Compare the2023 Subaru ForesterVS 2023 Volkswagen Taos

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Forester 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 Forester 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 Subaru Forester 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 Forester has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move 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 Forester. But it costs extra on the Taos.

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

The Forester Touring’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 Forester and the Taos have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems 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 Subaru Forester is safer than the Volkswagen Taos:

	Forester	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 Forester is safer than the Taos:

	Forester	Taos
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Restraint Design	GOOD	GOOD
Distance from Back of Head	12 mm	38 mm
Dynamic Test Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Seat Design	Pass	Fail
Torso Acceleration	9.1 g’s	13.3 g’s
Neck Force Rating	Low	Low
Max Neck Shearing Force	0	0
Max Neck Tension	242	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 Forester 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

Subaru’s powertrain warranty covers the Forester 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 Forester’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 Forester’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 Forester’s reliability 74 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 Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. With 39 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Subaru higher than Volkswagen.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 16 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Engine

The Forester’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 24 more horsepower (182 vs. 158) than the Taos’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Subaru Forester is faster than the Volkswagen Taos:

	Forester	Taos
Zero to 60 MPH	8.3 sec	8.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	86.2 MPH	83.9 MPH

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Forester lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Taos doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Forester gets better fuel mileage than the Taos 4Motion (26 city/33 hwy vs. 25 city/32 hwy).

The Forester has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Taos FWD’s standard fuel tank (16.6 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Forester has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Taos AWD’s standard fuel tank (16.6 vs. 14.5 gallons).

Transmission

The Forester 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 Forester stops much shorter than the Taos:

	Forester	Taos
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	185 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Forester has larger tires than the Taos (225/60R17 vs. 215/50R18).

The Forester Wilderness has a standard 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.

Suspension and Handling

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

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Forester is 1 inch wider in the rear than the average track on the Taos.

The Forester Limited handles at .82 G’s, while the Taos SEL pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Forester Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Taos SEL (27.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

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

Chassis

The front grille of the Forester 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 Forester has 12.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Taos (111.6 vs. 99.5).

The Forester has .5 inches more front headroom, 3.2 inches more front legroom, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear legroom and 2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Taos.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s rear seats recline. The Taos’ rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Forester has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Taos with its rear seat up (28.9 vs. 27.9 cubic feet). The Forester has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Taos with its rear seat folded (74.2 vs. 65.9 cubic feet).

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

	Forester	Taos
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	35.7”/73.1”	34.3”/65.2”
Max Width	51.5”	48.5”
Min Width	43.3”	40”
Height	34.8”	37”

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the Forester Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Taos doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Forester. The Taos doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Forester (except Base) offers an optional power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Taos doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Towing

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

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Forester uses the Vehicle Dynamics 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.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Forester is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Taos. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

When five different drivers share the Forester Touring, the memory system makes it convenient for each of them. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, outside mirror angle and climate settings. The Taos doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Forester Touring’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.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s exterior PIN entry system. The Taos doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Forester’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 Forester 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.

When the Forester Touring is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Taos’ mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Forester’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Taos offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Forester and the Taos offer available heated front seats. The Forester Touring also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Taos.

Both the Forester and the Taos offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Forester 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.

Recommendations

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

The Subaru Forester outsold the Volkswagen Taos by almost two to one during 2022.