Compare the2024 Volkswagen TaosVS 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross

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 Corolla Cross’ side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Taos has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. Only the Corolla Cross LE/XLE offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Taos has standard Rear Traffic Alert and automatically engage the brakes. Only the Corolla Cross LE/XLE offers Rear Cross-Traffic Alert.

Both the Taos and the Corolla Cross 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, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure 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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Volkswagen Taos is safer than the Toyota Corolla Cross:

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

The Taos comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Corolla Cross’ 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 Corolla Cross’ (7 vs. 5 years).

The Taos’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 33 lbs.-ft. more torque (184 vs. 151) than the Corolla Cross’ 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Volkswagen Taos is faster than the Toyota Corolla Cross:

The Taos AWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Corolla Cross AWD’s standard fuel tank (14.5 vs. 13.2 gallons).

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

The Taos stops shorter than the Corolla Cross:

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 Corolla Cross’ standard 65 series tires. The Taos 4Motion’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Corolla Cross XLE’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Taos 4Motion offers optional 19-inch wheels. The Corolla Cross’ largest wheels are only 18-inches.

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Taos’ wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer than on the Corolla Cross (105.5 inches vs. 103.9 inches).

The Taos SEL 4Motion handles at .85 G’s, while the Corolla Cross XLE AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Taos has 4.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Corolla Cross (99.5 vs. 94.9).

The Taos has 2.1 inches more front headroom, 3.8 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear headroom, 5.9 inches more rear legroom and 2.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Corolla Cross.

The Taos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Corolla Cross (27.9 vs. 26.5 cubic feet).

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 Corolla Cross L’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent. The Corolla Cross LE/XLE’s 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 Corolla Cross doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

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

The Taos has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. When the ignition turns off, the headlights turn off after a delay timed to allow you to securely get to your front door. The Corolla Cross has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the LE/XLE.

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 Corolla Cross doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Taos’ standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Corolla Cross doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Taos SEL’s standard GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Corolla Cross’ available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.