2026 Volkswagen Taos

Price Range: $26,500 - $35,900

Very Good

The 2026 Volkswagen Taos gets the fundamentals right, with spacious seating in front and back and generous cargo capacity. It also feels more agile and engaging than most rivals, making it feel a bit more lively and enjoyable on the road.Read full review

5 Offers Near Ashburn, VA

Check out current offers on the Volkswagen Taos

View Offers

vw.com

Starting MSRP of $26,500 for a 2026 Volkswagen Taos S 1.5L TSI® with 8-speed automatic transmission. Prices exclude destination, taxes, title, other options, and dealer charges. Dealer sets actual price.

See All for Sale

Shop vehicle inventory at dealers near you

Volkswagen Taos for Sale

Pricing

Select year

Edmunds suggests you pay

$24,578

32 for sale near you

Prices based on sales in VA thru 7/6/26

Final assembly in Mexico

Build Your Volkswagen Taos

At a Glance:

5 Colors
4 Trims
1 Package
$26,500starting MSRP

Build & Price vw.com

Pros

Comfortable seating
Big cargo area for a little SUV
Refined and stable driving experience

Cons

Touch-sensitive climate controls aren't the easiest to use
Doesn't have quite as many advanced driver assist features as rivals

Overview

Written by automotive expert Mark Takahashi

Updated: 2/24/2026

The 2026 Volkswagen Taos is the smallest SUV in the carmaker's lineup, below the compact Tiguan and midsize Atlas models. Despite its small footprint, the Taos is surprisingly spacious inside. After a significant refresh and several notable upgrades last year, the Taos returns with only a handful of minor upgrades to ensure its strong position among subcompact SUVs.

Edmunds Expert Rating

edmunds TESTED

by the Edmunds Experts

Very Good

7.5

out of 10

We drove the 2026 Volkswagen Taos on our test track and on real roads. Our Edmunds team conducts rigorous independent vehicle testing, driving 500,000 miles a year.

Driving experience

6.8/10

How does it drive? We were surprised to find the Taos, one of the larger SUVs in this diminutive class, is also one of the quickest. Credit goes to a pretty powerful turbocharged four-cylinder engine that helped our front-wheel-drive Taos test vehicle whoosh its way to 60 mph in a respectable 8.8 seconds. An all-wheel-drive version we tested was a second quicker than that.

The Taos' ride quality is a bit firm, so you'll feel more bumps in the road than in some other extra-small SUVs we tested. On the upside, the Taos handles around corners quite impressively as well. That composure in corners is complemented by the steering wheel itself, which is nice to hold and responds to your commands dutifully. We also like how the Taos is stable on the highway.

The Taos comes well equipped with advanced driver aids. Tech like blind-spot warning, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and automatic emergency braking all come with the VW. But niceties like a surround-view parking camera system and more robust driver attention detection (like what's offered on rivals from Kia and Hyundai) aren't here.

Comfort

8.3/10

How comfortable is it? The front seats have a sporty shape and offer good support for long drives. However, some of our drivers wished for a wider range of adjustments from the driver's seat. The climate control is easy to use and effective at distributing air flow to the entire cabin. We especially love the powerful cooling effect from the available ventilated front seats. The Taos' cabin can get loud on the highway, but that's fairly common for this class of vehicle.

There's a lot of legroom for backseat passengers and plenty of space for car seats. But we noticed the small touches, too, including sleek-looking car seat anchor covers and well-positioned top tether anchors for easy access. This is definitely one of the more family-friendly pint-sized SUVs on the market.

In-cabin tech

8.4/10

How’s the tech? Our vehicle had a total of three USB-C ports to plug devices in, plus a wireless charger and a 12-volt outlet. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration operates wirelessly on all trim levels. Volkswagen also has the MyVW app, which allows you to connect wirelessly to your car via your phone app.

Overall, the Taos, even at the midgrade SE trim, isn't missing much. The configurable 10.25-inch gauge cluster is a great feature but only comes on top-spec SEL models. We would have liked a backup camera that didn't have such awful resolution.

