Compare the2023 Mazda CX-5VS 2023 Volkswagen Taos

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The CX-5 has standard Whiplash-Reducing Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Taos doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the CX-5. But it costs extra on the Taos.

The CX-5’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 CX-5 Turbo Signature has a standard 360° Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Taos only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The CX-5 Turbo Signature’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Taos doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the CX-5 and the Taos have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mazda CX-5 is safer than the Volkswagen Taos:

	CX-5	Taos
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the general design of front seat head restraints for their ability to protect front seat occupants from whiplash injuries. The IIHS also performs a dynamic test on those seats with “good” or “acceptable” geometry. In these ratings, the CX-5 is safer than the Taos:

	CX-5	Taos
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Restraint Design	GOOD	GOOD
Distance from Back of Head	27 mm	38 mm
Dynamic Test Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Seat Design	Pass	Fail
Torso Acceleration	11 g’s	13.3 g’s
Neck Force Rating	Low	Low
Max Neck Shearing Force	0	0
Max Neck Tension	297	334

(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the CX-5 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Taos is not a “Top Safety Pick.”

Warranty

Mazda’s powertrain warranty covers the CX-5 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 CX-5’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Taos’ (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the CX-5’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Taos’ camshafts. If the Taos’ belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the CX-5’s reliability 70 points higher than the Taos.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. With 50 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mazda higher than Volkswagen.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda above average in long-term dependability. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Volkswagen is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda fourth in overall reliability. Volkswagen is ranked 23rd.

Engine

The CX-5’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 29 more horsepower (187 vs. 158) and 2 lbs.-ft. more torque (186 vs. 184) than the Taos’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The CX-5’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 98 more horsepower (256 vs. 158) and 136 lbs.-ft. more torque (320 vs. 184) than the Taos’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Mazda CX-5 is faster than the Volkswagen Taos:

	CX-5 4 cyl.	CX-5 turbo 4 cyl.	Taos
Zero to 30 MPH	3.1 sec	n/a	3.7 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	8.6 sec	6.4 sec	9.4 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	5.4 sec	n/a	5.9 sec
Quarter Mile	16.6 sec	14.9 sec	17.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	85 MPH	93.6 MPH	84 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the CX-5 (except Turbo)’s fuel efficiency. The Taos doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The CX-5 has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Taos FWD’s standard fuel tank (15.3 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the CX-5 Turbo’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Taos:

	CX-5 Turbo	Taos
Front Rotors	12.6 inches	12.3 inches
Rear Rotors	11.9 inches	10.7 inches

The CX-5 stops much shorter than the Taos:

	CX-5	Taos
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	185 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the CX-5 has larger tires than the Taos (225/65R17 vs. 215/50R18).

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Mazda CX-5 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 Taos 4x2 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The CX-5 has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the CX-5 flat and controlled during cornering. The Taos 4x2 suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the CX-5 is 1 inch wider in the front and 2.1 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Taos.

The CX-5 handles at .81 G’s, while the Taos SEL pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The CX-5 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Taos SEL (27.8 seconds @ .59 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the CX-5’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the Taos’ (36 feet vs. 37.6 feet).

Passenger Space

The CX-5 has 4.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Taos (103.6 vs. 99.5).

The CX-5 has .9 inches more front legroom, .6 inches more front shoulder room and 1.7 inches more rear legroom than the Taos.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the CX-5’s rear seats recline. The Taos’ rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The CX-5 has a much larger cargo volume than the Taos with its rear seat up (30.8 vs. 27.9 cubic feet).

The CX-5’s cargo area is larger than the Taos’ in almost every dimension:

	CX-5	Taos
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	38”	34.3”/65.2”
Max Width	57”	48.5”
Min Width	41.3”	40”
Height	32.4”	37”

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the CX-5’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Taos doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the CX-5 Premium/Turbo has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Taos doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Towing

The CX-5 has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Taos has no towing capacity.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the CX-5 Preferred/Carbon Edition/Premium/Turbo, the memory seats make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The Taos doesn’t offer memory seats.

The CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Taos doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The CX-5’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Taos’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the CX-5 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.

Consumer Reports rated the CX-5’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Taos’ headlights, which were rated “Good.”

Both the CX-5 and the Taos offer available heated front seats. The CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Taos.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Mazda CX-5, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Volkswagen Taos isn't recommended.

The Mazda CX-5 outsold the Volkswagen Taos by almost three to one during 2022.