The Subaru Forester and Volkswagen Tiguan are sized and shaped about the same, and they have modest 4-cylinder performance, straightforward designs, and roomy interiors. They’re also priced and equipped for value, in the same range. But that’s about where the similarities end.
Fundamentally, these two models appeal to quite different types of shoppers, and you won’t see them confusing the Forester and Tiguan on shopping lists. That said, it helps to understand the differences and the range of today’s utility vehicles to know what you want, so read on for how these two models compare (and contrast).
2023 Volkswagen Tiguan
2023 Volkswagen Tiguan
2023 Volkswagen Tiguan
2023 Volkswagen Tiguan
Subaru Forester vs. Volkswagen Tiguan prices and features
Subaru forester starts below $28,000 with AWD
VW Tiguan starts below $30,000 with AWD
Tiguan includes a third row, but only with front-wheel drive
How much is a Subaru Forester?
The Subaru Forester is offered in base, Sport, Premium, Limited, Wilderness, and Touring versions, with base versions starting at $27,620 including the $1,225 destination fee. Wilderness versions, at $35,545, get more ground clearance and a long list of trail-related upgrades, and they can be considered the top of the lineup for those who plan to take their Forester off-road. Touring versions, at $38,020, top out the lineup with a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, and perforated leather upholstery, and Harman Kardon premium audio. The entire lineup has all-wheel drive, but the $30,620 Premium adds many items shoppers may want on any vehicle, including heated front seats, alloy wheels, and a panoramic roof.
There aren’t many factory options offered on the Forester, but there are a few step-up packages to be aware of. Highlights include a package that brings a power tailgate, blind-spot monitors, and rear cross-traffic monitors to the Touring, for $1,165. A comparable package adds premium audio and the power liftgate to Sport models for $1,645, or premium audio, a heated steering wheel, and reverse auto-braking to the Limited for $1,695.
Subaru offers a long list of port-installed accessories, ranging from trailer hitches and wheel locks to splash guards, edge guards, and additional side molding. At some Subaru lots, it may be a challenge to find a Forester that hasn’t already been loaded up with them, to the tune of several thousand more than the original price.
How much is a Volkswagen Tiguan?
The Volkswagen Tiguan is offered in S, SE, SE R-Line Black, and SEL R-Line trims. The lineup starts with the front-wheel-drive S, at $28,245 including the $1,295 destination fee, or $29,745 for an all-wheel-drive S. Throughout the Tiguan lineup, all-wheel-drive versions are badged 4Motion. S models have cloth seats and a single-zone climate system, while the SE steps up to wireless device charging, satellite radio, a power driver seat, vinyl upholstery, and a dual-zone climate system. SE R-Line Black models get distinct 19-inch wheels, roof rails, a perforated leather steering wheel. Top SEL versions cost $38,975 and get an upgraded 10.25-inch (instead of 8.0-inch) infotainment system, road-sign information, park assist and parking sensors, a leather heated steering wheel, leather upholstery, and 20-inch wheels.
There are relatively few options to add to the Tiguan, although for $1,200 you can add a panoramic sunroof to the SE. On base Tiguan S versions, a package of active-safety items including adaptive cruise control can be added for $895.
It’s important to underscore from a feature standpoint that the VW Tiguan offers three rows of seating with front-wheel drive or two rows of seating with all-wheel drive, but you can’t have the five-passenger layout with front-wheel drive or the seven-passenger layout with AWD.
Advantage: The Subaru Forester, as it starts lower and includes AWD and more standard features.
2023 Subaru Forester
2023 Subaru Forester
2023 Subaru Forester
2023 Subaru Forester
Volkswagen Tiguan vs. Subaru Forester size, seating capacity, and cargo space
Tiguan offers up to three rows and space for seven
Forester is only a two-row, five-passenger layout
There’s a bit more cargo space in the Forester
The Forester is about 183 inches long, 68 inches high, and 71.5 inches wide. The Tiguan is 186 inches long, 66 inches high, and 72 inches wide. But between them there’s a five-inch difference in wheelbase, with the Tiguan on a long, nearly 110-inch wheelbase.
That pays off in the VW’s favor in terms of interior space, measured or perceived. Official passenger volume for the Forester is nearly 112 cubic feet, while it’s 124 cubic feet for the Tiguan. But there’s one big difference between these two models: the Tiguan—in its front-wheel-drive versions only—has a standard third-row seat, expanding its potential passenger space to seven, versus five for the two-row Forester.
