Compare the2026 Volkswagen TaosVS 2026 BMW X1

Safety
Warranty
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volkswagen Taos have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW X1 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Volkswagen Taos are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X1 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Taos deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Taos’ side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The X1’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Volkswagen Taos achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The BMW X1 has not been tested.

Both the Taos and the X1 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive 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 Volkswagen Taos is safer than the BMW X1:

	Taos	X1
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	32%	35.1%
Neck Compression	28 lbs.	77 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	103/74 lbs.	363/373 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 Volkswagen Taos is safer than the BMW X1:

	Taos	X1
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	115 lbs.	142 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	673 lbs.	676 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches

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

Warranty

There are over 80 percent more Volkswagen dealers than there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Taos’ warranty.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Taos gets better mileage than the X1:

			MPG
Taos
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	28 city/36 hwy
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/33 hwy
X1
	AWD	M35i 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/32 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Taos uses regular unleaded gasoline. The X1 M35i xDrive requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volkswagen Taos higher (7 out of 10) than the BMW X1 (5 to 7). This means the Taos produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X1 every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Volkswagen Taos, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the X1.

Brakes and Stopping

The Taos stops shorter than the X1:

	Taos	X1
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	136 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Taos 4Motion®’s turning circle is 3.6 feet tighter than the X1’s (34.8 feet vs. 38.4 feet). The Taos’ turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the X1’s (35.1 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

Chassis

The Volkswagen Taos may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 550 pounds less than the BMW X1.

Passenger Space

The Taos has .4 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear headroom, .9 inches more rear legroom and .1 inches more rear shoulder room than the X1.

Cargo Capacity

The Taos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the X1 with its rear seat up (27.9 vs. 25.7 cubic feet). The Taos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the X1 with its rear seat folded (65.9 vs. 57.2 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

The X1’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Taos SE/SEL’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

The Taos’ standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The X1 doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side window, the Taos has a standard extendable sun visor. The X1 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Taos SEL keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The X1 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Taos has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the X1.

Model Availability

The Taos is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The X1 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

According to iSeeCars.com the 2025 Volkswagen Taos retains 51.91% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 49.64% resale value of the 2025 BMW X1 after five years, which can save the Volkswagen’s owner up to $9534.53469 in depreciation.

Recommendations

The Volkswagen Taos outsold the BMW X1 by almost three to one during 2024.

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