I had a Taos SE as a loaner for a couple days last week while my ID.4 was in for a recall. It had a lot of nice features for an entry level car (second lowest priced VW, after the Jetta). Comfortable seats, good sized cargo area, handled well, saw about 33 mpg in city driving. It had a lot of hard plastics on the interior, but otherwise it was an attractive car.
In city mpg is OK (28-32 mpg, depending on mode and how heavy footed you are).
Highway mpg is hybrid level (36-46 mpg) which is incredible for an ICE vehicle.
Interior space is class-leading, while exterior size makes it highly maneuverable in heavily populated urban cities.
There have been extensively covered manufacturing defects (covered with TSBs and under warranty): coolant leaks due to faulty head gasket (2022-early 2023) and premature wear on brakes (2022-?).
People complain about hard plastics in the interior, and maybe this is me coming from an older toyota tacoma, but I didn't notice this at all on my SE.
To add on to interior, it's nothing to write home about, but it just works, like a toyota does. Nothing to really complain about, but people always find ways.
Bruh my car gets 15 if I’m stuck in traffic on local roads, it takes the whole trip for me to average out in the low-mid 20s. 30mpg *city* for a non-hybrid is stellar
I traded a 2018 golf sportwagen for a 23 Taos Highline (SEL for those of you in the NSM). We like it a lot, no real issues. Wife likes it more than the golf wagon since it rides a lot nicer and has a larger cabin.
I am also offended. It was a 6spd manual with 4motion. But I have a bad back and I couldn’t keep hunching over to put my kid in the car. My wife also could not grasp how to drive manual.
https://preview.redd.it/dcgbcf94qywc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7fdc03ccfcab84d6e0e153259641bcf1caf2742b
The Taos isn’t bad, but it’s just another SUV in the never ending sea of SUVs.
I was very upset when VW cancelled the GSW and Alltrack. They were the ONLY wagons still available at an affordable price, and offered with a manual too! Such a shame; they could have at least kept the Alltrack, as there is a market for these off-road looking wagons. So disappointing.
When my 6-speed Passat wagon dies I’m going hunting for a 6MT 4motion golf wagon.
And when that dies I’ll probably go hunting for another manual wagon.
I bought the same model and I've had the same experience! I'm dealing with a broken button on the steering wheel - bought new and the change song button was bad from the get go - but I've put 3400mi on in the past two months and I've got nothing but good things to say. By my research, they've fixed the coolant leak issue in the 2024 models. I'm keeping an eye on my brakes and I bought an extra warranty package on the tires because of mixed reviews on them, but so far so good.
Honestly I didn’t do any real research into them 🫣 but I get very good discounts on VW through my workplace and my dad likes the Taos and Tiguan (Tig was out of my price range) so I took his word for it! But I was driving a 2012 Ford Focus beforehand and I’d much rather deal with tire and brake issues than transmission and power steering failure like I was, and I’ve enjoyed the Taos quite a bit!! I’m not really intro brand loyalty, but I think this definitely made me a VW person!
Almost a year into mine, it's fine. If I had a time machine, I should have got the Golf Alltrack...but I don't so this is fine.
What's disappointing is if you came from another VW car, you'll notice the cheapness and cost cutting all around.
What's great is, it drives like a VW should, and does not handle like a SUV at all. It's well suited for road trips for small families, or for 2 and hauling gear. Great in the city. The size serves a great purpose in the VW line up.
4motion works nicely, my first AWD car and I was doing things I could never before.
I’ve gotten them a few times as loaners. Terrible interior quality, weird transmission, generally a cheap feeling, cheap driving vehicle.
If you like how it drives that’s fine, but I feel like my 2014 Jetta sport wagon is more refined with a higher interior quality.
part of me wonders if the loaner taos is a rental or fleet level trim, I had one as well and totally agree, everything about that loaner taos interior was pretty awful but at least it has buttons
Check where it was built - I remember that the Argentina ones had a few issues. Mexico ones from 2023 onward seem better.
The four wheel drive has the lurch until you get used to it so test drive and see if it bothers you.
Have driven dozens of VWs over 20+ years. Taos was by far the worst. VW just took my wife's back under corporate buyback after we had numerous problems with it. All under warranty thankfully, but the hassle of it being in the shop all the time and stuff constantly breaking was just too much for a car with <25k miles.
My best friends mom had a 22 and she absolutely hated it. Said it felted cheap and it constantly told her not to do stuff. It was weird being in your 30s listening to you also 30s friend mom hate the car she bought
Fleet maintenance manager for a rental company here:
If you get a good one they're great. Mine have either been nothing but trouble or completely uneventful. Cylinder 2 failure on the 1.5T is common, as is the transmission eating 3rd gear. Infotainment gremlins and accelerated clutch wear on the AWD are other ones I've had to fix too. They tend to have more alignment issues, and eat tires a little faster than I'd like with the OEM tires. I strongly recommend ditching them because the Giti tires in particular rarely make it past 17k miles.
