What is the best year for a Volkswagen Tiguan?

The 2025 Tiguan (31 complaints, 10/10 safety, 1 severe) is the best on record. The 2023-2025 window shows meaningful improvement. Avoid 2018 (274 complaints) and 2022 (234 complaints), which coincide with generation transitions. For used buying, 2023 or newer is the safest range.

How much does Volkswagen Tiguan insurance cost?

Tiguan insurance averages around $2,004/year — about $167/month. Competitive for the compact class, despite significantly higher maintenance costs.

Is the Volkswagen Tiguan or Honda CR-V cheaper to maintain?

The CR-V is cheaper to maintain by $323/year — $407 versus $730 for the Tiguan, roughly $1,615 in savings over five years. The CR-V also has a significantly higher reliability score (9 vs. 6) and a repair frequency of 30% versus 92%. The maintenance cost gap between these two is among the largest in the compact class.

Should I buy an extended warranty for a Volkswagen Tiguan?

A repair frequency of 92% — the highest of any compact SUV — combined with a reliability score of 6 makes extended warranty coverage a strong recommendation, particularly for used models. The probability of an unscheduled repair in any given year is nearly a statistical certainty; warranty coverage helps control what those visits cost.

Is the Honda CR-V expensive to maintain?

The CR-V averages $407/year in maintenance costs — $114 below the compact segment average of $521. Its 9/10 reliability score and 9% major repair probability are both better than the class averages of 8 and 11% respectively. Repair frequency of 30% matches the segment average, but the combination of low cost per visit and a below-average major-repair risk makes it the strongest long-term ownership value in the compact class.

What is the best year for a Honda CR-V?

The 2022 CR-V is the strongest used buy. It sits at the mature end of the fifth generation — after Honda resolved the early oil dilution complaints that plagued 2017–2019 models — with just 216 complaints and only 8 severe issues on record. The 2020–2022 range is generally clean. Strongly avoid the 2017–2018 model years; they generated over 1,700 and 2,000 complaints respectively, driven by a well-documented 1.5T engine oil dilution problem.

How much does Honda CR-V insurance cost?

The CR-V averages about $1,951/year to insure — roughly $163/month. That's among the lower rates in the compact SUV class, reflecting its strong safety scores and moderate repair costs. Actual rates vary by trim, model year, and driver profile, but the CR-V is consistently a favorable quote for buyers prioritizing low total cost of ownership.

Is the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4 cheaper to maintain?

The CR-V and RAV4 are nearly identical in maintenance cost — $407/year versus $429/year — a difference of about $22 annually. Over five years that's roughly $110, which is negligible. The CR-V holds a slight reliability edge (9 vs. 8) and a lower major repair probability (9% vs. 10%), but both are among the most cost-efficient compact SUVs you can buy.

Should I buy an extended warranty for a Honda CR-V?

For most buyers, no. The CR-V's 9% major repair probability is below the compact class average, and its 9/10 reliability score means you're statistically unlikely to need expensive unscheduled repairs. The exception: if you're buying a used 2017–2019 model, coverage is worth taking seriously given the documented engine issues from that generation. For 2020 and newer, self-insuring is the smarter financial move.

Volkswagen Tiguan vs Honda CR-V

Two compact SUVs compared on the numbers that matter — maintenance cost, reliability, and insurance.

// VERDICT

Our verdict

Buy the Volkswagen Tiguan if its specific features or size suit your needs better.

Buy the Honda CR-V — lower 5-year cost and better reliability.

// COST HEAD TO HEAD

Maintenance and ownership cost

	Volkswagen Tiguan	Honda CR-V
Annual maintenance	$730	$407winner
5-year total cost	$3,650	$2,035winner
Reliability score	6 / 10	9 / 10winner
Major repair risk (5yr)	12%	9%winner
Cargo space	—	76.5 cu ft
Starting price (new)	$32,200winner	$33,500
Best years to buy	2010	2013, 2014, 2015

// RELIABILITY

Which is more reliable?

	Volkswagen Tiguan	Honda CR-V
RepairPal score	6 / 10	9 / 10winner
NHTSA complaints / 100k	183.9winner	186
Years to avoid	2018, 2022	2017, 2018, 2019
Value retained · 3 yr	71.9%	86.7%winner
Value retained · 5 yr	55.8%	71.1%winner
Value retained · 7 yr	43.6%	58%winner

// COMMON PROBLEMS

What breaks — and what it costs

	Volkswagen Tiguan	Honda CR-V
Engine	29.0%	19.3%winner
Electrical	10.6%	8.7%winner
ADAS	12.5%winner	16.6%
Brakes	3.8%winner	4.0%
Steering	3.6%winner	11.6%
Fuel system	3.6%winner	8.1%
Tires/Wheels	—winner	2.0%
Glass/Windows	2.8%winner	3.4%
Airbags	10.8%	8.1%winner
Lighting	2.8%	—winner
Seatbelt	1.8%	1.0%winner

One major repair on either model can run $1,500–4,000. A warranty caps your exposure, especially on known problem years.

// INSURANCE

Which is cheaper to insure?

	Volkswagen Tiguan	Honda CR-V
Avg annual premium	$2,004	$1,951winner

// FULL MODEL PAGES

GAS

Volkswagen Tiguan

$730/yr maint · 6 reliability

Full model page

GAS

Honda CR-V

$407/yr maint · 9 reliability

Full model page

// FAQ

Common questions

The Tiguan costs $730/year to maintain — $209 above the compact segment average of $521. Repair frequency of 92% means statistically, nearly every Tiguan owner makes at least one unscheduled shop visit per year — roughly three times the compact class average of 30%. Reliability score of 6 is well below the class average of 8. It is the highest-maintenance model in the compact segment by a wide margin.

How we calculated this. Maintenance costs and reliability scores from RepairPal. Complaints and recalls from NHTSA. Fuel economy from the EPA. Insurance averages from CarEdge. Pricing from KBB. Depreciation from iSeeCars. Full methodology →