Ford Explorer vs Volkswagen Tiguan: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (October 2026), the Ford Explorer typically lists for $38,170 against $27,248 for the Volkswagen Tiguan (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Volkswagen Tiguan takes fuel economy (23 MPG combined vs 20 MPG); the Ford Explorer leads on NCAP safety (4.9★ vs 4.4★ average). Overall medians mix very different trims — at the cheapest common trims it's the XLT at $30,549 vs the S at $20,395; see the trim-by-trim tables for a fair match. Every figure below is live market data, not book values.
Head to head
Trim-by-trim prices (last 4 model years)
A fair comparison matches equivalent trims, not overall medians. Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, the Ford Explorer XLT ($30,549) faces the Volkswagen Tiguan S ($20,395); the most common trims on the market are the XLT (33.2% of Ford Explorer listings) and the SE (28.0% of Volkswagen Tiguan listings); at the top of the market, the ST ($45,932) faces the 4MOTION SEL R-LINE BLACK ($28,725). Share = portion of the model's trim-labeled used listings (a supply-side popularity signal: what the market actually stocks and sells most). “Cheapest”/“Priciest” mark the ends of the quotable trim range — trim ladders don't map one-to-one across brands, so this is not a factory base-model claim.
| Ford Explorer | Volkswagen Tiguan | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trim | Typical price | Share | Trim | Typical price | Share |
| XLTMost popularCheapest | $30,549 | 33.2% | SCheapest | $20,395 | 6.1% |
| LIMITED | $31,998 | 5.9% | SE WOLFSBURG EDITION | $21,410 | 4.2% |
| TIMBERLINE | $34,743 | 2.7% | 4MOTION SE WOLFSBURG EDITION | $23,489 | 7.5% |
| ST-LINE | $37,998 | 17.4% | SE R-LINE BLACK | $24,500 | 8.0% |
| ACTIVE | $38,399 | 17.7% | SEMost popular | $25,919 | 28.0% |
| PLATINUM | $44,995 | 6.4% | 4MOTION SE R-LINE BLACK | $26,913 | 8.4% |
| STPriciest | $45,932 | 12.7% | 4MOTION SE | $27,914 | 27.8% |
| TREMOR | $54,899 | 2.7% | 4MOTION SEL R-LINE BLACKPriciest | $28,725 | 4.0% |
Rows are aligned by price position (both sides sorted cheapest-first), not by equivalent equipment — trim names never map one-to-one across brands. Full per-trim detail (price ranges, mileage) is on each model's price page: Ford Explorer prices · Volkswagen Tiguan prices.
Used price by model year
| Year | Ford Explorer typical | Volkswagen Tiguan typical | Difference | Ford Explorer MPG | Volkswagen Tiguan MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $44,410 | $27,248 | Ford Explorer +$17,162 | 19–24 MPG | 25–29 MPG |
| 2025 | $38,170 | $30,434 | Ford Explorer +$7,736 | 20–24 MPG | 25–29 MPG |
| 2024 | $33,998 | $23,605 | Ford Explorer +$10,393 | 20–24 MPG | 24–27 MPG |
| 2023 | $30,995 | $22,289 | Ford Explorer +$8,706 | 20–27 MPG | 24–27 MPG |
| 2022 | $27,371 | $20,000 | Ford Explorer +$7,371 | 19–27 MPG | 24–26 MPG |
| 2021 | $23,288 | $17,074 | Ford Explorer +$6,214 | 19–27 MPG | 24–25 MPG |
| 2020 | $21,398 | $15,983 | Ford Explorer +$5,415 | 19–28 MPG | 23–25 MPG |
| 2019 | $16,998 | $14,494 | Ford Explorer +$2,504 | 18–22 MPG | 24–25 MPG |
| 2018 | $15,667 | $12,514 | Ford Explorer +$3,153 | 18–22 MPG | 22–24 MPG |
| 2017 | $13,695 | $9,995 | Ford Explorer +$3,700 | 18–22 MPG | 21–22 MPG |
| 2016 | $11,995 | $8,999 | Ford Explorer +$2,996 | 18–22 MPG | 22–23 MPG |
| 2015 | $9,999 | $8,390 | Ford Explorer +$1,609 | 18–23 MPG | 22–23 MPG |
| 2014 | $8,995 | $7,900 | Ford Explorer +$1,095 | 18–23 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2013 | $8,250 | $6,995 | Ford Explorer +$1,255 | 18–23 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2012 | $7,995 | $6,995 | Ford Explorer +$1,000 | 19–23 MPG | 21–24 MPG |
| 2011 | $7,343 | $6,500 | Ford Explorer +$843 | 19–20 MPG | 21–22 MPG |
| 2010 | $6,000 | $5,995 | Ford Explorer +$5 | 15–17 MPG | 20–21 MPG |
| 2009 | $6,302 | $5,973 | Ford Explorer +$329 | 15–17 MPG | 20–21 MPG |
Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (October 2026); MPG = EPA combined range across rated versions.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper to buy used — Ford Explorer or Volkswagen Tiguan?
Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Volkswagen Tiguan is cheaper: it typically lists for $27,248 versus $38,170 for the Ford Explorer (national medians, October 2026).
Which gets better fuel economy — Ford Explorer or Volkswagen Tiguan?
The Volkswagen Tiguan: its typical rated version returns 23 MPG combined versus 20 MPG for the Ford Explorer (median across EPA-rated versions of the compared years).
Which is safer — Ford Explorer or Volkswagen Tiguan?
By NCAP overall crash-test rating the Ford Explorer averages 4.9 of 5 stars across rated years versus 4.4 for the Volkswagen Tiguan. Always check the specific model year's rating in the table above.
Which is more reliable — Ford Explorer or Volkswagen Tiguan?
NHTSA lists an average of 10.6 recalls per model year for the Ford Explorer and 3.6 for the Volkswagen Tiguan — an edge for the Volkswagen Tiguan. Recall and complaint counts scale with sales volume, so treat them as context and check any specific car's VIN history.
Which trims should I actually compare?
Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, a Ford Explorer XLT typically lists for $30,549 vs $20,395 for a Volkswagen Tiguan S; the most common trims on the market are the XLT ($30,549, 33.2% of Ford Explorer listings) and the SE ($25,919, 28.0% of Volkswagen Tiguan listings); at the top of the market, the ST ($45,932) faces the 4MOTION SEL R-LINE BLACK ($28,725). Overall medians hide this trim mix — use the trim tables above for a fair match. Trim names never map one-to-one across brands, so "cheapest" means the least expensive trim with a real market share, not the factory base.
https://vehisales.com/research/compare/ford/explorer/vs/volkswagen/tiguan.
Dig deeper
Ford Explorer — live listings & specs Volkswagen Tiguan — live listings & specs Ford Explorer prices by year Volkswagen Tiguan prices by year Ford Explorer MPG by year Volkswagen Tiguan MPG by year
See also: All model comparisons · Best used cars by budget · Used car prices by model.