2023 Volkswagen Taos

The 2023 Taos (first generation, launched for MY2022; 2023 is a carry-over year before the 2025 refresh) uses one engine across S, SE and SEL: the turbocharged 1.5-liter EA211 evo four rated at 158 hp. Wikipedia notes the 2025 refresh raised output to 174 hp, confirming the 158-hp figure for 2023.

Peak torque of 184 lb-ft arrives low in the rev range, giving the Taos better around-town punch than its horsepower suggests.

Instrumented tests of the 158-hp Taos fall between roughly 7.4 s (SEL) and 8.4 s (S 4Motion); ~7.9 s is the defensible mid-point for the FWD SE volume trim. Competitive with subcompact-SUV rivals but far from quick.

The 1.5T is smooth with little turbo lag thanks to its low torque peak and feels lively in town, but it runs short of breath at highway speeds and the 4Motion pairing's DSG adds low-speed hesitation. Mid-band for the segment.

FWD Taos (the volume configuration) uses a conventional 8-speed automatic that shifts smoothly, but 4Motion models use a 7-speed dual-clutch widely criticized for jerky, hesitant stop-and-go behavior — the very unit VW dropped in the 2025 refresh. Mixed lineup lands mid-band.

Volkswagen does not publish a US tow rating for the Taos and does not offer a factory hitch; buyers needing to tow are directed to the Tiguan or Atlas.

4Motion AWD is available on every 2023 trim (S, SE, SEL) and adds selectable drive modes including Off-Road with hill-descent control, but it is an on-demand clutch-based system with no low range or torque vectoring.

4Motion versions get about 7.6 in of ground clearance (vs ~6.5 in FWD) and an Off-Road mode with descent control, fine for dirt roads and campsite tracks. No dedicated off-road trim, skid plates, locker or low range — a pavement crossover with light unpaved ability.

One engine, no electrification: every 2023 Taos is the 158-hp 1.5T, differing only in FWD/8-speed auto vs 4Motion/7-speed DSG. Rivals offer hybrids or a second turbo engine.

The FWD volume configuration earns an EPA 31 MPG combined — strong for a non-hybrid subcompact SUV; 4Motion drops to 28.

EPA city rating for the FWD Taos.

EPA highway rating for the FWD Taos, near the top of the gas SUV field.

Range computed from the FWD Taos's 13.2-gallon tank and 31 MPG EPA combined rating; the small tank limits range despite good economy.

EPA estimated annual fuel cost on regular gasoline at 15,000 mi/yr for the FWD Taos.

Every 2023 Taos runs on regular unleaded; no premium fuel recommendation.

NHTSA rates the 2023 Taos 4 of 5 stars overall, with four stars for frontal crash and five for side crash. Carry-over first-generation structure from the 2022 launch.

No Top Safety Pick for 2023. Crash results are mostly Good — driver-side small overlap, original moderate overlap and roof strength — but passenger-side small overlap and head restraints are only Acceptable, and the seat belt reminder rates Poor. Mostly-good-with-some-acceptable puts it in the mid band.

Front Assist AEB with pedestrian detection, Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Traffic Alert are standard on every 2023 trim, and IQ.DRIVE (ACC Stop and Go, Lane Assist, Travel Assist, Emergency Assist) is standard on the volume SE and the SEL. On the base S, adaptive cruise and lane keeping remain a $995 option, so the full suite isn't standard across the range.

Vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention rated Superior in the original IIHS test, but the tougher Front Crash Prevention 2.0 test came back Poor and pedestrian detection rates only Basic for both day and night. That is weak AEB by 2023 standards.

Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Traffic Alert are standard on all 2023 trims, including the base S. With IQ.DRIVE (volume SE and up) it becomes Active Blind Spot Monitor with countersteer. There is no safe-exit alert, and no rear cross-traffic braking.

Travel Assist lane centering, standard on the volume SE, keeps the Taos centered smoothly and reviewers rate it well for the class. It works only together with adaptive cruise, and on the base S lane keeping is optional, so the score sits below the top band.

