Let’s be honest, in a market flooded with SUVs, it’s easy to become indifferent. The sheer volume of compact crossovers boasting similar features and designs can lead to a sense of overwhelming sameness. Frankly, before getting behind the wheel, the 2025 Taos from Volkswagen felt like just another face in the crowd – a vehicle destined to blend into the background of the automotive landscape. It seemed like the most baseline, default compact SUV: four doors, a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and styling that, while not offensive, wasn’t exactly setting hearts racing. Part of Volkswagen’s extensive SUV lineup, the Taos appeared to be another variation on a theme, differentiated only by subtle size, styling, and price tweaks.
Image showcasing a subtle design element of the 2025 VW Taos, highlighting its understated yet modern aesthetic.
Volkswagen’s current SUV strategy might seem a far cry from their more characterful past. Looking at the lineup, one could argue that the adventurous spirit of classic VWs has been traded for a more homogenous approach.
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Compared to the diverse and distinctive models from Volkswagen’s earlier eras, the modern lineup might initially appear less exciting.
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However, judging a book by its cover can be misleading. While modern cars might sometimes lack the overt charm of their predecessors, they compensate with significant advancements in efficiency, safety, performance, and comfort. Despite initial reservations, experiencing the 2025 Taos firsthand revealed a surprisingly positive reality. Against expectations, this compact SUV proved to be genuinely appealing, breaking through preconceived notions and revealing its own set of merits. Two key aspects, surprisingly simple ones, stood out and transformed the Taos from just another SUV into a vehicle worthy of genuine appreciation.
Cheap and Colorful: The Unexpected Appeal of the 2025 Taos
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The first element that grabbed attention was undeniably the color. In a world dominated by monochrome vehicles, the test Taos arrived in a bold, vibrant shade of green – a refreshing splash of color in a grayscale automotive world. This immediately set it apart. The 2025 Taos color palette, while not extensive, thankfully includes genuinely appealing options beyond the usual silvers and blacks.
The availability of such striking colors like the green and a similarly appealing blue, makes the Taos stand out. Hopefully, buyers will gravitate towards these bolder choices and steer clear of the more conventional gray tones.
The second appealing “green” aspect is more literal: money. The 2025 Taos enters the market with an attractive starting price point, landing under $25,000. While adding features and opting for higher trims like the tested SEL 4MOTION version will increase the price, even a well-equipped 2025 Taos remains significantly more affordable than the current average new car price, which in 2024 hovered near $48,000. This makes the 2025 Taos a compelling value proposition in today’s market.
Remarkably Free of Bullshit: The User-Friendly Design of the 2025 Taos
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The most significant and endearing quality of the 2025 Taos is its refreshing lack of unnecessary complexity. In a landscape of increasingly convoluted and often frustrating car interfaces, the Taos stands out for its simplicity and ease of use. Despite being a modern vehicle with contemporary technology, the overall experience feels remarkably straightforward and pleasant. It’s a car that doesn’t demand constant attention or require deciphering complicated systems. It focuses on performing the essential functions of a car effectively and efficiently, without unnecessary frills.
Of course, the 2025 Taos isn’t entirely immune to modern automotive trends. The inclusion of decorative, fake exhaust pipe tips is a minor, albeit common, example of style over substance.
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However, these minor stylistic choices are easily overlooked when considering the overall user experience. The Taos truly shines in its intuitive controls and user interface. Coming from vehicles with touch-sensitive controls and complex menu systems, the traditional buttons and knobs in the 2025 Taos are a welcome return to practicality. Simple, physical controls for essential functions like windows and volume make a world of difference in daily usability.
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The presence of actual knobs and buttons for volume and other key functions reinforces this user-friendly approach.
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The result is a car where everything simply works, and works easily, without demanding excessive thought or effort from the driver. This ease of use is a significant advantage in daily driving scenarios.
While the 2025 Taos includes VW’s native infotainment system with features like off-road data displays, its real strength lies in seamless smartphone integration.
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Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, allowing drivers to effortlessly utilize their preferred smartphone interfaces for navigation, music, and communication. Furthermore, the 2025 Taos boasts an exceptionally reliable and user-friendly wireless phone charging system – a feature often plagued by issues in other modern vehicles. Unlike many cars where wireless charging is finicky and unreliable, the Taos’ system works consistently and without hassle.
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The charging pad in the 2025 Taos consistently delivers power without requiring precise phone placement or suffering from random charging interruptions. Adding to this thoughtful design, a dedicated cooling vent above the charging pad prevents phone overheating during charging, a common issue often overlooked in other vehicles.
