Compare the2026 Nissan RogueVS 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Rogue are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Nissan Rogue 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.

The Rogue’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 Rogue and the Tiguan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, front seat center airbag, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

Nissan’s powertrain warranty covers the Rogue 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 Rogue’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Tiguan’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are over 68 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Rogue’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Rogue has a standard 720-amp battery. The Tiguan’s 360-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Rogue third among compact 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 Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan second in initial quality, above the industry average. With 56 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 26th, below the industry 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 Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen With 70 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Nissan higher than Volkswagen.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 6 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

The Rogue’s 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder produces 18 lbs.-ft. more torque (225 vs. 207) than the Tiguan’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Rogue’s 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder produces 4 lbs.-ft. more torque (225 vs. 221) than the Tiguan’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

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

The Rogue 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.

The Rogue has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a CVT.

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

For better traction, the Rogue has larger tires than the Tiguan (235/65R17 vs. 215/65R17).

The Rogue 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.

For better maneuverability, the Rogue’s turning circle is 2.7 feet tighter than the Tiguan’s (35.4 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Rogue has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Tiguan (8.2 vs. 7 inches), allowing the Rogue to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Rogue has 1.6 inches more front headroom, 1.3 inches more front legroom, .1 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear hip room and .2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Tiguan.

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

The Rogue has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Tiguan with its rear seat up (36.5 vs. 26.5 cubic feet). The Rogue has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Tiguan with its rear seat folded (74.1 vs. 58.9 cubic feet).

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Rogue 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 Rogue to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Tiguan doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

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

Consumer Reports® recommends the Nissan Rogue, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Rogue first among compact suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Tiguan isn’t in the top three.

The Nissan Rogue outsold the Volkswagen Tiguan by almost three to one during 2024.