Jeep Liberty vs Volkswagen Tiguan 01/26/2011
At first glance, the Jeep Liberty and Volkswagen Tiguan couldn't be more different. Just in the name alone, "Liberty" was obviously chosen to appeal directly to Americans, while the German heritage of the Tiguan name suggests a more foreign sensibility.
Yet when one looks at the cars side-by-side, they're quite similar in many aspects. Both are on the small side for SUVs, and they're each available for less than $24,000, with the Tiguan at $23,720 and the Liberty at $23,250.
As budget SUVs, both vehicles have sparse interiors. The Liberty features a free trial of satellite radio, while the Tiguan offers Bluetooth connectivity. It's worth noting that the Tiguan can be tricked out with an iPod hookup, heated seats and dual climate control, but doing so bumps the price up considerably.
Under the hood is where the two vehicles really diverge. The Liberty utilizes a V6, while the Tiguan pushes its inline-four to the max. That gives the Liberty better performance, with 10 more horsepower and nearly 30 more lb-ft of torque. However, the Tiguan holds the edge in fuel economy, which helps it close the price gap.
In the end, it's extremely close deciding between the two vehicles, but the Liberty comes out on top thanks to its powertrain warranty, which runs until 100,000 miles compared to the Tiguan's 60,000 pledge.