Subaru Forester vs Volkswagen Taos: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Subaru Forester burns about $1,750 of fuel annually against $2,000 for the Volkswagen Taos. That $250 yearly gap compounds to roughly $1,250 over five years and $2,000 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 versus highway split: the Subaru Forester is the stronger commuter at 35 mpg city, while the Volkswagen Taos pulls ahead on the interstate at 36 mpg highway. If most of your driving is stop-and-go traffic the city figure is the one to weigh; for long-distance highway mileage the reverse is true, and the two vehicles effectively swap places depending on how you drive.

Powertrain choice: the Subaru Forester is recorded with 3 distinct engine configurations (SIDI, SIDI; Hybrid, 2.5), the Volkswagen Taos with 1 (SIDI). Across 29 recorded Subaru Forester 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 Subaru Forester is offered with All-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 Small 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 Subaru Forester emits 255 g/mile of CO2 versus 286 g/mile for the Volkswagen Taos. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.