Flash Drive: 2022 Volkswagen Taos

VW Fields an Entry-Level SUV

Story by Michael Coates and John Faulkner. Photos by Clean Fleet Report and Volkswagen.

Clean Fleet Report recently had the chance for two of our writers to briefly drive the all-new 2022 Volkswagen Taos compact crossover, which hits dealerships in a few weeks (early June 2021). This Flash Drive review has the thoughts of Michael Coates, editor and publisher, and John Faulkner, road test editor. If you are crossover shopping, stopping by your Volkswagen dealership to drive the Taos will be worth your time based on our introduction to this new entrant.

Propulsion Choices

The all-new 2022 Volkswagen Taos comes in three trim levels of S, SE and SEL, in either front wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). All have a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 158 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. FWD models have an eight-speed automatic, while the AWD gets a seven-speed automatic dual-clutch transmission (DSG for Direct Shift Gearbox). Fuel economy is rated at 28 mpg city/36 highway/31 combined for the FWD Taos, with the AWD model returning 25/32/28.

When Clean Fleet Report has the Taos for a week, we will report on real world fuel economy, which we are confident will exceed the EPA estimates, and provide a more detailed evaluation of what spending time with this SUV is like.

Pricing

These 2022 Taos prices are before any options, but do include the $1,195 destination fee.

S

FWD  $24,190

AWD  $26,235

SE

FWD  $28,440

AWD  $29,890

SEL

FWD  $32,685

AWD  $34,240

Let’s Talk Taos

Exterior Design

John: Keeping with their design philosophy, the 2022 Taos has a clean, classic look that immediately sets it out as a Volkswagen. Very European. The front end has rounded edges with LED lighting on all trim levels. The flat roof leads to LED tail lights, and twin faux exhaust ports on the lower fascia. The lack of needless chrome and cladding is what makes the Taos design a winner for me.

Michael: The Taos takes Volkswagen’s design up a notch compared to some of its larger “brothers.” The “character line” that runs down the side adds a substantial element to the plan view that makes it appear wider than it is. The LED lighting and chromed exhaust ports give the whole package an upscale look that makes the price tag look like a bargain.

Interior Design

John: The neat and tidy interior has a clean, uncluttered look, continuing the German simplicity theme. Cloth seats are standard on the S trim, a synthetic CloudTex on the SE, and leather on the SEL. There is a mix of soft and hard plastics, with the latter more prominent as is the case on entry level crossovers. The front seats were comfortable, with the driver getting power adjustments including lumbar.

The flat roof and wide-opening doors makes for easy access to the rear seat, where there is almost the same space as the larger Tiguan. The rear head and leg room easily could comfortably accommodate a six-foot plus person.

The infotainment system comes with either a 6.5-inch or 8.0-inch color touchscreen for the AM/FM/HD radio with MP3 playback. SiriusXM is part of VW’s Media Device Interface, or MDI, with Bluetooth for telephone and streaming music, and two USB-C ports. Volkswagen’s CarNet connected car technology provides a wireless connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Wi-Fi and wireless phone charging.

Michael: As soon as I jumped into the driver’s seat I noticed that it was designed to hold me in place, a nod that this car had a driver in mind as opposed to a pilot simply pointing the compact SUV toward a destination. Driver controls were good and the display screen on par with most in this class.

The back seat was spacious for this class, a plus for those looking for a little more room than is found in some of its smaller competitors.

VW’s scheme of offering more goodies at each trim level is an insidious way of extracting more money out of its customers, but it’s not alone in that arena. I’d fall for it in a heartbeat as the higher level of equipment, for safety, functional options and comfort items, make the Taos a fully featured vehicle. 

Turbo Power + FWD or AWD

John: I drove the FWD and AWD Taos, both with the 1.5-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Acceleration was smooth going through the eight-speed automatic transmission on the FWD model, and the seven-speed automatic on the AWD model. Volkswagen calls its AWD system 4Motion, which comes with four driver selectable drive modes that affect steering feel and shift points.

My test drive started high in the Santa Monica Mountains, wound to Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, and then back up the winding road. There was never any turbo lag nor hunting for the right gear while ascending or descending the 2,100-foot elevation to the beach and back.

I did feel the suspension was too soft on the FWD, but much improved on the AWD. The difference is partially due to the FWD having rear torsion beams, while the AWD has a rear multi-link suspension, and the Sport drive mode where the steering becomes tighter and more responsive. I would suggest even if the weather where you live doesn’t get sloppy too often, opting for the AWD will make for a much more enjoyable driving experience.

Michael: I started with the AWD Taos and was impressed with how it handled the mountain road descending from the Santa Cruz Mountains to the ocean. What was more impressive was that switching to the FWD Taos for the drive back up the hill didn’t result in any perceivable performance drop, other than in fuel economy (thank you, Mr. Newton, driving downhill tends to be more fuel-efficient than tackling the same road uphill).

The small turbocharged engine never felt inadequate although it did have to work hard to manage passing some slower vehicles along the coast drive. Both transmissions were more than up for the task, drawing little attention to their efforts of making sure the powertrain was ready to handle whatever the road had to offer.    

Observations: 2022 Volkswagen Taos

John: With crossovers having become the favorite of American drivers, at the expense of sedans, Volkswagen needed to add a compact model to their line-up. The 2022 Taos is roomy, has a quiet ride, plenty of power, and mid-thirties fuel economy. The classic European design will age gracefully, and an inviting entry price around $24,000, make the Taos appealing.

Michael: There’s no irony that the Taos is now taking up space at the Jetta production plant in Mexico. The shift is on and the Taos is the poster child for what you can observe in every supermarket parking lot in America (and elsewhere around the world). Compact SUVs are the family sedan of the 2020s and Volkswagen finally has an entry-level model in that market.

That said, VW’s late to a market that’s already stuffed with able competitors. As tempting as the Taos is, you owe it to yourself if you’re tempted by it to take another look at some of the top competitors, whether it’s the Mazda CX-5, Subaru Crosstrek, Kia Sportage or Seltos (VW wasn’t sure of which is the likely competitor, which reflects how fluid the market is). The Crosstrek offers a plug-in hybrid model, which ups the image although it doesn’t actually have that much better real-world fuel economy. 

And this doesn’t address the segment leaders, the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. Both offer hybrids and Toyota has a plug-in hybrid to go along with their stellar quality reputations. Both also have recent styling upgrades so the Taos enters an expanding, but highly competitive arena. From my brief experience, it’s a solid competitor, but the challenge will be keeping up with some embedded players. 

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Disclosure:

Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.

Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.