by Anthony Fongaro - 01/24/2021
Want to know a secret? Volkswagen isn’t going to bring over the current generation Golf to the United States. We will get the hotter GTI and Golf R, but not the regular Golf. That just seems so weird because the Golf used to sell well in the United States. In other parts of the world, the Golf is the number one selling vehicle. Here, people don’t like hatchbacks. We like taller hatchbacks or crossovers. This leads us to what replaced the Golf here: the Taos.
Volkswagen is actually late to the subcompact-SUV scene in the United States. Its competition comes in the form of Stellantis with the Jeep Renegade and Fiat 500x, Mazda CX-30, and Hyundai Kona. Some of these SUVs in this segment have powerful engines, high-quality materials, and good driving dynamics for an SUV. Are these things that the Taos has? To find out, I took the little Taos to visit one of my favorite places to buy an expensive drink: Starbucks. The Taos had to go through suburban and highway driving so I could get my Strawberry Açaà Refresher.
As I looked at the exterior of the replacement for the Golf, my first impressions were good. There may be some fake vents on the front, but it does give it some character. Other than some silver bits of trim, the front-end is typical Volkswagen. You can tell this is a small SUV when you see the side profile. This Taos had the optional King’s Red Metallic paint and 18-inch black alloy wheels, which is always a great combination. Take a look at the rear-end and there is some huge fake-exhaust trim which is the norm for all vehicles. TAOS is spelled out under the license plate and the new Volkswagen logo is proudly displayed in the center.
When I was getting ready to drive the Taos, I wanted to see if Volkswagen’s quality has gone down. It has, but not as bad as the ID.4. Actually, I prefer the interior of the Taos to the bigger ID.4. First off, there are regular buttons on the steering wheel for your safety systems and media, rather than capacitive and confusing buttons. There is a digital display, but it doesn’t show too much information. Where newer Volkswagens have everything from the drive modes to climate control in the infotainment system, the Taos has an “older interior”. Thank goodness.
Why is this important? Because I do like touchscreens, but not when everything is run through it. This infotainment system has the usual functions you would want including Apple CarPlay and Android auto utilizing USB-C ports. Under neither are actual dials for heating and cooling, and both the steering wheel and seats are heated. These Black CloudTex & Cloth interior seats were a little on the flat side and they needed to add more bolster support. This may be a small SUV, but the rear feels bigger than a Hyundai Kona. An optional panoramic sunroof made the Taos feel more upscale.
Time to set up the Taos to drive! First off, the Taos’s name gives away the engine. This has a 1.5-liter inline-four producing 158-horsepower and 154 lb-ft. Combine this with an eight-speed automatic, and the Taos gets to 60-mph in 7.4-seconds. That’s pretty good, and in the suburbs, it has plenty of power. Even though this is front-wheel-drive, the Taos didn’t really lose traction, even when the roads were a little slick thanks to Illinois weather. Rather than having a drive mode, the Taos’ gearbox can be put into Sport or a manumatic mode. Both are useless. The transmission didn’t like to be pushed too hard, and in manumatic mode, the shifts actually shook the car.
Volkswagen does have a good optional “IQ.DRIVE SE Package” which is Volkswagen’s driver-assist with all the safety features. Most Volkswagens act the same when you use the safety features. Adaptive-cruise control is easy to use as well as lane keep assist and blind-spot motoring. While I was on the highway, I just had the cruise control on while going to get my tasty beverage. On the way there, there were roads I consider twisty since we don’t have a lot around here. This is a front-wheel-drive car, so it does have some understeer when you push it hard. It doesn’t like that. The Taos just wants to chill, similar to the Golf.
I finally get to Starbucks and start to think about this trim level since that’s what people do waiting in the drive-through. I realized that this is a great trim, but there’s a problem. The Taos SEL is $32,600 and has standard leather seats, climate control, and full digital dials. If that’s the case, why get the SE when you can get the top-trim SEL for around $1,500 more? Drink in the cupholder, the Taos returned home. It’s an enjoyable little SUV. I’m glad that for now, the Taos doesn’t use Volkswagen’s new infotainment system and capacitive controls.
Should you take a look at the Taos? Well, there are a few factors to consider. If you’re getting out of a Golf and into the Taos, you may see a slight dip in quality. That said, the little Taos is quite competitive and knows what it wants to be. If you want something sporty, go for the GTI or Golf R. Compared to the competition, it doesn’t have the eccentric styling of a Hyundai Kona or the quality of the CX-30. Instead, you get the VW badge that is a good SUV replacement for the Golf. If you’re looking for a small SUV, check out the 2022 Volkswagen Taos.
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