2025 Dodge Durango vs 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan

The 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan presented itself as a visually appealing compact SUV, exuding a sense of European sophistication that set it apart from its non-European competitors. The exterior design, featuring standard LED headlights and taillights, along with an illuminated grille light line on the SEL R-Line, contributed to its premium appearance. The model name was prominently displayed in all-caps at the rear, accompanied by the classic Volkswagen badge. However, the color options were somewhat limited, with the base trim only available in grayscale, and specific color combinations restricted by trim levels.

Inside, the Tiguan offered a range of features across its trims. The base Tiguan S included heated front seats and cloth upholstery, while the SE trim added leatherette upholstery, an eight-way power driver's seat, dual-zone climate control, and a power tailgate. The SE R-Line featured a panoramic sunroof, and the top-tier SEL R-Line boasted real leather upholstery, front-seat ventilation, a heated steering wheel, and three-position driver's seat memory. The SEL R-Line also provided eight-way power adjustability for the front passenger seat, enhancing comfort and convenience.

The 2025 Dodge Durango, particularly in the SRT Hellcat Premium trim with the Silver Bullet special edition package, showcased a bold and aggressive exterior design. The satin black hood, unique wheels, dark badges, and black exhaust tips added a distinctive visual attitude to the SUV. The Triple Nickel paint further enhanced its striking appearance. Inside, the Durango SRT Hellcat featured dark red premium Nappa leather seat faces, a suede headliner, a leather and suede steering wheel wrap, and forged carbon fiber trim. While the interior felt solidly constructed, some plastic surfaces detracted from the overall premium feel.

The 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan came equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, delivering 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. Paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, the Tiguan offered front-wheel drive as standard, with the option to upgrade to Volkswagen's 4Motion all-wheel drive for an additional $1,500 on lower trims. The AWD system slightly impacted fuel economy, reducing the base Tiguan S's combined mpg from 27 to 25. The sporty R-Line AWD trims were rated at 24 mpg combined. During testing, the Tiguan SEL R-Line exhibited inconsistent power delivery, with noticeable turbo and transmission lag. The steering felt light and rubbery, but visibility and handling were commendable, contributing to a maneuverable driving experience.

In contrast, the 2025 Dodge Durango offered a range of powerful engine options. The Durango GT featured a 295-horsepower 3.6-liter V6, while the R/T boasted a 360-hp 5.7-liter V8. The SRT Hellcat, however, stole the show with its 710-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V8, producing 645 pound-feet of torque. This powerhouse accelerated to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds, reached a top speed of 180 mph, and had a towing capacity of up to 8,700 pounds. Despite its impressive performance, the Durango SRT Hellcat suffered from poor fuel economy, with an EPA rating of 12/17/13 mpg in city/highway/combined driving. The SUV's full-time AWD system, electronic limited-slip rear differential, and high-performance exhaust system contributed to its dynamic driving experience, while the competition-tuned adaptive damping suspension, performance steering, and Brembo brakes ensured exceptional handling.

The 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan offered a practical interior layout, with the AWD models seating five and providing ample cargo space. The two-row configuration allowed for 37.6 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats in place, expanding to 73.4 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. In the three-row Tiguan, cargo space was reduced to 12 cubic feet behind the third row, 33 cubic feet with it folded, and 65.3 cubic feet with only the front seats in position. Passenger space remained largely unaffected, with the driver and front passenger enjoying up to 39.6 inches of headroom and 40.2 inches of legroom. The second row offered 38.7 inches of legroom, while the third row, if equipped, provided 33.8 inches of headroom and 27.9 inches of legroom.

The 2025 Dodge Durango excelled in interior space and functionality. The SRT Hellcat Premium trim featured heated and ventilated front seats with Nappa premium leather, providing comfort and support. The heated second-row captain's chairs offered a proper backrest angle and good leg support, with sufficient legroom for taller passengers. The large center console between the captain's chairs provided ample storage, and rear passengers had access to climate controls, air vents, USB charging ports, and a household-style power outlet. The third-row seat offered enough room for adults, with a high and supportive seating position. The Durango's cargo space included 17.2 cubic feet behind the third row, expanding to 43.3 cubic feet with the third row folded, and a maximum volume of 85.1 cubic feet.

The 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan featured haptic touch slider buttons for climate control, which were responsive and easy to operate. However, the physical volume knob's integrated on/off button proved to be a minor annoyance. The infotainment system relied on nearly monochromatic graphics, accessed through an 8-inch center touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The base Tiguan S had a 6.5-inch touchscreen and two USB-C ports, while higher trims offered four USB-C ports and wireless charging. Volkswagen's Digital Cockpit System was standard, with the SEL R-Line featuring a fully configurable 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro screen. The nine-speaker Fender Premium Audio System on the SEL R-Line received positive feedback from audiophiles.

The 2025 Dodge Durango came equipped with the Uconnect 5 infotainment system, featuring a 10.1-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a native navigation system. The system included SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, Dodge Connect and SiriusXM Guardian subscription services, and a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. The Alpine premium sound system was standard in the SRT Hellcat, but the test vehicle featured a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The SRT Hellcat also included SRT Performance Pages, allowing drivers to track acceleration, speed, lap times, and g-forces. The voice recognition system worked well, though it occasionally required more specificity.

The 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan earned a 2022 Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS, and its safety features improved for 2024 with the standard inclusion of Volkswagen's IQ.DRIVE suite. This suite offered adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capabilities, active blind-spot monitoring, Lane Assist, Travel Assist, and Emergency Assist. Additional safety features included rain-sensing wipers, rear cross-traffic alert, an automatic post-collision braking system, and forward collision warning with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking. Park Distance Control became standard at the SE R-Line Black trim level.

The 2025 Dodge Durango's safety features were less impressive, with a short list of standard features including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sensors. Upgrades included adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and front parking sensors. The Durango received a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with a three-star rollover resistance rating for AWD models. The IIHS's small overlap frontal-impact test results were concerning, and the Durango had not been assessed in newer evaluations.