Consumer Reports Says the 2022 Volkswagen Taos Is a Small SUV That ‘Missed the Mark’
The 2022 Volkswagen Taos is another in an increasingly popular lineup of Volkswagen SUVs. The VW Taos fits in right below the bigger VW Tiguan landing it in the crowded waters of the growing sea of subcompact SUVs. While Volkswagen’s small SUV is riding on a fairly popular outgoing model, the 2022 Volkswagen Taos is not catching much love from Consumer Reports due to some powertrain and safety feature annoyances that might hold it back from greatness.
Consumer Reports is not pleased with 2022 Volkswagen Taos so far
Consumer Reports has only begun to look at the 2022 Volkswagen Taos, and so far, they are less than pleased with the small SUV. CR begins the list of grievances by expressing their disappointment with the lack of safety features like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic warning not coming standard on the base model Taos.
This will undoubtedly knock the 2022 Taos down a few points on its overall rating from Consumer Reports. Although CR hasn’t bought its own Volkswagen Taos yet, the testers have had their hands on a loaner and have some thoughts.
Is the 2022 Volkswagen Taos going to be a good SUV?
The new small SUV from Volkswagen comes with a 158-hp, 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine for every trim level. Front-wheel-drive models get a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission, while those with all-wheel drive are fitted with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
This 158-hp, 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder is based on the 1.4-liter from the VW Jetta. Although VW told CR that the AWD got the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to give it a “sportier demeanor,” CR testers say they felt no significant benefit.
In fact, Consumer Reports noted that the All-Wheel-Drive Taos with the dual-clutch gearbox “suffered from a big initial delay when trying to accelerate from a stop, followed by an abrupt burst of power as the vehicle got going.” This lurching and sporadic gearbox urged one tester to say, “this powertrain is absolutely demonic.” This lack of acceleration from a stop is not just car nerds whinging about wanting to drive fast; this flaw has serious safety implications.
The example CR gives is, if a driver is pulling onto a busy street from a stop sign or yield sign, this lull in power can put drivers in a vulnerable and dangerous position. However, CR does note that at least the gear changes are smooth.
The new Taos also has a stiff ride
Not to pile on to the growing list of complaints, CR also was unimpressed with the 2022 Volkswagen Taos’ ride quality. CR goes so far as to say that Volkswagen’s small SUV feels more like it’s “crashing” over bumps in the road as opposed to riding over them. While the suspension seems to be of decent quality, CR postulates that the 19-inch wheels that come on the top-trim SEL AWD might be the culprit for the rough ride. They go on to say that the 18-inch wheels on the FWD version gave a bit of a better ride.
It’s not looking great for the 2022 Volkswagen Taos on Consumer Reports
On top of the sketchy powertrain, lack of base-model safety features, and the stiff ride, the CR also found the interior to be very plastic and unappealing, and the price (which is the same as the bigger, nicer Tiguan). However, they found the cabin to be spacious, comfortable, and quiet. They also like the agility of the small SUV.
Until the full Volkswagen Taos review comes out, we will just have to wait and see to know the results of the rest of Consumer Reports’ extensive testing.
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