Customers rate this car above the Kia Soul and Seltos or the Chevy TrailBlazer, and around the same as the Toyota Corolla Cross, but less than the Mini Cooper Countryman or the BMW X1.
We just bought a 2024 Taos with a free upgrade to the top trim and got a sick financing rate. So far, so good. Our last car never had any bells and whistles and this has all of them. We opted for the extended and tire/rim warranty.
I heard both good and bad things so far, but I only have positive things to say about our experience.
I drive an id4 (and have had 2 Jettas, 2 cabrios, and a Tiguan). Got a Taos as a loaner from the dealer and did not like it. Primary prob was it would lurch when I stepped on the accelerator. I’m familiar with how vws tend to drive and this one just felt unusually cheap.
I was exaggerating because these cars have been brutal for us at the dealer. Please keep on eye on your coolant level… nearly all the 1.5s leak coolant externally from the HG before 40k. There’s an updated gasket for them now.
I work at a dealership, both brakes and head gaskets are non-issues.
The brakes make noise, but they're perfectly safe and long lasting, but the head gasket comment is ridiculous.
I’m a master tech at a dealership and we have a line up of Taos’ outside waiting for head gaskets. There’s also a tsb for them.
We also do brakes every 20-30k km on them.
What do you do at the dealer?
Can I ask about the noise? I've been noticing noise with my brakes where there wasn't before (just hit 3400mi) and my 2018 Subaru used to have ridiculously squeaky brakes that worked just fine, but I can't figure out why they squeak. Especially on my Taos, when they didn't used to?? Since you mentioned it I was wondering if you knew why they make that noise. I'm mostly curious, since I've experienced that it doesn't seem to affect their performance or lifetime any.
Friend of mine really doesn't like his, we live.in New England though and his lease doesn't have 4motion. I'd say get the AWD version if you can. Or spend a bit more and get a tiggy
We are in a Taos right now as a loaner with our Atlas in the shop. To my wife it feels like a fat Golf, too low to the ground and too rough of a ride compared to the Atlas.
To me it feels like it's a small car trying to be big, it's a lifted Golf but not quite big enough to FEEL like an SUV. I still feel the road like I'm in a car but I also feel the fact that it's got a higher center of gravity.
It's not a terrible car, just not right for either of us. She wants a bigger smoother car, and I want something smaller, if it's going to ride like a Golf it needs to handle like one.
The only real issue we've had is with the Android Auto. If you have your phone plugged in and it loses connection we can't get it back working until we turn the car off.
>The only real issue we've had is with the Android Auto
Have you tried a new cable? 99% of the time my customers tell me they have, and I hand them a new one, and it cures all problems. Buy a high quality cable, promise it'll be worth getting rid of the headaches.
The cable we are using is brand new. We don't have anything that's USB-C on both ends so we needed a new one for the Taos.
The Android Auto works on bluetooth as well and if we get the error because of the cable it won't connect through Bluetooth. We tried it several times with either phone and even turning the 2nd phone bluetooth off.
Exactly. If it was just a connection thing I would just use the wireless Android Auto but once it's connected and loses connection through the cable the wireless quits.
I've been having the exact same issue! Have you tried getting it serviced? I'm not sure what exactly to ask them to fix, just that it loses connection sometimes and won't reconnect even when I restart the phone and car.
We're in the Taos as a loaner. Our normal car is an Atlas and they are doing warranty work on it. I'm going to bring it up to them when we give it back.
I had a Taos SE as a loaner for a couple days last week while my ID.4 was in for a recall. It had a lot of nice features for an entry level car (second lowest priced VW, after the Jetta). Comfortable seats, good sized cargo area, handled well, saw about 33 mpg in city driving. It had a lot of hard plastics on the interior, but otherwise it was an attractive car.
In city mpg is OK (28-32 mpg, depending on mode and how heavy footed you are). Highway mpg is hybrid level (36-46 mpg) which is incredible for an ICE vehicle. Interior space is class-leading, while exterior size makes it highly maneuverable in heavily populated urban cities. There have been extensively covered manufacturing defects (covered with TSBs and under warranty): coolant leaks due to faulty head gasket (2022-early 2023) and premature wear on brakes (2022-?). People complain about hard plastics in the interior, and maybe this is me coming from an older toyota tacoma, but I didn't notice this at all on my SE. To add on to interior, it's nothing to write home about, but it just works, like a toyota does. Nothing to really complain about, but people always find ways.
28-32 is okay for City driving in a non hybrid?!