The Forester has plenty of space for adults in front and in back, as well as generous door cuts and easy entry—perhaps an advantage over the Tiguan. But the Tiguan, whether in its two- or three-row layout, feels like it has an advantage by design in its seating especially. For taller types, in front, the seats are more supportive, too—although some shorter drivers may prefer the somewhat better vantage point over the hood and corners of the vehicle that the Forester provides.
Don’t count on three-row Tiguans being all that usable in the wayback row. It’s neither easy enough for adults to get into nor spacious enough to mount a child seat easily, so it’s only of use by kids who are growing and limber.
The preferences also flip if you don’t need the third row and instead need cargo versatility. The Forester offers 34 cubic feet behind the rear seats and nearly 75 cubic feet with the second row folded flat. As for the Tiguan, it has 12 cubic feet behind the third row, 33 cubic feet behind the second row, and 65 cubic feet with the second and third rows both folded. As for two-row versions of the Tiguan, they offer nearly 38 cubic feet behind the second row and about 73 cubic feet with it folded.
Advantage: Tiguan, but beware the confusion over two- and three-row versions.
2022 Volkswagen Tiguan
Subaru Forester vs. Volkswagen Tiguan towing
Skip both of these models if you plan to tow regularly
The Forester Wilderness is the champ here, at up to 3,000 pounds
Neither of these models are good picks for frequent towing.
CVTs such as those used in the Forester tend to be inferior, but this appears to be an exception—at least for occasional use. Most of the Forester lineup can tow 1,500 pounds, while the Wilderness, which has a different drive ratio and higher-output transmission, can pull 3,000 pounds.
That said, the Tiguan is also only approved to tow up to 1,500 pounds, according to VW.
Advantage: Subaru Forester, in Wilderness guise.
2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness – first drive
Volkswagen Tiguan vs. Subaru Forester off-roading
The Volkswagen Tiguan doesn’t offer a focused off-road model, but versions with 4Motion all-wheel drive do include an “Offroad” drive setting that changes the behavior of core systems including accelerator response, transmission shifts, steering, and traction systems. It engages a Hill Descent Control system that helps control speed in slopes of more than 10% and functions at up to 19 mph. There’s also a Snow mode, and ground clearance is good, at 7.9 inches for much of the lineup. Just keep in mind not all versions of the Tiguan come with all-wheel drive.
As for the Subaru, the Wilderness model is the way to go, as it brings an extra half-inch of ground clearance—9.2 inches in all, with better off-road angles, if that matters (and it should)—plus a long list of trail-oriented and appearance upgrades. Among them are blacked-out front and rear fascias, matte-black alloy wheels, anodized copper tie-downs, and raised-white-letter all-terrain tires. Most meaningful to off-roaders is a lower startup ratio for the CVT and a more specialized version of Subaru’s X Mode that allows a little more wheel slip in some off-road situations, with hill-descent control for steep grades.
Advantage: Forester. Wasn’t the name enough?
2023 Volkswagen Tiguan
Subaru Forester vs. Volkswagen Tiguan safety
Tiguan hasn’t been fully rated in federal NCAP testing
Forester makes the IIHS Top Safety Pick list
Both models save some active-safety features for options or upper trims
Both the Volkswagen Tiguan and Subaru Forester have a series of mostly top-notch crash-test results plus core active-safety systems.
In the Forester and Tiguan, there’s a core set of safety features, including automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control, while active lane control is part of the core set of Subaru’s EyeSight suite. In both cases there’s also an upgraded set of features that’s optional or left for upper trims.
Optional on the Tiguan S is a package with adaptive cruise control, and active lane control, among several driver-assistance features that are standard on the rest of the lineup. Likewise, not all Foresters have blind-spot monitors and rear cross-traffic alerts.
The Forester is an IIHS Top Safety Pick, and the only crash-safety demerit for the Forester comes in the new IIHS moderate overlap front test, where it achieved a “Marginal” result. The updated side test also yielded an “Acceptable” result. In all, there’s room for improvement. The federal government hasn’t completed testing of the Tiguan in its NCAP program, and so far it has achieved a five-star side test—albeit with a note that the driver door opened in testing.
The thick roof pillars in the Tiguan tend to get in the way when parking or making lane changes, and outward vision is a step better in the Forester.
Advantage: Subaru Forester.
2023 Subaru Forester
Volkswagen Tiguan vs. Subaru Forester performance
On the road, both Tiguan and Forester are adequate but unremarkable performers
Forester has an off-road performance edge and includes AWD
Tiguan offers a slight ride-and-handling (and refinement) edge
The Volkswagen Tiguan is powered by a 184-hp, 2.0-liter turbo-4 that pairs quite well with the 8-speed automatic transmission—and because VW includes a third row only with front-wheel-drive versions, while leaving that out in all-wheel-drive versions, there’s no version that’s appreciably slower.
