Compare the2023 Hyundai Tucson HybridVS 2023 Volkswagen Taos

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

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Tucson Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Taos doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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

The Tucson Hybrid’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 Tucson Hybrid Limited has a standard Around View 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 Tucson Hybrid’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 Tucson Hybrid 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 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 Tucson Hybrid with leather seats is safer than the Taos:

	Tucson Hybrid	Taos
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Restraint Design	GOOD	GOOD
Distance from Back of Head	18 mm	38 mm
Dynamic Test Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Seat Design	Pass	Fail
Torso Acceleration	11.7 g’s	13.3 g’s
Neck Force Rating	Low	Low

(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Tucson Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 101 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Taos is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick.”

Warranty

The Tucson Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Taos’ 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Tucson Hybrid 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Taos. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Taos ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Tucson Hybrid’s 7 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Taos runs out after 100,000 miles.

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Tucson Hybrid for 1 year and 16000 miles longer than Volkswagen pays for maintenance for the Taos (3/36,000 vs. 2/20,000).

There are over 29 percent more Hyundai dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Tucson Hybrid’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Tucson Hybrid’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 Tucson Hybrid’s reliability 57 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 Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. With 45 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Hyundai higher than Volkswagen.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 69 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 21st.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 18 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Engine

The Tucson Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 68 more horsepower (226 vs. 158) and 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 184) than the Taos’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is faster than the Volkswagen Taos:

	Tucson Hybrid	Taos
Zero to 30 MPH	2.9 sec	3.7 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.7 sec	9.4 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.4 sec	5.9 sec
Quarter Mile	15.9 sec	17.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90 MPH	84 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Tucson Hybrid gets better mileage than the Taos:

			MPG
Tucson Hybrid
	AWD	Blue 1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	38 city/38 hwy
		1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	37 city/36 hwy
Taos
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	28 city/36 hwy
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/32 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Tucson Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Taos doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Tucson Hybrid’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Taos:

	Tucson Hybrid	Taos
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	12.3 inches
Rear Rotors	12 inches	10.7 inches

The Tucson Hybrid stops shorter than the Taos:

	Tucson Hybrid	Taos
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	176 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Tucson Hybrid has larger tires than the Taos (235/65R17 vs. 215/50R18). The Tucson Hybrid Blue’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Taos (235/65R17 vs. 225/45R19).

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid 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 Tucson Hybrid has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Tucson Hybrid flat and controlled during cornering. The Taos 4x2 suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tucson Hybrid’s wheelbase is 3 inches longer than on the Taos (108.5 inches vs. 105.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Tucson Hybrid is 1.9 inches wider in the front and 3.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Taos.

The Tucson Hybrid Limited handles at .84 G’s, while the Taos SEL pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Tucson Hybrid Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Taos SEL (27.4 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Tucson Hybrid has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Taos (8.3 vs. 7.6 inches), allowing the Tucson Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The front grille of the Tucson Hybrid 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.

Passenger Space

The Tucson Hybrid has 8.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Taos (107.9 vs. 99.5).

The Tucson Hybrid has 1.3 inches more front legroom, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, 3.4 inches more rear legroom and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Taos.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Tucson Hybrid’s rear seats recline. The Taos’ rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Tucson Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Taos with its rear seat up (38.7 vs. 27.9 cubic feet). The Tucson Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Taos with its rear seat folded (74.5 vs. 65.9 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Tucson Hybrid’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 when your hands are full, the Tucson Hybrid SEL Convenience/Limited’s power liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Tucson Hybrid’s power liftgate can also be opened or closed by pressing a button. The Taos doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Towing

The Tucson Hybrid has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Taos has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Tucson Hybrid 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.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Tucson Hybrid Limited, 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 Tucson Hybrid Limited’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Taos doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Tucson Hybrid’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 Tucson Hybrid 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 Tucson Hybrid’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 Tucson Hybrid has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Taos. The Tucson Hybrid Limited also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Taos.

The Tucson Hybrid 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.

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

The Tucson Hybrid Limited’s Remote Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Park Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Taos doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® chose the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Volkswagen Taos isn't recommended.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Tucson Hybrid third among compact suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Taos isn’t in the top three.

The Hyundai Tucson outsold the Volkswagen Taos by almost three to one during the 2022 model year.