Compare the2025 Kia NiroVS 2025 Volkswagen Taos

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Kia Niro have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Volkswagen Taos doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Niro are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Taos doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Kia Niro 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 Niro’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 Niro 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available front 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 Kia Niro is safer than the Volkswagen Taos:

	Niro	Taos
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	241	285
Neck Injury Risk	29%	32%
Neck Stress	201 lbs.	413 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	29.1%	45%
Neck Stress	107 lbs.	135 lbs.
Neck Compression	120 lbs.	207 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	601/129 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 Kia Niro is safer than the Volkswagen Taos:

	Niro	Taos
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	392	393
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	46 G’s
Hip Force	692 lbs.	939 lbs.

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Niro is 2.9% to 5.6% less likely to roll over than the Taos.

Warranty

The Niro comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Taos’ 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Niro 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Taos. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Taos ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 25 percent more Kia dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Niro’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Niro’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 Niro’s reliability 21 points higher than the Taos.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 78 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 30th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in long-term dependability. With 3 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’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 9 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Engine

The Niro’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 11 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 184) than the Taos’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Niro
	FWD	1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	53 city/54 hwy
		Touring 1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	53 city/45 hwy
Taos
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	28 city/36 hwy
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/33 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Niro’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Taos doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Transmission

The Niro offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Taos doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

The Niro stops shorter than the Taos:

	Niro	Taos
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Niro’s wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer than on the Taos (107.1 inches vs. 105.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Niro is .3 inches wider in the front and 1.9 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Taos.

The Niro SX handles at .84 G’s, while the Taos SEL 4Motion® pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Chassis

The design of the Kia Niro amounts to more than styling. The Niro has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .29 Cd. That is lower than the Taos (.31) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Niro get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the Niro 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 Niro has 5.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Taos (105.1 vs. 99.5).

The Niro has 1.4 inches more front legroom, 1.9 inches more rear legroom, 7.6 inches more rear hip room and .2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Taos.

Cargo Capacity

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Niro SX’s power liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Niro’s power liftgate can also be opened or closed by pressing a button. The Taos doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Servicing Ease

The Niro uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Taos uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Niro SX, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Taos doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Niro SX’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Taos doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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

The Niro’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Volkswagen charges extra for heated mirrors on the Taos.

When the Niro SX is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Taos’ mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Kia Niro and Volkswagen Taos offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The Niro offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Taos’ foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

The Niro has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Taos SE/SEL.

Both the Niro and the Taos offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Niro EX/SX 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.

Compared to the Volkswagen Taos, the Kia Niro eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

Compared to traditional radio, the Kia Niro’s standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks. Satellite radio is only offered on the Taos SE/SEL.

Recommendations

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

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