Full-speed ACC with Stop and Go comes with IQ.DRIVE (standard on SE/SEL) and pairs with Travel Assist for hands-on highway assist. Reviewers find it reliable but less smooth than the best systems when braking and re-accelerating. It is optional on the base S.

There is no hands-free system on any 2023 Taos trim. Travel Assist is hands-on and needs continuous steering input.

Only the top SEL's curve-adaptive LED projectors rate Good. The LED reflector headlights on the S and volume SE rate Marginal with or without high-beam assist — the 'Good on upper trims, Marginal on volume trims' case.

Natural sightlines are good for the class: upright seating, thin pillars and large third-side windows. A rearview camera is standard, but no surround-view camera is offered at any trim.

IIHS rates the Taos LATCH Good for ease of use. Rear legroom is roomy for a subcompact SUV (Autoblog calls it surprisingly family-friendly), though three-across is tight at this width.

The 2023 Taos is a two-row, five-passenger SUV on every trim.

Generous front headroom for a subcompact SUV; the volume SE does not carry the sunroof that is standard on the 2023 SEL.

Front legroom sits at the bottom of the SUV band.

Rear headroom is excellent for the class thanks to the tall, upright roofline.

Rear legroom of 37.9 in is near compact-SUV levels and a class strength.

No third row is offered on any 2023 Taos; two-row, five-seat layout only.

Class-leading for a subcompact but low against the fleet-wide SUV band; AWD models lose 3 cu ft to the multilink rear suspension.

Max cargo is large for a subcompact SUV but modest on the all-SUV band.

Competitive but unremarkable storage: a deep console, door pockets and a ski pass-through in the rear seat, with no standout clever features or onboard power.

Front seats are supportive and the driving position commanding; the SE gets CloudTex upholstery and an 8-way power driver seat, and the rear bench is adult-comfortable.

Firm but reasonably well isolated; larger 18/19-in wheels on SE/SEL transmit more of the road than softer rivals.

Average-at-best refinement: road and wind noise and a buzzy engine under load keep it mid-pack.

Remote start comes on the volume SE, but dual-zone automatic climate, ventilated seats and a heated wheel are SEL-only; the tested SE lacked automatic climate control.

The 2023 Taos S FWD lists at $24,155 plus a $1,295 destination charge, which makes it one of the cheapest ways into a subcompact SUV for 2023.

The SE is the volume trim. For 2023 it adds IQ.DRIVE adaptive cruise and lane centering, heated seats and the larger touchscreen. It costs $28,925 plus $1,295 destination.

Scheduled maintenance alone runs about $2,536 over five years. Volkswagen's above-average repair costs and the chance of a major repair push the combined maintenance-plus-repair figure to about $6,000, roughly the mainstream SUV median.

KBB records the 2023 Taos as having lost 36% of its value in three years. Extrapolated on the typical depreciation curve, that leaves about 52% after five years, mid-pack to below average for subcompact SUVs.

Volkswagen's New Vehicle Limited Warranty covers the 2023 Taos for 4 years or 50,000 miles. That is a year longer than most mainstream rivals, though the mileage cap is tight.

Volkswagen has no separate, longer powertrain warranty. The engine and transmission fall under the single 4-year/50,000-mile warranty, well short of the 5-year/60,000-mile mainstream norm and Hyundai/Kia's 10-year/100,000-mile coverage.

Carefree Maintenance covers scheduled service for 2 years or 20,000 miles, and roadside assistance runs 3 years or 36,000 miles. Both are transferable. That beats most mainstream rivals, which include no maintenance, but it is short of luxury-brand multi-year programs.

$30,220 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (52% retained, or about $15,714) leaves about $14,506 in depreciation. Add the projected $6,000 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $20,506 in total.

Consumer Reports rates the 2023 Taos as much less reliable than other cars of its model year, citing powertrain trouble concentrated in AWD models' seven-speed dual-clutch (long launch delay followed by an abrupt surge), while J.D. Power's owner-based quality & reliability score is an average 77/100. One strongly negative and one average signal lands this in the lower band.

