2024 Volkswagen Taos Review: Small Outside, Spacious Inside

Subcompact crossovers are roaring business in the US, and VW's Taos entry is a strong contender in a market segment where almost every automaker competes for a slice of the action. That said, the Taos isn't as cheap as a Chevy Trax, not as rewarding to drive as the Mazda CX-30, not as interesting to look at as the Kia Seltos, and not as rough-road capable as the Subaru Crosstrek. Yet, VW has managed to infuse the Taos with good all-round ability, and if you can overlook its rather bland interior and exterior styling and the modest performance provided by its 158-horsepower engine, it's a high-value package, considering VW added a ton of standard driver assists this year. Best of all, the 2024 Volkswagen Taos' price decreases by more than $1k in some trims, despite the added kit, putting it in a significantly better position to take on the class leaders. Let's see if VW has done enough.

New for 2024

VW USA is adding the IQ.Drive driver-assistance suite as standard to all 2024 Taos trims. This means that every Taos now has Travel Assist, which combines the features of the newly standard adaptive cruise control and active lane-keep assist with steering assist to semi-autonomously drive the car on the highway. More features of the suite include front-collision alert with automatic braking, blind-spot monitoring with steering assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and Emergency Assist. The latter is a system that can bring the Taos to a controlled halt and call for help in an emergency situation. The base S trim gains automatic high beams, a heated leatherette-trimmed steering wheel, and rain-sensing wipers this year, while the SE trim gains dual-zone climate control and has access to a new SE Black package with blue seat stitching, blacked-out exterior trim, a black roof, and black wheels. Despite adding more content, the base price of a new Volkswagen Taos decreases by $160.

2024 Volkswagen Taos Price: Which One to Buy

The base S trim is actually $160 cheaper this year, despite its extra equipment, and starts at $23,995, while the SE will set you back $28,165 - down by more than $700. These prices are for the S and SE with front-wheel drive, coupled to the eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission. Both can be upgraded to 4Motion all-wheel drive, in which case the transmission is a seven-speed dual-clutch DSG automatic, at a cost of $2,340 for the S and $1,450 for the SE. The bigger premium applied to the S is due to the inclusion of heated front seats. The SEL only comes as an AWD DSG with an MSRP of $33,515 - $1,020 cheaper than last year.

The SE represents the sweet spot in the range, but there are a few qualifiers. If you're going to stick to FWD, the price difference of more than $5k between it and the AWD SEL makes the SE a good-value buy - and our choice - if you don't mind living without the SEL's sunroof, leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, premium audio system, navigation, and bigger gauge cluster. However, we'd want to go for the AWD drivetrain, not so much for the AWD ability, but for the way this configuration's more advanced independent rear suspension improves the car's ride and handling. With just a $3k gap between the AWD versions of the SE and SEL, we think the long list of desirable extras in the SEL is more than worth the price of access, so think carefully before you buy.

Interior and Features

The feature count is fairly generous, with a heated steering wheel and digital gauge cluster in all trims, but the S is too bare, so the SE presents the best value.

Inside the cabin of the Taos, there's little to offend the senses, and highlights include plentiful interior space, a fairly upscale ambiance, and generally good equipment levels. The dashboard is constructed of mostly high-quality materials, but some of the hard plastics on the dashtop and elsewhere still grate a little, though they're solid in feel. The seats are covered in cloth, leatherette, or leather, depending on the trim, with heating, ventilation, and a power driver's seat only on the higher trims. The front pews are pleasantly cossetting, yet with sporty bolstering holding you in place. The controls are easy to master and, thankfully, you still get physical buttons on the steering wheel and elsewhere, not VW's much-criticized touch-sensitive controls. It's easy to get in through big doors, and visibility is unobstructed in all directions.

Space

With its width exceeding that of the larger Tiguan and a wheelbase of around 105 inches (the figures for the FWD and AWD models differ slightly) the Taos almost feels like a car one size up from its subcompact classification, such is its interior space. The second row offers plenty of room, with legroom comparable to that of class leaders such as the Kia Seltos and headroom beating most rivals hands down. If you're looking for roomy transportation in this segment, very few rivals will beat the Volkswagen.

