With the all-new 2022 Volkswagen Taos, VW is filling out its SUV lineup with a new entry-level model that provides more style, interior room and driving satisfaction than many rivals. Smaller and more affordable than the automaker's Tiguan, the Taos is sized and priced to compete against the likes of the Honda HR-V and Mazda CX-30.
The Taos is impressive from the moment you sit inside. All Taos models come standard with a digital instrument cluster that can be customized to display anything from the song that's playing to turn-by-turn directions, whether from the navigation system or from your phone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto smartphone integration. There's also some nice-looking materials, roomy seating and lots of cargo space for a little SUV.
Overall, we think Volkswagen has a compelling SUV on its hands. The Taos offers comparable sophistication and not much of a trade-off in cargo space compared to its Tiguan stablemate, but at a lower price. Check out our Expert Rating below for more detail on what our test team has found to be the Taos' strengths and weaknesses.
Our verdict | |
Volkswagen's smallest SUV is a big deal. The Taos packs in plenty of modern tech and safety features into a tidy package. It also has excellent passenger and cargo space. The transmission makes lazy or awkward gear shifts at times, but that's pretty much the vehicle's only weakness. Overall this is one of the most well-rounded and family-friendly offerings in the class. | |
How does the Taos 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 fairly high-strung turbocharged four-cylinder engine that whooshes and hisses its way to 60 mph in a respectable 7.8 seconds. That speed, however, is only really achievable if you use the Taos' launch control, which we imagine few owners will. Launch control is a feature typically reserved for sports cars, so naturally it's a bit out of place here. We were equally surprised by how stable and confident the Taos felt under hard panic braking, yet it cruises easily to a smooth stop in less hectic situations. The Taos handles around corners quite impressively as well, with well-controlled body roll and accurate steering. In fact, the Taos scores high marks in every driving aspect except what's possibly the most important for this class: drivability. The combination of that high-strung engine and moderately unresponsive seven-speed transmission makes for a jerky affair. Power surges and gear shifts can often feel delayed or clunky, making it difficult to enjoy driving at slow stop- and-go speeds. | |
How comfortable is the Taos? | |
When it comes to cabin comfort, the Taos does it pretty well. The front seats have a sporty shape and offer surprisingly good support despite not having all the range of adjustments we would've liked. The climate control is easy to use and effective at distributing air flow to the entire cabin. We especially love the powerful ventilated front seats, which worked wonders on some warmer days. The Taos suspension leans a little firm and doesn't isolate bumps in the road as well as some other cars we tested, but it's also not so harsh that we'd have second thoughts recommending it for that reason. We also experienced a fair amount of ambient noise, which isn't uncommon for this class. | |
How’s the interior? | |
The interior is one of the best in the class, from the ease in which you can step in and out of the large door openings to the generous passenger space. The Taos almost feels like a class size up compared to its competition. Outward visibility is excellent thanks to square windows and good mirror coverage, and we had no issue reaching any of the controls from the driver's seat. Some of Volkswagen's newest infotainment systems have been flops. Thankfully the Taos keeps things a bit simpler, limiting the touch-sensitive buttons. This approach makes a huge difference in usability. Touch controls can be great when they work, but most can't compare to good ole physical buttons and knobs when you want to minimize distraction. | |
How’s the tech? | |
Thankfully, some of the latest VW touch-base controls did not make it to the Taos. What did make it is a punchy Beats sound system that delivers more bass than what we found comfortable for daily use (in a good way). Our higher trim model also had an onboard nav system that was a tad laggy but had a nice user interface. We really like that you can display the map in the center of the driver's gauge cluster as well. 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 via USB is standard and steps up to wireless connectivity on the midtier SE model and above. A full suite of advanced driver aids is offered on all trims, and sensible pricing makes it a no-brainer option. Most of the aids worked well, though even the adaptive cruise control at times got tripped up at lower speeds by the clunky engine and transmission. | |
How’s the storage? | |
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 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. Because the Taos is on the larger side of the segment, there's more space for car seats. But it's the small touches we noticed too, including sleeker-looking car seat anchor covers and well-positioned top tether anchors for easy access. This is definitely one of the more family-friendly options in the class. | |
How’s the fuel economy? | |
The Taos gets an EPA-estimated 28 mpg combined (25 city/32 highway), essentially matching its biggest competitors. We averaged 29.6 mpg on our 115-mile evaluation loop, which is a great result and proof that the estimate is achievable. Our only concern is that if you're prone to asking for a lot of acceleration, fuel efficiency won't be nearly as good with such a high-strung engine. | |
Is the Taos a good value? | |
Value is ultimately in the eye of the beholder, but as far as we're concerned, the Taos seems fairly priced for what you get. Its entry-level price is quite competitive, but there are a lot of attractive features we'd want in the upper trim levels. Our top-trim SEL test car came in at just under $35K, which is definitely on the pricier end of this SUV class, but also provides one of the most well-rounded packages. If you look closely, you'll definitely find 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 and seven years/100,000 miles of rust-through coverage. On the plus side, VW offers free scheduled maintenance for two years/20,000 miles and roadside assistance for three years/36,000 miles. | |
Wildcard | |
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 decent experience overall. 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. | |
Volkswagen offers the 2022 Taos in S, SE and SEL trim levels, and each has a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine (158 horsepower, 184 lb-ft of torque). Versions with front-wheel drive feature an eight-speed automatic transmission, while the all-wheel-drive Taos employs a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic as well as a more sophisticated rear suspension that should provide slightly better handling composure around turns.
