2025 Volkswagen Taos First Drive: People's Car, Made Better

• The 2025 Volkswagen Taos' update is more than just tweaked styling and lighting.
• A new transmission makes a big difference in all-wheel-drive models.
• The base Taos S is especially appealing, priced at just $26,420.

Quality materials, plenty of space

The Taos' new styling reminds me of a miniaturized Atlas, and that’s a good thing. There’s a bit of an underbite look from the lower front grille, but especially with the full-width front and rear light bars included on the top SEL trim, the Taos is a handsome, if reserved, little ute. I’d spec mine in the new Bright Moss Green Metallic; Volkswagen reps tell me it was directly inspired by Porsche’s now-discontinued Mamba Green.

The SEL’s leather upholstery feels a little thin, but nothing unacceptable for the segment — this is a sub-$30K SUV, after all. The new soft-touch materials on each window sill are impressive, as is the reserved use of piano black plastic trim. Synthetic leather and faux suede line sections of the door panels above the padded armrests, and hard, cheap-feeling plastics are mostly kept out of sight.

Volkswagen is wise to include a fair number of physical buttons and knobs in the Taos' cabin. There are real buttons for the driver assists, digital gauge cluster and audio controls on the steering wheel, plus a volume knob. Oddly enough, base models miss out on a dedicated tuning knob. The touch buttons for the climate controls on the center stack are responsive and accurate but, unfortunately, offer no feedback.

Volkswagen’s 8-inch touchscreen is now standard, replacing the dinky 6.5-inch display from last year's base Taos. This system itself is nothing special for the segment — you can get a 12.3-inch setup in the Hyundai Kona — but the multimedia software housed within is responsive and intuitively organized. The screen only looks too small when you consider its huge bezels. There are two standard USB-C ports up front plus additional charging options, including a rear outlet on higher trim levels.

The Taos' rear bench provides plenty of space for adults, even seated behind a 6-foot-tall driver. Curiously, both front- and all-wheel-drive models have a sizable drivetrain hump, which means foot room will be at a premium when you have passengers sitting three across in the back.

The cargo area is sized competitively for the segment, but there’s one detail you should know: Extra hardware associated with the optional AWD system and its corresponding rear suspension cuts in on cargo space. The front-wheel-drive Taos has an additional 3 cubic feet of volume behind the rear seats.

Small SUV, big driving appeal

There are two big changes for 2025: a little extra horsepower and a conventional automatic transmission for AWD models in place of the old, occasionally jerky dual-clutch gearbox. And right away, you'll notice an improvement. In the older AWD Taos, you’d sometimes feel a bit of a clunk from the transmission as it engaged first gear, but in the new car, the torque converter takes up any slack in the drivetrain and you can accelerate from a stop or creep along in traffic smoothly. The previous FWD Taos didn't have this issue, and the new model doesn't either.

The 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-four's extra power is noticeable, too; the Taos now offers 174 horsepower instead of 158 hp, while torque output remains the same at 184 lb-ft. Volkswagen’s little crossover is no Golf GTI and hardly a hot rod in the segment, but the strong low-end torque and the additional horses offered higher up in the rev range mean you’ll rarely find yourself wanting more grunt. Plus, Volkswagen still estimates you'll get anywhere from 28 to 31 mpg combined, depending on if you have front- or all-wheel drive.

There are other pleasantries, too. First, wind noise is almost unnoticeable. Beyond that, where textured pavement would normally bring out tire roar in other subcompact SUVs, Taos drivers will experience levels of interior noise akin to something much more expensive. The VW also has that classic German high-speed stability in its suspension and steering — little else at this price point feels so planted on the highway.

Around town, the Taos is nicely controlled while cornering. Body roll is minimal, especially compared to softly sprung SUVs like the Subaru Crosstrek.

One difference to note: Although the FWD and AWD models now have the same transmission, they still have different rear suspension hardware. The AWD Taos has a multilink independent rear, but the FWD model is stuck with a cheaper, less sophisticated torsion-beam setup. You won’t notice the difference in most driving situations, but while driving through a bend with midcorner bumps, the front-drive Taos feels skittish while the AWD version is much more settled.

Gute fahrt!

(No, really, that means “have a good trip” in German.)

The 2025 Taos starts at $26,420, including $1,425 for destination. Adding all-wheel drive will set you back an extra $1,700 on the entry-level Taos S and midgrade SE — it’s standard on the SEL — and on the S, getting AWD also adds heated front seats. On top of that, the base Taos comes with a heated steering wheel and a generous collection of driver assists, plus I actually like the standard fabric upholstery. Unless you really need automatic climate controls, satellite radio or the available panoramic sunroof, the $28,120 Taos S AWD seems like the way to go.

The Taos is not your most affordable option in this class, but it avoids many of the sacrifices associated with subcompact crossovers. It’s exactly the sort of spacious, efficient, inexpensive-but-not-chintzy everyday transportation most folks are looking for, plus it comes in a terrific green. Volkswagen made a good car even better.