The 2025 Subaru Forester and 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan may appear similar in their clean, understated design and boxy upright profile, but these compact crossovers distinguish themselves on size and safety. The Tiguan measures out to nearly midsize proportions, larger enough to wedge in a third row on some front-wheel-drive models, while Subaru loads the Forester with advanced safety features and standard all-wheel drive. 

Undecided? Here’s how these two models measure up.

Subaru Forester vs. Volkswagen Tiguan prices and features

• Subaru Forester costs $31,090 with AWD
• VW Tiguan nears $32,000 with AWD, or about $30,000 without it
• 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. The $31,090 base Forester has dual 7.0-inch touchscreens for infotainment and navigation, along with wired smartphone compatibility, but every other model upgrades to a tablet-style 11.6-inch touchscreen with wireless smartphone compatibility. The $33,390 Premium is the value play without sacrificing the latest comfort and convenience features, such as USB-A and USB-C ports, a wifi hotspot, heated front seats and side mirrors, a 10-way power driver’s seat, roof rails, a sunroof, and an off-road mode with hill descent control. 

For weekend adventurers, consider the extra deep snow/mud mode on the $35,890 Sport model, and the interior has more personality. The lifted suspension on the Wilderness might tempt some adventurers and it’s only $500 more than the Sport. The top Touring model features all of Subaru’s nicest materials, including perforated leather upholstery and Harman Kardon audio, but at $41,390 it’s a step too steep. 

How much is a Volkswagen Tiguan?

Offered in S, SE, SE R-Line Black, and SEL R-Line, the Tiguan runs from $30,305, including a $1,425 destination fee, to $40,305 for the SEL R-Line. That top model comes standard with all-wheel drive; otherwise, it’s a $1,500 add on.S models have heated front seats, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, cloth upholstery, and 17-inch alloy wheels. 

We recommend the $33,005 SE grade for its 18-inch wheels, power tailgate, remote start, wireless device charging, satellite radio, and power driver seat, vinyl upholstery, and a dual-zone climate system. Top SEL versions cost $40,305 and get an upgraded 10.3-inch (instead of 8.0-inch) touchscreen infotainment system, more driver-assist features such as park assist and parking sensors, a leather heated steering wheel, leather upholstery, and 20-inch wheels.

Overall, the Forester is a better deal, but Volkswagen has a better 4-year/50,000-mile warranty with two years of scheduled maintenance. 

Advantage: The Subaru Forester.

Volkswagen Tiguan vs. Subaru Forester size, seating capacity, and cargo space

• Tiguan offers up to three rows and seats seven, in a pinch
• Only front-wheel-drive Tiguans have the third row
• Forester is only a two-row, five-passenger layout

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  the Tiguan has a longer, nearly 110-inch wheelbase that affords it more passenger space.

The big difference between these two models is Volkswagen wedges in a third row but only on front-wheel-drive versions of the Tiguan. It can seat up to seven passengers to the Forester’s five. 

With only 27.9 inches of third-row legroom, however, the Tiguan’s wayback is best used for short carpool trips or in emergency situations. It’s neither easy enough for adults to get into nor spacious enough to mount a child seat easily but it could make sense for caregivers that might have to tote the visiting rugrats around for a weekend. That third row also takes away some of the legroom in the second row, which measures at 36.6 inches, which is more than two inches less than the second row in the all-wheel-drive Tiguan. Still, its boxy roof and generous proportions leave plenty of room for heads, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes, and the front seats have plenty of support. 

The Forester does it even better, at least for four adult passengers and second-row legroom of 39.4 inches. The low beltline and high ceiling combine for a wide-open greenhouse that not only makes it safer but lends it greater airiness than most other compact crossovers, the Tiguan included.  

Cargo volume follows a similar story. Both models have big openings with a low load floor that dogs and backs appreciate. The Tiguan has 37.6 cubic feet of space behind the second row, but the addition of the third row shrinks that space to 12.0 cubic feet. The Forester has 29.6 cubic feet of space. 

Advantage: Tiguan, for the occasional third row.

Volkswagen Tiguan vs. Subaru Forester performance

• Tiguan has a 184-hp, 2.0-liter turbo-4 and 8-speed automatic 
• Forester has a 180-hp 2.5-liter flat-4 with a CVT
• Forester has an off-road performance edge and includes AWD
• Tiguan offers a slight ride-and-handling (and refinement) edge

How fast is the VW Tiguan? Is the VW Tiguan 4WD?