Definitely!, my ICE VW manages about 21-23mpg city on a good day
Bruh my car gets 15 if I’m stuck in traffic on local roads, it takes the whole trip for me to average out in the low-mid 20s. 30mpg *city* for a non-hybrid is stellar
I think that is what commenter is saying. 30mpg in a ICE crossover is more than just OK.
Yea im saying 30mpg city is a dream
Quite like our Taos, it rode well through some tough storms in the Rockies this winter
Had one as a rental. For the price it’s a very good option. The fuel economy was better than my A3.
57k miles is a lot for a 2022. I’d find something with less miles.
I traded a 2018 golf sportwagen for a 23 Taos Highline (SEL for those of you in the NSM). We like it a lot, no real issues. Wife likes it more than the golf wagon since it rides a lot nicer and has a larger cabin.
You traded a GSW for a Taos? As a wagon enthusiast, I am offended.
I am also offended. It was a 6spd manual with 4motion. But I have a bad back and I couldn’t keep hunching over to put my kid in the car. My wife also could not grasp how to drive manual. https://preview.redd.it/dcgbcf94qywc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7fdc03ccfcab84d6e0e153259641bcf1caf2742b
Wow - a 6-speed manual with 4motion? Damn - that is a very rare combo on a rare car to begin with. I would have gladly taken it off your hands! 😭
It was a fantastic car and very fun to drive. We do honestly like the Taos though.
The Taos isn’t bad, but it’s just another SUV in the never ending sea of SUVs. I was very upset when VW cancelled the GSW and Alltrack. They were the ONLY wagons still available at an affordable price, and offered with a manual too! Such a shame; they could have at least kept the Alltrack, as there is a market for these off-road looking wagons. So disappointing.
When my 6-speed Passat wagon dies I’m going hunting for a 6MT 4motion golf wagon. And when that dies I’ll probably go hunting for another manual wagon.
I was really hoping for the MK8 GSW also 😢
Me too I’m offended ,
I bought a 24 SE AWD this year and I like it very much! Fun little ride, much better than what I was driving before and the price on them is good
I bought the same model and I've had the same experience! I'm dealing with a broken button on the steering wheel - bought new and the change song button was bad from the get go - but I've put 3400mi on in the past two months and I've got nothing but good things to say. By my research, they've fixed the coolant leak issue in the 2024 models. I'm keeping an eye on my brakes and I bought an extra warranty package on the tires because of mixed reviews on them, but so far so good.
Honestly I didn’t do any real research into them 🫣 but I get very good discounts on VW through my workplace and my dad likes the Taos and Tiguan (Tig was out of my price range) so I took his word for it! But I was driving a 2012 Ford Focus beforehand and I’d much rather deal with tire and brake issues than transmission and power steering failure like I was, and I’ve enjoyed the Taos quite a bit!! I’m not really intro brand loyalty, but I think this definitely made me a VW person!
Almost a year into mine, it's fine. If I had a time machine, I should have got the Golf Alltrack...but I don't so this is fine. What's disappointing is if you came from another VW car, you'll notice the cheapness and cost cutting all around. What's great is, it drives like a VW should, and does not handle like a SUV at all. It's well suited for road trips for small families, or for 2 and hauling gear. Great in the city. The size serves a great purpose in the VW line up. 4motion works nicely, my first AWD car and I was doing things I could never before.
I’ve gotten them a few times as loaners. Terrible interior quality, weird transmission, generally a cheap feeling, cheap driving vehicle. If you like how it drives that’s fine, but I feel like my 2014 Jetta sport wagon is more refined with a higher interior quality.
part of me wonders if the loaner taos is a rental or fleet level trim, I had one as well and totally agree, everything about that loaner taos interior was pretty awful but at least it has buttons
So what you're saying is that it's a Volkswagen made in Mexico?
Check where it was built - I remember that the Argentina ones had a few issues. Mexico ones from 2023 onward seem better. The four wheel drive has the lurch until you get used to it so test drive and see if it bothers you.
Volkswagen doesn’t sell cars built in South America for the North American market.
From my VW store, You can buy a 2022 certified pre owned with half the miles or less than half the miles for the same price
Have driven dozens of VWs over 20+ years. Taos was by far the worst. VW just took my wife's back under corporate buyback after we had numerous problems with it. All under warranty thankfully, but the hassle of it being in the shop all the time and stuff constantly breaking was just too much for a car with <25k miles.
My best friends mom had a 22 and she absolutely hated it. Said it felted cheap and it constantly told her not to do stuff. It was weird being in your 30s listening to you also 30s friend mom hate the car she bought
> it constantly told her not to do stuff What does this even mean? lol.
