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Subcompact crossovers such as the 2024 Volkswagen Taos make for excellent first vehicles. The Taos gets some tech updates across the range for 2024 and a new SE Black trim. It continues to offer a spacious interior, great build quality, and excellent refinement. So, let’s see how it matches up against the 2024 Buick Encore GX, another segment contender with luxury aspirations.
If you’re struggling to choose, this Volkswagen versus Buick comparison will be useful. We’ve decided to compare each vehicle in terms of interior specifications, safety suites, and performance capabilities. Then, we’ll help you see which one comes out on top. You should call the Volkswagen of South Mississippi team in D’lberville, MS. We’ll tell you all about the 2024 Taos range.
The 2024 Taos is known for its interior space of 99.5 cubic feet, which ensures that five adults can easily travel. It makes the Taos feel more luxurious, particularly when equipped with a panoramic sunroof. You’ll also find soft-touch surfaces and two-tone upholstery choices. Higher trims can be fitted with Volkswagen’s Cloud Tex seat material or leather seat upholstery. Meanwhile, the 2024 Buick Encore GX has 92 cubic feet of space, making it less roomy inside. It doesn’t have as many soft-touch surfaces and premium materials, either.
Every 2024 Taos comes with a Volkswagen Digital Cockpit. This encompasses an 8-inch digital gauge cluster for lower trims and a 10.25-inch unit for higher trims. Digital Cockpit offers customizable views and widgets. Vehicles with on-board navigation can also display a full-screen map in the cluster. The 2024 Encore GX only offers an 8-inch digital gauge cluster. It doesn’t offer the advanced customization features of Digital Cockpit.
Both subcompact crossovers can be equipped with dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. They also come with power-adjustable driver seats for most trims. Higher trims of the 2024 Taos add heated external rear-view mirrors and ventilated front seats, too. Apple Car Play® and Android Auto™ are standard for both models. Volkswagen offers an 8-speaker Beats Audio® premium sound system with a subwoofer and 12-channel amplifier.Awireless phone charger is also available.
The 2024 Taos can carry nearly 28 cubic feet of cargo in front-wheel drive form. All-wheel drive variants have a 25 cubic foot trunk. Split-folding rear seatbacks are standard and can provide up to 66 cubic feet in front-wheel drive variants. The 2024 Encore GX has 24 cubic feet of cargo space. It can carry 50 cubic feet of luggage when its rear seats are folded.
Volkswagen equips the 2024 Taos with a 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, which runs on the Miller combustion cycle to enhance fuel efficiency. It is tuned for 158 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque to improve reliability and longevity. It is paired with an 8-speed automatic gearbox for front-wheel drive variants.
Buyers can opt for Volkswagen’s 4MOTION all-wheel drive system. Here, the gearbox changes to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic unit. All-wheel drive variants also get multi-link rear suspension, while front-wheel drive variants use a rear torsion beam setup. All-wheel drive variants get a drive mode selector with Normal, Sport, and Individual settings. The 4MOTION system also comes with a selection of modes, such as Onroad, Snow, Offroad, and Custom Offroad.
The 2024 Encore GX offers two 3-cylinder turbocharged engines. There’s a 1.2-liter unit with 137 horsepower and a 1.3-liter unit with 155 horsepower. Buyers can choose front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Front-wheel drive variants use a continuously variable automatic transmission gearbox. All-wheel drive variants get a 9-speed automatic transmission. The 2024 Encore GX doesn’t offer any off-road modes.
Volkswagen’s IQ.DRIVE suite is included for every 2024 Taos. It comes with automatic emergency braking, post-collision braking, and an active blind-spot monitor. Then, you’ve got rear traffic alert, lane assist, and emergency assist. An adaptive cruise control system with stop-go is also included. Higher trims get Volkswagen’s Travel Assist, which is a semi-autonomous, hands-on driving mode. Higher trims get park distance control with maneuver braking. This system applies the brakes if it detects an obstacle while parking. The 2024 Buick Encore GX doesn’t come with some of these useful safety features.
The 2024 Volkswagen Taos scores a firm win over the 2024 Buick Encore GX in our subcompact crossover shootout. Its spacious interior and fantastic safety features represent an incredible value proposition. You’ve got a smooth 4-cylinder engine under the hood and the option of 4MATIC with off-road mode if you prefer. Why not test-drive the 2024 Taos today?
Visit Volkswagen of South Mississippi in D’lberville, MS, and get behind the wheel.
