Kia Seltos vs Toyota Corolla Cross vs Volkswagen Taos | CUV Comparison | Driving.ca

In the hearts and minds of Canadian consumers, compact and subcompact SUVs have pushed aside the humble hatchback and serviceable station wagon. We’ve rounded up three little sport-utes here: the Kia Seltos, Toyota Corolla Cross, and the Volkswagen Taos, those last two all-new. We’re putting them head-to-head to see how they all stack up for performance, price, practicality, and other factors.
Check out the full story at Driving.ca

[@chrispapas303]

I have driven all 3 and purchase the 2022 Corolla cross. My top priority is quality build, reliability, resale and low cost of ownership (maintenance). I’ve had my Corolla cross for several months and it’s been a stellar vehicle! Just my two cents. The acceleration is Adequate/good for me and my driving style. Highly recommended.

[@mqayyum9226]

I don't know why but the Taos looks much roomier than the other two. Did you notice this or is it just the boxy design and the panoramic roof?

[@IanForsythWestCoast]

@@mqayyum9226 No….it is roomier. The back seat is huge. A six footer sitting behind a six footer still has tons of leg room and head room. The area behind the seats is biggest in class. It’s also slightly wider than the Tiguan making the cabin feel very spacious. I came from a 2018 Golf, and it took me a couple of days to really figure out where I was on the road, because road feel, steering, acceleration and handling make it feel much more related to the Golf than the Tiguan. You sit up higher, but not as high as most SUVs, making it the easiest vehicle to get in and out of, that I’ve ever driven.

[@johnnguyen0721]

Which trim did you get for the cross

[@JA-jb4ti]

Awesome, thank you!!

[@mojavedesertsonorandesert9531]

I've had mine now for 6 months, it's been an excellent buy. AWD XLE great for single camping and back desert roads.

[@ayela562]

Anyone even considering a Kia needs to look up the engine issues, recalls, and lawsuits. This isn’t some small thing that only affected some unlucky people.. it’s been an 8 year disaster with hundreds of thousands of recalled cars. We LOVED our Kia Sorento until we found ourselves with a defective engine that was knocking and burning oil. Buyer beware, they are cheaper for a reason. Because our particular engine wasn’t (yet) on the recall list everyone just shrugged their shoulders at us and told us it was a $10,000 fix. For the same issue as the ones that were recalled. We have a nice boring Corolla Cross on order and nothings sounds better than “reliable” to us.

[@great_deception]

The Kia apologists here are blind to all of that. A Kia is one of the biggest POS vehicles anyone can buy nowadays, the low price is the giveaway.

[@CC-zp1tz]

Just got a Crosstrek Outdoor trim, loving it!!

[@shawnerickstad129]

Just bought a Kia Seltos month ago and like it a lot and would recommend

[@neidalight3761]

i have kia seltos top trim sx 2022 am very happy plus on the Hway the gas consuming 5,2per 100km plus on the snow it's gorgeous

[@whatthe6532]

So right about the dual zone. Should be standard for family harmony.

[@jphenx]

Taos for me

[@SL-eh6hp]

Your review isn't based on what it important: Reliability! After a yr owning a Seltos, it leaked oil, then engine knocked, alarm lights kept going on. Endless trips to the dealer for "oil consumption testing." a BS euphemism for "it's a new car that leaks oil and we don't know why." This model is part of a huge Kia recall for faulty engines that could result in fires. We were told that the engine needs to be replaced but it would take several months to get one from somewhere. Plus, there was no guarantee that the new engine wouldn't also have the recall malfunction. WTF! We bought this as our cheap daily transportation, but it's been a huge headache. We sold back to the dealer last week to just get out of the endless swirl. Should have waited for the Toyota RAV4 to be restocked instead of buying the Seltos. Have had 3 Toyota Camry's - boring, but NEVER have repair issues! At the end of the day, it's just transportation, so it needs to ......transport, not end up stuck in a repair shop.

[@Polarbear2829]

toyota leaks too!! heck many have oil leaks! toyota is the most plasticky of all vehicles!

[@abdulaliakbar1175]

I had the same issues with the Kia optima

[@senoucisenouci5605]

What year and trim was your seltos?

