Compare the2026 Volkswagen TiguanVS 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe

The Tiguan has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

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 Santa Fe 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.

The Volkswagen Tiguan’s rear backup camera has a standard washer for maintaining a clear view under various conditions. In contrast, the Hyundai Santa Fe does not offer a rear camera washer, meaning its effectiveness relies on manual cleaning by the user when necessary.

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

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Tiguan for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Hyundai doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Santa Fe.

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

On the EPA test cycle the Tiguan gets better mileage than the Santa Fe:

Regenerative brakes improve the Tiguan’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

For better stopping power the Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Santa Fe:

The Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Santa Fe are solid, not vented.

The Tiguan’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Santa Fe Limited’s 45 series tires.

The Volkswagen Tiguan may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 to 800 pounds less than the Hyundai Santa Fe.

The Tiguan is 5.8 inches shorter than the Santa Fe, making the Tiguan easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Tiguan 4x4 is 12.2 inches shorter in height than the Santa Fe, making the Tiguan 4x4 much easier to wash and garage and drive off-road (lower center of gravity).

The Tiguan has a much larger cargo volume than the Santa Fe with its rear seat up (33.8 vs. 14.6 cubic feet).

A Service Interval Display is standard on the Tiguan to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes and vehicle inspections based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Hyundai doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Santa Fe.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy, the Tiguan SEL has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

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 Santa Fe’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Tiguan the driver can close them all from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Santa Fe can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Tiguan’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Santa Fe’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Tiguan SEL has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Tiguan also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Tiguan SEL has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Santa Fe.

The Tiguan has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Santa Fe SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen Tiguan has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Santa Fe SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy offers wireless charging.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan retains 52.24% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 51.69% resale value of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe after five years, which can save the Volkswagen’s owner up to $2433.16451 in depreciation.