2020 Volkswagen Tiguan

One could easily lament the negative aspects of the engine's performance, but it's not all bad for the Tiguan; it's lazy, but not clumsy. It is quite obvious that the ultimate objective of this SUV is sophisticated practicality, which it certainly delivers. The Tiguan brings a satisfying and enjoyable drive - it's noticeably more relaxed and it navigates potholes with casual indifference. Although the FWD model will show slightly less confidence, and the choice of optional 20-inch wheels will result in a firmer ride, adaptive dampers soak up bumps with no sharp edges in sight. The brakes take some getting used to with a soft pedal feel that may require a little more stomping when you need to stop, but they definitely get the job done. Overall, the ride and handling is very pleasant and doesn't disappoint.

For those who live in regions where the tarmac isn't all that great or snow is a regular problem to deal with, multiple driving modes are available on 4Motion-equipped models, including on-road, off-road, and snow mode functionality. However, with slightly less than eight inches of ground clearance, you shouldn't expect an all-terrain dominator, and the greatest test of its drive is in the urban jungle.

If you're in the market for a comfortable, safe, reliable and elegant SUV, the Tiguan is a winner. If you're looking for a fun drive or nippy acceleration from your daily commute, this is not the car for you. The interior is great, the ride is comfortable and the standard technology is generous. This SUV is also very easy on the eyes: it's conservative, graceful and the exterior design is impressive. Add to that that it's also exceptionally safe, boasting an award from the one of the USA's authorities, which is the highest honor given in terms of safety, and it seems like a winner.

But with cramped seating, less than stellar performance, and gas mileage that falls below the class best, it's a good crossover, but not exactly one of the elites. The new CR-V, for instance, is a better jack of all trades, and master of some too, while the RAV4 is spacious, safe, and vastly more capable. This time around, it's a miss from us, but if you don't feel like going with the masses, it's not the worst buy in the segment.

The Honda CR-V has long been the benchmark in the compact crossover segment, and for good reason. Although it may lack the seven-seat capacity of the Tiguan, the five it can accommodate are housed in spacious accommodation, surrounded by high-quality materials. There's also a few cubes more cargo volume to be found in the Honda, and the turbo 1.5-liter engine delivers better real-world performance and better gas mileage to boot. The CR-V is enjoyable to drive and equally as loaded with safety features as the Tiguan, however, it can't match the Volkwagen's intuitive infotainment system, even if the capabilities are almost identical. While the Volkswagen has style, the CR-V has far more substance, making it the better compact crossover.

The Atlas is essentially Volkswagen's bigger, more expensive take on the Tiguan with a substantial number of similarities between the two models, including a third row of seats and MQB underpinnings. However, with the Atlas classified as midsize, there's a lot more space in the rearmost seats, and all seats for that matter. The big selling point with the Atlas is that it dominates its competitors with outright interior space. The Tiguan has the upper hand in terms of safety, boasting a Top Safety Pick+ award from IIHS, where the Atlas missed out. The Atlas has a selection of two engines, though, with a 2.0-liter turbo-four making up the basic setup, while an available V6 provides more power, greater towing capacity, and more refinement - at the expense of gas mileage, of course - where the Tiguan beats it by some margin. Price is the biggest differentiator between the two, however, with $6,600 separating the two at a base level. But for the extra money, the Atlas is a lot more Volkwagen and is our pick overall.