Cargo

Trunk space is excellent too, and with 24.9 cubic feet behind the rear seats, the Taos runs the class-leading Seltos close, as does its total trunk volume of 60.2 cubes with the 60/40-split rear seat folded down. Both cars put the CX-30 completely in the shade. The rear seat has a pass-through to transport long, slim items without having to fold down the seats. When folded, the rear seats form a step in the trunk floor and don't lie quite flat, though.

In-cabin storage solutions are nothing out of the ordinary, but the usual suspects are present and accounted for, notably a glovebox, a lidded storage bin along with cupholders and a phone rest in the center console, big door pockets front and rear, and both front seatback pockets and dual cupholders for the second row.

Materials and Colors

The S trim has a combination of cloth and high-quality CloudTex leatherette on its seats, with the seats rendered in gray and black and the rest of the interior in Titan Black. The SE's interior is jazzed up a bit with dark blue trim on the dash and doors. It gets leatherette on the seats in black or gray, with the same Titan Black interior. The SEL enjoys genuine leather upholstery in gray and black or French Roast and black, with the same Titan Black for the rest of the cabin. Keep in mind that all the interior colors cannot be had with all the exterior paints, so be sure to check the online configurator if your preferred combination is available.

Features and Infotainment

The S has a combination of cloth and leatherette on the seats, manual front-seat adjustment, key-activated remote central locking with push-button start, and manual air-conditioning. Curiously, the manually tilting/telescoping and leatherette-trimmed steering wheel is heated, but the front seats of the FWD model are not, only those of the AWD model. The shift knob is trimmed in leather and you get an eight-inch digital gauge cluster. Shopping higher up the lineup brings in features such as tinted rear windows, leatherette or leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, a larger gauge cluster, a power panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control, remote start, and more.

In the S, the eight-inch digital gauge cluster is joined by a small 6.5-inch infotainment touchscreen, but the system incorporates Bluetooth with audio streaming, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a subscription-base Wi-Fi hotspot, two front USB ports, App-Connect, Car-Net-powered myVW connected services, and a four-speaker audio system. The SE upgrades to a bigger eight-inch touchscreen with wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM, HD Radio, a rear USB port, a wireless charging pad, and a six-speaker audio system. The SEL uses the same eight-inch touchscreen, but is the only trim with a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster, while also gaining navigation and a BeatsAudio sound system with nine speakers, including a subwoofer.

Performance

The Taos rides best in AWD form with independent suspension, but the eight-speed FWD is smoother and more economical, so you have to pick your poison.

The Volkswagen Taos comes with one engine option only - a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline four-cylinder with 158 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. While it's refined and provides an easily accessible flow of mid-range torque, the lack of outright power means performance is decent, but not impressive. There are two different drivetrain options. With front-wheel drive, the engine puts its power down through an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission, but opting for all-wheel drive means you get a sportier seven-speed dual-clutch DSG automatic, as well as fully independent rear suspension. Surprisingly, the AWD traction and DSG don't give the Volkswagen Taos a 0-60 sprint time that's much quicker than that of the automatic FWD models, with the sprint dispatched in between 7.5 and eight seconds either way. VW does not quote a top speed. With a maximum ground clearance of 7.6 inches, the Taos isn't meant to go off-road, nor does trailering seem to be an option, with no quoted towing capacity or available tow hitch. In this regard, it's more a crossover than an SUV.

The driving experience depends quite a bit on the drivetrain you choose. There's hardly any performance difference, but the AWD trims with the seven-speed dual-clutch DSG transmission can frustrate at times, with hesitant shifts, not much in the way of quick responses, and jerky low-speed maneuvering. The FWD eight-speed models are smoother in this regard. The decent mid-range torque and refined engine mean the Taos bowls along without a problem, but all-out acceleration requires a heavy foot with just 158 hp. Still, we'd recommend the AWD with the imperfect DSG transmission, because it comes with independent rear suspension that gives the Taos better polish on-road, with improved comfort and better body control, especially when cornering on uneven surfaces.