Storage & cargo

9.6/10

How’s storage and cargo? The shape and size of the Taos mean it's able to maximize interior space. With 27.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, the Taos' cargo capacity is class-leading. The rear seats have a center pass-through and the usual 60/40 split, and they fold down mostly flat, leaving about a 2-inch level change from the cargo floor. The release levers are on the seats but are close enough to reach if you're standing at the rear hatch.

Storage options in the passenger section of the cabin are pretty good. The front door pockets are generously sized, cupholders have an anti-tip design to keep your drinks upright, and the squarish cubby under the center armrest has some depth to it to make up for its shorter length.

Value

6/10

Is it a good value? The Taos is fairly priced for what you get. Its entry-level price is quite competitive, but there are a lot of features we'd like in the upper trim levels. Our top-trim SEL test car came in at just under $35,000, which is on the pricier end of this SUV class. There are some cheap-feeling aspects to the Taos interior, but Volkswagen spent money in the areas that are touched more frequently.

VW's warranties are typical for this segment, with four years/50,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper and powertrain coverage. VW also offers free scheduled maintenance for two years/20,000 miles.

MPG

5/10

How’s the fuel economy? The Taos gets an EPA-estimated 31 mpg combined with front-wheel drive or 28 mpg combined with all-wheel drive. That's pretty good for an extra-small SUV. We generally matched the EPA's estimates in our testing, so it seems those numbers are achievable in real-world driving.

X factor

7/10

When it came to styling the Taos, VW didn't bother reinventing the wheel. It looks very much like a scaled-down Atlas, which is to say clean and kind of rugged. There are bolder designs out there that some may find more attractive, but we bet the Taos' looks will be more appealing to the masses.

The same holds true for the driving experience. Some SUVs in this class are more fun to drive on curvy roads and less finicky at slower speeds, but the Taos offers a composed and sophisticated experience. And you simply can't argue with the interior accommodations. In a segment in which passenger and cargo space is in short supply, the Taos seems to have an abundance.

Save as much as $3,862 with Edmunds

2026 Volkswagen Taos pricing in Ashburn, VA

Edmunds suggests you pay

Advertisement
$26,500
Starting MSRP
2026 Taos
View Offers
vw.com
Starting MSRP of $26,500 for a 2026 Volkswagen Taos S 1.5L TSI® with 8-speed automatic transmission. Prices exclude destination, taxes, title, other options, and dealer charges. Dealer sets actual price.

Build & Price

2026 Volkswagen Taos trim level differences

The 2026 Volkswagen Taos is a five-passenger extra-small SUV available in S, SE, SE Black and SEL trim levels. All are powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine good for 174 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque and use an eight-speed automatic transmission. Most models are front-wheel-drive; all-wheel drive is an option on all but the SEL, which comes with it standard. Front-wheel-drive models have a simple rear suspension that hurts handling and ride comfort, while AWD models have a more sophisticated setup in the rear that improves both significantly. Compare the 2026 Volkswagen Taos trim levels in-depth.

Which Taos trim does Edmunds recommend?

We suggest stepping up to the SE trim. For a rather modest price increase over the base S trim, this Taos model adds plenty of features, including keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, upgraded audio and a wireless charging pad. We typically recommend all-wheel drive for four-season regions, but because the 4Motion all-wheel-drive system includes an upgraded rear suspension, we suggest everyone opt for it.

Competitors to consider

On paper, the Hyundai Kona and Kia Niro Hybrid hold a key advantage among extra-small SUVs when it comes to value. You get a few more features for the money, along with very generous warranty coverage. Volkswagen includes two years of free scheduled maintenance to help even the playing field, but the Taos really stands out among these economically minded crossovers with its driving experience. Even if sporty driving isn't your thing, we're sure you'll appreciate the added confidence behind the wheel.

Edmunds spotlight: A well-rounded contender

Value is paramount in the subcompact SUV class, though it's not limited to just price, but also what you get for the money. The Volkswagen Taos is priced competitively and delivers strong fuel economy figures compared with other top SUVs in its class, though some rivals also offer hybrid variants. The Taos also deserves praise for its adult-friendly rear seats and large cargo capacity, but it's the driver who gains the most with the VW. It's quicker to accelerate than its rivals and feels much more composed when cornering, making it noticeably more enjoyable to drive.

