Compare the2023 Volkswagen TaosVS 2023 Fiat 500X

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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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 500X’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Automatic Emergency Braking optional in the Taos as “Superior.” The 500X scores only 4 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

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 500X 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 use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The 500X doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Taos’ standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The 500X doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Taos has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the 500X’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Taos has standard rear cross-path warning, helping the driver avoid collisions. Fiat charges extra for Rear Cross Path Detection on the 500X, and only on the Sport.

Both the Taos and the 500X 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, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and rear parking sensors.

Warranty

The Taos’ corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the 500X’s (7 vs. 5 years).

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. Fiat doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the 500X.

There are over 78 percent more Volkswagen dealers than there are Fiat dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Taos’ warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Taos has a standard 640-amp battery. The 500X’s 500-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Taos gets better mileage than the 500X:

			MPG
Taos
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	28 city/36 hwy
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/32 hwy
500X
	AWD	1.3 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/30 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Taos uses regular unleaded gasoline. The 500X requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Taos AWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the 500X (14.5 vs. 12.7 gallons).

The Taos has a standard locking fuel door with a power remote release convenient to the driver The fuel filler door is not lockable on the 500X. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volkswagen Taos higher (7 out of 10) than the Fiat 500X (6). This means the Taos produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 500X every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

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 500X doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Taos’ front brake rotors are larger than those on the 500X:

	Taos	500X
Front Rotors	12.3 inches	12 inches

The Taos stops shorter than the 500X:

	Taos	500X
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	146 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Taos S’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 500X AWD’s standard 60 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Taos’ wheelbase is 4.3 inches longer than on the 500X (105.5 inches vs. 101.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Taos is 1.1 inches wider in the front than the track on the 500X.

The Taos SEL 4Motion handles at .85 G’s, while the 500X pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Taos SEL executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the 500X (28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s vs. 28.7 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

Chassis

The design of the Volkswagen Taos amounts to more than styling. The Taos has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .31 Cd. That is significantly lower than the 500X (.35) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Taos get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The Taos has 7.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 500X (99.5 vs. 91.7).

The Taos has 1.6 inches more front headroom, 2.2 inches more front shoulder room, 2 inches more rear headroom, 3.1 inches more rear legroom and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the 500X.

The front step up height for the Taos is 2.9 inches lower than the 500X (16.5” vs. 19.4”). The Taos’ rear step up height is 2.9 inches lower than the 500X’s (16.7” vs. 19.6”).

Cargo Capacity

The Taos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the 500X with its rear seat up (27.9 vs. 14.1 cubic feet). The Taos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the 500X with its rear seat folded (65.9 vs. 39.8 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 500X’s liftover is 31.4 inches.

The Taos’ cargo area is larger than the 500X’s in every dimension:

	Taos	500X
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	34.3”/65.2”	n/a
Max Width	48.5”	41.3”
Min Width	40”	37.8”
Height	37”	28.8”

Ergonomics

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 500X’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

On a hot day the Taos’ driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the 500X can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 500X doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Taos’ available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the 500X’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

The Taos has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. When the ignition turns off, the headlights turn off after a delay timed to allow you to securely get to your front door. The 500X only offers an automatic headlight on/off feature as an extra cost option.

The 500X Sport’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Taos SEL’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

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 500X 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 500X doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Taos has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The 500X doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Taos has available rear heat vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The 500X doesn’t offer rear vents.

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 500X doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Model Availability

The Taos is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The 500X doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

The Volkswagen Taos outsold the Fiat 500X by almost 68 to one during 2022.