I just bought a Taos and I have to offer some rebuttals to its criticisms. Power, it's not overwhelming, but is it sufficient and zippy around town. I have not noticed any delays that seem to plague the earlier models. The engine sounds are quite refined compared to the competition and at the end of the day, how many times are you going to floor it from a red light. The interior is typical VW, most parts are well done and very Germanic and others are cost saving elements. But the vehicle has a sense of refinement in its drive, the steering is very precise, handles better than you would think and the ride is well sorted. Not too firm, not too soft, VW hit the sweet spot. Kia and others might offer more soft touches, but lack the maturity of a well engineered product, which the Germans do best. Lastly, there are some Audi touches, the digital cockpit is quite nice, ambient lighting is better than most of the competition, even in higher price brackets. This is a very nice compact SUV, I had a few trepidations about the specs, but go test drive, you will find yourself surprised, it is pretty well done. I opted for the SEL trim with panoramic roof, basically all in, would purchase again, thanks for reading if you made it this far :)
Totally agree! We have an SE 4-Motion which we absolutely love. Very capable all around utilitarian vehicle. Lots of cargo space. Drove from San Diego, CA to Baton Rouge, LA. Continued on to Charleston, SC. ALWAYS got well over 34mpg on 87 octane, and we found it relatively quiet on the highway. Not really lacking for power either. And we came out of an Audi Q3 Quattro. The fine line between the power the Taos does have WRT the real world MPG it delivers is perfect in my opinion.
I just passed 1,000 km in my Canadian Highland trim (USA equivalent SEL I guess?), and the interior is far nicer than the SE tested here. The quality is much better, nice leather stitching, better displays, cooled seats, etc. It made my buddy's Honda Civic SI look like a crummy economy car. I agree that the car is noisy compared to the Tiguan R I drove recently, that car wasn't any louder whether you're doing 40 or 140, you couldn't tell. The Taos is a great SUV offering very good interior space compared to the competition, better interest rates, and the dual clutch transmission is awesome! The car feels connected to the engine instead of the sloppy CVT where you get the rubber band effect. However, the CVT is a lot smoother and this car with DCT coupled with a Turbo lag is not as smooth as a CVT naturally aspirated engine car. The car isn't without faults, but genuinely is a great buy and I def recommend one. I so wish they had a diesel option though !!! 😭 This guy is full of it saying it's slow, slow compared to what?! A Tesla?! The car is not slow at all, if you need speed then buy a damn Tesla Model S plad.
I just bought this vehicle today. I absolutely love it. I need it for exactly what you did with it. Got 37 mpg on the drive home from the dealer. Paid $32,700 off the lot which I’m happy with.
I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, if hard plastic brings down the price of cars give me hard plastic. It’s reviews like this that are constantly making cars more expensive. Not every car needs to be luxurious. Sometimes we need a car that is cheap and reliable.
The fact that everyone is going towards crossovers is the fact that car makers raise the prices on them. You can get a Jetta or Corolla for far less money. You really don't need AWD for 98% of the year. You don't need all that interior space. Crossovers are very inefficient than the sedan counterparts because of their boxiness. Put a set of winter or all weather tires on a sedan and you'll be fine in the snow.
It's like every other option on a vehicle. They'll charge you $10k for $5k worth of mediocre options. Anyone who upgrades to trim levels for interiors, stereos, etc... is wasting a lot of cash. You can always put in a stereo yourself, and it will be both better and half the price of the upgrade via the manufacturer.
@@miguelbaeza65 tell that to all of the people I pass stuck in the snow. Maybe where you live fwd is ok, but I live in a area where if you don't have awd you are not making it to work. Snow tires dont matter when your car is high centered from 24in of snow overnight.
I actually think he’s making that exact point. He says “once you start getting into the mid-30s,” which this car is. As in: hard plastic is great to keep the price down, and they didn’t keep the price down and still gave hard plastic.
