Starts at $23,995
Pros
Cons
What's New for 2024?
Minor feature updates for the 2024 Taos include an SE Black package with various black exterior accents (and blue stitching inside), standard adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assist across the lineup and standard dual-zone automatic climate control on SE.
FAST FACTS
MotorDonkey's proprietary vehicle data identifies every significant version of each model so that you can compare and decide. Ordered by price from low to high, here are the versions of the 2024 Volkswagen Taos that you need to be aware of, along with our expert analysis and recommendations.
We're fans of this powertrain in the Jetta, so it's no surprise that it works well in the Taos, too. Acceleration is reasonably quick (though not Jetta-quick), while fuel economy is reasonably impressive (though not Jetta-impressive). Be aware that the front-drive Taos utilizes a less sophisticated torsion-beam rear suspension that's ultimately less supple than the AWD Taos's fully independent multilink rear setup. On the bright side, however, the torsion beam takes up less space, which helps explain why you get more cargo capacity in the front-drive version.
The Taos with VW's 4Motion all-wheel-drive system is all kinds of different from the base front-drive version, thanks to its more sophisticated independent rear suspension as well as the AWD powertrain. It's quite a bit heavier, for one thing, and it's got an extra 1.2 inches of ground clearance but notably less cargo capacity, and it swaps the base eight-speed automatic for VW's seven-speed DSG automated manual, and the fuel economy takes a significant hit. You're paying substantially more for all of this, of course. The acceleration, at least, stays about the same.
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Josh has been reviewing cars professionally since joining Edmunds.com fresh out of grad school in 2008, personally driving most new cars on the market every year since. He also served as the project manager for Edmunds' expert vehicle rankings from their inception in 2018, building the product out from the back end to the front end. Josh is a card-carrying member of the Motor Press Guild and a lifelong car nut who has tested, compared and critiqued a ridiculous number of cars in his career.
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