Compare the2026 Volkswagen TiguanVS 2026 Acura RDX

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volkswagen Tiguan have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Acura RDX doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 RDX doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

With its standard Front Assist, the Volkswagen Tiguan is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Acura RDX, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Volkswagen Tiguan achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Acura RDX has not been tested.

The Tiguan has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The RDX doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

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 Acura RDX.

Both the Tiguan and RDX have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Tiguan has Rear Traffic Alert (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The RDX’s Rear Cross Traffic Monitor doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Tiguan and the RDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 Tiguan’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the RDX’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Tiguan for 1 year and 8000 miles longer than Acura pays for maintenance for the RDX (2/20,000 vs. 1/12000).

There are over 2 times as many Volkswagen dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Tiguan’s warranty.

The Volkswagen Tiguan’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the RDX’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

As tested in Motor Trend the Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Acura RDX:

On the EPA test cycle the Tiguan gets better mileage than the RDX:

Regenerative brakes improve the Tiguan’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The RDX doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Tiguan uses regular unleaded gasoline. The RDX requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

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

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

The Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the RDX are solid, not vented.

The Tiguan stops much shorter than the RDX:

The Tiguan’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RDX A-Spec’s 45 series tires.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tiguan’s wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer than on the RDX (109.9 inches vs. 108.3 inches).

The Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo handles at .85 G’s, while the RDX pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the RDX (27 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Tiguan’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the RDX’s (38.1 feet vs. 38.9 feet).

The Volkswagen Tiguan may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 50 to 450 pounds less than the Acura RDX.

The Tiguan is 3 inches shorter than the RDX, making the Tiguan easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Tiguan has 1.4 inches more rear headroom, 1.8 inches more rear legroom and 3.4 inches more rear hip room than the RDX.

The Tiguan has a much larger cargo volume than the RDX with its rear seat up (33.8 vs. 31.1 cubic feet).

Maximum trailer towing in the Acura RDX is limited to 1500 pounds. The Tiguan 4Motion® offers up to a 1800 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard trailer stability control on the Tiguan uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The RDX doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the RDX, 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.

The Tiguan’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The RDX’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

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 RDX 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 RDX 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.

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 RDX.

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 RDX.

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 RDX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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

According to iSeeCars.com the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan retains 52.24% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 52.21% resale value of the 2025 Acura RDX after five years, which can save the Volkswagen’s owner up to $7276.91085 in depreciation.

The Volkswagen Tiguan outsold the Acura RDX by over two to one during 2024.