Everybody is bashing the interior materials. I don't see the confusion. It's a very "adult" daily driver. The Taos has room for a small family, without sacrificing the familiarity in handling with hot hatches and the like... If you have a couple little rugrats, the last thing you want is to have to clean cracker crumbs out of soft touch materials. I think VW was very wise in creating a compact SUV with enough power to DD without sucking, even if it's uninspired... It looks sharp, luxury vibes, without being pretentious. If you're 24-35 ish... Can responsibly buy a 35k car. Possibly have a small family. Need a daily driver that isn't entirely boring, looks respectable. But don't need a larger, more luxurious vehicle... Again, I don't see the confusion. The Taos might be the most VW creation in a very long time. I think it's a bigger market than "car enthusiasts" who review cars, seem to understand. I like the review format! Sub-worthy
That is a well put way to say it, it's just perfect in my eyes, coming from the Tiguan 2019 this taos is what the Tiguan should have been, if only they put a 2.0t in there for when you drop off the kiddies mwhaha
I love my 2022 Taos SE, I get compliments cus I always keep it looking sharp. I bought it October 2021 and only has 6400 miles, and I intend to keep it for a long time. 😉😊
Haha...shout out from #Kenya 🇰🇪 .. 18:11.. Would be great if we got the Taos, we only get the Polo and Tiguan locally assembled here. It's Subaru country though! I'm sure you saw that. Love the show ✌️
Another great review; really appreciate the efforts to use the same locations, techniques and camera angles to help make valid comparisons between vehicles. Can’t wait to see the improvements to the DS “proving grounds”. Keep up the good work! Sadly this VW is overall somewhat disappointing, but the dual clutch tranny did surprisingly well off-road. Higher cabin noise is a deal breaker for me on those longer trips. CS-5 has my vote in this class right now and can actually still be found on dealer lots here in FL.
I had a TAOS it’s is a GREAT city car or even just living in the high desert will get you to 80 percent of place. And the cargo space NEVER let me down with needed cargo space… I used that car to the max. Only thing That needed some refinement was the transmission. Got it for 23k such a great price . My other cars atlas (Taos replacement) and 1992 gmc 3500HD
I absolutely loved the Taos, I hated the Tiguan because it was way too underpowered and the Taos is more peppy. The Taos is 1000x better than the Kia Seltos, I drove that and wanted to turn right back around, it was sooo loud, not smooth at all, and overall very disappointing. I ended up trading my Arteon in for an Atlas because the Taos's are hard to find in SEL trim and Kings Red color. Atlas are easier to find.
Not sure if you will reply, but how do you find the Atlas? I have the 22 Taos at top trim and i love it. Im just going to need more room soon with kids on the way.
People who buy Taos want better fuel economy. Atlas is way too thirsty on fuel. Taos is a huge downgrade from the Golf, interior is really bad on the Taos.
Awesome review. Love seeing crossovers tackle this road. Also love seeing the maverick in the background. Would be cool to get an update on how it’s been since you’ve got it
Thanks! For the review, one thing this vehicles can do if you want to do a 0-60 is launch control, it will do more than a second faster than the 8.4, I did it myself and it works great, I am surprised no other vehicle in this category and price point offer this feature. This little turbo engine using 93 octane gas will increase the hp but to save $ 87 is ok to use. I like the driving dynamics, the steering feels nice and the suspension is well tuned with the vehicle, it corner well, filling security on the road, also the 4MOTION has proved to be good, if you want a little more ground clearance you can buy a lift kid they sell for all the vw SUVs called "Basecamp accessories". I like the space it offers inside, over all I think it is a great vehicle
LC is useless any way unless you are into racing vehicles, but I was surprised that a small budget SUV like this one has one, that is a + no matter how you see it, then agen it can do 0 to 60 in 7 seconds (Not 8.4) and that time is above average for this price segment, the one I tested is the basic S model with 4MOTION, priced 27,895. Not bad at all
Agree it's terrific driver, you hit the important stuff, the only down is the tire noise maybe it's the OEM fit; the Conti's on my otherSportwagen TDI are really good in that regard. On my front driver the 8 spd is absolutely terrific, always in the right cog. Seats with lumbar adjustment are outstanding. Right, the trip odometer I haven't figured out and use the car data window. And that lets me hyper mile, the flat road 65 mph local stuff nets always over 41 - like 45 even - which just flat out amazing. I think the fwd has plenty of pull with the 1.5, which engine has a terrific reputation in the eurozone. Nice review, thanks.
