Volkswagen Tiguan vs Honda CR-V
Figures updated
The Volkswagen Tiguan and Honda CR-V are two of the UK's most popular family SUVs. We compare the Mk3 (2024–) Tiguan and the Mk6 (2023–) CR-V on price, size, boot space, performance, safety and running costs, plus how reliable each has been across 421,181 real MOT tests.
The short answer
The Volkswagen Tiguan comes out ahead, with the lower price and the bigger boot; the Honda CR-V is close on everything else.
- The Volkswagen Tiguan is the cheapest to buy new: from £39,380, £8,415 less than the Honda CR-V.
- The Volkswagen Tiguan has the biggest boot: 652 litres, 35 more than the Honda CR-V.
- Their MOT records are close: once age and mileage are taken into account, they fail about as often as each other.
- Running costs are close: the petrol versions cost within £41 a year of each other to fuel at 7,500 miles a year.
| Figure | Volkswagen TiguanMk3 (2024–), 5-door SUV | Honda CR-VMk6 (2023–), 5-door SUV |
|---|---|---|
| Price and practicality | ||
| Price newUK list prices, across the range | £39,380 to £49,885October 2026 price list (best) | £47,795 to £51,250October 2026 price list |
| Body | 5-door SUV | 5-door SUV |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| BootSeats up / folded | 652 litres / 1,650 (best) | 617 litres |
| Length | 4,539mm | 4,706mm |
| WidthWithout mirrors | 1,842mm | 1,866mm |
| Height | 1,658mm | 1,684mm |
| Performance | ||
| Power | 130–272 PS (best) | 184 PS |
| 0–62mph | up to 10.2 sec | 9.0–9.3 sec |
| Safety | ||
| Euro NCAP ratingTests get tougher each year | ★★★★★ (2024) | ★★★★★ (2024) |
| Economy and emissions | ||
| Fuel types | Diesel, Hybrid, Petrol, Plug-in hybrid | Hybrid, Plug-in hybrid |
| Official economyVersions of this generation | 32.8–52.3 mpg | 39.2–42.8 mpg |
| CO2 | 9–195 g/km | 19–163 g/km |
| Running costs at 7,500 miles a year | ||
| Petrol or hybrid171.7p a litre, today's UK average | £1,346 (43.5 mpg) | £1,387 (42.2 mpg) |
| Diesel198.4p a litre | £1,293 (52.3 mpg) | – |
| Cheapest version to fuelWhichever fuel costs least | £1,293 (diesel) | £1,387 (petrol) |
| Car tax a yearCars registered from April 2017 | £200£640 in years 2–6 for versions listed over £40,000 | £200£640 in years 2–6 for versions listed over £40,000 |
| Reliability from real MOT tests | ||
| Reliability score | 131Well above average | 134Well above average |
| Failed MOT first time (ages 3–20) | 18.2% (best) | 25.1% |
| Failed at 3 years old | 11.0% | 7.5% (best) |
| Failed at 5 years old | 12.6% | 9.4% (best) |
| Failed at 10 years old | 26.6% | 18.0% (best) |
| Most common MOT fault | Tread depth (2.6% of tests) | Position lamp (2.5% of tests) |
| Fails more than average on | Nothing stands out | Nothing stands out |
| MOT tests analysed | 232,516 | 188,665 |
| About the cars | ||
| Type | Family SUV | Family SUV |
| Owners' average miles a year | 9,200 | 8,200 |
| On sale | 2024 on | 2023 on |
Green marks the better figure where the difference is more than 3%. Reliability figures cover every version of each model tested in the year. Running costs use the typical official economy of recent versions (WLTP where available); real-world economy is usually a little worse for every car.
More comparisons
Frequently asked questions
›Is the Volkswagen Tiguan or the Honda CR-V more reliable?
There's little in it. Once age and mileage are taken into account, both fail their MOT about as often as each other (reliability scores 131 and 134, where 100 is average).
›Which is bigger, the Volkswagen Tiguan or the Honda CR-V?
The Honda CR-V is 167mm longer (4,706mm against 4,539mm). The Volkswagen Tiguan has the bigger boot: 652 litres against 617.
›Which is cheaper to buy, the Volkswagen Tiguan or the Honda CR-V?
The Volkswagen Tiguan: new prices start at £39,380, £8,415 less than the Honda CR-V (from £47,795). These are manufacturer list prices; dealers and brokers often sell for less.
›Which is cheaper to run, the Volkswagen Tiguan or the Honda CR-V?
Comparing petrol versions, fuel costs are within £41 a year of each other at 7,500 miles, using typical official economy and current UK average fuel prices.
›Which is safer, the Volkswagen Tiguan or the Honda CR-V?
Euro NCAP gave the Volkswagen Tiguan 5 stars (2024) and the Honda CR-V 5 stars (2024). Euro NCAP makes its tests tougher every few years, so ratings from different years aren't directly comparable.
›Should I buy the Volkswagen Tiguan or the Honda CR-V?
The Volkswagen Tiguan comes out ahead, with the lower price and the bigger boot; the Honda CR-V is close on everything else. The comparison above sets out price, space, performance, safety, running costs and reliability side by side.
Sources: manufacturers' UK specifications and price lists and Euro NCAP (listed on each model's page); DVSA anonymised MOT tests 2024 (Open Government Licence v3.0); Vehicle Certification Agency car fuel data, © Crown copyright, VCA cannot accept liability for its accuracy; fuel prices from the GOV.UK Fuel Finder scheme. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each picture.