2022 Volkswagen Taos vs 2022 Buick Enclave

The 2022 Volkswagen Taos was positioned as a compact SUV, bridging the gap between subcompact and compact crossovers. It came in three trims: S, SE, and SEL, with prices ranging from $22,995 to $33,045. The Taos offered a choice between front-wheel drive and 4Motion all-wheel drive, with the latter featuring a dual-clutch automated manual transmission and an independent multilink rear suspension. The exterior styling was consistent with Volkswagen's lineup, featuring 19-inch machined-finish aluminum wheels and Cornflower Blue paint. Inside, the Taos had a mix of hard plastics and soft surfaces, with the SEL trim offering two-tone perforated leather and contrast stitching.

The 2022 Buick Enclave, on the other hand, had undergone a significant transformation over the years, moving from a sedan-heavy lineup to an all-SUV portfolio. The Enclave, a three-row crossover, received a mid-cycle refresh for 2022, including new grille, front and rear fascias, headlamps, taillamps, and wheel designs. The Avenir trim level featured unique styling elements and 20-inch wheels. Inside, the Enclave boasted a restyled center console, upgraded materials, and available heated, cooled, and massaging front seats. The Avenir trim also included heated second-row captain's chairs and unique trim and seat stitching.

The 2022 Volkswagen Taos was powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 158 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. The engine's robust torque made the Taos feel powerful, but the turbocharger's delayed response and the dual-clutch transmission's erratic shifting could be frustrating. The standard eight-speed automatic transmission offered smoother performance but was only available with front-wheel drive. The Taos SEL 4Motion in Sport mode provided a more engaging driving experience, with responsive steering, effective brakes, and commendable grip. However, its 6.6-inch ground clearance limited its off-road capabilities. The Taos SEL 4Motion achieved an EPA-estimated 28 mpg in combined driving, with our testing averaging 27.1 mpg.

The 2022 Buick Enclave featured a 3.6-liter V6 engine with direct injection, producing 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. Paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, the Enclave offered front-wheel drive as standard, with all-wheel drive available on all trims. The Enclave's maximum towing capacity was 5,000 pounds. The Enclave's ride quality was exceptional, thanks to the optional Avenir Technology package, which included a premium ride suspension and continuously variable real-time chassis damping. The Enclave handled various terrains with ease, providing a quiet and smooth ride. The V6 engine delivered surprisingly good acceleration for a vehicle of its size, and the nine-speed automatic transmission performed flawlessly.

The 2022 Volkswagen Taos offered a spacious cabin, with deeply bolstered front seats providing ample seat-track travel and height adjustment. The SEL 4Motion trim included heated and ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel. The rear seat was equally spacious, with generous legroom and rear air conditioning vents. Cargo space varied depending on the drive system, with front-wheel-drive models offering 27.9 cubic feet behind the back seat and 65.9 cubic feet with the back seat folded down. The 4Motion models had slightly less cargo space, with 24.9 cubic feet behind the back seat and 60.2 cubic feet with the back seat folded down.

The 2022 Buick Enclave provided easy ingress and egress, with excellent visibility and comfortable seating. All Enclaves came standard with an eight-way power driver seat and six-way power front passenger seat, both heated and with power lumbar control. Premium and Avenir trims added four-way power lumbar with massage and heated second-row seats. The Enclave's cabin was spacious, with ample headroom, legroom, hip room, and shoulder room for passengers in all three rows. Cargo space was generous, with 23.6 cubic feet behind the third row, 57.7 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 97.4 cubic feet with both rows folded. The power-folding third-row seats made accessing the cargo space even easier.

The 2022 Volkswagen Taos came equipped with Digital Cockpit instrumentation and a standard 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system on the S trim. The SE and SEL trims featured an 8-inch touchscreen with more advanced MIB3 software. All Taos trims included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Car-Net connected services. The SE trim added wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, voice control, and wireless smartphone charging. The SEL trim included a navigation system and an eight-speaker BeatsAudio premium sound system. However, the voice-recognition technology and user experience of the MIB3 system were not as seamless as expected.

The 2022 Buick Enclave featured a standard 4.2-inch driver information center, with Premium and Avenir trims getting a larger 8-inch reconfigurable version. The Essence trim included an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as wireless phone charging. Premium and Avenir trims added navigation. The Enclave's infotainment system could pair up to 10 devices, with a built-in WiFi hotspot handling up to four devices. The Premium and Avenir trims featured a 10-speaker Bose audio system, which provided superior sound quality. The Enclave also included a three-month trial subscription to SiriusXM 360L and six USB ports throughout the cabin.

The 2022 Volkswagen Taos democratized its IQ Drive safety technologies, making them standard or available for all trim levels. The IQ Drive package included forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assistance. Travel Assist and Emergency Assist were also part of the package, with the latter responding to an inactive driver by slowing the Taos and bringing it to a safe stop. The Taos SEL included all these features as standard, along with rain-sensing wipers, road sign recognition, and rear parking sensors with automatic braking. However, the reverse automatic braking system could be overly sensitive in certain situations.

The 2022 Buick Enclave made significant updates to its driver-assist and safety tech, with the Buick Driver Confidence Plus package now standard on all trims. This package included automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, lane-change alert with blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, lane-keeping assistance with lane-departure warning, rear park assist, following-distance indicator, and automatic high-beam headlights. Additional standard safety features included a Safety Alert driver's seat, rear-seat reminder system, and HD reversing camera. Premium trim added enhanced automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, surround-view camera, head-up display, and rear pedestrian alert. The Enclave received a four-star rating for rollover resistance from the NHTSA and "Good" ratings in most IIHS crash tests.