Compare the2023 Volkswagen TiguanVS 2023 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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The Tiguan has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Tiguan SE R-Line Black/SEL R-Line has standard Maneuver Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Tiguan’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Tiguan has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Eclipse Cross SE/SEL has a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Tiguan and the Eclipse Cross have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Volkswagen Tiguan is safer than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:

	Tiguan	Eclipse Cross
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	49	145
Abdominal Force	82 lbs.	154 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	156	162
Spine Acceleration	44 G’s	55 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches
HIC	330	358

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Tiguan is 1.7% less likely to roll over than the Eclipse Cross.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Tiguan its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 92 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Eclipse Cross has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Tiguan for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Mitsubishi doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Eclipse Cross.

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

Reliability

The Volkswagen Tiguan’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Eclipse Cross’ engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

Engine

The Tiguan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 32 more horsepower (184 vs. 152) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (221 vs. 184) than the Eclipse Cross’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Volkswagen Tiguan is faster than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:

	Tiguan	Eclipse Cross
Zero to 60 MPH	8.6 sec	9.6 sec
Quarter Mile	16.5 sec	17.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	81.5 MPH	78.9 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Tiguan’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volkswagen Tiguan higher (7 out of 10) than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (5). This means the Tiguan produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Eclipse Cross every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Tiguan’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Eclipse Cross:

	Tiguan	Eclipse Cross
Front Rotors	13.4 inches	11.6 inches

The Tiguan stops shorter than the Eclipse Cross:

	Tiguan	Eclipse Cross
70 to 0 MPH	174 feet	178 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	124 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Tiguan SE R-Line Black’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Eclipse Cross (255/45R19 vs. 225/55R18).

The Tiguan S’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 65 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Eclipse Cross ES’ standard 70 series tires. The Tiguan SEL R-Line’s tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Eclipse Cross LE/SE/SEL’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Tiguan S has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Eclipse Cross ES. The Tiguan SEL R-Line’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Eclipse Cross LE/SE/SEL.

Suspension and Handling

The Tiguan has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tiguan’s wheelbase is 4.8 inches longer than on the Eclipse Cross (109.9 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Tiguan is 1.6 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than on the Eclipse Cross.

The Tiguan’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (55.9% to 44.1%) than the Eclipse Cross’ (58% to 42%). This gives the Tiguan more stable handling and braking.

The Tiguan SEL R-Line 4Motion® handles at .83 G’s, while the Eclipse Cross SE pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Tiguan 4Motion® executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Eclipse Cross SEL (28.1 seconds @ .58 average G’s vs. 29 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The Tiguan offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the Eclipse Cross can only carry 5.

The Tiguan has 27.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Eclipse Cross (123.9 vs. 96.7).

The Tiguan has .1 inches more front headroom, 1.5 inches more front hip room, .8 inches more front shoulder room, 1.8 inches more rear headroom, 1.5 inches more rear hip room and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Eclipse Cross.

Cargo Capacity

The Tiguan’s cargo area provides more volume than the Eclipse Cross.

	Tiguan	Eclipse Cross
Third Seat Folded	33 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	37.6 cubic feet	23.4 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	65.3 cubic feet	50.1 cubic feet
Max Cargo Volume	73.4 cubic feet	50.1 cubic feet

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the Tiguan’s second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Tiguan SE/SEL has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or on the Tiguan SEL R-Line, by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Servicing Ease

The Tiguan uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Eclipse Cross uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

When three different drivers share the Tiguan SEL R-Line, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for all three. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Tiguan’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Eclipse Cross has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The power windows standard on both the Tiguan and the Eclipse Cross have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Tiguan is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Eclipse Cross prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Tiguan’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Eclipse Cross’ standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Tiguan SE/SEL/SEL Premium the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows with the driver’s door power window switch. The driver of the Eclipse Cross can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Tiguan SE/SEL to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Consumer Reports rated the Tiguan’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Eclipse Cross’ headlights, which were rated “Good.”

The Tiguan has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. When the ignition turns off, the headlights turn off after a delay timed to allow you to securely get to your front door. The Eclipse Cross has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the SE/SEL.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Tiguan SE R-Line Black/SEL/SEL Premium R-Line has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Tiguan SEL Premium R-Line also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

When the Tiguan SEL Premium is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Eclipse Cross’ mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Tiguan SEL R-Line keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Both the Tiguan and the Eclipse Cross offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Tiguan has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen Tiguan SE/SEL has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Tiguan SEL R-Line’s Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The Tiguan is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

The Volkswagen Tiguan outsold the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross by almost 13 to one during the 2021 model year.

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