The Taos Is High on Usefulness and Low on Nonsense

There is no shortage of crossovers; sometimes, manufacturers will add a few gimmicks to try to stand out from the crowd. Some allow you to configure your Daytime Running lights a certain way, while others just go overboard on the interior tech, assigning vent position to the touchscreen, for example. The enthusiast site The Autopian reviewed the 2025 VW Taos and found it refreshingly free of nonsense, except they used a less family-friendly term. Bud Brown Volkswagen gives you the highlights.  

Like its competitors, the Taos is expected to comfortably carry four people and five when needed, along with their stuff, in a pleasant and low-drama manner. The model was made to give drivers a pleasant exterior and interior experience with a no-nonsense approach to performance. 

Volkswagen redesigned the Taos front end for 2025, giving it a strong family resemblance to the Golf. They also increased the 1.5-liter turbocharged engine’s output by 19 horsepower, bringing the total to 174 horsepower with 185 lb-ft of torque. While that might not make you raise your eyebrows in surprise, it effectively moves the 3,400-pound Taos around just fine. As the article notes: “It’s a tool that gets you and your stuff places, and you barely have to think about it.”   Similarly, the interior impresses with its practical features. The vents aren’t hidden. A knob on the console manages the transmission just as you would expect. An eight-inch touchscreen provides ample size to view everything clearly without overwhelming the dashboard. It is positioned on a lower shelf with a high section of the dash behind it, so it doesn’t appear precariously placed on top. You’ll find analog gauges behind an attractive tri-spoke steering wheel, and the stitching in the materials is genuine, not molded in. 

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on all models. There is also a standard wireless phone charging pad, and the Autopian editor devoted a surprising amount of pixels to this feature simply because it worked well. “I’ve found the wireless chargers to be finicky, unreliable things. A lot of them are just poorly designed or positioned, causing the phone to slide out or get flung to the floor when you’re driving a bit, um, spiritedly, and almost all of them have stopped charging seemingly at random.” 

In contrast, they said of the Taos’ charger: “The Taos had the best, easiest, most trouble-free wireless charging system I’ve ever used on a modern car.” They also noticed a small vent aimed at the charger station to help keep the phone from overheating when charging. That shows attention to detail. It may seem like a small thing, but setting your phone down, expecting it to charge, only to find it didn’t, can be a major irritant.   

Another practical detail is that while the rear seats split in a 60/40 fashion, as one would expect, there is also a door behind the center armrest to enable long, thin things to pass through the middle while two passengers sit comfortably in the outboard seats. Skis are the immediate thought of application for this, but it could also be used for 2x4s, flag poles, or the handles on your very clever protest signs. 

They also point to other pleasant details, such as the no-nonsense physical controls, compact spare (many models now give you a repair kit, instead), and the panoramic sunroof on their SEL tester. 

Overall, the Taos was less designed to wow you in the showroom than to please its owner for years to come. If that sounds like the compact crossover for you, visit Bud Brown Volkswagen, home of the Bud Brown Advantage Lifetime Limited Warranty, and take a look at the Taos and all its clever, if not showy, details.