2024 Volkswagen Taos

The 2024 Volkswagen Taos is the German automaker’s smallest and newest SUV, slotting beneath the Tiguan. It boasts a roomy interior and fun driving manners. Pricing starts at $25,420.

In the rapidly advancing field of subcompact SUVs, it’s getting harder to stand out. But the Volkswagen Taos offers attractive features, enjoyable driving manners, and a welcome irony: One of the biggest interiors in its class. The Taos is also VW’s newest SUV, debuting for the 2022 model year. We are consistently impressed by its ability to swallow cargo, and it offers the driving feel and nuance for which German cars are famous. Plus, as its rivals evolve, so do their price tags; the VW Taos is no longer on the pricier side of the spectrum.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of subcompact SUVs, including this 2024 VW Taos SE Black.

The IQ.Drive active safety and driver-assistance suite becomes standard, and augmented interior stitching is available. There’s also a stylish new SE Black model with a dark appearance package.

The Taos has a starting price slightly below rivals like the Honda HR-V and Hyundai Kona (both $24,100) and Kia Seltos ($24,390). The Mazda CX-30 and Subaru Crosstrek each come with standard AWD and start at $24,995. The Toyota Corolla Cross starts at a lower price ($23,610), as do the Chevrolet Trailblazer ($23,100) and the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport ($23,695). The Jeep Renegade starts higher (over $28K). Models costing even less – but not offering AWD – include the Hyundai Venue (around $20K) and Nissan Kicks ($20,790).

Before buying, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know how much you should pay. The VW Taos’ resale value is about average, above the Jeep and Mazda and below the Subaru and Honda.

“Peppier and more fun than others in this class.” That’s one note from our logbook after testing the VW Taos. And it shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s ever driven a Volkswagen. The German automaker has a knack for imbuing its vehicles – yes, even little SUVs – with enjoyable road manners. And by “enjoyable,” we mean taut steering, firm but not too firm suspension, and a peppy turbocharged engine. The Taos feels more spry and athletic than a Honda HR-V or Toyota Corolla Cross.

Still, the Taos is a small, sensible SUV with good fuel efficiency and pleasant manners for the commute around town and perhaps the occasional road trip. And in that regard, the Taos should satisfy owners. Despite its compact dimensions, it’s pleasing in most aspects and feels confident on the highway.

Our only other nits were noticeable turbo lag at times – that brief pause between the accelerator pedal going down and your momentum increasing and some lack of refinement in the transmission on all-wheel-drive (AWD) models. That’s because AWD models use a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT) vs. the traditional and smoother 8-speed automatic in front-wheel-drive (FWD) models. The DCT communicates more of the sound and action of gear selection than the traditional transmission — not necessarily a good thing.

Fuel Economy

The 2024 VW Taos earns 31 mpg in city-highway mixed driving with front-wheel drive and 27 mpg combined with all-wheel drive. These are above-average figures for the class, at least for FWD models. If fuel economy ranks high on your priorities, you might want to check out the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid, which comes standard with all-wheel drive and earns 42 mpg combined.

The 2-row/5-passenger cabin of the VW Taos is contemporary yet convenient and more spacious than you might think, given this SUV’s diminutive footprint. Up front, controls are easy to see and use. It’s a snap to change climate settings and adjust the audio because there are physical knobs and controls for these functions; they aren’t buried eight layers deep in a touchscreen. There’s also a physical gear lever to move from park to drive, reverse, etc.

The entry S model makes do with a small 6.5-inch touchscreen, while the other two models have a more modern (at least at this second in time) 8-inch unit. All get the Digital Cockpit instrument display – 8 inches for the lower two trims vs. 10.25 inches for the SEL.

Rear legroom, at 37.9 inches, is impressive, beating even the Honda HR-V’s numbers by a hair (but also a tenth of an inch under the Kia Seltos). Then there’s the rear cargo room. There’s a copious-for-the-class 27.9 cubic feet in FWD models and 24.9 for AWD Taos models. With the rear seats folded, there are 65.9 and 60.2 cubic feet, respectively. Compare that to the Honda HR-V’s 55.1 cubic feet, and you see where the Taos’ blockier shape pays off inside.

The VW Taos aligns with the aesthetic of Volkswagen’s current SUV lineup. In other words, it looks like a smaller version of the Tiguan, which looks like a smaller version of the Atlas. They all have a squared-off, contemporary, handsome design. There’s not a lot of risk with this shape, but that also means it should keep its appeal years down the road.

IQ.Drive
This is the name for VW’s suite of active safety and driver assistance features, and it’s now standard for 2024. It bundles adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and active blind-spot monitoring.

Cargo capacity
Most people don’t buy a subcompact SUV if copious cargo room is a priority, but it is nice when it’s there. In this respect, the Taos is among the best in its class, with up to 65.9 cubic feet with the rear seat folded.

Digital Cockpit
Such all-digital instrument clusters debuted in luxury vehicles from Audi, VW’s corporate cousin. Now it’s standard in a Taos.

Carefree Maintenance Program
All new 2024 Taos models come with two years or 20,000 miles of complimentary maintenance.

4Motion
This is the name for VW’s all-wheel drive system, and while most rivals also offer AWD, not all have four user-adjustable drive modes — including off-road and off-road custom.

Wireless phone charging
A helpful feature if there ever was one, this is standard in SE and SEL models. Place a compatible phone on the pad, and it begins charging.

All 2024 Taos models use a 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, making 158 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. There is no upgrade engine or hybrid variant, but you can choose the standard FWD or AWD. VW calls the latter “4Motion,” and it’s a good choice if you live where it routinely snows. FWD models use a traditional 8-speed automatic transmission, while AWD versions have a 7-speed DCT that shifts more quickly but often not as smoothly. Note that the top-line SEL model is AWD only.

4-year/50,000-mile warranty

The 2024 VW Taos is covered for four years or 50,000 miles across the board. That’s a little better and a little worse than most competitors, which offer bumper-to-bumper coverage of 3 years or 36,000 miles and powertrain protection for 5 years or 60,000 miles. New VWs include two years or 20,000 miles (whichever is first) of complimentary maintenance.

Safety ratings

The VW Taos received scores of “Good” (the top) in four of six crashworthiness categories by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and “acceptable” in the two others. In government testing by NHTSA, it received a 4-Star score, beneath the top 5-Star rating.