Volkswagen has sat in the bottom third of dependability studies throughout this generation's life: last among brands in J.D. Power's 2025 VDS (285 PP100) and again in 2026 (301 PP100 vs 204 average, surveying 2023 model-year owners — this exact vintage), with Consumer Reports placing VW mid-to-low in brand rankings and flagging below-average new-car reliability and unintuitive infotainment brand-wide.

The 2023 model year itself carries no NHTSA recall campaigns — the launch-year 2022 Taos absorbed all of this generation's early fixes (fuel-supply quick-connector leak, fuel-pump failure, AWD ECU software, rear suspension knuckle) and those were resolved in production before 2023. Holding it below the top band are the generation's fuel-system recall pattern and ongoing TSB activity around DSG launch behavior and infotainment.

The 2023 Taos uses the 158-hp 1.5-liter EA211 evo TSI, a widely deployed engine family with no systemic failures but known water pump/thermostat housing leaks and a belt-driven cam. FWD models pair it with a conventional eight-speed automatic, but AWD models use the seven-speed DQ381 dual-clutch that Consumer Reports and owners fault for launch hesitation and jerky low-speed behavior — the generation's most complaint-prone component, replaced by the eight-speed across the line in the 2025 refresh.

The pre-refresh Taos cabin was widely criticized for extensive hard plastics on the dash and door tops at every trim, with only the SEL adding meaningfully nicer surfaces; reviewers called it a step down from the Tiguan and well behind the Mazda CX-30. Clean design and decent seat fabrics keep it in the competitive band, but just — the 2025 refresh's materials upgrade was a direct response to this.

Puebla-built assembly is generally tight and owner complaints skew toward electronics (infotainment freezes, Car-Net/App-Connect glitches) and brake noise rather than panel gaps or rattles. Volkswagen's below-average initial-quality results and the Taos's average 77/100 J.D. Power quality score place it mid-band.

Volkswagen's roughly 600–640 US dealers provide adequate national coverage but about half the footprint of Toyota, Honda or Chevrolet, and J.D. Power owners rate the Taos dealership experience only Average (71/100); VW does not feature among the mass-market leaders in service satisfaction.

A high-volume MQB-platform vehicle with broad parts availability and a large VW aftermarket; Taos-specific maintenance runs low (about $187/year), but VW brand repair costs sit above the industry norm and the AWD models' DSG requires periodic fluid service, and the timing belt is a scheduled paid item.

The volume SE gets an 8-in touchscreen, small by current standards; base S makes do with 6.5 in.

Easy to use with physical knobs, but slower and less modern than rivals, and the tuning knob only works for AM/FM.

Wireless App-Connect on SE and SEL (the volume trims); base S is wired-only.

Native navigation is limited to the SEL and voice control is basic; most owners rely on phone projection.

The SE has a six-speaker system; the SEL adds an eight-speaker BeatsAudio system, a modest upgrade.

An 8-in Digital Cockpit is standard on every 2023 Taos, and the SEL gets the configurable 10.25-in Digital Cockpit Pro.

VW says most 2020-and-newer models can receive OTA software updates via myVW, but for the MIB-based Taos these are occasional and infotainment-focused, not feature-adding.

VW Car-Net/myVW provides remote lock, locate and remote start (SE+) through a trial-then-subscription Remote Access plan; no digital key.

USB-C up front, a rear USB port and wireless charging on SE and up; no household outlet.

Proximity entry with push-button start and remote start come on the volume SE; no phone-as-key, and the hands-free liftgate is upper-trim only.

Rear camera is standard, but for 2023 Park Distance Control is listed only on the SEL and no 360-degree camera is offered.

No head-up display is offered on any 2023 Taos.

Roomy rear seat, easy LATCH access and a large cargo area make it family-friendly for its size, though it is still a subcompact.

