Published by Chad Krifa - Oklahoma City Volkswagen | September 3, 2026
There's a moment on the on-ramp from May Avenue onto the Kilpatrick where a small SUV either shrugs and settles into traffic or asks you to plan ahead. That single merge tells you most of what you need to know about the two cars in this comparison. The Volkswagen Taos and the Subaru Crosstrek are the small crossovers OKC shoppers cross-shop most, and on paper they look like siblings. On the road, they're two very different ideas of what a small SUV should feel like.
Two Philosophies, One Segment
The Crosstrek is essentially a lifted Impreza — a hatchback on stilts with standard symmetrical AWD and a boxer four. Its personality is trail-first: high ground clearance, X-Mode, roof rails ready for a kayak before you've signed the paperwork. It's the car that assumes you're driving to Roman Nose State Park this weekend.
The Taos comes at the small crossover from the other direction. It's built on VW's MQB platform — the same architectural family that underpins the GTI — and it drives like it knows that. The turbocharged 1.5L, the available 4Motion AWD with a rear multi-link setup, the steering weight: it's a small SUV designed by people who care whether the Kilpatrick sweep feels good. If you're weighing both, our Taos vs. Kona comparison is a useful companion read for the third car most shoppers add to this list.
Powertrain and the Way They Actually Drive
The Taos runs a turbocharged 1.5L four making 174 horsepower, paired with an eight-speed automatic on AWD models. The Crosstrek's base 2.0L boxer makes 152 horsepower; a 2.5L option bumps that to 182. On paper the top Crosstrek nudges ahead, but horsepower peaks don't tell the story here. Torque does.
The Taos's turbo builds torque low and holds it flat — the sensation is that the car is already moving before you've committed to the throttle. Merging from Lake Hefner Parkway onto the Kilpatrick, that matters. The Crosstrek's boxer, especially with the CVT, is happiest at a relaxed pace. It's not slow, but it's not eager. Drivers will notice.
The Taos's 4Motion AWD uses an on-demand coupling that sends torque rearward when it detects slip — quick, efficient, and it stays out of your way on dry pavement. Curious how VW's AWD hardware is maintained over time? Our writeup on Haldex AWD fluid service is worth a scroll.
The Crosstrek's symmetrical AWD is always on, always splitting power front-to-rear through the drivetrain. It's a different engineering philosophy: less efficient on the highway, more surefooted the moment the pavement runs out. Neither is wrong. It depends on what your weekend looks like.
Interior, Cargo, and the Dog-in-the-Back Test
Both cars punch above their footprint for cargo. The Taos delivers roughly 28 cubic feet behind the second row in AWD trim and stretches out with the seats folded. The Crosstrek is close, and its taller roofline is friendlier for tall boxes and crated dogs. If you're routinely hauling a golden retriever plus a Costco run from the Memorial Road store, both work — the Taos rewards you with a quieter cabin, the Crosstrek with easier vertical loading.
Inside, the Taos feels closer to a segment above. The Digital Cockpit display, the available ambient lighting, the door materials — it's clearly engineered by a company that also builds Audis. The Crosstrek's cabin is more utilitarian, more rugged-feeling, more forgiving of muddy hiking boots. Some buyers want the first thing. Some want the second. Be honest with yourself about which.
Front Seats and the Long Haul
The Taos's front seats hold you better on a long drive. Take either car from OKC to Dallas and you'll feel it around Ardmore. The Crosstrek's seats are flatter, easier in-and-out, less locked-in. On the Wichitas run, the Taos is more relaxing at 80. The Crosstrek is more relaxing once you leave the pavement.
Safety, Tech, and the Small Things
Both cars come well-equipped with driver-assist tech. Subaru's EyeSight suite is well-regarded and standard across the Crosstrek lineup. Volkswagen's IQ.DRIVE bundles adaptive cruise, lane centering, and blind spot monitoring, and it's available across the Taos range. Adaptive cruise in either car makes the I-40 slog toward Elk City noticeably less tiring.
One nerdy detail most comparisons skip: the Taos offers a genuine multi-link rear suspension on AWD trims (front-drive Taos models use a torsion beam). That's why the AWD Taos feels tauter on a curved on-ramp than its price suggests. It's the kind of engineering decision that shows up on the road, not the brochure.
Fuel, Charging, and Ownership Math
Both are efficient small SUVs, and both drink regular unleaded. EPA figures put them in the same general neighborhood, with the Taos generally ahead on the highway and the Crosstrek competitive around town. The EPA's fueleconomy.gov is the right place to run current side-by-side numbers before you shop.
On maintenance, both are straightforward. Volkswagen's service intervals are longer than they used to be, and routine work like an oil change or tire rotation is quick to schedule. Small crossovers don't punish you the way bigger SUVs do at the pump or in the service bay.
Who Should Buy Which
Buy the Crosstrek if your weekends genuinely involve gravel roads, trailheads, and kayaks — if the ground clearance is a feature you'll use, not a feature you'll admire in the driveway. Buy the Taos if you drive a lot of pavement, care about how a car feels through a corner, want a quieter cabin on the Dallas run, and appreciate a turbo that responds when you ask it to.
Most OKC shoppers, honestly, are Taos buyers who briefly considered a Crosstrek because it looks the part. That's fair. But the Taos is the one built for the drive, not the spec sheet — and the way to know for sure is to put your hands on the wheel. Take a look at the current Taos inventory and pick two trims to compare in person.
Schedule a real test drive at Volkswagen of OKC — bring a route you actually drive, whether that's the Kilpatrick sweep or the run up to Edmond, and we'll hand you the keys to a Taos with no spec-sheet lecture.
