Skoda Karoq vs Volkswagen Tiguan: which is the better used buy?

Neither stands out on the MOT measure. Their first-time MOT pass rates sit 1.3 percentage points apart once each is compared against the national rate for cars of the same age, which is too close to call (we name a winner only at 2 points or more). A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure. The MOT checks safety and emissions items, not the engine, clutch or gearbox, so this is one measure of how each car holds up rather than a full reliability verdict. Pick on the specific faults each is prone to instead.

91.3% of Skoda Karoqs pass their MOT first time (6,182 tests in DVSA's records) and 83.7% of Volkswagen Tiguans pass their MOT first time (26,428 tests). The national first-time rate is 77.3%, but cars of the Skoda Karoq's age average 87.9% and cars of the Volkswagen Tiguan's age 81.6% — so the Skoda Karoq runs 3.4 points better than its age group and the Volkswagen Tiguan runs 2.1 points better than its own. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.

Skoda Karoq: 2017–2018 launch-year 1.5 TSI Karoqs with Active Cylinder Management (ACT) suffered from well-documented kangarooing and stalling at low engine speeds. It is widely reported on UK owner forums, including Briskoda. Skoda issued software updates from 2019, but pre-update cars sometimes still hesitate at junctions. Pre-2019 1.6 TDI cars paired with the DQ200 dry-clutch DSG also have an elevated mechatronic-failure rate above 60,000 miles. The DVSA MOT table on this page rates 2018 registrations above all cars registered that year, so it is not named as a year to avoid. Volkswagen Tiguan: Early Mk2 with the 1.4 TSI and DQ200 dry-clutch DSG followed the same failure pattern as the Passat B8: mechatronic failure around 70,000–85,000 miles at £1,500–£2,500, as reported by owners. How often it happens is not known. The DVSA MOT table on this page rates 2016, 2017 and 2018 registrations above all cars registered those years, so they are not named as years to avoid. Judge a Tiguan by its registration, service history and the checks below rather than by year.

On fuel the Skoda Karoq has the edge: its most economical version returns up to 51 mpg, against up to 47 mpg for the Volkswagen Tiguan, on the figures in our model guides. For cars registered from April 2017, vehicle tax works the same way for both: the £200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included, plus the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 on a car that listed at over £40,000 new — the price when new, not what you pay for it used. Any Volkswagen Tiguan registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 pays a CO2 band instead, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates). Insurance differs mainly by driver and postcode rather than by model, so treat any model-level insurance figure with caution.