Compare the2024 Volkswagen TaosVS 2023 Tesla Model Y

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 Model Y’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 Model Y 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 Model Y doesn’t offer Hill Descent Assist.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Taos’ standard Rear Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and automatically engage the brakes. The Model Y doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The Taos has standard Car-Net, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model Y doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Taos and the Model Y 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, 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, results indicate that the Volkswagen Taos is safer than the Tesla Model Y:

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

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. Tesla doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Model Y.

There are over 4 times as many Volkswagen dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Taos’ warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Volkswagen vehicles are better in initial quality than Tesla vehicles. With 8 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Volkswagen higher than Tesla.

The Taos has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Model Y; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Taos 4Motion has front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Taos 4Motion flat and controlled during cornering. The Model Y’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For better maneuverability, the Taos’ turning circle is 4.7 feet tighter than the Model Y’s (35.1 feet vs. 39.8 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Taos has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Model Y (7.6 vs. 6.6 inches), allowing the Taos to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Volkswagen Taos may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 950 to 1200 pounds less than the Tesla Model Y.

The Taos is 11.2 inches shorter than the Model Y, making the Taos easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Taos has .1 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom and 1.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Model Y.

The Taos has a much larger cargo volume than the Model Y with its rear seat up (27.9 vs. 16.9 cubic feet).

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the Taos to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes and vehicle inspections based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model Y.

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 Model Y doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Taos has a standard rear wiper. The Model Y doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

Consumer Reports rated the Taos’ headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Model Y’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

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 Model Y 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’ standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model Y doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side window, the Taos has a standard extendable sun visor. The Model Y doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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 Model Y doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

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