The Volkswagen Tiguan is powered by a 184-hp, 2.0-liter turbo-4 that pairs quite well with the 8-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is an option on all  but the top SEL R-Line grade, where it is standard. 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. 

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 it has 7.9 inches of ground clearance.

How fast is the Subaru Forester? Is the Subaru Forester 4WD?

The Subaru Forester makes 180 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. The CVT mimics 8 gears and with the available paddle shifters, drivers can take control for higher revs during a passing move. It isn’t one for speed or for quick reflexes but it rides quiet. Subaru’s all-wheel-drive system is tenacious and confident in everything from gravel to snow, and it’s included in the whole lineup. 

The Forester has more off-road capability, and the Wilderness model builds off of that with an extra half-inch of ground clearance—9.2 inches in all, with better off-road angles. It has 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. 

How much can the Subaru Forester tow?

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. 

How much can the VW Tiguan tow?

The Tiguan is also only approved to tow up to 1,500 pounds, according to VW. 

Advantage: Forester off road, Tiguan on it.

Subaru Forester vs. Volkswagen Tiguan fuel economy

• Most Foresters get 26 mpg city, 33 highway, 29 combined
• Most Tiguans with all-wheel drive get 22/29/25 mpg
• No hybrids here for either model

Don’t go looking for a hybrid here; there’s nothing yielding very great gas mileage in either case. 

Is the Subaru Forester good on gas?

Most of the Forester lineup achieves EPA ratings of 26 mpg city, 33 highway, 29 combined, which is above average for an all-wheel drive crossover. 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. 

Is the Volkswagen Tiguan good on gas?

The Volkswagen Tiguan can’t match the Forester in efficiency, with AWD models netting 22/29/25 mpg. Front-wheel drive is more efficient at 23/30/26 mpg, but that pales to the AWD Forester. Tiguan R-Line models with the bigger wheels and tires get just 22/29/24 mpg.

Advantage: Subaru Forester.

Subaru Forester vs. Volkswagen Tiguan safety

• Tiguan earns a four-star safety rating from the NHTSA and doesn’t qualify for a Top Safety Pick from the IIHS
• Forester makes the IIHS Top Safety Pick list
• The Forester is safer and has greater outward vision

How safe is the Subaru Forester?

The Forester earns top marks from the IIHS and the NHTSA, and it comes with a more advanced suite of driver-assist features that includes three cameras to capture more activity on the front and sides of the car. Other standard safety features include adaptive LED headlights with automatic high beams and a rear-seat reminder. Blind-spot monitors cost extra here, but the Forester’s slim roof pillars and high driver’s seat grant it great, mostly unobstructed views out front and over the shoulder. 

How safe is the Volkswagen Tiguan?

Volkswagen equips the Tiguan with more active driver-assist systems, including active lane control, adaptive cruise control, active blind-spot monitors with steering support, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking, and emergency assist if the driver becomes unresponsive.

But safety regulators found fault with the Tiguan in crash testing, with the NHTSA giving it an unusual four-star crash rating and faulting its side impact protection. It fared better in tests by the IIHS, yet it didn’t qualify for a Top Safety Pick due to a “Marginal” rating for its automatic emergency braking system and only “Acceptable” headlights. 

Advantage: Subaru Forester.

Volkswagen Tiguan vs. Subaru Forester interior and tech

• Most Foresters have an 11.6-inch touchscreen
• 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. The Tiguan gets an 8.0-inch touchscreen with multiple-phone pairing 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 and you can choose between 30 colors of ambient lighting. 

The base Forester has two 7.0-inch screens that we’d skip for the vertically-oriented 11.6-inch touchscreen that houses not only the infotainment system but most climate and vehicle drive controls. Temperature and defrost buttons flank either side, as do volume and tuning knobs, in a surround of glossy black plastic, and Subaru has made the lower part of the touchscreen a permanent climate panel. Still, it can be narrow, and more to fidget with than a traditional fan speed dial. 

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. 

Advantage: Subaru Forester.

Which is better: Forester or Tiguan?

The Volkswagen Tiguan achieves a TCC Rating of 6.0 out of 10 (how we rate cars), while the Subaru Forester earns a 6.2. We expect that to improve to a 6.8 once its safety rating is finalized. These models are both great values, but Subaru packages more equipment, standard all-wheel drive, and a stellar safety record, in addition to genuine off-road capability. The Tiguan might ride a little better, and its available third row might appeal to some shoppers, but the Forester is the better overall package. 

Winner: Subaru Forester