2023 Volkswagen Taos Consumer Reviews
Pricing
S - $25,450 MSRP
$23,758
4...
Traded after 1 year. This car is possessed.
M., 04/28/2023
updated 10/30/2023
2023 Volkswagen Taos S 4dr SUV (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
17 of 27 people found this review helpful
Update 10/2023: Traded in my Taos after a year of ownership and 10, 200 miles for a different make. Too many issues: Drivetrain squeaking in cold weather (pretty sure it was a faulty torque converter or PCV valve, dealer could not duplicate after 6 visits). Windows malfunctioned and rolled back down when pulling the window switch up. Heat would come out of the vents when rolling windows down, even in the summer. (Yes the fan knob was set to off position). None of my other cars did this. Pushing recirculate was the only way to fix it or by turning the AC on. Transmission (8-spd.) jerked when letting off after a stop and was never smooth. There was always an abnormal vibrating/pulsating sensation when getting up to speed. Brakes would grind when I needed to stop more suddenly (was supposed to get new rotors, 7 moths went by and dealership never got them in). Please believe consumer reports low review of this car. I didn’t listen and made a huge mistake. Lesson learned. I will never, ever, ever own or recommend a VW product again as long as I live. Stay far away. You will have problems, I didn’t think I would. Original review: I too was pulled in by the good styling. Don’t be fooled! I have only owned it for about 5 months. -Pros: Crisp, lively steering, smooth ride, excellent MPG (up to 40 city and highway: varies), safety features w/ IQ package, styling, solid feel, auto high beams, -Cons: (keep reading…) This is my first new car. Drove 3 hours with my family to get it. Have the IQ Drive package. Dealer charged us a $1,000 inventory fee. Should have stopped the deal then. Anyway this car has had several odd issues right off the bat. It squeaks whenever I accelerate: in cold weather mostly. It is a horrible high pitched squeaking, squealing or even whistling sound, that drives me mad! Drove with a tech and he claimed it was a sensor, I didn’t buy that. The sound stops immediately when I take my foot off the accelerator. I believe it is drivetrain and/or transmission related. Update: Have not heard squeaking this summer as much. Came back at the start of the cold season when temps dropped to the 60’s and below. Of course the Taos we test drove did not exhibit the issue. While at that service appointment, I heard a woman in line in front of me telling the service manager that she only had 20,000 miles on her Taos and that she had to fill the coolant 3 times. Not good. That is a sure sign of head gasket failure. I avoided buying an older Cadillac b/c of known head gasket issues, and what do you know, Volkswagen has head gasket issues too. Wonderful. As bad as the possible head gasket issue is, nothing is worse to me than the awful squeaking I hear when I drive this car. I have taken it in 3 times to the dealer for this issue only to be given nonsense excuses. I have never, ever, heard a car make such a sound when it accelerates, and I have driven in cars with over 200,000 miles. And my last car, a Ford, had 80,000 miles with no issues or strange noises. This sound is NOT normal and is absolutely unacceptable in a brand new vehicle. I become nauseated every time I hear it. The heat also turns on whenever I roll the windows down (no matter the outside temperature). That is, whenever the windows roll the correct direction. When pulling up on the window switch, the window will start to roll back down or vise versa. I also get an alert and chime every time the temperature is 40 degrees. Just stupid! Also, if you accidentally hold the unlock button in your pocket for a few seconds all the windows roll down. Came out to the car one night and every window was down, what an opportunity for thieves. Looked it up and it’s actually a feature for hot summer days. What a stupid feature! Get the mechanicals right before you add useless features to the car like that. Again, this was my FIRST BRAND NEW car. Saddened in VW. We owned an ‘03 Jetta years ago (also purchased new) that left my family members stranded multiple times. Once, was a few moths into ownership. We swore we would never purchase another VW again. The old saying rings true: “Fool me once, fool me twice.”
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Got some pep!!
Donna Hepner, 06/24/2023
2023 Volkswagen Taos SE 4dr SUV (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
It’s got so much room. Seats fold down to give my dog lots of room.
Feels more like a Station wagon.
David , 02/25/2024
2023 Volkswagen Taos SE 4dr SUV (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I recently got the 2023 Taos as company fleet car. It replaced a 2019 Hyandai Tucson. As a service technician, cargo space is critical. The Taos doesn't quite have the rear cargo capacity as the Tucson, but it's not a deal breaker. Volkswagen should consider a totally flat load floor like the others. (Ford, GM, Hyandai). The HVAC controls are excellent. Volkswagen uses the simple, tried and true physical dial knobs. There are plenty of fan speed settings (more than I've ever seen in any other vehicle). But the Infotainment system as a whole, isn't as nearly intuitive as the Hyandai, or my wife's 2018 Equinox. The phone and Bluetooth are a bit more cumbersome to get used to. On the other hand, the Radio/ Bluetooth, music sound system is absolutely first rate. As a somewhat audiophile person, the Taos Soundsystem is a total joy to listen to. The car warms up amazingly fast on the coldest of winter mornings. In early February, we had zero to sub zero mornings, and the Taos was blowing warm air within 1.5 miles when driving with no pre-warmup. That's right up there with the Chevy Equinox. The Hyandai literally took 15-20 miles, before it blew warm enough to make the cabin comfortable. Nice job by Volkswagen on the large display though, and the way they angled it towards the driver. I don't know where the car is built, but it definitely has German DNA stamped in it. You can feel it the minute you enter the car and shut the door. And then when you begin driving it, it's DNA really shines. The drivetrain is silky smooth, and very responsive. Acceleration is instantly quick, smooth and linear. It's much, much better than the Hyandai, and I mean it's not even close. I had to set the speed warning to 70 mph, because the car accelerates so smoothly and easily, that before you know it, you're going well over the speed limit. It reminds me of a BMW 300 series that a friend had over 40 years ago. No kidding. The power heated seats were very well done with the sewn inserts. Finding a good driving position was easy. The heated, beautifully done leather wrapped steering wheel is a nice touch. I found the sticker price paperwork in the glove box, and it's a $29,000.00 car. Is it worth that? I don't know, I don't buy new cars, I only buy used vehicles. From all the company fleet vehicles I've driven, and personal ones too, the Taos is an excellent car. If I were looking for a service vehicle I probably wouldn't get this car. It's seems a bit too nice for a service vehicle. But if I were personally shopping for a nice compact station wagon, I'd seriously consider it. I say station wagon, because the Taos drives, and sits lower than most SUV/CUV's. To me it's a station wagon. And that's not necessarily a bad thing.
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Volkswagen Taos 2023
Right, 06/27/2023
2023 Volkswagen Taos S 4dr SUV (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
2 of 4 people found this review helpful
This car feels premium and looks handsome. It’s quiet and comfortable, but fun and agile. Purchased the SEL 4Motion in pure gray.
I AM SO GLAD 😀 Rated #1 in its Class!
Ellen Grant, 12/17/2023
2023 Volkswagen Taos SE 4dr SUV AWD (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I love my 2023 Taos SE 4Motion! It has all the features that make it so fun to drive! Love the panoramic sunroof, and more importantly the 30+ mpg is fantastic! CarPlay, Assistive cruise control, and Bluetooth are great 👍! No Wonder Edmunds rated this car #1 ONE in its class! Feels like an SEL !
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