy to navigate, the secondary controls were cumbersome, and the capacitive touchpads lacked feedback. The standard eight-speaker Bose sound system could be upgraded to a 14-speaker Bose Performance Series system, which delivered excellent sound quality.

The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan included standard safety features such as Front Assist and Side Assist. Travel Assist, combining adaptive cruise control with lane-centring assistance, and Emergency Assist were available upgrades. The 2021 Tiguan earned a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the IIHS, and the 2022 model’s standard LED headlights and advanced driver aids were expected to improve its score.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 offered standard safety features like forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keep assist. The optional Driver Assist Package added adaptive cruise control and enhanced emergency braking, while the Technology Package included rear pedestrian alert and night vision. The XT5 received top scores in IIHS crash tests and a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, though its headlight rating was “Marginal.”