Compare the2023 Volkswagen TaosVS 2022 Buick Encore

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Taos deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Taos’ side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Encore’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Taos has standard Automatic Emergency Braking, which use forward mounted sensors to warn the driver of a possible collision ahead. If the driver doesn’t react and the system determines a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes at full-force in order to reduce the force of the crash or avoid it altogether. The Encore offers an available collision warning system without the automated brake feature that would prevent or reduce the collision if the driver fails to react.

The Taos has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Encore doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Taos offers optional Maneuver Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Encore doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Taos 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 Encore.

Both the Taos and the Encore 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, lane departure warning systems and rear parking sensors.

The Taos comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Encore’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Taos’ corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Encore’s (7/100,000 vs. 6/100,000).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Taos for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Buick doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Encore.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Taos has a standard 640-amp battery. The Encore’s 438-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

The Taos’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 3 more horsepower (158 vs. 155) and 7 lbs.-ft. more torque (184 vs. 177) than the Encore’s 1.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Volkswagen Taos is faster than the Buick Encore:

	Taos	Encore
Zero to 60 MPH	8.5 sec	10.7 sec
Quarter Mile	16.5 sec	17.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	83.9 MPH	77.5 MPH

On the EPA test cycle the Taos gets better mileage than the Encore:

			MPG
Taos
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	28 city/36 hwy
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/32 hwy
Encore
	FWD	1.4 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/32 hwy
	AWD	1.4 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/30 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Taos’ engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Encore doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Volkswagen Taos FWD, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Encore.

The Taos offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Encore doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better stopping power the Taos’ brake rotors are larger than those on the Encore:

	Taos	Encore
Front Rotors	12.3 inches	11.8 inches
Rear Rotors	10.7 inches	10.6 inches

For better traction, the Taos SEL 4Motion’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Encore (225/45R19 vs. 215/55R18).

The Taos SEL 4Motion’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Encore’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Taos SEL 4Motion has standard 19-inch wheels. The Encore’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

For superior ride and handling, the Taos 4Motion 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 Buick Encore has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Taos’ wheelbase is 4.9 inches longer than on the Encore (105.5 inches vs. 100.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Taos is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 0 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Encore.

The Taos SEL handles at .83 G’s, while the Encore pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Taos SEL executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Encore AWD (28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s vs. 29.6 seconds @ .54 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Taos has a 1.4 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Encore (7.6 vs. 6.2 inches), allowing the Taos to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Taos has 6.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Encore (99.5 vs. 92.8).

The Taos has 1.1 inches more front headroom, 2.3 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear headroom, 2.1 inches more rear legroom and 2.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Encore.

The Taos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Encore with its rear seat up (27.9 vs. 18.8 cubic feet). The Taos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Encore with its rear seat folded (65.9 vs. 48.4 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Taos easier. The Taos’ cargo hatch lift-over height is 27 inches, while the Encore’s liftover is 28.8 inches.

The Taos’ cargo area is larger than the Encore’s in every dimension:

	Taos	Encore
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	34.3”/65.2”	28.5”/55.8”
Max Width	48.5”	39.5”
Min Width	40”	36”
Height	37”	31.8”

The Taos’ power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Encore has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The Taos’ front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Encore’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

On a hot day the Taos’ driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Encore can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Taos has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Encore doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the Taos to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Encore doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors available for the Taos detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Encore doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Taos SEL has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Encore doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Taos SEL also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Taos SEL’s standard rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Encore doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

The Taos offers optional heated front seats, which keep the driver and front passenger extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated seats aren’t available in the Encore.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Taos SEL keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Encore doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Taos’ optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Encore doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Taos SEL’s 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. The Encore doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

The Taos SEL’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Encore doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

Both the Taos and the Encore offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Taos offers optional rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Encore doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Taos offers an optional Adaptive Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Encore doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen Taos SE/SEL has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Encore doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.