Compare the2026 Volkswagen TiguanVS 2026 Toyota Land Cruiser

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 Land Cruiser doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

To deliver safety and visibility under dusty conditions the Volkswagen Tiguan’s backup monitor has a standard rear washer to keep the view clear. A camera washer system costs extra on the Toyota Land Cruiser.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Tiguan uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Land Cruiser uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Tiguan and the Land Cruiser 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, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The Tiguan comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Land Cruiser’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Tiguan’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Land Cruiser’s (7 vs. 5 years).

The Volkswagen Tiguan’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the Land Cruiser’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 Land Cruiser:

Both the Tiguan and Land Cruiser have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The Tiguan has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volkswagen Tiguan higher (6 out of 10) than the Toyota Land Cruiser (5). This means the Tiguan produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Land Cruiser every 15,000 miles.

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

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 Land Cruiser 1958’s standard 70 series tires. The Tiguan’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Land Cruiser’s optional 60 series tires.

For superior ride and handling, the Volkswagen Tiguan has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Toyota Land Cruiser has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

For better maneuverability, the Tiguan’s turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the Land Cruiser’s (38.1 feet vs. 40 feet).

The Volkswagen Tiguan may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1450 to 1800 pounds less than the Toyota Land Cruiser.

The Tiguan is 12 inches shorter than the Land Cruiser, making the Tiguan easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Tiguan is 9.6 inches shorter in height than the Land Cruiser, making the Tiguan much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction lowers the Tiguan’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Land Cruiser doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

The Tiguan has 7.2 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more rear headroom and 13.5 inches more rear legroom than the Land Cruiser.

The Tiguan has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Land Cruiser with its rear seat folded (69.8 vs. 55.5 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Tiguan’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Tiguan SEL’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Tiguan uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Land Cruiser 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.

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional at extra cost in the Land Cruiser (except 1958), 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.

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 Land Cruiser 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 Land Cruiser 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.

Both the Tiguan and the Land Cruiser have standard heated front seats. The Tiguan SEL also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Land Cruiser.

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 Land Cruiser.

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. Wireless charging costs extra on the Land Cruiser.

The Tiguan SEL’s Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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

The Volkswagen Tiguan outsold the Toyota Land Cruiser by almost four to one during 2024.