Sometimes, a car company will bring out a new model so appealing it winds up costing sales — this new Taos from Volkswagen, for instance.
It’s less expensive than the VW Tiguan — and roomier.
Did we mention that it gets better gas mileage on top of that?
It also comes standard with features like the Digital Cockpit instrument cluster, that, up to now, has only been available in the most expensive version of the Tiggy.
So, what’s the catch?
What It Is
The Taos is VW’s newest, smallest, most affordable crossover.
A base S trim with front-wheel drive stickers for $22,995 to start. It’s $25,040 with the optional 4Motion AWD system versus $25,995 to start for the least expensive front-wheel drive version of the Tiggy — which doesn’t come with more second-row leg or cargo room than the Taos even though it’s about 10 inches longer, bumper to bumper.
So, what do you get in return for paying more for the Tiggy?
Well, there is a third row, which comes standard in the Tiggy. The Taos doesn’t offer that.
There’s also more standard engine in the Tiggy.
VW’s next-largest crossover (on the outside) comes equipped with a bigger, 2.0-liter engine that makes more power than the 1.5-liter engine that’s the only available engine in the Taos.
What’s New
The Taos is the newest VW, nominally intended to box with the other small crossovers in its price range such as the Mazda CX-30, Kia Seltos, Subaru Crosstrek and Honda HR-V.
But its features and space for the price inevitably invite cross-shop comparisons with its higher-priced but less spacious sibling.
What’s Good
More for your money — literally.
Almost as easy on gas in city driving as the Tiggy is on the highway.
Two available automatic transmissions, neither of them a CVT automatic.
What’s Not So Good
Not as much engine as you can get in rivals like the Seltos and Mazda CX-30.
No manual transmission option. (The Subaru Crosstrek comes standard with a manual.)
Not as many seats as you get in the Tiggy.
Under The Hood
The Taos comes standard with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that’s smaller than the 2.0-liter engines that are standard in the Kia Seltos and Subaru Crosstrek, as well as the 1.8-liter engine that’s standard in the Honda HR-V — and much smaller than the 2.5-liter engine that you’ll find under the hood of the Mazda CX-30.
But it punches above its weight: 158 horsepower is advertised, which is more horsepower than the 141 horses summoned by the Honda HR-V’s larger 1.8-liter engine and the 146 horsepower emanating from the Kia’s even larger 2.0-liter engine. It also edges out the 152 horsepower conjured by the Crosstrek’s standard 2.0-liter engine.
Another plus in the VW’s favor is bigger mileage, a function of is smaller engine.
It rates 28 MPG in the city and 36 MPG on the highway for the front-wheel drive version versus 28 MPG city, 34 MPG highway for the Honda HR-V and 29 MPG city, 35 MPG highway for the Seltos equipped with its standard 2.0-liter four-cylinder. The bigger-engine Mazda CX-30 also comes in smaller when it comes to MPGs (25 city, 33 highway).
The front-wheel drive Taos comes standard with an eight-speed automatic, while models equipped with 4Motion all-wheel drive get a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
On The Road
While you can get more power in some of the others in this class — most notably the Mazda CX-30, which is available with a 250 horsepower turbocharged engine (the strongest available engine in the class) — the Taos has the most powerful standard engine, and the best standard performance: Zero to 60 in 7.4 seconds.
It also feels like even more than it is, courtesy of the almost-immediate torque peak summoned by the variable-geometry turbocharger VW pairs with this engine that increases boost at low-engine RPM by changing the pitch of the vanes within the turbo.
At The Curb
You won’t find the third row that’s standard in the Tiggy. But you will find 27.9 cubic feet of space for cargo behind the second row in the Taos, which is more than twice as much space for cargo as there is behind the Tiggy’s third row (12.0 cubic feet). If you lower the second row in the Taos, the space for stuff opens up to 65.9 cubic feet, which is still more space than in the Tiggy (65.3 cubic feet) even with both of its rows folded.
You also get more second-row legroom — 37.9 inches versus the Tiggy’s 36.6 inches. It’s not a small difference given the 10.3 inches in length between the Taos (175.8 inches) and the Tiggy (186.1 inches).
The Taos also comes out bigger against same-length rivals such as the Mazda CX-30 (20.2 cubic feet behind its second row; 52.7 with its seats folded) and the Subaru Crosstrek (20.8 cubic feet behind its second; 55.3 cubic feet total).
The Rest
Some other things that set the Taos apart are its standard digital instrument cluster, a feature formerly offered only in much pricier VWs such as the Tiggy SEL R-Line.
Detracting from its otherwise attractive roster of features for the money is that the base S trim comes with a mere four-speaker stereo.
The Bottom Line
This newest VW stands out from the pack.
It might stand out too much for the Tiggy’s good, too.
SET IMAGE) epe121421adAP.jpg”Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!” will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
View the VW Taos this week.
