Volkswagen Tiguan (2009) vs. Toyota Highlander (2015) Specs

vs.

◆

2009 Volkswagen Tiguan and 2015 Toyota Highlander Specifications

Model Year	2009	2015
Model	Volkswagen Tiguan	Toyota Highlander
Engine	turbocharged 2.0L I4 DOHC-4v 200 hp@5100 207 lb-ft@1700	3.5L V6 DOHC-4v 270 hp@6200 248 lb-ft@4700
Transmission	6-speed shiftable automatic	6-speed shiftable automatic
Drivetrain	AWD	AWD
Body	4dr SUV	4dr SUV
			Difference
Wheelbase	102.5 in	109.8 in	-7.3 in
Length	174.3 in	191.1 in	-16.8 in
Width	71.2 in	75.8 in	-4.6 in
Height	66.3 in	68.1 in	-1.8 in
Curb Weight	3631 lb.	4454 lb.	-823 lb.
Fuel Capacity	16.8 gal.	19.2 gal.	-2.4 gal.
Headroom, Row 1	39.1 in	40.7 in	-1.6 in
Shoulder Room, Row 1	56.2 in	59.3 in	-3.1 in
Hip Room, Row 1	0.0 in	57.2 in	-57.2 in
Legroom, Row 1	40.1 in	44.2 in	-4.1 in
Headroom, Row 2	39.0 in	39.9 in	-0.9 in
Shoulder Room, Row 2	54.8 in	59.6 in	-4.8 in
Hip Room, Row 2	0.0 in	57.1 in	-57.1 in
Legroom, Row 2	35.8 in	38.4 in	-2.6 in
Headroom, Row 3	0.0 in	35.9 in	-35.9 in
Shoulder Room, Row 3	0.0 in	55.0 in	-55 in
Hip Room, Row 3	0.0 in	45.6 in	-45.6 in
Legroom, Row 3	0.0 in	27.7 in	-27.7 in
Total Legroom	75.9 in (over 2 rows)	110.3 in (over 3 rows)	-34.4 in
Cargo Volume, Minimum	23.8 ft³	13.8 ft³	10 ft³
Cargo Volume, Behind R2	23.0 ft³	42.3 ft³	-19.3 ft³
Cargo Volume, Maximum	56.1 ft³	83.7 ft³	-27.6 ft³

2009 Volkswagen Tiguan Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year	Body/Powertrain	Comment
2009	4dr SUV turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD	Seats slide back and forth to change cargo vs passenger space for flexible loads. Lots of leg room. Panoramic sunroof and air vent makes it a pleasure. see full Volkswagen Tiguan review
2009	4dr SUV turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD	Plenty room! almost like the big Ford Expedition! see full Volkswagen Tiguan review
2009	4dr SUV turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD	Well designed, nice sitting position, like a front seat. Lots of leg room. Seat is comfortable. see full Volkswagen Tiguan review

2015 Toyota Highlander Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year	Comment
	Toyota replaced the 2013 Highlander's rear struts with control arms to enable a three-inch-wider third-row seat, and then used the extra space to cram in a third seating position. So if you need seats for eight people, only the Highlander will do in this threesome. A top-of-the-line Santa Fe only seats six. Other eight-pass options include the Honda Pilot and GM's large crossovers. But those three people best be small, as the Highlander doesn't have nearly as much rear legroom as the Pathfinder or the Santa Fe. To fit children of even middling size in the third row it's necessary to slide the second row well forward. The second row seat cushion is mounted too low for adult comfort. The Nissan's second row suffers from a similar shortcoming, but the Hyundai's does not. see full Toyota Highlander review

None of our members have yet commented on the seat room and comfort of the 2015 Toyota Highlander.

See TrueDelta's information for all SUVs

See TrueDelta's information for all Volkswagen models.