The Subaru Forester is a close match by spec sheets, at 182 hp from its 2.5-liter flat-4. But it provides a quite different driving experience and needs to be revved high by the CVT to extract performance with a full load. It isn’t one for speed or for quick reflexes. Subaru’s all-wheel-drive system is tenacious and confident in everything from gravel to snow, and it’s included in the whole lineup.
Both of these crossovers are tuned for a soft, comfortable ride—although we’d recommend you stay away from the 19- and 20-inch wheels on the Tiguan R-Line. Across both lineups you’ll find capable enough handling combined with a relatively smooth ride. In cabin noise and vibration the Tiguan has a slight edge, though.
That’s on-road. If we include the comparison to focus a bit more on off-road ride and handling, the Forester is far superior in the comfort and control that its suspension provides.
Advantage: Tiguan, if you don’t plan to take to the trail much
2022 Volkswagen Tiguan
Subaru Forester vs. Volkswagen Tiguan fuel economy
Most of the Forester lineup beats Tiguan in mpg
No hybrids here for either model
Forester Wilderness and Tiguan R-Line get lower numbers
Don’t go looking for a hybrid here; there’s nothing yielding very great gas mileage in either case.
Most of the Forester lineup achieves EPA ratings of 26 mpg city, 33 highway, 29 combined. Opt for the Wilderness, though, and you get a different drive ratio, all-terrain tires, and other items that send efficiency into a free-fall, knocking it to 25/28/26 mpg.
The Volkswagen Tiguan isn’t great either, with the all-wheel-drive models that are probably most common achieving 22 mpg city, 29 highway, 25 combined. Front-wheel-drive versions with three rows get 23/30/26 mpg, and models with the bigger wheels and tires get just 21/28/24 mpg.
Advantage: Subaru Forester, Wilderness aside.
2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness
2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness
2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness
Volkswagen Tiguan vs. Subaru Forester interior and tech
Tiguan touchscreen systems are more modern in menu/layout
Wifi hotspot and remote services also on offer by VW
Forester’s premium audio is impressive
Cabin layout, look, and feel is more distinctive in Subaru
Both the VW Tiguan and Subaru Forester come with corded Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. At the base level, the Tiguan S gets a 6.5-inch touchscreen with two USB-C ports and 45-watt charging. Other models in the lineup get a glass-covered 8.0-inch system with multiple-phone pairing, HD Radio, and satellite radio. Top SEL R-Line versions get a 10.3-inch system with navigation and customizable widgets. VW also offers a Car-Net wifi hotspot subscription, and remote Car-Net services with an app, plus a customized version of Amazon Alexa. The Tiguan also has a digital-cockpit gauge cluster; its steering wheel now also has touch controls; and you can choose between 30 colors of ambient lighting.
Fundamentally, the Forester’s tech feels a little bit behind the curve, by comparison. Its base 6.5-inch touchscreen is modest at best, while the 8.0-inch system in Limited and Touring models and available on Sport and Wilderness is better (and better-looking) in pretty much every respect. Charging and inputs are via USB-A and at the center console, while top Limited models get navigation powered by TomTom and Harman Kardon audio.
In terms of the overall look and feel of the interior, the Tiguan and Forester interiors couldn’t be more different with essentially the same space. Firm, well-bolstered seats and down-to-business switchgear greet you in the Tiguan with refreshing straightforwardness, yet there’s an austere anonymity to the interface points and a thrifty feel to the switchgear. By comparison, the Forester has channeled more of the fashionable outdoorsy look and feel of Subaru’s Outback cabin in its latest iteration. With the panoramic sunroof, it feels like it keeps to a consistent design mission, which is major progress from Subarus of the past.
Advantage: Tiguan, if you’re OK with a lack of charm.
2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness
2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness
2022 Volkswagen Tiguan
2022 Volkswagen Tiguan
Which is better: Forester or Tiguan?
The Volkswagen Tiguan achieves a TCC Rating of 6.3 out of 10 (how we rate cars), while the Subaru Forester earns 6.5. These models are both great values, but working up from wants or needs it’s a strange comparison as these vehicles typically appeal to two completely different sets of buyers. If you’re fine without all-wheel drive and would like the pinch-hit convenience of a third row, the Tiguan hits a sweet spot, provided its austere cabin feel works. On the other hand, if you fashion yourself good for getting out into nature on the weekends and see all-wheel drive as a must-have, the Forester’s the way to go.
