Toyota RAV4 vs Volkswagen Tiguan: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Toyota RAV4 burns about $1,450 of fuel annually against $2,100 for the Volkswagen Tiguan. That $650 yearly gap compounds to roughly $3,250 over five years and $5,200 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Toyota RAV4 leads in both cycles — 47 mpg city and 40 mpg highway against 26 and 34 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Toyota RAV4 is recorded with 4 distinct engine configurations (SIDI & PFI; Hybrid, SIDI & PFI, SIDI & PFI; with Stop-Start), the Volkswagen Tiguan with 1 (SIDI). Across 72 recorded Toyota RAV4 configurations and 35 for the Volkswagen Tiguan, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Toyota RAV4 is offered with Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive, the Volkswagen Tiguan with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD and Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Toyota RAV4 emits 72 g/mile of CO2 versus 307 g/mile for the Volkswagen Tiguan. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.