I have a Taos S 4Motion. My car really grew on me and the fact that it can handle off-roading is great. I do think it is slow unfortunately. I also feel like the interior is quite cheap feeling, especially the cloth seats on the S trim. Other than that I love it. I use to have a Golf SE 2019 and the interior quality of the Taos is definitively a huge downgrade. Mine is equipped with the adaptive cruise control stuff.
Me reckon it always better to opt for a mazda CX 5 may be .... There are a tonne of crossovers which sometimes doesn't stand out for that purpose and VW's ...I started to hate them ... For me Toureag is their proper cross over with a longitudinal engine and they always keep it as so premium - would have provided more choice to customers
Another enjoyable video-thank you! As a fellow dweller in the Seattle area I’d love it if you could share more information about the roads you drive. Not your private course, naturally, but I’d love to try my hand (and Subie) at the places you use for your test drives and reviews.
Pretty easy to figure out if you pay attention to the driving scenes when he's on i90 and just off the exit. I plan on checking out his spots with my WRX and later this year my Subaru Ascent. I live about 30 minutes from where he does the offroad tests. In fact, the spot at 18:28 I'm pretty sure I cut down my christmas tree from that exact spot a couple years ago (just to the right of the power line structure.
Is funny that folks talk about low speed "brake vectoring" like it's not 20+ year old tech. VW introduced EDL (Electronic Differential Lock) back in 1995 on the Corrado VR6 and Toyota A-TRAC (Active Trac) in 2000-2001, I think first in the Land Cruiser. Both apply brakes to the wheel that's spinning to transfer torque to the side that isn't. The only thing that makes them different from any normal ABS system is that they have a pump to make their own brake pressure which is probably a small added cost and thus why not *all* cars have had it since then. The biggest mistake people make with these systems is not giving them time to do their thing. If you roll slow into a lifted tire scenario on a climb, sometimes the tire start to spin, while the car stops and sometimes even rolls backward a little, and then people panic and get off the gas or even hit the brakes. For these systems to work you just have to stay steady on the gas, give it time to recognize the wheelspin and apply the brakes and start pulling itself forward.
I really like Mr Ryan's reviews showing vehicles' both on and off-road. I may move to Europe in a couple of years. Right now the best vehicle I see for me is related to this Taos (who knows in 2 years). It solved Ryan's 2 main complaints: interior quality and power. Skoda Karoq. Based on this Taos, it has nicer interior (including removable back 3 section seat, any or all sections!) and can be had with VW 2.0 TDI, 150hp, 256lbft torque. So same hp, but significant torque. And 40mpg! The competition for me is Subaru. But Skoda is nicer, if not as offroad, and knowledgeable service much more available.
8 sec 0 to 60, doesn't sound suuuuper slow for a small suv, I think for the price it is better than the other cars on the segment, or at least it sound like it when you say the dsg is great, the crawling is impressive, and the seats are comfortable and you didn't rock the bottom at all.
Big fan of your reviews, so I would love a recap of your recommended models; a "buyer's guide" of sorts. For example, as a geologist by trade and hiker by hobby, I do lots of rough dirt road stuff (think unmaintained USFS) and sometimes transport my bike around, but it's not rock scrambles in Moab. Some crossovers seem too much like simple appearance packages with bad clearances, etc., but true rough and tumble things like Jeeps or 4Runners are pricey toys that I'd use only rarely to their full potential. (Add other other considerations such as mpgs, reliability, and size for day-to-day in-city living.) I've been eyeing the Bronco Sport, but it's hard to know if this is the only thing fitting the bill or if I've overlooked something. So your input on topics like this in a semi-regular buyer's guide would be much appreciated by me and, I'd hazard, other viewers, too!
Comparing this to your (somewhat) recent review of the Rav4 TRD offroad, that'll handle this course with ease, right? I remember you being slightly let down with it's performance offroad, and you didn't even take it to your own test course. (Which you said here is for more advanced vehicles)
You have to remember it is turbo charged, the turbo engages at certain RPMs this is the reason for lack of power, you have to wait for turbo to engage. Another good thin about this VW is MPG it makes about 30 all over, I pretty sure it is way better than all the vehicles you've mentioned in this review.
