Volkswagen Taos vs Lexus TX

The 2023 Volkswagen Taos was designed to appeal to a broad audience, offering affordability and practicality while maximizing passenger comfort. Despite its small SUV classification, the Taos was nearly as roomy inside as the larger Tiguan model, making it one of the most spacious subcompact SUVs available. The Highline trim, with its bold 19-inch alloy wheels and Cornflower Blue paint, provided a stylish and sporty appearance. Inside, the Taos Highline featured light grey seat and dashboard accents, gloss black trim, metallic detailing, and leather seats, giving it a premium feel akin to a more affordable Audi.

In contrast, the 2024 Lexus TX was based on the Toyota Grand Highlander but distinguished itself as a luxury SUV. The TX's styling was more conservative than other Lexus models, appealing to those who preferred a toned-down design. The TX 350 Executive package included striking 22-inch wheels, enhancing its upscale appearance. Inside, the TX 350 offered premium semi-aniline leather upholstery and a Peppercorn interior, although the dark colour scheme felt somewhat oppressive. Despite this, the TX's interior was luxurious enough to bear the Lexus badge, with a comfortable ride and quiet highway experience.

The 2023 Volkswagen Taos was equipped with a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine, producing 158 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. The engine was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission for front-wheel drive models and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic for all-wheel drive versions. Despite its sporty appearance, the Taos Highline's performance was underwhelming, with unpredictable powertrain responses and a lack of power compared to competitors. The Taos averaged 8.8 litres per 100 kilometres during testing, slightly above the official rating. Its Germanic driving character, firm suspension, and excellent visibility made it nimble and easy to handle, though brake pedal feel was inconsistent.

The 2024 Lexus TX 350 featured a turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, delivering 275 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque. Lexus claimed it could accelerate to 100 km/h in about eight seconds, though it felt quicker due to its torque delivery. The TX 350's fuel economy was rated at 10.3 litres per 100 kilometres, but during testing, it averaged 13.8 L/100 km. The TX 350's suspension provided a comfortable ride with commendable body motion control and accurate steering. The brake pedal was soft but easy to modulate, ensuring smooth stops.

The 2023 Volkswagen Taos offered a spacious interior with different upholstery options across trims. The Highline trim featured real leather seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, and a panoramic sunroof. The Taos provided ample rear-seat room and comfort, with generous cargo space of 790 litres behind the back seat and 1,866 litres with the rear seat folded down. However, the lack of a sliding and height-adjustable centre armrest was a drawback.

The 2024 Lexus TX addressed previous shortcomings in Lexus's three-row SUVs. The TX 350 test unit featured premium semi-aniline leather and artificial suede upholstery, with heated and ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel. The second-row seat was less welcoming due to its flat lower cushion, but the third-row seat was habitable for adults. The TX offered 572 litres of cargo space behind the third-row seat, expanding to 2,746 litres with the second-row seats folded down. However, the split front centre armrest design was not practical.

The 2023 Volkswagen Taos came with standard digital instrumentation, with the Highline trim featuring a 10.25-inch display. The infotainment system varied by trim, with the Highline offering an 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an eight-speaker Beats Audio system. However, the user experience was marred by hidden virtual controls, a cumbersome radio tuning process, and ineffective voice recognition technology.

The 2024 Lexus TX featured a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel and a 14-inch touchscreen display. The Lexus Interface infotainment system was user-friendly, especially with a Drive Connect subscription, which added a cloud-based navigation system and a digital assistant with natural voice recognition. The TX also offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with a 21-speaker Mark Levinson premium audio system available in the Executive package.

The 2023 Volkswagen Taos improved its standard safety features, including Front Assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The Comfortline trim added Lane Assist, Travel Assist, and Emergency Assist. Travel Assist performed well, maintaining proper distance and speed on highways. However, crash-test ratings from NHTSA and IIHS were decent but not perfect.

The 2024 Lexus TX was equipped with Lexus Safety System+ 3.0, which included adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, and lane-keeping assist. Proactive Drive Assist was also available, though it was not entirely transparent in operation. The TX featured blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a safe exit assist system. The traffic jam assist system provided hands-free driving at low speeds on approved highways, though it lacked a higher-speed option.