2022 Volkswagen Taos
2022 Buick Encore GX
Both the Buick Encore GX and Volkswagen Taos are priced higher than many rivals, putting them into a premium subcategory. Each has a small turbocharged engine and available all-wheel drive, and neither is designed for off-roading. Though the Buick has appealing exterior styling and interior design, it is smaller inside than the Taos. It also can't match the Volkswagen in terms of overall refinement or driving satisfaction.
For what you pay to get into a midgrade Volkswagen Taos, you can choose the top trim of the Kia Seltos, which has a rousing turbocharged four-cylinder engine and standard all-wheel drive. The Seltos offers competitive passenger and cargo space too, along with superior warranty coverage. But the Kia cannot match the VW when it comes to fuel efficiency. Plus, the Taos comes with free scheduled maintenance for two years.
Similar to the Buick Encore GX, the Mazda CX-30 is priced at a premium and delivers in terms of design, quality of materials, and overall refinement. But in comparison to the Volkswagen Taos, it is cramped for both people and cargo. Naturally, Mazda bakes plenty of power and driving dynamism into the stylish CX-30, and it offers a significant upgrade in performance with the optional turbocharged engine. Read Edmunds' long-term road test of the Mazda CX-30.
The Taos is a brand-new vehicle for the U.S. market and Volkswagen's smallest SUV. It promises confident handling in a package that is about 10 inches shorter than the brand's next biggest SUV, the Tiguan. We expect the Taos will appeal to you if you've got an active lifestyle and want an SUV with more refinement than many other models in this price range.
So far, we have been limited to about two hours of driving the Taos, but in that time a few things stood out. For one, the Taos seems to have the same polished ride and handling that VW's big SUVs — the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport — have. That's great because we've been less impressed with the smaller Tiguan's handling composure.
The Taos is very easy to drive. It stays composed around turns, and its steering is smooth and light. The ride quality is pleasant, too. The automatic engine stop-start system, which switches off the engine at stops to help save gas, activates quickly and with only a slight shudder. There's an unwelcome amount of road and engine noise that infiltrates the cabin at speed, but this class of vehicle isn't really known for being luxuriously quiet.
The Taos brings Volkswagen's philosophy of affordable refinement to the small SUV class. There are hard plastics, but VW has thrown in some nicer materials and even leather with contrast stitching. Many of the controls are soft to the touch. And we were pleased to see physical controls for the climate control, along with a tuning and volume knob of the stereo, which we prefer over having them relegated to a touchscreen, where they're harder to use.
It's impressive from the moment you sit inside. All Taos models will come standard with a digital instrument cluster that can be customized to display anything from the song that's playing to turn-by-turn directions, whether from the navigation system or from your phone, via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. A 6.5-inch infotainment screen is standard, expanding at higher trim levels to an 8-inch screen capable of wireless connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration.
Front-wheel-drive models of the Taos offer 27.9 cubic feet of storage with the rear seats up and 65.9 cubic feet with the seats down. The all-wheel-drive version cuts into the cargo capacity at 24.9 and 60.2 cubes, respectively. Even so, these are impressive numbers for a compact crossover SUV. For comparison, the rival Buick Encore GX offers 25.2 and 52.7 cubic feet. Honda's CR-V and Volkswagen's Tiguan are roomier, but the Taos likely has enough space for your typical stuff-hauling needs.
The Taos' engine has several enhancements, including stop-start operation, that VW says helps improve fuel efficiency. Front-wheel-drive models of the Taos have an EPA estimated fuel economy of 31 mpg combined (28 city/36 highway). The all-wheel-drive Taos models drop to 28 mpg combined (25 city/32 highway).
Edmunds saysVolkswagen has a compelling SUV on its hands. The Taos offers comparable sophistication and not much of a trade off in cargo space compared to its Tiguan stablemate, but at a lower price. The turbocharged engine is impressive, but we've yet to see if it can deliver on those lofty EPA numbers in the real world. We look forward to spending more time behind the wheel to get the full picture.
According to Edmunds’ car experts, here’s what’s new for the 2022 Volkswagen Taos:
The least-expensive 2022 Volkswagen Taos is the 2022 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 $22,995.
Other versions include:
