When looking to make your purchase, did anyone consider the Tiguan? What pushed you more to the Taos? I'm curious as I am seeing very relative pricing especially when it comes to the SEL AWD Taos and the SEL AWD R-line Tiguan (about a 2k price difference) It seems certain features are standard when you get to the SEL AWD R-line Tiguan when with the SEL AWD Taos it's still an ad on (sunroof system.)
Taos vs Tiguan
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Personally I was going for a Tiguan. I got a test drive on the Tiguan and then I saw a blue Taos that was available for a test drive also. I drove both and that was when I knew which one I wanted. The Tiguan drives like a heavy vehicle, it is not bad but lacks some precision. The Taos is more agile, it is not a rocket but will drive more like a car. Also, fuel economy is way better with the Taos. The Tiguan will offer you more trunk space and two miniature extra seats as an option. (not for adults).
we did consider it, we didn't need one that big. the 2.0L engine wasn't what we wanted, the MPG is way less. Our needs are relatively different than many in discussion here because we also have a full size truck. cargo capacity, deep snow performance and towing are all better in the truck. we wanted a nimble high MPG SUV with enough rear storage and the Taos is well above its competition in cargo volume. we didn't even set a need on AWD/FWD before buying. that was based on test drive because of 8spd normal transmission and worse feeling rear suspension of the FWD (for us anyway).. we picked AWD.
Drive, size and fuel economy were key factors with me buying the Taos. I was impressed with the drive - agile as described above. Perhaps this was due to replacing a SUV and having another in the driveway. Great rear legroom for the occasional times I carry back seat passengers. While others may laugh, I was impressed with the acceleration! Perhaps my expectation was too low, however my days of needing 250+ HP are behind me. I’d still take if I could get the Taos great mpg! 😀. Overall, I just liked the entire Taos package at the SEL level with sunroof. I find it a pleasure to drive on dry and snow covered roads. I have nothing really negative to say about the Tiguan. The Taos just met my needs better.
Thank you for your insight. I previously had a 2019 Jetta, and that drive compared to the Taos is very similar - like you said with being agile. The MPG is comparable to my previous Jetta in that I only lost about 5 mpg (40mpg Jetta - 35 mpg Taos) My dealer had a big incentive to make a trade in sale happen and Im feeling like I didn't take the time to try other options like the Tiguan. I didn't even think about the Tiguan but looking back now I wish I would've at least test driven it. Appearance wise, the Taos seems to more so resemble the look of the Atlas rather than the Tiguan.
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I test drove both the Taos and the Tiguan before purchasing the Taos SEL 4Motion about a month ago.
If I had the need for a third row or towing capacity, the Tiguan is the better choice, but the drive feel is different and the fuel economy is significantly worse. Driving in congested city streets, I was seeing gas mileage in the low teens for consistent stretches in the Tiguan, while the Taos seemed to say in the high teens to mid 20s even while moderately accelerating. You can also feel the size advantage of the Taos more when trying to find and locate parking. On the highway at cruising speeds the differences in driving experience are fairly small. The Tiguan might be slightly better at passing due to the increased horsepower, but the advantage isn't so huge that it'll keep you up at night. The turbo on the Taos kicks in at pretty low RPM so you the torque is there when you want it.
The only changes I'm looking at making to my taos at this point are getting some quieter tires. The factory tires perform well, but they are fairly noisy on concrete highways. It doesn't completely ruin the ride, but you feel the need to turn the stereo up.
If I had the need for a third row or towing capacity, the Tiguan is the better choice, but the drive feel is different and the fuel economy is significantly worse. Driving in congested city streets, I was seeing gas mileage in the low teens for consistent stretches in the Tiguan, while the Taos seemed to say in the high teens to mid 20s even while moderately accelerating. You can also feel the size advantage of the Taos more when trying to find and locate parking. On the highway at cruising speeds the differences in driving experience are fairly small. The Tiguan might be slightly better at passing due to the increased horsepower, but the advantage isn't so huge that it'll keep you up at night. The turbo on the Taos kicks in at pretty low RPM so you the torque is there when you want it.
The only changes I'm looking at making to my taos at this point are getting some quieter tires. The factory tires perform well, but they are fairly noisy on concrete highways. It doesn't completely ruin the ride, but you feel the need to turn the stereo up.
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Good to know it's comparable to the Jetta! Trading in my 2019 Jetta for the Taos as well!
I agree, it's a baby Atlas!
I think the driving experience of the Taos is way better than the Jetta. The 2019 Jetta at least is not nearly damped enough. I had a 2019 for a little while and it's the only vehicle I've ever had bottom out all 4 corners because of a bump on the highway. It bounced over everything. The Taos is much firmer. There's no comparison between the two in my opinion. Not to mention infinitely better visibility (especially rear quarters and to the rear)
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My wife has a 2020 Jetta and she's never mentioned it bottoming out or being bouncy. I will say that it is a softer ride in general than my AWD Taos, but I attribute that more to the 19 inch wheels and thinner tires.
Same. I loved my 2019 Jetta. Drove amazing, never felt bouncy. Accelerated like a dream. With the used car market being what it is, I was getting a great trade in value and decided to move up to an SUV - being the Taos. The AWD isn’t as smooth and i too think it’s the tires. But the handling, it’s like the Jetta. Great turn radius and drives great overall. The big appeal for the Taos is that it drives and handles more like a sedan and less like a SUV. Not even a compact SUV. I test drove the trailblazer - talk about lag and no acceleration. I also only drove my 2019 Jetta sel in eco mode and being a pretty aggressive driver habit wise, never felt like I needed more power and maintained 38-40mpg. The Taos in eco mode is smooth
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I used a Carista ODB2 adapter to change the throttle calulation method of the Taos from timing based to direct, and it resolved any hesitation and smoothness issues I had. I probably could have gotten used to the factory default option, but my wife's Jetta and my old Passat were both set to direct from the factory and that's what my driving habits were accustomed to.
The Taos isn’t direct? Hm. I might look into the carista odb2. Does this modification void warranties?
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No, it's not a tune. It only allows you to select between factory available options.
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Where can you get the carista.odb2 and how does it work?
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I bought it from here: Carista ODB2 Adapter
It's a bluetooth device that plugs into your ODB2 port. You get a one month free trial of the pro version of the Carista app on your phone with the purchase of the ODB2 tool, after that it's $10/month. You only need to pay for the advanced version of the app during the time periods when you are making customizations to your car. You can cancel it after you're done making changes. The free version features are just basic ODB2 reads. You can see any codes thrown by the different computer controlled systems in your car.
You can see what features are available for your car(s) here: Carista
I should note that some of the customizations do allow you to turn off safety features (such as seatbelt warnings), so you may want to revert those before going to the dealer if you disable them.
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I just traded my 2021 Tiguan SEL R Line w/a 3rd row for a 2022 Taos SEL. I like the size and handling of the Taos.
What all have you changed/customized with Carista on your SEL model?
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All I really did was change the throttle response option, and allow for passive entry of the car via the smart key on the passenger door.
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