I've commented on other review videos that VW really messed up by using this new 1.5l TSI engine vs. the (discontinued) VW Alltrack's much better 1.8l TSI. I had considered a Taos as a replacement for my Alltrack. Then I drove both the FWD and AWD versions and was completely unimpressed. I ended up going in a completely different direction and bought a new Hyundai Tucson PHEV Limited. While it's certainly more expensive at the point of purchase, after I get the $6,587 Federal tax credit and a portion of my State's $2,500 credit, it will cost way less than an equivalent Taos. Factor in the significantly reduced cost of operating a PHEV over a conventional gas vehicle, and the decision to buy the Tucson was easy.
how are you liking it? thats the hybrid turbo version you got, correct? i also looked at the taos but it was so severely underpowered, i went with a new 2020 hyundai santa fe limited 2.0T AWD. 235 hp and 256 lb ft of torque
Hey, another Tucson owner here! Mine has the 1.6 turbo engine with the 7 speed DCT. It is mild hybrid. I love it to bits! It feels very sporty to drive and has even taken me to some cool campsites already.
I test drove Taos in this same trim w/7 speed dsg last week. Thirty minutes of driving around and you realize this is a daily driver at best. Actually I found the FWD w/8 speed automatic a better drive, but even the SEL trim has a cheap feel as well which was disappointing considering it was $34k. Thanks for the review Ryan.
@@paulholterhaus7084 I saw it in person. 2022 Jetta GLI interior. The digital dash, the ambient lightning, the pedals, the seats, the screen, the whole ambience was excellent to sit in. I sat in that car far longer than any other car at the Chicago Auto Show just to admire it because it was an achieveable car that was absolutely stunning. I don't know what your stunning is, though.
Wow! As soon as I heard the horsepower and road clearance figures for the Taos, I moved on. Thanks for advising me of this information so early. Still gave YOU a thumbs up! LOL
This thing needs the 2.0t (or even 1.8t) in a similar fashion to the first gen Tiguan. Those were really fun little SUVs! I’m a little disappointed in the direction VW has been going in the last few years. They used to be in that same sweet spot as Mazda as being a premium (but not luxury) option for those that wanted something a little different. You still pay the premium price, but they took a dive in overall quality.
I own a 22 taos with the 4MOTION and DSG transmission, I purchased a Burger throttle tuner and it's like night and day difference, it's responsive and quick, 7.5 0-60 love how smooth this vehicles feels, also you can do launch control and it will take off even faster
hmm is that Issaquah?? lol, we bought a Taos about a year ago, mainly to take up to the mountains to snowboard but this makes me wanna take some trails on! Great video
Excellent! Would you say Tiguan is a better value at only about $3K more for similar specs? I’d imagine interior is higher quality. That reminds me, can you do a review (including off-road) of the 2022+ Tiguans? While its more of a facelift, they did tune the driving a bit. Also, this is essentially a cheaper Q3, right? Thank you for these excellent reviews!
Between the color and exterior? is really not that bad.. It's in the interior which shows just what you are buying, or more to the point, "missing." For an new car/entry level/new driver, though?? Not bad..Okay, the Off-Road trail test, IMPRESSED me.. Ryan, please let me know where you got that STI hoodie.. Please?? lol
@@drivingsports what about Tiguan? I meant Tiguan seems to be compact SUV and competitor to CRV, Forester, and RAV4. While size wise it is somewhat close to compact SUVs, it's engine is more inclined to HRV, Corolla Cross, etc.
It still kills me that this thing replaced the Alltrack. I don't have it anymore but I crammed a set of 225/55 Falken Wildpeaks under my Alltrack and it could do anything this thing could do and it with a smile plus it didn't hurt that it behaved exactly like a Golf on tarmac as well. I was unable to resolve the leaky sunroof issue and have since traded my Alltrack in for a 2022 4x4 Frontier. Leaking aside it was a fantastic little machine and deserves to still be in production. It's a damn shame that consumers in the US don't know any better and would prefer something along the lines of this Taos vs a lifted wagon.
"Once you get into the mid-30s you start to expect something better" Dont... The mid-30s is the equivalent of 20k a few years ago.. I don't believe this will change, so might as well change expectations again...
I'm must say, that Germany's cosy relationship with Russia influenced my attitude towards things made there. They were warned for many years how this might end. Sadly they never listened.