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This attention to detail exemplifies the 2025 Taos’ overall philosophy: doing the basics exceptionally well. The cargo area is another example of this practicality.
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While not filled with elaborate storage solutions, the Taos offers a generously sized and regularly shaped cargo space. It provides ample room for luggage and everyday items, offering 25 cubic feet in 4MOTION models and 28 cubic feet in FWD versions. Folding down the rear seats expands this to a substantial 60 or 66 cubic feet, respectively. Furthermore, the inclusion of a spare tire under the rear floor is a welcome feature, increasingly rare in modern cars.
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In many ways, the 2025 Taos embodies the spirit of the classic Volkswagen Golf – a versatile, do-it-all vehicle. It comfortably accommodates passengers and cargo, offers a pleasant driving experience, and is built to last. The Taos effectively captures this essence in a modern, SUV form factor, appealing to contemporary preferences while retaining the core values of practicality and usability.
What’s It Like Inside the 2025 Taos?
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Volkswagen’s reputation for crafting pleasant interiors continues with the 2025 Taos. The cabin is airy and inviting, featuring a balanced mix of light and dark materials. The optional panoramic sunroof enhances this sense of spaciousness and light.
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While equipped with a powered sunshade, the appeal of the open sunroof is undeniable, making the shade likely to remain retracted most of the time. The material quality within the 2025 Taos surpasses expectations for an entry-level vehicle. The door panel design, for instance, is both visually appealing and functional, featuring comfortable armrests and deep storage pockets.
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The design and materials used in the door panels feel surprisingly premium for its class. Even details like the stitching are real, adding a touch of refinement often absent in this segment.
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Both front and rear seats in the 2025 Taos are comfortable and supportive. Rear passengers benefit from amenities like a fold-down armrest with cupholders, a pass-through for longer items, and dedicated air vents and USB ports.
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The interior of the 2025 Taos prioritizes functionality and comfort, providing everything you need without unnecessary extras, creating a genuinely pleasant environment for both driver and passengers.
How Is the 2025 Taos to Drive?
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The 2025 Taos receives a power bump, now boasting 174 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque from its 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. This increase of 19 horsepower over previous models translates to more confident acceleration and overall performance. Considering its relatively light weight of around 3,400 pounds, the Taos offers adequate pep. Acceleration to 60 mph is estimated to be around seven seconds, providing sufficient responsiveness for everyday driving. The 8-speed automatic transmission, newly introduced for 4MOTION models in 2025, generally performs smoothly, although occasional shifts might feel slightly unusual. However, for the most part, the driving experience is competent and, in a positive sense, forgettable – meaning it performs its function without drawing undue attention to itself.
The driving dynamics of the 2025 Taos prioritize ease and usability. It delivers the performance needed when required, blending seamlessly into the background when not. It’s not designed to be a thrilling sports car, but rather a dependable and comfortable tool for daily transportation.
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Fuel efficiency is reasonable for its class. Real-world driving yielded fuel economy figures between 26 and 29 mpg, in conditions that weren’t particularly focused on maximizing mileage. More economical driving should easily achieve even better results.
Some Nice Details and Final Thoughts on the 2025 Taos
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The 2025 VW Taos isn’t overflowing with gimmicks or easter eggs, but it excels as a well-rounded and easy-to-live-with vehicle. While the large lower grille might be a point of subjective styling debate, the overall design is generally appealing, especially when opting for one of the bolder color choices.
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The Taos effectively serves as a modern interpretation of a practical compact wagon, offering the versatility and functionality sought after by many drivers. Even the taillights showcase thoughtful design elements.
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Features like the illuminated VW logo and the use of amber rear indicators add subtle touches of sophistication.
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Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the 2025 Taos is its absence of irritations. In a market where many new cars are plagued by frustrating details, the Taos stands out for its user-friendliness and lack of unnecessary annoyances. It’s comfortable, maneuverable, easy to park, drives well, and offers ample space. The controls are intuitive and straightforward, minimizing any “modern car bullshit” that can detract from the driving experience.
The 2025 Taos may not ignite passions or become the subject of automotive legends, but for a vast majority of drivers, that’s perfectly acceptable, even desirable. It’s a reliable machine designed to transport people and their belongings efficiently and comfortably, day in and day out. The Taos fulfills this role admirably.
While long-term reliability and maintenance aspects remain to be seen, initial impressions of the 2025 Taos are overwhelmingly positive. For those seeking an affordable, practical, and user-friendly vehicle that avoids the pitfalls of overly complex modern car design, the 2025 VW Taos is definitely worth considering – especially in green.
