Compare the2027 Volkswagen Taos VS 2026 Jeep Cherokee

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 Jeep Cherokee has not been tested.

The Taos has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Taos and the Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, 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, available all-wheel drive and rear parking sensors.

The Taos comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Cherokee’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Taos’ corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Cherokee’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Taos for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Jeep doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Cherokee.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Taos has a standard 640-amp battery. The Cherokee’s 550-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2026 Auto Issue reports that Volkswagen vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Volkswagen 8 places higher in reliability than Jeep.

As tested in Motor Trend the Volkswagen Taos is faster than the Jeep Cherokee:

	Taos	Cherokee
Zero to 60 MPH	8.9 sec	9.4 sec
Quarter Mile	16.7 sec	17.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	85.1 MPH	80.8 MPH

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volkswagen Taos higher (7 out of 10) than the Jeep Cherokee (6). This means the Taos produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Cherokee every 15,000 miles.

The Taos 4Motion®’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cherokee’s standard 65 series tires. The Taos 4Motion® SE Black/SEL’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Cherokee Overland’s 50 series tires.

The Taos’ front to rear weight distribution is more even (57% to 43%) than the Cherokee’s (58.6% to 41.4%). This gives the Taos more stable handling and braking.

The Taos SEL 4Motion® handles at .82 G’s, while the Cherokee Overland pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Taos SEL 4Motion® executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the Cherokee Overland (27.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.9 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Taos 4Motion®’s turning circle is 5.5 feet tighter than the Cherokee’s (34.8 feet vs. 40.3 feet). The Taos’ turning circle is 5.2 feet tighter than the Cherokee’s (35.1 feet vs. 40.3 feet).

The Volkswagen Taos may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 850 to 1100 pounds less than the Jeep Cherokee.

The Taos is 1 foot shorter than the Cherokee, making the Taos easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Volkswagen Taos amounts to more than styling. The Taos has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .31 Cd. That is lower than the Cherokee (.335) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Taos get better fuel mileage.

The Taos has .5 inches more front headroom and 1.6 inches more front legroom than the Cherokee.

The front step up height for the Taos is 2 inches lower than the Cherokee (16.5” vs. 18.5”). The Taos’ rear step up height is 2.3 inches lower than the Cherokee’s (16.7” vs. 19”).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Taos easier. The Taos’ cargo hatch lift-over height is 27 inches, while the Cherokee’s liftover is 31.2 inches.

The Taos’ front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Cherokee’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

On a hot day the Taos’ driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Cherokee can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Taos 4Motion to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Cherokee doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Cherokee’s available 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 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 is only available on the Cherokee Limited/Overland.

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