Compare the2024 Volkswagen TaosVS 2022 Nissan Rogue Sport

Safety
Warranty
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics

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 Rogue Sport’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 Rogue Sport 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.

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

Both the Taos and the Rogue Sport 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 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Volkswagen Taos is safer than the Nissan Rogue Sport:

	Taos	Rogue Sport
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	285	399
Neck Injury Risk	32%	33.7%
Neck Compression	28 lbs.	106 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	103/74 lbs.	266/278 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 Volkswagen Taos is safer than the Nissan Rogue Sport:

	Taos	Rogue Sport
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	115 lbs.	156 lbs.
Hip Force	394 lbs.	408 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches

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

Warranty

The Taos comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Rogue Sport’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Taos’ corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Rogue Sport’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, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Rogue Sport.

Engine

The Taos’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 17 more horsepower (158 vs. 141) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (184 vs. 147) than the Rogue Sport’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Volkswagen Taos is faster than the Nissan Rogue Sport:

	Taos	Rogue Sport
Zero to 60 MPH	8.5 sec	9.8 sec
Quarter Mile	16.5 sec	17.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	83.9 MPH	80.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Taos gets better mileage than the Rogue Sport:

			MPG
Taos
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	28 city/36 hwy
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/32 hwy
Rogue Sport
	FWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/32 hwy
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	24 city/30 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Taos’ engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Rogue Sport doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

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 Nissan Rogue Sport (5). This means the Taos produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Rogue Sport every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Taos	Rogue Sport
Front Rotors	12.3 inches	11.65 inches

The Taos stops shorter than the Rogue Sport:

	Taos	Rogue Sport
60 to 0 MPH	129 feet	137 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	139 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 Rogue Sport S/SV’s standard 60 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Taos has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Rogue Sport’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Taos’ wheelbase is 1.3 inches longer than on the Rogue Sport (105.5 inches vs. 104.2 inches).

The Taos SEL handles at .80 G’s, while the Rogue Sport SL 4x4 pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Taos SEL executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Rogue Sport SL 4x4 (28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s vs. 29.6 seconds @ .53 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Taos’ turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the Rogue Sport’s (35.1 feet vs. 36.9 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Taos has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Rogue Sport (7.6 vs. 7.4 inches), allowing the Taos to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

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 lower than the Rogue Sport (.33) 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 3.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Rogue Sport (99.5 vs. 96).

The Taos has 1.1 inches more front headroom, 1.5 inches more rear headroom and 4.5 inches more rear legroom than the Rogue Sport.

The front step up height for the Taos is .6 inches lower than the Rogue Sport (16.5” vs. 17.1”). The Taos’ rear step up height is 1.1 inches lower than the Rogue Sport’s (16.7” vs. 17.8”).

Cargo Capacity

The Taos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Rogue Sport with its rear seat up (27.9 vs. 22.9 cubic feet). The Taos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Rogue Sport with its rear seat folded (65.9 vs. 61.1 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 Rogue Sport’s liftover is 30.2 inches.

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

	Taos	Rogue Sport
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	34.3”/65.2”	33.3”/62.3”
Max Width	48.5”	54.2”
Min Width	40”	43.5”
Height	37”	33.3”

Ergonomics

The Taos’ power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Rogue Sport’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the Taos and the Rogue Sport have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Taos is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Rogue Sport prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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 Rogue Sport’s 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 Rogue Sport can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Taos’ driver 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 Rogue Sport’s power window (except driver window) switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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 Rogue Sport’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

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 Rogue Sport doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Taos’ LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Rogue Sport’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

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 Rogue Sport 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.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Taos SEL AWD keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Rogue Sport doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

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 Rogue Sport SV/SL.

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 Rogue Sport doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.