2025 Volkswagen Taos Consumer Review

Three years ago, we nearly bought a Volkswagen Taos. It was a finalist during our vehicle shopping process, but ultimately lost out as my wife couldn’t get use to the performance/behaviour of the dual-clutch transmission.

Fast forward to today, and it’s time to new car shop again as our lease is about to end. The Volkswagen Taos is once again a serious consideration, especially since this 2025 refresh sees the dual-clutch transmission disappear from the all-wheel drive models, replaced by a conventional eight-speed automatic. To see if the SUV may be our next family car, we borrowed a 2025 Volkswagen Taos Highline, which is the fully loaded trim in Canada, equivalent to the SEL trim in the USA.

Digging a bit deeper into the styling changes for the updated Taos, the front bumper has been redesigned, sitting below a new grille with an available light bar. At the back, the Taos falls more in line with family styling, adorning connected taillights and an illuminated Volkswagen badge, much like the vehicle’s larger SUV siblings.

The new look doesn’t stray too much from the 2024 Taos, which is a good thing, as the vehicle already had an appealing exterior style. In fact, my wife considers it one of the best-looking small SUVs currently on sale and I can’t disagree. It's also a rare vehicle that can pull off such a bright green exterior paint job really well.

As previously stated, the 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gets a bump in power this year. It now generates 174 hp, a decent bump from the previous 158 hp. Despite horsepower increasing, torque remains unchanged at 184 lb-ft.

With the new eight-speed automatic transmission sending power to all four wheels, we found the 2025 Taos accelerates well when merging onto the highway, even with 3,441 pounds (1,561 kg) to haul around. In the city, that slight delay when leaving from a complete stop, or when switching from reverse to drive, has disappeared.

The overall engine performance is smooth and torquey, with decent response. Officially, the 2025 Taos is rated at 25 mpg (9.4 L/100 km) in the city and 33 mpg (7.2 L/100 km) on the highway.

Volkswagens have a reputation for being more responsive and engaging to drive than the competition, and that holds true for the Taos, especially on the optional 235/45R19 tires. We wouldn’t call it sporty, but it’s quick to respond and my wife was comfortable driving it by her second day. She did mention it felt wide initially behind the wheel, and she never got comfortable reversing it into parking spots.

Although we didn’t get a chance to test the 7.6 inches (193 mm) of ground clearance or all-wheel drive system, the Taos drives perfectly well in congested cities, on the highway, or on secondary urban roads.

Despite the sporty pretensions and responses from the Taos, the vehicle still offers a smooth drive on most road types and surfaces. The step-down from the driver’s seat is a bit high, a note to keep in mind for shorter drivers.

Up front, there are 40.1 inches (1,019 mm) of legroom and 40.7 inches (1,033 mm) of headroom. The rear seats can accommodate two adults, with a decent 37.9 inches (963 mm) of legroom and 39.8 inches (1,011 mm) of headroom.

My wife appreciated the low load floor in the cargo area that made transporting larger/heavier items easier. There is a lot of space back there as well, officially rated at 24.9 cu ft (705 L). She was let down by the absence of a power liftgate, though, especially since the Taos is otherwise quite premium.

Our tester came with every option available on the Taos, like the digital driver information center, heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, wireless phone charger, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation, and more. My wife appreciated the in-car navigation and really liked that it couldbe displayed in the digital driver information center.

She was not a fan of the touch climate controls and had a hard time figuring out the infotainment system, radio, and Bluetooth. While on the topic of infotainment, the touchscreen's physical placement in the vehicle, combined with the sun's reflection, can really highlight all the fingerprints on it

Pricing for the 2025 Volkswagen Taos starts at $26,920 (all prices include destination charges) in the United States and $31,970 in Canada. As tested, the Taos SEL 4Motion with the green paint came in at $37,075 in the USA. The Taos Highline 4Motion comes in at $42,170, with the green paint and 19-inch wheel options added.

In America, that pricing puts it slightly above a fully loaded Subaru Crosstrek, and a few thousand above the top trim Kia Seltos and non-turbo Mazda CX-30.

The upgrades to the Taos, especially to the transmission, make an already appealing small SUV even more so. The extra engine power, revised styling, and upgraded tech have it right near the top of our purchasing choices. The slightly higher price tag, as well as some technology issues are drawbacks, but there’s far more to like about the 2025 Volkswagen Taos than not to like.

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