Compare the2024 Toyota Rav4VS 2024 Volkswagen Taos

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload and Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Rav4 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Volkswagen Taos doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Toyota Rav4 has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Taos doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Rav4 Limited/TRD Off-Road offers an optional Bird’s Eye View Camera 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.

The Rav4’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Taos doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Rav4 and the Taos have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, 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 Toyota Rav4 is safer than the Volkswagen Taos:

	Rav4	Taos
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	152	285
Neck Injury Risk	29.3%	32%
Neck Stress	306 lbs.	413 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	37.4%	45%
Neck Compression	95 lbs.	207 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	340/190 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 Toyota Rav4 is safer than the Volkswagen Taos:

	Rav4	Taos
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	83	111
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.6 inches
Hip Force	246 lbs.	394 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	146	393
Spine Acceleration	49 G’s	69 G’s
Hip Force	508 lbs.	673 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	299	338
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	46 G’s
Hip Force	835 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 Rav4 is safer than the Taos:

	Rav4	Taos
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Restraint Design	GOOD	GOOD
Distance from Back of Head	18 mm	38 mm
Dynamic Test Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Seat Design	Pass	Fail
Torso Acceleration	12.2 g’s	13.3 g’s
Neck Force Rating	Low	Low
Max Neck Shearing Force	0	0
Max Neck Tension	231	334

(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Rav4 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 71 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Taos is not a “Top Safety Pick.”

Warranty

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Rav4 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.

The Rav4’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Taos’ (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are almost 2 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Rav4’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Rav4’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Taos’ camshafts. If the Taos’ belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

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 Rav4’s reliability 62 points higher than the Taos.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. With 55 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Toyota higher than Volkswagen.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Volkswagen is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Volkswagen is ranked 23rd.

Engine

The Rav4’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 45 more horsepower (203 vs. 158) than the Taos’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Toyota Rav4 is faster than the Volkswagen Taos:

	Rav4	Taos
Zero to 30 MPH	3.1 sec	3.7 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	8.3 sec	9.4 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.5 sec	5.9 sec
Quarter Mile	16.5 sec	17.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	88 MPH	84 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Rav4 gets better mileage than the Taos:

			MPG
Rav4
	AWD	LE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/34 hwy
		XLE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/33 hwy
		Adventure/Limited 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/33 hwy
		TRD Off-Road 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/32 hwy
Taos
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/32 hwy

The Rav4 has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Taos FWD’s standard fuel tank (14.5 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

The Rav4 stops much shorter than the Taos:

	Rav4	Taos
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	185 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Rav4 has larger standard tires than the Taos (225/65R17 vs. 215/50R18). The Rav4 XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Taos (235/55R19 vs. 225/45R19).

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Toyota Rav4 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.

The Rav4 has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Rav4 flat and controlled during cornering. The Taos 4x2 suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Rav4 is .9 inches wider in the front and 2.8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Taos.

The Rav4 Adventure handles at .84 G’s, while the Taos SEL pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Rav4 TRD Off-Road executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Taos SEL (27.1 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Rav4 LE/XLE has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Taos (8.4 vs. 7.6 inches), allowing the Rav4 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Rav4 XLE Premium/Limited/Adventure/TRD Off-Road’s minimum ground clearance is 1 inch higher than on the Taos (8.6 vs. 7.6 inches).

Chassis

The front grille of the Rav4 Adventure/Limited/TRD Off-Road uses 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.

Passenger Space

The Rav4 has .9 inches more front legroom, 1.3 inches more front shoulder room and 1.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Taos.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Rav4’s rear seats recline. The Taos’ rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Rav4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Taos with its rear seat up (37.6 vs. 27.9 cubic feet). The Rav4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Taos with its rear seat folded (69.8 vs. 65.9 cubic feet).

The Rav4’s cargo area is larger than the Taos’ in almost every dimension:

	Rav4	Taos
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	40”/73.4”	34.3”/65.2”
Max Width	59”	48.5”
Min Width	39.4”	40”
Height	36.6”	37”

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Rav4. The Taos doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Rav4 (except LE) offers an optional power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button or, optionally on the Rav4 Limited, by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Taos doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Payload and Towing

The Rav4 has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The Taos has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Rav4 uses the Vehicle Stability Control 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.

The Rav4 has a higher standard payload capacity than the Taos (1120 vs. 948 lbs.).

The Rav4 has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Taos (1240 vs. 948 lbs.).

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Rav4 Limited, the memory seats make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The Taos doesn’t offer memory seats.

If the windows are left open on the Rav4 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Taos can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Rav4 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.

Both the Rav4 and the Taos offer available heated front seats. The Rav4 Limited 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 Rav4 and the Taos offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Rav4 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 Rav4 Adventure/TRD Off-Road has a 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, 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.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Rav4, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Volkswagen Taos isn't recommended.

The Toyota Rav4 outsold the Volkswagen Taos by almost seven to one during 2022.

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