r/VWTaos

Folks, I finally switched from a Jetta to a ‘27 Taos SE 4Motion. My main reason for switching was higher clearance, 4Motion and a taller trunk (although I had serious reservations about not having a secure trunk).

I got the car last Thursday and had a trip planned up to Yosemite/Eastern Sierra area the next day. I took it on a few dirt roads that were mostly maintained. Some small ruts that I would say my Jetta could have handled if positioned correctly. My biggest concern was the rocks and my tires. I have the stock tires 215/55R18, and I was curious what people’s experiences with “offroading” with the Taos were.

Before I get roasted, I know this is not a vehicle for serious overlanding. I needed a car that can handle my daily highway commute, city driving (LA) while also giving me a little more access to places my Jetta couldn’t. I’m a commercial outdoors photographer and being able to go a little further into the brush is a big plus. That being said I want to be smart about how much I push it when I’m not on pavement. I only have a spare not a full spare. So popping a tire on some volcanic rock doesn’t sound great.

I felt like I was playing it pretty safe by keeping my speed around 10mph on roads that also had rocks. If anyone in CA has experience with driving to Fossil Falls campground, Parker Lake Trail (by June), Mono Lake Navy Parking, Panum Crater and the first 2 miles of Log Cabin Mine Rd that’s the kind of terrain I got into so far. I want to be smart and safe but also know what my vehicle is capable of so I can make informed decisions before turning down a road - or at least know when I should turn around

TLDR: what can the stock Taos wheels handle rock wise. What’s your comfort level for what the Taos can handle with dirt/rocky/mountain roads?

Appreciated y’all!

Hey all! I just got a 2024 Volkswagen Taos SE AWD with 45k miles. I want to make sure the vehicle is well maintained so it can reach 150k or even 200k+ mileage in the next couple of years. Unsure if 200k is even possible.

What would you say are the recommended maintenance services I should do with the vehicle? Volkswagen recommends changing the oil every 10,000 miles but reading online some people are saying do it less. Anything else you all would recommend to preserve its life? Thank you all in advance! :)

Hi, I got my 2025 Taos last year. Within the first few months I noticed that car vibrates at certain constant speeds. The issue is only there when in NORMAL mode. Whenever I switch to SPORTS mode it’s all fine. I analyzed that sports mode keeps it on high rpm. I got it checked from the dealership but they discarded it as An issue and said it’s just how the engine is. It is so irritating that I can’t drive on NORMAL mode at all, and always have to switch to sports mode. I am sure it’s something wrong with the engine. Does it happen to anyone else ? There is no way that’s how the engine is for this model and everyone is driving with such vibration.