Compare the2023 Nissan RogueVS 2023 Volkswagen Taos

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Rogue have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Volkswagen Taos doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 Rogue 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.

The Nissan Rogue has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help 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 Rogue Platinum has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Taos doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The Rogue’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Taos.

The Rogue SL/Platinum 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 Rogue’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 Rogue and the Taos have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

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

	Rogue	Taos
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	261	285
Neck Stress	403 lbs.	413 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	37%	45%
Neck Compression	103 lbs.	207 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	481/312 lbs.	643/432 lbs.

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

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Nissan Rogue is safer than the Volkswagen Taos:

	Rogue	Taos
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	95	111
Chest Movement	.4 inches	.6 inches
Abdominal Force	99 lbs.	115 lbs.
Hip Force	339 lbs.	394 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	162	393
Spine Acceleration	31 G’s	69 G’s
Hip Force	513 lbs.	673 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	162	338
Hip Force	398 lbs.	939 lbs.

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 Rogue with standard seats is safer than the Taos:

	Rogue	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	13.1 g’s	13.3 g’s
Neck Force Rating	Low	Low
Max Neck Shearing Force	0	0

(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 Rogue 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

Nissan’s powertrain warranty covers the Rogue 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 Rogue’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Taos’ (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are over 68 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Rogue’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Rogue has a standard 720-amp battery. The Taos’ 640-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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 Rogue’s reliability 72 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 Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 63 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen With 12 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Nissan higher than Volkswagen.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 8 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Engine

The Rogue’s 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder produces 43 more horsepower (201 vs. 158) and 41 lbs.-ft. more torque (225 vs. 184) than the Taos’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Nissan Rogue is faster than the Volkswagen Taos:

	Rogue	Taos
Zero to 30 MPH	3.5 sec	3.7 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	9.1 sec	9.4 sec
Quarter Mile	17 sec	17.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	87 MPH	84 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Rogue
	FWD	S/SV 1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	30 city/37 hwy
		SL/Platinum 1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	29 city/36 hwy
	AWD	S/SV 1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	28 city/35 hwy
		SL/Platinum 1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	28 city/34 hwy
Taos
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	28 city/36 hwy
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/32 hwy

The Rogue has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Taos FWD’s standard fuel tank (14.5 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Rogue 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.

Transmission

The Rogue has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Taos doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Rogue’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Taos are solid, not vented.

The Rogue stops much shorter than the Taos:

	Rogue	Taos
60 to 0 MPH	114 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

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

The Rogue has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Taos doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Nissan Rogue 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 Rogue has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Rogue 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 Rogue is .6 inches wider in the front and 2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Taos.

The Rogue Platinum AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the Taos SEL pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Rogue Platinum AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Taos SEL (27.7 seconds @ .6 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Rogue’s turning circle is 2.2 feet tighter than the Taos’ (35.4 feet vs. 37.6 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Rogue has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Taos (8.2 vs. 7.6 inches), allowing the Rogue to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Rogue has 5.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Taos (105.4 vs. 99.5).

The Rogue has .4 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front legroom, .6 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear legroom and .7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Taos.

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

Cargo Capacity

The Rogue has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Taos with its rear seat up (31.6 vs. 27.9 cubic feet). The Rogue has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Taos with its rear seat folded (74.1 vs. 65.9 cubic feet).

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

	Rogue	Taos
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	35.5”/70.5”	34.3”/65.2”
Max Width	51.3”	48.5”
Min Width	43”	40”
Height	32.7”	37”

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the Rogue SL/Platinum’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 Rogue (except S) offers an optional power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or on the Rogue SL/Platinum, by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Taos doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Towing

The Rogue has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The Taos has no towing capacity.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Rogue SL/Platinum, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Taos doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Rogue SL/Platinum’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 Rogue Platinum offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed 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 Rogue’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.

The Rogue’s speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of 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 Rogue 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 Rogue’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Taos’ headlights, which were rated “Good.”

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Rogue to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Taos doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Rogue SL/Platinum is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Taos’ mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Rogue and the Taos offer available heated front seats. The Rogue Platinum also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Taos.

Both the Rogue and the Taos offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Rogue has available 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.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Nissan Rogue, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Volkswagen Taos isn't recommended.

The Nissan Rogue outsold the Volkswagen Taos by over three to one during 2022.