2022 Volkswagen Taos First Drive Review: Compact Cuteness

Power comes from VW's 1.5-liter turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder (internally named EA211) making 158 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. It's an improved version of the engine that powers the Jetta, and it's more efficient with a modified version of the Miller cycle, where the intake valves are closed early in the induction stroke to help with fuel economy. For a turbocharged engine, it has a very high compression ratio of up to 11.5 to 1, according to VW.

The engine also boasts variable turbine geometry, which is a more efficient way to turbocharged an engine, providing higher boost pressure and avoiding wastegate mass flow that saps power. The high-pressure injection system has a 350-bar limit, up from 200 bar on previous versions. That means it atomizes the fuel/air mixture, has a shorter injection time, and lowers particulate emissions.

Taos front-wheel-drive models return 28/36/31 mpg city/highway/combined. 4Motion all-wheel-drive versions with the seven-speed DSG get 25/32/28 mpg city/highway/combined. Those ratings are based on regular unleaded fuel.

With the SUV/crossover explosion in full swing, these are the types of cars younger people will be buying and driving for the next decade or so. In that context, it's a fantastic car. The stuff we drove in the '80s and '90 was slow, dangerous and ugly. The Taos is none of those things.

With it's 1.5-liter engine, the Taos won't blow anyone away from a stoplight, but it will get up to speed easily, which was honestly a problem in the bad old days. We tested the DSG car first, with all-wheel drive, over some of the best roads southeastern Michigan has to offer. That sportier version also comes with a multilink rear suspension as opposed to the torsion beam rear in the front driver, making it more fun to drive over curvy backroads.

VW calls its drive mode feature Active Control, and it has modes for Onroad, Snow, Offroad and Custom Offroad. Underneath the Onroad umbrella, we have Normal, Sport, Comfort and Individual. In the Taos those modes changed the engine, transmission and steering, as well as the traction-assist systems like Hill Descent Control and Hill Start Assist.

While we know VW can make a good, high-performance dual-clutch transmission, the one in the Taos doesn't shift as fast as we'd like. But the converse is that the Taos does well accelerating from a stop smoothly, and VW said it did that on purpose. Dual-clutch transmissions are sometimes a little jerky coming to a stop and taking off. Speaking of coming to a stop, the brakes were a little softer than we'd like too, and with a little more pedal travel than we'd spec if we were doing the tuning.

The steering feels a little slow, but the wheel seems to weight up nicely in the turns as the Taos pulls itself around a corner. The suspension was tight enough for some fun moves on those curvy roads, but even over the broken pavement at the edge of the road, there were no wincing or kidney-bruising moments. VW put us a on short dirt road section as well, and the Taos felt fine over the wavy and broken street.

The Taos has 99.5 cubic feet of passenger space, which is just 1.6 less than the two-row version of the Tiguan. Front-wheel-drive models get 27.9 cubic feet of luggage space behind the second-row seats and 65.9 cubes with the second row folded down. All-wheel-drive models have a little bit less with 24.9 cubic feet behind the second row and 60.2 cubes when the seats are folded. The Taos has 40.1 inches of legroom in the front and 37.9 in the rear. We sat back there and found it perfectly acceptable for average-size adults.

Gray and black seats are standard on S models. SEs get either gray or black seats and top SEL models are available with two-tone seats in a few extra colors. S models have cloth seats; SE models feature CloudTex and cloth seating surfaces, and SEL models receive leather seating surfaces.

The Taos' interior is separated into two levels. The top level features air vents, a trim piece (ours was shiny plastic, but we saw a prototype matte version), and the newly standard VW Digital Cockpit. That means all your gauges are digital and customizable. The gauge screen is flanked on the right by VW's latest MIB infotainment system with redundant buttons for your often-used functions. S models get MIB2 with a 6.5-inch screen, SE and SEL models have MIB3 that measures 8 inches. SEL comes standard with navigation. That top model has wireless charging, wireless app connect, multiphone pairing, and three USB-C ports. A three-month trial of satellite radio is standard.

Other features include optional Beats Audio, Volkswagen Car-Net with Wi-Fi, Car-Net Remote Access through a mobile phone app, Alexa and Family Guardian, which lets parents set limits for their young drivers.

The lower half of the dash has your climate controls and a nice stitched leather pad above the glovebox. Lower models have the single zone control. Upgraded models get the new Climatronic dual-mode system with capacitive sliders like on the Tiguan.

The new Taos comes with automatic post-collision braking, reducing the chances of a second impact. At the same time, it shuts off the fuel pump, unlocks the doors, and switches on the hazard lights through its Intelligent Crash Response System feature.

The biggest news is VW's IQ.Drive available on S and SE models and standard on SELs. The system utilizes front and rear radar, a front camera, and several ultrasound sensors to collect data from the surrounding area. As a result, the Taos comes with Travel Assist, VW's partially automated driving setup that requires hands on the wheel and works from 0 to 95 mph.

It kept us centered in the lane and stopping and going as traffic demanded. It worked surprisingly well on two-lane roads as well, even though these systems are most in their element on the highway. It's much better than the Subaru Outback we drove recently, and from memory, its also better than some of the more expensive automaker setups.

The Taos also comes with Front Assist; Active Blind Spot Monitor; Rear Traffic Alert; Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) Stop and Go; Lane Assist; and Emergency Assist (semi-automated vehicle assistance in a medical emergency).

The Taos S starts at $22,995 before destination and handling. AWD adds about $2,000. That S model comes with 17-inch wheels, standard LED head and taillights, keyless entry, automatic headlights, and manual adjusting seats. The S also comes with the All-Weather Package that includes heated front seats, side mirrors, and washer nozzles.

The SE trim ($27,245/$28,695 for AWD) adds 18-inch wheels, the better infotainment system, wireless charging, a power front seat, Blind Spot Monitor, Rear Traffic Alert, and Front Assist. That's in addition to or replacing stuff in the S trim.

The top SEL ($31,490/$33,045) gets the option of 19-inch wheels, LED projector headlights, the Beats Audio system, the best infotainment, navigation, vented front seats on the AWD model, dual-zone Climatonic climate control, and all the IQ.Drive safety features.

In regards to tech, speed, safety, looks, efficiency, the Taos blows away anything the kids were driving a few decades ago. And with its low starting price, it, and other vehicles like it, will be the cars that we'll see high school and college kids getting for the next few years. Overall, we don't have a problem with that. Especially because VW told us that it's all for upgraded, sportier, GTI versions of these crossovers too, to fill that gap that small fun sedans, coupes and hatchbacks used to occupy.

The compact crossover segment really comes down to looks and features, and here we think the Taos will do well against the Crosstreks, HR-Vs and Jeep Cherokees of the world. It looks cooler than any of those, though it may be less effective off road than something like a Jeep. But with a middle trim and a few add ons you could easily be out the door for less than $30K with a car that will do everything, and feature that high-riding position that everyone seems to love. And the same way we hotted up our crapboxes in the '90s, you can bet people will be digging into these too.