Compare the2024 Volkswagen TaosVS 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe

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

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 Santa Fe 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.

Both the Taos and the Santa Fe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and rear parking sensors.

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 Volkswagen Taos is safer than the Hyundai Santa Fe:

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

As tested in Consumer Reports the Volkswagen Taos is faster than the Hyundai Santa Fe 4 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the Taos gets better mileage than the Santa Fe:

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volkswagen Taos higher (7 out of 10) than the Hyundai Santa Fe (5 to 7). This means the Taos produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Santa Fe every 15,000 miles.

The Taos stops shorter than the Santa Fe:

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 Santa Fe’s standard 60 series tires.

The Taos has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better maneuverability, the Taos’ turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the Santa Fe’s (35.1 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The Volkswagen Taos may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 650 pounds less than the Hyundai Santa Fe.

The Taos is 1 foot shorter than the Santa Fe, making the Taos easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Volkswagen Taos amounts to more than styling. The Taos has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .31 Cd. That is lower than the Santa Fe (.33) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Taos get better fuel mileage.

The front step up height for the Taos is 1 inches lower than the Santa Fe (16.5” vs. 17.5”). The Taos’ rear step up height is 1.6 inches lower than the Santa Fe’s (16.7” vs. 18.3”).

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 Santa Fe’s liftover is 29 inches.

The Taos’ front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Santa Fe’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

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

The Taos’ rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Santa Fe SE/XRT/SEL’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 Santa Fe doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Taos SE Black/SEL has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Taos SE Black/SEL also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Taos has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy.