Compare the2024 Hyundai KonaVS 2023 Volkswagen Taos

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Kona have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. 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 Kona 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 Kona’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 Kona Limited has a standard Surround 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 Kona’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 Kona 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, 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 Kona 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 Kona 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 Kona’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 Kona 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 Kona’s warranty.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Kona’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.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai above average in initial quality. With 61 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 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 2023 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 10 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

The Kona N Line/Limited’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 32 more horsepower (190 vs. 158) and 11 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 184) than the Taos’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

The Kona SE/SEL 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.

For better traction, the Kona N Line/Limited’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Taos (235/45R19 vs. 225/45R19).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Kona is .6 inches wider in the front and 2.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Taos.

For better maneuverability, the Kona’s turning circle is 2.8 feet tighter than the Taos’ (34.8 feet vs. 37.6 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Kona has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Taos (8.1 vs. 7.6 inches), allowing the Kona to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Kona N Line’s minimum ground clearance is .7 inch higher than on the Taos (8.3 vs. 7.6 inches).

The Kona is 4.5 inches shorter than the Taos, making the Kona easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Kona 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.

The Kona has 1.6 inches more front legroom, .3 inches more front shoulder room and .3 inches more rear legroom than the Taos.

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

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Kona Limited’s power liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Kona’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.

The Kona uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Taos uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Kona 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 Kona Limited’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking 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.

The Hyundai Kona outsold the Volkswagen Taos by 8% during 2022.