Ford Explorer vs Volkswagen Taos: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Volkswagen Taos burns about $2,000 of fuel annually against $2,200 for the Ford Explorer. That $200 yearly gap compounds to roughly $1,000 over five years and $1,600 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Volkswagen Taos leads in both cycles — 28 mpg city and 36 mpg highway against 27 and 29 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Ford Explorer is recorded with 4 distinct engine configurations (SIDI, SIDI & PFI, SIDI & PFI; FFV), the Volkswagen Taos with 1 (SIDI). Across 102 recorded Ford Explorer configurations and 12 for the Volkswagen Taos, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Ford Explorer is offered with Part-time 4-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive, the Volkswagen Taos with Front-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD and Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Volkswagen Taos emits 286 g/mile of CO2 versus 322 g/mile for the Ford Explorer. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.