Compare the2026 Honda PassportVS 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Honda Passport has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Passport deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Passport’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Tiguan’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Passport. But it costs extra on the Tiguan.

The Honda Passport TrailSport Elite’s Multi-View Camera System is available with washers for its front and rear cameras, ensuring crystal-clear visibility in any weather condition. Conversely, the Volkswagen Tiguan only offers a rear camera washer, which may not provide the same level of all-weather performance.

The Passport’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Passport and the Tiguan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The Honda Passport weighs 468 to 1142 pounds more than the Volkswagen Tiguan. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Passport is much safer than the Tiguan:

	Passport	Tiguan
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	POOR

The Honda Passport has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Tiguan is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.

Warranty

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the Passport 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Tiguan. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Tiguan ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Passport’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Tiguan’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are over 69 percent more Honda dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Passport’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Passport second among midsize suvs in their 2025 Initial Quality Study. The Tiguan isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 46 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in long-term dependability. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Volkswagen is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda fourth in overall reliability. Volkswagen is ranked 18th.

Engine

The Passport’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 84 more horsepower (285 vs. 201) and 55 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 207) than the Tiguan’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Passport’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 84 more horsepower (285 vs. 201) and 41 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 221) than the Tiguan’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Passport’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 17 more horsepower (285 vs. 268) and 4 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 258) than the Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Passport’s fuel efficiency. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The Passport has 4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Tiguan FWD’s standard fuel tank (18.5 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Passport has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Tiguan AWD’s standard fuel tank (18.5 vs. 15.6 gallons).

The Passport has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system or a tether to prevent losing the cap.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Passport higher (7 out of 10) than the Volkswagen Tiguan (6). This means the Passport produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Tiguan every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Honda Passport, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Tiguan.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Passport	Tiguan	Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	12 inches	13.4 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	11.8 inches	12.2 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Passport has larger standard tires than the Tiguan (265/60R18 vs. 215/65R17). The Passport TrailSport’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Tiguan (275/60R18 vs. 255/40R20).

The Passport’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Tiguan’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Passport has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Tiguan.

The Passport has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Tiguan doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Passport offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Tiguan; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Passport’s wheelbase is 3.7 inches longer than on the Tiguan (113.6 inches vs. 109.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Passport is 5.8 inches wider in the front and 6.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Tiguan.

For greater off-road capability the Passport has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Tiguan (8.3 vs. 7 inches), allowing the Passport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The front grille of the Passport uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Tiguan doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Passport has 15.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Tiguan (119.1 vs. 103.8).

The Passport has 1 inch more front headroom, .9 inches more front legroom, 3.9 inches more front hip room, 4.9 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear headroom, .7 inches more rear legroom, 4.1 inches more rear hip room and 6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Tiguan.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Passport’s rear seats recline. The Tiguan’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Tiguan with its rear seat up (44 vs. 33.8 cubic feet). The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Tiguan with its rear seat folded (83.8 vs. 69.8 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Passport. The Tiguan doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Passport’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Tiguan’s (5000 vs. 1500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Honda service is better than Volkswagen. J.D. Power ranks Honda 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 52% lower rating, Volkswagen is ranked 31st.

Ergonomics

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Passport has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Tiguan only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Passport to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Tiguan doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Passport’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Tiguan offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Compared to the Volkswagen Tiguan, the Honda Passport eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its standard integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

The Passport TrailSport has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

According to iSeeCars.com the 2025 Honda Passport retains 54.21% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 52.24% resale value of the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan after five years, which can save the Honda’s owner.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda Passport, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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