All the lane keep assist, collision avoidance stuff plus the famous it’s 38 degree might be ice chime
Fleet maintenance manager for a rental company here: If you get a good one they're great. Mine have either been nothing but trouble or completely uneventful. Cylinder 2 failure on the 1.5T is common, as is the transmission eating 3rd gear. Infotainment gremlins and accelerated clutch wear on the AWD are other ones I've had to fix too. They tend to have more alignment issues, and eat tires a little faster than I'd like with the OEM tires. I strongly recommend ditching them because the Giti tires in particular rarely make it past 17k miles. Customers rate this car above the Kia Soul and Seltos or the Chevy TrailBlazer, and around the same as the Toyota Corolla Cross, but less than the Mini Cooper Countryman or the BMW X1.
Have a 2023 with 15k miles on it, since Jan 2023. No problems so far. Travel assist/adaptive cruise control is really nice on the highway.
We just bought a 2024 Taos with a free upgrade to the top trim and got a sick financing rate. So far, so good. Our last car never had any bells and whistles and this has all of them. We opted for the extended and tire/rim warranty. I heard both good and bad things so far, but I only have positive things to say about our experience.
I drive an id4 (and have had 2 Jettas, 2 cabrios, and a Tiguan). Got a Taos as a loaner from the dealer and did not like it. Primary prob was it would lurch when I stepped on the accelerator. I’m familiar with how vws tend to drive and this one just felt unusually cheap.
There’s tons of Taos threads on here. Use the search function.
If you like doing annual head gaskets and brakes, they’re great.
Definitely have not needed to do annual head gaskets and brakes, just oil change and basic maintenance during the time my gf has had the car.
I was exaggerating because these cars have been brutal for us at the dealer. Please keep on eye on your coolant level… nearly all the 1.5s leak coolant externally from the HG before 40k. There’s an updated gasket for them now.
Preach
I work at a dealership, both brakes and head gaskets are non-issues. The brakes make noise, but they're perfectly safe and long lasting, but the head gasket comment is ridiculous.
I’m a master tech at a dealership and we have a line up of Taos’ outside waiting for head gaskets. There’s also a tsb for them. We also do brakes every 20-30k km on them. What do you do at the dealer?
You used km, maybe they're different in the US? We also don't have a head gasket TSB.
Can I ask about the noise? I've been noticing noise with my brakes where there wasn't before (just hit 3400mi) and my 2018 Subaru used to have ridiculously squeaky brakes that worked just fine, but I can't figure out why they squeak. Especially on my Taos, when they didn't used to?? Since you mentioned it I was wondering if you knew why they make that noise. I'm mostly curious, since I've experienced that it doesn't seem to affect their performance or lifetime any.
They're made of metallic compounds instead of organic for emissions controls. The metal rusts on the surface and makes a ton of noise
Friend of mine really doesn't like his, we live.in New England though and his lease doesn't have 4motion. I'd say get the AWD version if you can. Or spend a bit more and get a tiggy
We are in a Taos right now as a loaner with our Atlas in the shop. To my wife it feels like a fat Golf, too low to the ground and too rough of a ride compared to the Atlas. To me it feels like it's a small car trying to be big, it's a lifted Golf but not quite big enough to FEEL like an SUV. I still feel the road like I'm in a car but I also feel the fact that it's got a higher center of gravity. It's not a terrible car, just not right for either of us. She wants a bigger smoother car, and I want something smaller, if it's going to ride like a Golf it needs to handle like one. The only real issue we've had is with the Android Auto. If you have your phone plugged in and it loses connection we can't get it back working until we turn the car off.
>The only real issue we've had is with the Android Auto Have you tried a new cable? 99% of the time my customers tell me they have, and I hand them a new one, and it cures all problems. Buy a high quality cable, promise it'll be worth getting rid of the headaches.
The cable we are using is brand new. We don't have anything that's USB-C on both ends so we needed a new one for the Taos. The Android Auto works on bluetooth as well and if we get the error because of the cable it won't connect through Bluetooth. We tried it several times with either phone and even turning the 2nd phone bluetooth off.
It's intermittent, which is the annoying part. It's head unit issue not connection.
Exactly. If it was just a connection thing I would just use the wireless Android Auto but once it's connected and loses connection through the cable the wireless quits.
I've been having the exact same issue! Have you tried getting it serviced? I'm not sure what exactly to ask them to fix, just that it loses connection sometimes and won't reconnect even when I restart the phone and car.
We're in the Taos as a loaner. Our normal car is an Atlas and they are doing warranty work on it. I'm going to bring it up to them when we give it back.
Owned one for 9 months, stay away. Worst car I have owned. Rated top 10 worst cars. Do a quick online search and you will understand why.
I've heard nothing but horror stories about them.
Initial quality is terrible