Fuel Efficiency

Gas mileage is about average for the class, with the automatic eight-speed FWD powertrain returning EPA estimates of 28/36/31 mpg for the city/highway/combined cycles and the DSG-equipped AWD derivatives good for 24/32/27 mpg. Comparing AWD cars, the Volkswagen Taos' mpg figures lie somewhere between those of the AWD 1.6-liter turbo Seltos (26 mpg combined) and the AWD 2.5-liter naturally aspirated CX-30 (29 mpg).

With a fuel capacity of 13.2 gallons, the FWD Taos has a range of nearly 410 miles on a tank. The AWD Taos gets quite close to that with around 392 miles possible, thanks to a larger 14.5-gallon tank partially offsetting the poorer consumption.

Safety

Crash safety is a mixed bag, but the entire IQ.Drive driver-assistance suite becomes standard this year, and is a major Taos selling point.

The NHTSA's safety review of the Volkswagen Taos is unexceptional - the agency gave it four out of five stars overall. The IIHS fully tested the 2023 Taos, and the results so far achieved by the partially tested 2024 model mirror those 2023 results. That's to say, a mixed bag too, with mostly Good scores, but some Acceptable ones (small overlap, passenger side and head restraints) and only a Marginal score for the regular LED headlights on the S and SE (the SEL's adaptive LEDs scored Good).

The good news is that VW's IQ.Drive suite of driver assists is standard on every single Taos trim this year. This means all trims get Travel Assist, which uses a combination of adaptive cruise control and active lane-keep assist with steering assist to allow semi-autonomous highway driving. Other IQ.Drive features include front-collision alert with pedestrian/cyclist detection, automatic emergency braking, and blind-spot monitoring with steering assist and rear cross-traffic alert. Automatic LED headlights and rain-sensing wipers are standard on all trims, but only the SEL gets upgraded adaptive LED headlights with auto high beams, in addition to rear parking sensors. On both the SE and SEL, an auto-dimming rearview mirror is fitted.

US NHTSA Crash Test Result

Reliability

As assessed by JD Power, the reliability of the Volkswagen Taos is just average, with a score of 77 out of 100 for Quality & Reliability, specifically. It seems to be improving, though, with no recalls on record so far for the 2023 and 2024 model years. This is a far cry from the 2022 Taos, which was recalled six times for issues ranging from failing fuel pumps and suspension knuckles to faulty engine software that may cause a stall and fuel leaks.

The warranty applied to the Volkswagen Taos is also quite average for this class of car, with both the limited and powertrain warranties valid for four years/50,000 miles. A special touch is the welcome complimentary maintenance, which is included for two years/20,000 miles.

Warranty

Design

The Taos can be accused of looking a bit prim and proper, even boring, with little to distinguish it from its peers that vary from smoothly contoured in the CX-30 to dynamic, like in the Trax. It looks much like a scaled-down Atlas, but the rather boxy body does have the upshot of ensuring a spacious cabin. The S has 17-inch wheels, the SE gets 18s. The SEL rolls on 19s, but roof rails, power mirrors, and LED head- and taillights are standard across the board. From the SE and up, the rear windows are tinted. The SEL is the only trim with adaptive LED headlights with a cornering function and automatic high beams. Later in the model year, the SE Black package will become available for the mid- range trim; ot comes with black wheels and blacked-out exterior accents.

Verdict: Is The 2024 Volkswagen Taos A Good SUV?

The VW Taos remains a compelling option in the subcompact segment by virtue of its all-around ability. Interior space and its impressive suite of driver assists stand out as its most impressive features, but performance, economy, value for money, and standard equipment are all competitive, if unexceptional. Plus, it's nice to have two years of servicing thrown in, and we think it's deserving of your consideration in this class. However, the independently sprung AWD trims that ride the best are also more expensive, thirstier, and saddled with a somewhat jerky powertrain, so it seems you're going to have to compromise somewhere.