Compare the2022 Jeep RenegadeVS 2022 Volkswagen Taos

The Jeep Renegade has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Taos doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Renegade has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Taos doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Renegade’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Taos.

The Renegade Limited offers optional ParkSense to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or, optionally, in front of the vehicle. The Taos doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

The Renegade has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Taos’ blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Renegade has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Taos.

Both the Renegade and the Taos have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and crash mitigating brakes.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, rear impact and roof-crush tests, with its optional front crash prevention system, its “Acceptable” rating in the new passenger-side small overlap crash test, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Renegade the rating of “Top Pick” for 2019, a rating granted to only 175 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Taos has not been tested, yet.

Jeep’s powertrain warranty covers the Renegade 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Taos. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Taos ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Renegade’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Taos’ (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance (up to 3 oil changes) on the Renegade for 1 year and -20,000 miles longer than Volkswagen pays for maintenance for the Taos (3/unlimited vs. 2/20,000).

There are almost 4 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Renegade’s warranty.

The engine in the Renegade has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engine in the Taos has dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Jeep 8th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 64 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 30th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Jeep 24th in reliability. With 22 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 28th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Jeep vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Jeep 5 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

The Renegade’s 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder produces 19 more horsepower (177 vs. 158) and 26 lbs.-ft. more torque (210 vs. 184) than the Taos’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

The Renegade has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Taos doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Jeep Renegade, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Taos.

The Renegade stops much shorter than the Taos:

For better traction, the Renegade Latitude/Limited’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Taos (235/45R19 vs. 225/45R19).

The Renegade Trailhawk offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Taos; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

For superior ride and handling, the Jeep Renegade has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Volkswagen Taos has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Renegade has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Renegade flat and controlled during cornering. The Taos 4x2 suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Renegade’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Taos doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better maneuverability, the Renegade Trailhawk 4x4’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the Taos’ (35.3 feet vs. 37.6 feet). The Renegade’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Taos’ (36.3 feet vs. 37.6 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Renegade has a 1.4 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Taos (8 vs. 6.6 inches), allowing the Renegade to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Renegade Trailhawk’s minimum ground clearance is 2.1 inches higher than on the Taos (8.7 vs. 6.6 inches).

The Renegade is 9.2 inches shorter than the Taos, making the Renegade easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Renegade (except Trailhawk) uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Taos doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Renegade has .4 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front legroom and .7 inches more rear headroom than the Taos.

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Renegade. The Taos doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Maximum trailer towing in the Volkswagen Taos is limited to 0 pounds. The Renegade 4x4 offers up to a 2000 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Renegade uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Taos doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Renegade’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Taos’ passenger power window switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Renegade has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Taos only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Renegade’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Volkswagen charges extra for heated mirrors on the Taos.

The Renegade has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Taos SEL.

The Renegade (except Sport) offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Taos doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Renegade Limited’s optional Parallel and Perpendicular Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Taos doesn’t offer an automated parking system.