For 2023 AEB, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic became standard and IQ.DRIVE is standard on the SE, but NHTSA rates it 4 stars overall and IIHS results are mixed.

Adult-friendly rear seat and big cargo hold suit trips, but rear amenities are thin and refinement is average.

Easy to see out of and park, with peppy low-end torque, but the FWD 8-speed shifts abruptly at low speed and the 4Motion DSG is jerky in traffic.

31 MPG combined on regular fuel (FWD) is good for a non-hybrid small SUV; 4Motion drops to 28 MPG.

Compact footprint, upright seating and thin pillars aid city use, but the 37.6-ft turning circle is only average and parking sensors are SEL-only.

VW publishes no US tow rating for the Taos, leaving only its cargo hold for work duty.

A light-duty commuter crossover with no fleet or hard-use track record; DSG drivability complaints on 4Motion do not inspire confidence under abuse.

Cargo tie-down hooks and a pass-through, but no onboard power, no tow hitch and little upfit ecosystem.

Over 400 miles per tank and IQ.DRIVE adaptive cruise with Travel Assist on the SE help, but a firm ride and average noise isolation limit long-haul comfort.

4Motion with an off-road drive mode and about 7.6 in of clearance handles gravel roads, but no tow rating rules out trailering gear.

Big cargo hold for the class, a 60/40 split rear seat with a center pass-through and available roof rails; AWD models lose some floor depth.

Responsive, secure handling with decent grip for the class, though not athletic.

Quick and accurate but light and short on feedback.

Short instrumented stops for the class with a reasonably firm pedal.

Strong low-end torque, but the FWD 8-speed shifts abruptly at low speed and the 4Motion 7-speed DSG lurches and hesitates in traffic.

The 1.5T is quiet cruising but becomes buzzy and strained under hard acceleration.

An average turning circle for a small SUV.

Upright seating, thin pillars and good sightlines with logically placed physical controls; minor quirks like the AM/FM-only tuning knob.

Peppy and nimble around town but ultimately a pleasant, forgettable commuter.

For 2023, VW made forward collision warning, AEB with pedestrian monitoring, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert and 18-inch alloys standard on the $24,155 S. The full IQ.DRIVE suite (adaptive cruise, lane centering) still starts at the SE, where several rivals include it on every trim. Base equipment is competitive but not generous.

A starting price near $24,000 buys one of the roomiest rear seats and cargo bays in the subcompact class, plus a 158 hp turbo engine that outpaces most rivals. Cars.com named the Taos a 2023 Best Value new car. The SEL climbs to about $34,500, where rivals' top trims undercut it.

Three trims (S, SE, SEL) span $24,155 to $34,535, with 4Motion optional on the S and SE and standard on the SEL. There is a single 1.5T powertrain, with an 8-speed automatic on FWD models and a 7-speed DSG on 4Motion models. The lineup covers the budget range but offers few configurations.

At 58,890 US sales in calendar 2023, the Taos was a steady volume model for VW. It sold well behind subcompact leaders such as the Trax, Crosstrek, HR-V and Corolla Cross: a solid mid-pack seller.

In the US, Volkswagen's image is neutral. The German driving feel and upscale cabin give it some showroom appeal, but middling reliability and dealer-service reputations, plus resale that trails the class, offset that.

Over the 2023 model's run, VW offered modest, steady incentives: 3.9% APR for 60 months or a $500 customer bonus, plus targeted college-graduate ($1,000) and military/first-responder ($500) bonuses. That is occasional modest help, not deep discounting.

2023 is the second model year of the first-generation Taos, which launched in the US for 2022 on VW's current MQB A1 platform. It is recent and current, with a planned mid-cycle refresh for 2025 rather than a replacement, and changes for 2023 were minor equipment updates.

Reviewers consistently like the 2023 Taos for its spacious cabin, big cargo bay and composed ride, and it earned a Cars.com 2023 Best Value award. It is rarely the outright pick of a comparison test. Its base headlights also rated only Marginal at IIHS, which kept it out of Top Safety Pick contention.