[GAS KING]

How is the reliability as of now?
How are you all liking the vehicle?

Looking at a fresh off the truck '22 Taos S.

Doing research has given me second thoughts.
A lot of "don't buy one", "recalls/at the dealership 3-4 times", "car at dealership for months", "modern VWs are unreliable, get a mazda", "small engine and slow" etc....
How true are these opinions?

I know they have fixed some things with recalls and updates.
I know you can change the throttle response with ODB.
I know the Taos S is fairly stripped down overall (currently have a '17 Alltrack S 46k miles)

I did look at a CX-5 and loved it. Top notch interior. bullet proof engine/trans........but way way way too cramped/small.

I'm now debating between the '22 Taos S and Tiguan S......which has it's own set of pros/cons.

Thanks.

 

[Snwbnd]

Keep in mind, you'll hear far more from those that have had issues than those that haven't. There's always a risk of issues. In my experience, I have had good luck with dealerships that I have built relationships with over the years.

Prior to this we've had a pair of Subaru's (06 Forester, we've sold and a13 Legacy we still own). Three short blocks have been replaced in the Legacy along with several recalls. Subaru and the dealership made it right every time. I won't buy another one though as I hate the CVTs.

After just about 8k on our Taos and 9k on our '20 Jetta, we've really enjoyed our Volkswagen's. The Taos spent a month in the garage for the fuel lines which they gave me a nearly new Tiguan to drive during that time. If you don't need the cargo space of the Tiguan, the Taos is a great car and great on gas. We put 1,300 miles on it in five days, all highway with it churning out 36/37 mpg on each trip (not taking it easy on it). The IQ Drive makes it a really enjoyable highway cruiser and the adults in the backseat had way more legroom than they needed or expected.

 

[k.aoi]

How is the reliability as of now?
How are you all liking the vehicle?

Looking at a fresh off the truck '22 Taos S.

Doing research has given me second thoughts.
A lot of "don't buy one", "recalls/at the dealership 3-4 times", "car at dealership for months", "modern VWs are unreliable, get a mazda", "small engine and slow" etc....
How true are these opinions?

I know they have fixed some things with recalls and updates.
I know you can change the throttle response with ODB.
I know the Taos S is fairly stripped down overall (currently have a '17 Alltrack S 46k miles)

I did look at a CX-5 and loved it. Top notch interior. bullet proof engine/trans........but way way way too cramped/small.

I'm now debating between the '22 Taos S and Tiguan S......which has it's own set of pros/cons.

Thanks.

I haven't had any issues with my Taos at almost 15k miles that aren't of my own fault (topping off too much and damaging the charcoal canister). Everyone has different experience though. If it's newer they've hopefully started to sort out some of the initial quality issues that I'm sure came up. If you want reliability though, yeah Mazda will almost definitely have it beat. Why are you trading in the Alltrack? I'm wishing I'd gotten one of those instead of the Taos just for the better engine and towing capacity.

 

[GAS KING]

Keep in mind, you'll hear far more from those that have had issues than those that haven't. There's always a risk of issues. In my experience, I have had good luck with dealerships that I have built relationships with over the years.

Prior to this we've had a pair of Subaru's (06 Forester, we've sold and a13 Legacy we still own). Three short blocks have been replaced in the Legacy along with several recalls. Subaru and the dealership made it right every time. I won't buy another one though as I hate the CVTs.

After just about 8k on our Taos and 9k on our '20 Jetta, we've really enjoyed our Volkswagen's. The Taos spent a month in the garage for the fuel lines which they gave me a nearly new Tiguan to drive during that time. If you don't need the cargo space of the Tiguan, the Taos is a great car and great on gas. We put 1,300 miles on it in five days, all highway with it churning out 36/37 mpg on each trip (not taking it easy on it). The IQ Drive makes it a really enjoyable highway cruiser and the adults in the backseat had way more legroom than they needed or expected.

True.

Agreed. I wanted to avoid CVTs too.

That is good news.

Thanks for the point of view.

 

[GAS KING]

I haven't had any issues with my Taos at almost 15k miles that aren't of my own fault (topping off too much and damaging the charcoal canister). Everyone has different experience though. If it's newer they've hopefully started to sort out some of the initial quality issues that I'm sure came up. If you want reliability though, yeah Mazda will almost definitely have it beat. Why are you trading in the Alltrack? I'm wishing I'd gotten one of those instead of the Taos just for the better engine and towing capacity.

