Compare the2026 Jeep CherokeeVS 2025 Volkswagen Taos

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Cherokee are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Taos doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Jeep Cherokee has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Taos doesn’t offer knee airbags.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Cherokee. But it costs extra on the Taos.

The Cherokee Overland offers an optional 360-degree camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Taos only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The Cherokee’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Taos doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Cherokee and the Taos have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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 and rear cross-path warning.

The Jeep Cherokee weighs 854 to 1094 pounds more than the Volkswagen Taos. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Jeep’s powertrain warranty covers the Cherokee 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Taos. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Taos ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Cherokee’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Taos’ (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are almost 4 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Cherokee’s warranty.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Cherokee’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Taos’ camshafts. If the Taos’ belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Jeep above average in initial quality. With 39 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen With 10 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Jeep higher than Volkswagen.

The Cherokee’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 36 more horsepower (210 vs. 174) and 46 lbs.-ft. more torque (230 vs. 184) than the Taos’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

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

			MPG
Cherokee
	AWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	42 city/33 hwy
Taos
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	28 city/36 hwy
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/33 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Cherokee’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Taos doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Cherokee has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Taos doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the Cherokee’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Taos:

	Cherokee	Taos
Front Rotors	13 inches	12.3 inches
Rear Rotors	12.6 inches	10.7 inches

For better traction, the Cherokee has larger standard tires than the Taos (225/65R17 vs. 215/50R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Cherokee Overland has standard 20-inch wheels. The Taos’ largest wheels are only 19-inches.

The Cherokee has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Taos doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For superior ride and handling, the Jeep Cherokee has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Taos 4x2 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Cherokee’s wheelbase is 7.5 inches longer than on the Taos (113 inches vs. 105.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Cherokee is 2.4 inches wider in the front and 3.6 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Taos.

For greater off-road capability the Cherokee has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Taos (8 vs. 7.6 inches), allowing the Cherokee to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the Cherokee uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Taos doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Cherokee uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Taos doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Cherokee has 7.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Taos (107.4 vs. 99.5).

The Cherokee has 1.2 inches more front hip room and 1.1 inches more front shoulder room than the Taos.

The Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Taos with its rear seat up (33.6 vs. 27.9 cubic feet). The Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Taos with its rear seat folded (68.3 vs. 65.9 cubic feet).

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Cherokee Limited/Overland has a standard power cargo door, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or on the Cherokee Overland, by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Taos doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

The Cherokee has a 3500 lbs. towing capacity. The Taos has no towing capacity.

When different drivers share the Cherokee Overland, the memory system makes it convenient. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations. The Taos doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Cherokee’s standard Keyless Enter-N-Go allow you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. KESSY Push-Button Start standard on the Taos only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the vehicle. KESSY Push-Button Start is not available on the Taos SE/SEL.

The Cherokee’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Volkswagen charges extra for heated mirrors on the Taos.

The Cherokee Limited/Overland’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Taos offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Cherokee and the Taos offer available heated front seats. The Cherokee Overland also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Taos.

The Cherokee has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Taos SE/SEL.

Both the Cherokee and the Taos offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Cherokee has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Taos doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

Compared to the Volkswagen Taos, the Jeep Cherokee Limited/Overland eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its standard integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the driver’s seat.

Compared to traditional radio, the Jeep Cherokee’s standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks. Satellite radio is only offered on the Taos SE/SEL.

The Cherokee Overland has a 115-volt a/c outlet, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Taos doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Cherokee Overland’s Automated Parking System can parallel park by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Taos doesn’t offer an automated parking system.