Volkswagen Taos Reviews

Owner Reviews

4.0

44 reviews

5(57%)

4(18%)

3(4%)

2(7%)

1(14%)

See all 44 reviews of the Volkswagen Taos

Write a vehicle review

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Helpful shopping links

2026 Volkswagen Taos Features & Specs

Trim:

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$26,500
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	31 MPG
Cost to Drive	$148/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	27.9 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

See all features & specs

Reliability

The 2026 Volkswagen Taos has a 4 years / 50,000 miles basic warranty and no recalls.

Recalls

There are no recalls for the 2026 Volkswagen Taos

Warranty

4 years / 50,000 miles Basic Warranty

Basic Warranty: 4 years / 50,000 miles
Drivetrain Warranty: 4 years / 50,000 miles
Rust Warranty: 7 years / 100,000 miles
Roadside assistance Warranty: 3 years / 36,000 miles
Free maintenance Warranty: 2 years / 20,000 miles

Where the Volkswagen Taos ranks:

#3 in X-Small SUVs

Select up to 4 cars below to compare.

Hyundai Kona
Starting at $25,500
Compare
1
Kia Niro
Starting at $27,390
Compare
2
Volkswagen Taos
Starting at $26,500
Compare
3
Kia Soul
Starting at $20,490
Compare
4
Chevrolet Trax
Starting at $21,700
Compare
5
Buick Encore GX
Starting at $26,200
Compare
6
Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid
Starting at $29,595
Compare
7
Add any vehicle to compare

Compare selected vehicles

Research other Taos years

2026
2025
2024

FAQ

Is the Volkswagen Taos a good car?

The Edmunds experts tested the 2026 Taos both on the road and at the track, giving it a 7.5 out of 10. Edmunds’ consumer reviews show that the 2026 Taos gets an average rating of 4 stars out of 5 (based on 0 reviews) What about cargo capacity? When you're thinking about carrying stuff in your new car, keep in mind that carrying capacity for the Taos ranges from 24.9 to 27.9 cubic feet of trunk space. And then there's safety and reliability. Edmunds has all the latest NHTSA and IIHS crash-test scores, plus industry-leading expert and consumer reviews to help you understand what it's like to own and maintain a Volkswagen Taos. Learn more

Is the Volkswagen Taos reliable?

To determine whether the Volkswagen Taos is reliable, read Edmunds' authentic consumer reviews, which come from real owners and reveal what it's like to live with the Taos. Look for specific complaints that keep popping up in the reviews, and be sure to compare the Taos's 4-star average consumer rating to that of competing vehicles. Learn more

Is the 2026 Volkswagen Taos a good car?

There's a lot to consider if you're wondering whether the 2026 Volkswagen Taos is a good car. Edmunds' expert testing team reviewed the 2026 Taos and gave it a 7.5 out of 10. Our consumer reviews show that the 2026 Taos gets an average rating of 4 stars out of 5 (based on 0 reviews). Safety scores, fuel economy, cargo capacity and feature availability should all be factors in determining whether the 2026 Taos is a good car for you. Learn more

How much should I pay for a 2026 Volkswagen Taos?

The least-expensive 2026 Volkswagen Taos is the 2026 Volkswagen Taos S 4dr SUV (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 8A). Including destination charge, it arrives with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of about $26,500.

Other versions include:

S 4dr SUV (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 8A) which starts at $26,500
S 4dr SUV AWD (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 8A) which starts at $28,200
SE 4dr SUV (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 8A) which starts at $29,260
SE 4dr SUV AWD (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 8A) which starts at $30,960
SE Black 4dr SUV (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 8A) which starts at $31,510
SE Black 4dr SUV AWD (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 8A) which starts at $33,210
SEL 4dr SUV AWD (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 8A) which starts at $35,900

Learn more

What are the different models of Volkswagen Taos?

If you're interested in the Volkswagen Taos, the next question is, which Taos model is right for you? Taos variants include S 4dr SUV (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 8A), S 4dr SUV AWD (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 8A), SE 4dr SUV (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 8A), and SE 4dr SUV AWD (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 8A). For a full list of Taos models, check out Edmunds’ Features & Specs page. Learn more