[@moshameem99]

You had the 2 liter engine. Buy these with the Turbo.

[@19910602011]

@@Polarbear2829 no toyota under 10year old leaks guaranteed

[@rafaleonflores7321]

I really liked your review a lot, congratulations, I’m the owner of a Taos since April of 2021, and I don’t regret about my purchase

[@chocolatewheelchair]

Which trim did ya get?

[@IanForsythWestCoast]

I just took delivery of 2022 Taos Comfortline with the panoramic sunroof. I’m loving it, no reservations about the power, torque comes on early and really gets out of its own way.

[@chocolatewheelchair]

@@IanForsythWestCoast are you in Canada?

[@IanForsythWestCoast]

@@chocolatewheelchair Yes I am, sorry I forgot our two countries have different trim levels and different equipment offered. My Comfortline corresponds to the SE TRIM.

[@chocolatewheelchair]

@@IanForsythWestCoast that’s cool. And tbh Canadian cars are better equipped than the American counter part I’ve noticed. Cheers!

[@tymac3306]

We just bought a new 2022 Volkswagen Taos SEL or in Canada known as the Highline trim. The only feature we didn't take was the lane keep assist, we had lane keep in our 2018 golf R and I just found it intrusive on daily driving. When it was turned on accidentally it would tug in the wheel and found it rather annoying, we just didn't use it so other than that we have the heated and ventilated seats, the panoramic roof, the heated steering wheel. Now, about the transmission and the jerkiness in town with the Taos, I've had some time to consider what's happening and upon acceleration from a dead stop it's like letting the clutch out on a manual transmission and if you hit the gas while that's happening you're going to get a jerk so you will learn anticipate that! When you go to take off the clutch is engaging first gear in the transmission and you just got to give it a second to do that and once that has happened the second gear is already being engaged. It's just a little learning curve when you first get behind the wheel, but after that you're gold and it is a beautiful vehicle to drive. Now as well having a dual clutch it also has a launch control feature and it definitely performs because upon normal acceleration it's not all that lively but if you want a quick thrill you put the launch control on and use it and it is rather entertaining it'll suprise you and having the golf R previously with launch control as well and 300 horsepower it's of course not as fast but it makes me think back to the days of owning that car and enjoying it and yeah that's kind of what I have to say.

[@artpastorette4547]

I have a taos fwd, what is this launch control feature that you are talking about? I would also like to know more about how to avoid the jerkiness from the transmission.

[@TheMlvswoll]

If you have a FWD Taos, you have a traditional automatic, not a DCT transmission like the AWD model. They will behave differently. Not sure if the launch control option is available on the regular automatic.

[@artpastorette4547]

@@TheMlvswoll i am sorry, i meant to write that I have the 4Motion (AWD) Taos 😴

[@krisschedler]

Yeah, launch control only on the 4 Motion DSG 7 speed… you should not have any jerkiness in the 8 speed Aisin tranny, i have driven the Aisin in many vehicles including the Taos and Jetta, and I love it.

[@billjordan1173]

I have a 2021 Seltos purchased in Feb. 2020. So far so good, and I love the roominess of it. Didn't need AWD, so went with the FWD 'S' trim and have gotten around 34 mpg in mixed driving. Bought on a whim when I took my Soul in for an oil change and saw the Seltos in the showroom. It had the cargo room I was looking for in a small, inexpensive SUV. Not the smoothest driving vehicle on the road, but very practical. Don't see the point in an SUV with a tiny cargo area. Not sure I'd pay what the upper-level trims cost though. At those prices, I might be looking at something a little bigger in the base trim line.

[@billjordan1173]

@ETM I can only speak to my particular trim-line with front-wheel-drive and the standard 2.0 engine, but I haven't had any issues with it. Early on, my flat-tire warning was coming on and it turned out it was due to the tires being tremendously OVER-inflated, so you might look out for that. And there is actually one literally 'glaring' issue that involves the v-shaped piece of plastic at the bottom of the steering wheel (assuming yours has that). In the right environment, the sun can shine through the back window and cause a bit of a blinding glare off of that piece of plastic. It's very rare, but when it happens, I just put my hand over it.