Also good news.

It would be brand new from the factory at the end of this month.

I live in the rust belt, so Mazda worries me. The one I looked at was a '19 and had quite a bit of surface rust already.
If I didn't have 2 young kids in car seats and the rust, I probably would have gotten the CX-5.
That interior was so nice.

I'm/we're cramped in the Alltrack. I'm 6'-2" and my kids are huge for their age.
One in rear facing makes the front seat nearly impossible to sit in front of.
One in front facing and I can't move the driver's seat back or I squish dangling feet.
Then the low position of the seat adds to an overall uncomfortable and I can't imagine the future will be any better.
The Alltrack is pretty small.
The extra cargo space can come in handle.
I do like the Alltrack for the zippiness and handling. the ride is pretty harsh though.
It's been good to me and the interior is nice for S trim.
I've come from turbo hatchbacks. '99 SAAB 9-3, '04 WXR Wagon.......so the Alltrack seemed like a good fit until I had kids.

 

[VWnorth]

How is the reliability as of now?
How are you all liking the vehicle?

Looking at a fresh off the truck '22 Taos S.

Doing research has given me second thoughts.
A lot of "don't buy one", "recalls/at the dealership 3-4 times", "car at dealership for months", "modern VWs are unreliable, get a mazda", "small engine and slow" etc....
How true are these opinions?

I know they have fixed some things with recalls and updates.
I know you can change the throttle response with ODB.
I know the Taos S is fairly stripped down overall (currently have a '17 Alltrack S 46k miles)

I did look at a CX-5 and loved it. Top notch interior. bullet proof engine/trans........but way way way too cramped/small.

I'm now debating between the '22 Taos S and Tiguan S......which has it's own set of pros/cons.

Thanks.

Most of the issues with the Taos were from the early production runs. The later 2022 runs don't seem to have the same problems.

 

[Ravenblack67]

How is the reliability as of now?
How are you all liking the vehicle?

Looking at a fresh off the truck '22 Taos S.

Doing research has given me second thoughts.
A lot of "don't buy one", "recalls/at the dealership 3-4 times", "car at dealership for months", "modern VWs are unreliable, get a mazda", "small engine and slow" etc....
How true are these opinions?

I know they have fixed some things with recalls and updates.
I know you can change the throttle response with ODB.
I know the Taos S is fairly stripped down overall (currently have a '17 Alltrack S 46k miles)

I did look at a CX-5 and loved it. Top notch interior. bullet proof engine/trans........but way way way too cramped/small.

I'm now debating between the '22 Taos S and Tiguan S......which has it's own set of pros/cons.

Thanks.

I have owned my FWD SE for about 10 months. I have 9,100 miles and have had no issues with the vehicle. I visited my dealer for the 10,000 service and was suprised to find out tire rotation is no longer included. I paid $20 extra for that. I do not have any regrets. This is my 4th VW since 2008.

 

[VWnorth]

"small engine and slow"

About this point, the engine is fine and there are no issues passing people on the highway even while going uphill. Zipping around people in the city is also not a problem whatsoever.

 

[GAS KING]

About this point, the engine is fine and there are no issues passing people on the highway even while going uphill. Zipping around people in the city is also not a problem whatsoever.

I was wondering if people just saw specs on paper and assumed it would be slower?

Everything I read here and saw in videos said the Taos was zippy overall. Some comments about it not having a ton of pull at highway speeds but that's how my Alltrack is too.
I think it was a 0-60 of 8 secs or so.
Not looking at the Taos to be a sports car.

I'm seeing the same thing being said about the Tiguan too. Slow. 0-60 in 10 sec.

 

[Crazyfinfan3]

Just hit 2,000 miles and no issues. I got the SEL 4motion and every option available. The throttle can be a little lazy at slow speeds but no other complaints. Hwy driving is great, cabin noise is not to loud. The beats audio system is nice too.

 

[sfgiantstaos]

I just had a tantrum and bought a TAOS because the neighboring Subaru dealer would not take off the ridiculous 3k “Market Adjustment.” VW dealer was very frank and fair. And I’m glad I did it.

I got the SE AWD with the nice mats and moonroof. Luxurious feel, no real leather for kids to ruin, HUGE backseat (good for 2 kids only. Get a Tiguan or something for more). Eco mode to sip gas, sports mode to slip thru traffic, offroad mode to wrangle unpaved mountain tracks. It’s not a GTI nor a Bronco but it’s got a little something for everyone.

