Compare the2024 GMC TerrainVS 2023 Volkswagen Taos

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
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 Terrain 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 Terrain’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 Terrain SLT/AT4/Denali offers an optional Surround Vision 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.

Both the Terrain and the Taos have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, 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 GMC Terrain is safer than the Volkswagen Taos:

	Terrain	Taos
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	159	285
Neck Injury Risk	17%	32%
Neck Stress	190 lbs.	413 lbs.
Neck Compression	10 lbs.	28 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	26%	45%
Neck Compression	51 lbs.	207 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	264/236 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 GMC Terrain is safer than the Volkswagen Taos:

	Terrain	Taos
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	109	111
Hip Force	357 lbs.	394 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	288	393
Spine Acceleration	55 G’s	69 G’s
Hip Force	630 lbs.	673 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	40 G’s	46 G’s
Hip Force	730 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 Terrain is safer than the Taos:

	Terrain	Taos
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Restraint Design	GOOD	GOOD
Distance from Back of Head	26 mm	38 mm
Dynamic Test Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Seat Design	Pass	Fail
Torso Acceleration	11.9 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 all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its standard front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Terrain the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 231 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Taos was not even a “Top Safety Pick” for 2016.

Warranty

GMC’s powertrain warranty covers the Terrain 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.

There are almost 3 times as many GMC dealers as there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Terrain’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Terrain has a standard 700-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 Terrain’s reliability 45 points higher than the Taos.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Terrain second among compact suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Taos isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that GMC vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks GMC above average in initial quality. With 82 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 GMC vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen With 25 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks GMC higher than Volkswagen.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that GMC vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks GMC 2 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Engine

The Terrain’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 17 more horsepower (175 vs. 158) and 19 lbs.-ft. more torque (203 vs. 184) than the Taos’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Terrain FWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Taos FWD’s standard fuel tank (14.9 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Terrain AWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Taos AWD’s standard fuel tank (15.6 vs. 14.5 gallons).

The Terrain 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

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the GMC Terrain, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Taos.

Tires and Wheels

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

The Terrain 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 GMC Terrain 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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Terrain’s wheelbase is 1.8 inches longer than on the Taos (107.3 inches vs. 105.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Terrain is .5 inches wider in the front and 1.9 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Taos.

The Terrain Denali AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Taos SEL (27.5 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

Chassis

The front grille of the Terrain offers available 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 Terrain uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Taos doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Terrain has 3.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Taos (103.2 vs. 99.5).

The Terrain has .8 inches more front legroom, .7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.8 inches more rear legroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Taos.

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

Cargo Capacity

The Terrain has a much larger cargo volume than the Taos with its rear seat up (29.6 vs. 27.9 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Terrain’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 Terrain offers an optional power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or on the Terrain SLT/AT4/Denali, by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Taos doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Towing

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

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Terrain uses the StabiliTrak® 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 Terrain SLT/AT4/Denali, 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 Terrain SLT/AT4/Denali’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 Terrain’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Taos does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Terrain (except SLE) offers an available heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer 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 Terrain’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 Terrain 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 Terrain’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Volkswagen charges extra for heated mirrors on the Taos.

When the Terrain SLT/AT4/Denali 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 Terrain and the Taos offer optional heated front seats. The Terrain Denali 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 Terrain and the Taos offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Terrain 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 Terrain offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Taos doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Terrain Denali’s optional Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Taos doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

The GMC Terrain outsold the Volkswagen Taos by 46% during 2022.