In your opinion, which does better in trail access or forest road environments; The VW taos, or the kia seltos? I'm a huge fan of vw and it seems that the taos did better, but it's not on the same course as your seltos video so I'd rather take your word for it. Thanks!
I feel that he was a bit condescending when he smirked at the power of the Taos while climbing up those rocks. Realistically, 99.9% of people that buy this car aren't buying it for its off road capabilities. They just like knowing that if it gets a little shitty where you're going, then it's AWD coupled with the trail mode will get you around. It does that. I would also guess that 95% of the time these cars are moving it's on pavement. If you add more power to make it a bit more off road capable, you also add more cost to the car as well as more money down the drain in gas money. Give me the lower powered SUV that provides utility, saves me gas money, and can get me around on those rare occasions that I go up a trail.
I test drove one and was disappointed. I had owned a Tiguan several years ago and like it. The Taos is only a couple thousand cheaper than the Tiguan but I found a swath of hard plastic surfaces in the interior. Also the engine seemed to struggle getting off the line and was a noisy lump driving around town.
question..when you accelerated did you have the vehicle in Sports mode? You said there was not a lot of lower, however I imagine it is punchier in Sports mode?
What's the name of the trail, I really want to to trying it out!! I am new to off road and this trail seems easy for a truck and It looks like a great place for bigginers.
@@haroldbeauchamp3770 Yes the CVT SUCKS. In recent years Subaru has come a long way in reliability. I check out Consumer Reports before I buy anything, especially an automobile
The Tiguan is quite small. I suspect after a family of 4 uses one for a bit, you’ll be needing more room. I couldn’t imagine anyone being happy in something even smaller than the Tiguan.
Hi Ryan. One of your last comments was that it could use a set of all terrains. I have been looking for them for my Taos se 4motion and can’t find them. What can u recommend for all terrains. Thank u Jennifer. Great videos by the way!😄
Sports UTILITY Vehicle. Its not a sports car. Why does everyone complain about its sluggishness if you want a fast suv and be one of the douches doing 90 in a 65 then get a fng Porsche.
Funny you complained about noise. Almost every review I've read or watched comments how quiet it is for the segment (even super picky and critical Consumer Reports).
It's Ironic... Because you would need Machos more power to compete with TAOS, NM traffic... let alone Santa Fe. And at Rush Hour... No Way Jose'... Maybe that would be a good test for it! LOL
Doesn’t the Taos compete with the likes of the Seltos, Crosstrek, Corolla Cross, HR-V, etc.? The Tiguan is competing with the Tucson, Sportage, CR-V, etc., no?
I would like to note: The CX30 rolled back much less during testing. There was much less lurching back and forth. Also, during the sport mode launch, the rear brakes were still engaged. The rear tires were being dragged. Lastly, you were able to crawl uphill at 1 mph in the Mazda. I rewatched it for reference.
I haven't watched that one in a year. Good to note. I would say however, we JUST filmed another CX-30 review and, well, watch what happens when that video drops in the next couple weeks.
Ha. Yeah. It was just a matter of time. My genetics pretty much guarantee it. I really just wear the hat for branding and because we spend so much time in inclement weather, I don't need to worry about hair continuity with it.
4:55 The question shouldn't be will it get us there? Rather, will it get us back. I ran into two Brothers on an exploring (maintained gravel at worst) trip, one had a Audi Q5 the other a VW Tiguan both still under warranty. Neither would go past the end of the pavement. Not because of conditions but because both had been stranded so many time with broken German junk that they wouldn't leave cell service........ A nice review, thanx.
I don’t think this is a fair review for a inexpensive sub-compact crossover. I’m surprised you didn’t pull out the 4Runner and trash the Taos for not being as good 😂
Si la juventud pensara y hablara como para referirse y valorar su familia otra cosa fuera. Yo como madre escucharte decir que esa señora trabajo lo que sea por darle a sus hijos que comer. No sabes cuánto se siente 💔porque así es 😔las verdaderas madres solo sufrimos cuando estamos en esa cituacion😔. No es mi caso pero se siente dolor💔ya que soy madre de tres varones que lo e sacado adelante 💪🏻siendo padre y madre
Very nice vehicle, But it's too under powered. For the price, Should at least offer a more powerful motor option. Until then I'll look at other options.