TEST DRIVE IT! If the Turbo lag on the 7spd AWD transmission annoys you, steer clear; otherwise, go for it. It’s cute, fun, and practical. Or just wait for 2023, either to get one or force a better deal from your VW dealer.

 

[GAS KING]

I just had a tantrum and bought a TAOS because the neighboring Subaru dealer would not take off the ridiculous 3k “Market Adjustment.” VW dealer was very frank and fair. And I’m glad I did it.

I got the SE AWD with the nice mats and moonroof. Luxurious feel, no real leather for kids to ruin, HUGE backseat (good for 2 kids only. Get a Tiguan or something for more). Eco mode to sip gas, sports mode to slip thru traffic, offroad mode to wrangle unpaved mountain tracks. It’s not a GTI nor a Bronco but it’s got a little something for everyone.

TEST DRIVE IT! If the Turbo lag on the 7spd AWD transmission annoys you, steer clear; otherwise, go for it. It’s cute, fun, and practical. Or just wait for 2023, either to get one or force a better deal from your VW dealer.

 

[GAS KING]

How do you all feel about the harder plastic interior?

Is the fitment good?

What are the pros/cons? Or is it preference?

 

[CorradoG60]

If you can I recommend waiting for the 2023 simply because it is less likely to have reliability issues. While a 2022.5 (mid-year troubleshooting production tweaks) is going to be more reliable than a June 2021 example, it usually takes a new model year to replace unreliable components with newly designed ones.
Also, the current 2022 VWs are almost always lacking rear assist features due to chip shortages, while one assumes the 2023 won’t have that shortfall.

 

[CRVW]

If you can I recommend waiting for the 2023 simply because it is less likely to have reliability issues. While a 2022.5 (mid-year troubleshooting production tweaks) is going to be more reliable than a June 2021 example, it usually takes a new model year to replace unreliable components with newly designed ones.
Also, the current 2022 VWs are almost always lacking rear assist features due to chip shortages, while one assumes the 2023 won’t have that shortfall.

I would agree with this as we're so close to the 2023's being on the lot. Although that might mean a deal on a 2022...
If you can swing it, the SE is a bit nicer in terms of interior materials, though there's nothing wrong with saving money on an S.
Take your time and don't jump at the first one you see, but also remember life is short. You'll know when the right one comes along. It might still be the '22 S you're looking at...
BTW if you get a slight rattle from the center of the dash it's the center speaker grille. Pop it out and dampen it with some double sided sticky pads! Other than that, the interior seems pretty well put together.

 

[GAS KING]

My local dealer can't keep any new stock on the lot. Have to put down a deposit or they all get snatched up immediately. MSRP pricing.

 

[CRVW]

My local dealer can't keep any new stock on the lot. Have to put down a deposit or they all get snatched up immediately. MSRP pricing.

Wow. Can I ask where you are? My local dealer has 28 "in stock", i.e. on the lot or on the way. Looks like 11 of those are actually on the lot as of today.
You may be in a hot market! MSRP is not that bad these days though. I only got a few hundred off mine a year ago.

 

[CorradoG60]

My local dealer can't keep any new stock on the lot. Have to put down a deposit or they all get snatched up immediately. MSRP pricing.

Yep. My dealer has no gti, gli, Golf R, but plenty of Taos

 

[GAS KING]

Wow. Can I ask where you are? My local dealer has 28 "in stock", i.e. on the lot or on the way. Looks like 11 of those are actually on the lot as of today.
You may be in a hot market! MSRP is not that bad these days though. I only got a few hundred off mine a year ago.

Central WI

 

[GAS KING]

Drove the Taos and Tiguan today. Very short tests.

The Taos is nice. Only noticed the lag off start the first time I hit the gas. Otherwise zippy and handles well. Very similar to my Alltrack. The cheaper S trim didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. Overall, felt great. The cargo is good enough for most day to day routine type stuff.
Plenty of driver and passenger space.

The Tiguan was nice too. The trim reminded me more of my Alltrack. A bit more premium at lower trim level. Did not feel very zippy. Not underpowered at all but felt very smooth and softer overall. Similar space overall. Huge cargo.....only would be handy on holidays and trips.

Pretty sure I'm going to get the Taos S. Due to large interior, great MPG, and more modern look.