Have You Accidentally Overlooked the Affordable Volkswagen Taos? 

If you have more salt than pepper in your hair, you may remember a time when Volkswagen was synonymous with small, affordable, fuel-efficient cars. Ironically, the company’s smallest U.S. model, the Taos, feels somewhat unknown in an increasingly-crowded market segment, which also includes competitors like the Honda HR-V, Toyota Corolla Cross, Mazda CX-30 and Hyundai Kona, among others.  TopSpeed.com reviewed the Taos and discovered it delivers exactly what shoppers find lacking in competitors. Bud Brown Volkswagen shares its findings. 

Call Americans fickle, but one of their biggest complaints about small vehicles is…they are small. They also dislike that affordable cars tend to look…well, inexpensive.  As it turns out, addressing these issues is one of the biggest strengths of the Taos.     

Let’s start with appearance. The Taos is decidedly squared off, looking very much like a distilled version of its larger (and quite dashing) Tiguan sibling. Despite looking distinctively upscale, as TopSpeed points out, the Taos does indeed have a small footprint “that is easy to manage in urban environments, fits comfortably in standard parking spaces, and handles tight urban maneuvering without drama. Its turning circle of just 35 feet in diameter makes it an exceptionally city-friendly vehicle, smaller than a Honda HR-V in overall length yet notably more practical where it counts most.” 

Where it counts most is a reminder of why we store things in boxes: they help us maximize available space, something Taos excels at, especially within its interior. TopSpeed points out that while the front legroom of 40.1 inches is good for the segment, the rear legroom of 37.9 inches “ranks among the best in the segment.” Headroom is also plentiful, as there is almost no reduction in roof height over the rear seats. Nor does the generous rear legroom come at the expense of cargo space, with 27.9 cubic feet behind the rear seats on front-drive models (a little less to accommodate the AWD mechanicals). That is more than the HR-V (24.4 cubic feet), the Corolla Cross (24.3–25.5 cubic feet), and significantly more than the Mazda CX-30 (20.2 cubic feet). When the Taos rear seat is not needed, it folds down to expand the space to 65.9 cubic feet, compared to 55.1 cubic feet for the HR-V, 46.9 for the Corolla Cross, and the CX-30’s 45.2. 

Nearly as important, the Taos cabin feels spacious.  This is exemplified by the dashboard’s horizontal theme.  The base model’s standard 8-inch center screen isn’t huge but is large enough to be effective and easily legible. Higher-spec Taos models replace it with a 10.25-inch screen with the Digital Cockpit Pro instrument display, which is similar technology to that which dazzled Audi customers just a few years prior.  

The Taos gets around with a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-4 engine that has been refined over the years and received major upgrades for the 2025 model year, including new fuel injectors, piston rings, and a new intercooler for the turbocharger. Output is 174 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, up 26 lb-ft from the 2024 model, and the engine is paired with an 8-speed transmission. If the figures don’t wow you, how about the fact that the Taos is two seconds faster to 60 mph than the Honda HR-V (7.4 vs. 9.4 seconds)? The Mazda CX-30 is quicker still, but as previously mentioned, sacrifices a considerable amount of interior space. 

Topspeed points out that “the overall driving character reinforces the cabin’s premium leanings: the suspension is tuned with a firmness that improves body control and steering feel, giving the Taos handling dynamics that feel sharper and more engaging than most of its competitors, a tradeoff that rewards drivers who enjoy their daily commute as much as they endure it.” 

The Taos doesn’t sacrifice affordability for its space and performance. It is, in effect, a small, affordable crossover that provides the space, utility, and quality that small-car buyers think they have to do without. That’s because they may not know about the Taos. But now you do, so pay a visit to Bud Brown Volkswagen, where you have the added confidence of the Bud Brown Advantage Lifetime Limited Warranty.