Test Nissan Qashqai and Volkswagen Tiguan: which is the best SUV if you like comfort?

Many people buy their car with their eyes; It's not for nothing that car brands pay a lot of attention to the design. Pro forma, prospective buyers make another round of the church, after which the conclusion is quickly: 'it drives quite well'. We previously preferred the Nissan Qashqai in terms of motor. Our advice if you plan to use your car regularly for longer distances: take a long test drive, try how much luggage fits in it and take the whole family with you. That's the only way to rate the car as a long-haul cruiser.

Nissan Qashqai reacts sensitively

Also in terms of comfort you often learn more about your car than when you only drive Dutch chicken ends. Are the seats still comfortable after 800 kilometers in one day? And how does the chassis perform on a surface that looks more like a pockmarked minefield than a tight Dutch billiard cloth?

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To start with the Nissan Qashqai: its springs and shock absorbers react particularly sensitively to unevenness. Yet they do not go unnoticed by the occupants, because the car is quite agile. Incidentally, the Qashqai responds slightly more pleasantly to bumps and potholes when loaded than with only the driver on board. In that respect it is a great holiday car.

Tiguan on bumpy ground

The Volkswagen Tiguan behaves less like a toddler with itchy buttocks on a bumpy surface. Closer inspection of the specification list reveals that the Volkswagen is cheating a bit. Our test car is equipped with adaptive shock absorbers for an additional cost of 990 euros. Especially on the cobblestones of those oh so picturesque Belgian and French country roads, the Dynamic Chassis Control of the Volkswagen Tiguan proves its services.

Just like the fine Ergo-Active seats by the way, only you have to pay extra for that. The rear passengers of the Tiguan are happy with the split-sliding rear seats. On the furniture of the Nissan you certainly don't get the feeling that you have just sat on a rack. Only the seats of both the front and rear seats are on the short side.

Which SUV is the best for comfort?

In the Nissan Qashqai we are more pleased with the functioning of the climate control, but this does not close the points deficit that he has incurred. We estimate the furniture and chassis of the Volkswagen Tiguan in particular to be slightly higher. There is a price tag, because in the tested versions there is a price gap of more than 10,000 euros between these two. Is the Nissan Qashqai spacious and comfortable enough for you? Then you have a heck of suv to the Japanese.

The full comparison test of the Nissan Qashqai Mild Hybrid 158 against the Volkswagen Tiguan 1.5 TSI, read you in Auto Review 10/2021. Including measurement data, prices and specifications.