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The 2024 Taos is Volkswagen’s compact SUV with a spacious cabin. We look at interior quality, technology, and more to see how this little SUV stacks up.
2024 Volkswagen Taos – vw.com | Shop 2024 Volkswagen Taos on Carsforsale.com
What’s New for the 2024 Volkswagen Taos?
The Volkswagen Taos is a small SUV with a relatively low base price but a huge cabin given its footprint. It came out as an all-new model in 2022 and now boasts four trim levels, access to front or all-wheel drive versions, and a single engine for the entire range.
Consider it to be sort of a pint-sized Atlas as it’s heavily focused on practicality over all else. The 2024 VW Taos adds a bit more safety tech to the base model and a new SE Black trim adds dark trim and a light bar to the SE trim. Otherwise, the Taos is the same as it was in 2023.
Carsforsale.com Score
8/10
Powertrain
Score
7.75/10
Interior
Score
8.5/10
Technology
Score
8.5/10
Value
Score
7.75/10
The Breakdown
Spacious cabin
Responsive chassis
Above-average fuel economy
Not a leader in any area
Pricey top trim
No other engine options
An above average compact SUV
2024 Taos Specs
- 158-Horsepower from base engine
- 184-lb-ft of Torque from base engine
- 4 available trim levels
- 27.9 cu-ft of cargo capacity
- 65.9 cu-ft of cargo capacity with seats folded
- Available 8-inch screen
- 4-Star crash test rating
- Free maintenance for two years
2024 Volkswagen Taos Powertrain
Volkswagen rests its hopes for the Taos on a single engine. It displaces 1.5-liters, is turbocharged, and makes 158 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. In most trims it comes standard with front-wheel drive and an eight-speed conventional automatic transmission. Under the right circumstances it’ll also get up to 28 mpg in the city and 36 on the highway.
VW also offers an all-wheel drive version of the Taos with the same engine but a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. It achieves 25 mpg in the city and 32 on the highway. Those figures are quite good when directly compared to rivals like the Mazda CX-30 and the Buick Envista.
Notably, the Taos falls between those two vehicles in terms of performance. It’s quicker and has a better chassis than the Buick. At the same time, it’s slower and far less engaging when compared to the Mazda CX-30. There’s nothing particularly wrong with the way the Taos drives and we like the transmission in both drivetrains, but it’s not a car we’d ever be eager to pilot.
2024 Volkswagen Taos Interior
The cabin of the Taos is truly the biggest draw for most customers. The fit and finish is nice, the layout is clean and straightforward, and the seating is comfortable and supportive. The dash features both a touchscreen infotainment system and physical control switches and knobs. In fact, we’d suggest VW use the setup in most of its vehicles since it’s better than the touch-capacitive buttons other models employ.
On top of that, the cabin itself feels very airy considering the small stature of the Taos. Visibility is great from the front seats too. If there’s an interior gripe, it has to be the somewhat jarring nature of the suspension. Poor road conditions can upset it quickly and it can take a little longer than expected for it to settle back down.
The Taos makes up for it with outstanding practicality. The rear storage space measures 27.9-cubic feet. That’s big but it can get even bigger when the seats get folded down. Then, the Taos can haul up to 65.9 cubic feet of cargo.
2024 Volkswagen Taos Technology Features
Technology in the Taos is largely above average too. The base 6.5-inch infotainment system is smallish looking for the space and is a bit laggy but is otherwise unobtrusive. The larger 8-inch system is a bit quicker and fits the dash far better. We also like the inclusion of a standard digital gauge cluster and access to Volkswagen’s version of Digital Cockpit (a large configurable digital gauge cluster found in Audi products).
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are both standard features in the Taos but don’t expect it to blow you away when it comes to audio performance. The base trim gets just four speakers and even the high-end “premium” system tops out at eight. On the other hand, safety tech is a strong suit for this VW SUV.
Every Taos now comes standard with blind-spot warning, forward collision mitigation, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and emergency assistance for unresponsive drivers. Adaptive headlights and automatic high beams are also available. The IIHS hasn’t tested the Taos but the NHTSA has and awarded it four stars in crash tests.
2024 Volkswagen Taos Trims & Pricing
S – $25,420
The base Taos comes with 17-inch wheels, LED headlights, roof rails, a digital gauge cluster, a 6.5-inch infotainment system, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, four speakers, and a 60/40 split-folding rear seat.
SE – $29,590
The SE is equipped with 18-inch wheels, tinted rear windows, heated side mirrors, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, an 8-inch infotainment system, heated front seats, second-row USB ports, six speakers, and a wireless device charger.
SE Black – $29,985
This is basically the SE but with black 19-inch wheels, black styling elements, and an integrated light bar in the grille.
SEL – $34,940
The top trim adds 19-inch wheels in silver, adaptive headlights, automatic high beams, rain-sensing wipers, a panoramic sunroof, a heated steering wheel, leather upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated and ventilated front seats, a larger digital gauge cluster, integrated navigation, eight speakers, parking sensors, and standard all-wheel drive.
2024 Volkswagen Taos Overall Value 7.75/10
The Taos really isn’t a bad value at the low end of the trim price point. There, it costs about as much as a loaded Chevy Trax but feels far more premium and keeps most of the same safety features.
At the same time, something like the Kia Seltos offers better overall value while the Mazda CX-30 is the class leader in driver engagement. The long and the short is simply this, if you like the Taos, be sure to test at least one or two other vehicles and consider incentives before signing on the dotted line.
CarsForSale.com Overall Score 8/10
2024 Volkswagen Taos – carsforsale.com | Shop 2024 Volkswagen Taos on Carsforsale.com
Volkswagen could really benefit from trying to be the best at something in this market. It’s not as fun or well-appointed as the Mazda CX-30, it’s not as value-oriented as the Chevy Trax, and it’s not capable as the Subaru Crosstrek. That’s all fine, it doesn’t have to be any of those things, but Volkswagen already sells a lot of cars with very little personality, the Taos is so close to breaking that trend.
2024 Volkswagen Taos FAQ
Is the Volkswagen Taos electric?
Every Taos uses the same 1.5-liter turbocharged gas-powered engine.
Which is bigger, the Taos or the Tiguan?
The Volkswagen Tiguan is bigger than the Taos.
What year did the Taos come out?
2022 was the first model year for the Volkswagen Taos.
