2024 Volkswagen Tiguan vs 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was a standout in Toyota's lineup of crossovers and SUVs, offering a range of options from all-gas to hybrid-powered models. Built on the TNGA-K platform, it shared its underpinnings with the regular Highlander and other Toyota models, distinguishing itself as a true crossover rather than a body-on-frame vehicle like the Sequoia. Its substantial size, with a length of 5,115 millimetres and a wheelbase of 2,950 mm, provided a spacious interior, making it larger than competitors like the Kia Telluride. The Grand Highlander's design was inspired by rugged vehicles, featuring a conservative yet blocky style with a trapezoidal grille and narrow headlights, reminiscent of the Toyota 4Runner. Inside, it offered three trims with varying levels of luxury, from black Softex synthetic leather to real leather upholstery, and a range of comfort features like heated seats and a large centre console.

The 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan, on the other hand, was noted for its premium appearance, often perceived as more designed than its non-European rivals. Standard LED headlights and taillights, along with an illuminated grille light line on the Highline R-Line trim, added to its stylish exterior. The Tiguan offered a range of trim levels, each with distinct features, from heated front seats and cloth seating surfaces on the base Trendline to real leather and advanced features like a panoramic sunroof and front-seat ventilation on the Highline R-Line. The interior colour options expanded with higher trims, providing a more personalized experience. Despite its compact SUV classification, the Tiguan's design and features aimed to deliver a premium feel.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander offered three engine options, starting with a 2.4-litre turbo four-cylinder engine producing 265 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. For those prioritizing fuel efficiency, a 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid option delivered 245 combined net horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. At the top, the Grand Highlander Hybrid Max powertrain boasted 362 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. All models in Canada came with all-wheel drive, and while not designed for sports car performance, the Hybrid Max provided impressive acceleration with a zero-to-60 time of 6.3 seconds. The Grand Highlander was known for its solid brakes and adequate acceleration, though its size made it less maneuverable than smaller models. It featured three drive modes—Sport, Eco, and Normal—with additional off-road modes for gas-only and Hybrid Max models.

The 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan came standard with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. In Canada, the Tiguan featured Volkswagen’s 4Motion all-wheel drive. Fuel economy ratings were 10.6 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 8.0 on the highway for non R-Line configurations. The Tiguan's performance was mixed, with inconsistent power delivery and a touchy gas pedal. The steering was light but provided good visibility and handling, making the vehicle feel smaller and more maneuverable. Despite some issues with the brake pedal and road noise, the Tiguan offered a comfortable ride.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was notably larger than its rivals, with a length of over 5 metres and a wheelbase of 2,950 mm. This translated to a spacious interior, offering 2,761 litres of total cargo capacity, significantly more than competitors like the Kia Telluride. With seats in position, it provided 1,640 litres behind the second row and 583 litres with all three rows up. The Grand Highlander was praised for its comfort, with ample headroom, legroom, and shoulder room in every row, making it suitable for adults even in the third row.

The 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan, while a compact crossover, offered a third-row seating option for an additional cost in Canada. The two-row configuration provided 1,064 litres of cargo space with all seats in place, expanding to 2,078 litres with the rear seats folded. In the three-row setup, cargo space was reduced, but passenger space remained largely unaffected. The Tiguan provided up to 1,006 millimetres of headroom and 1,021 mm of legroom for front passengers, with slightly reduced space in the second and third rows. Despite its compact size, the Tiguan was one of the few vehicles in its class to offer a third row, providing a practical option for families.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander featured a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a significant improvement over previous models. It offered an intelligent assistant activated by voice commands, cloud-based navigation, and live agent assistance through a connected-services subscription. Standard features included dual-device Bluetooth connectivity and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Limited and Platinum trims came with an 11-speaker JBL stereo, providing a balanced audio experience. While Toyota's tech offerings had improved, careful consideration of subscription options was recommended.

The 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan's infotainment system included haptic touch slider buttons for climate control, which were responsive and easy to use. However, the physical volume knob was less user-friendly. The system relied on monochromatic graphics accessed through an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trims offered wireless charging and a more advanced Digital Cockpit Pro screen. The nine-speaker Fender Premium Audio System on the top trim received positive feedback, enhancing the overall tech experience.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander had not yet been crash-tested by major safety organizations, but it came equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 as standard. This suite included features like automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert, lane-tracing assist, and blind-spot monitoring. The Platinum grade offered additional features like traffic jam assist and a head-up display. Adaptive cruise control with four following-distance settings was also standard.

The 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan had previously earned a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS, indicating strong safety credentials. Standard features included forward collision avoidance, emergency calling, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Higher trims offered adaptive cruise control, lane assist, and semi-autonomous highway driving capabilities. Park Distance Control was standard on higher trims, though some features were found to be intrusive.