[@billjordan1173]

@@GreedRuinsEverything Makes sense since a few other things were missed when it was handed over to me.

[@mvparker79]

Couldn’t agree more regarding the over priced upper trim levels. Other than heated seats on the AWD and MAYBE the adaptive cruise control, I can’t see ANY reason to get the higher trims. The 10.25 inch display looks nice, but it doesn’t support wireless CarPlay. And for that….I’m out.

[@jraheemjefcoat429]

I hope you got at least push to start on your base trim. The whole key set-up is so 90s and early 00s.

[@billjordan1173]

@@jraheemjefcoat429 no I didn't, and I prefer the key. On a couple occasions, my wife had the key fob in her purse when we were in her car, and I dropped her off somewhere then intended to go somewhere else and pick her up later. But as I was driving, I got a "fob not detected warning", so had no choice but to drive around until she was done. That doesn't happen with a key.

[@tonymiranda3729]

My Kia Seltos is now 1 year old and still getting 5.5L/100 to 6L/100 on average drive of 70 kms/day. Best warranty out there, tons of tech and safety features. Can't wait for the 2023 Niro PHEV

[@RichardVac]

Update! I tried the launch control of the 7 speed DCT on the Taos it works like charm, can't belive they advertise this vehicles as a 8.4 second 0-60 when in reality it can do 6.9 secons using regulat 87 gas when using launch control

[@TheMlvswoll]

Another consideration is to try a tank of premium and see how the performance differs. In prior models premium fuel was required to achieve best hp

[@RichardVac]

@@TheMlvswoll I purchased a throttle tuner called Burger throttle tuner. $200 I recommend it, it will bring this vehicles to life and it's easy to install, plug and play Know it feels like sports car

[@zackarystewart9214]

Volkswagen seems to always under promise and over deliver

[@colechapman6976]

I actually like the Kia a lot. The scratchy piano black plastic has been kept to a minimum, they provide a nice and long warranty, and they have a lot of good features. However, I am a bit worried about Kia's long-term reliability so if I were in the market I would probably buy the Toyota.

[@reisschancellor9753]

Owned Kia Soul for 11 years. Zero problems. Love it. Unfortunately, heard that Seltos has many problems.

[@graantmnz]

we have had a Kia cerato GT for 3 years , zero problems

[@mahdimir]

Thanks for the video

[@CodyLeeStarr90]

We got a 23 Seltos SX can't get over how well it drives. Definitely quick for what it is. I enjoy the dual clutch Transmission. The other two did not perform as good as the seltos. That being said. I hope it lasts us a while. Already took two big trips in it. Awesome time.

[@darvelbidenisapuppet7275]

Drop in a K&N airfilter. motor will change significantly. The top end raspy gasping will go away.

[@sammyt3514]

The best selling subcompact SUV in Canada, the Subaru CrossTrek, should've been included in this comparison.

[@darvelbidenisapuppet7275]

Seltos looks so good in person.

[@howardkerr8174]

Never heard of a DCT being referred to as a " DIRECT " transmission, aren't all transmissions direct? I was told that the abbreviation stood for Dual Clutch Transmission. It's a type of automatic transmission that shifts faster (more " directly "?) due to its 2 clutches...one is engaged and one is about to engage, at all times.

[@davidvanzijlldejong5392]

DSG which is what VW call it is "Direct Shift Gearbox" and it's dual clutch. However you are right that DCT stands for Dual Clutch transmission.

[@ComeOnPeopleThink]

I totally agree about the dual climate control on the Seltos and i would add that the lift gate be powered as well..btw that is not a 2022 Seltos...

[@mojavedesertsonorandesert9531]

If you want headaches and like to constantly visit your dealership you'll buy the VW & KiA. If you want a reliable everyday vehicle hands down Toyota is a far superior vehicle... Toyota!!!✌️

[@graantmnz]

who cares about a power tail gate - just something else that adds weight and something to go wrong

[@mudpuddle2658]

Dealers for all 3 of the above are 45 miles away from me. The sensible pick for me is the Toyota. I'm not into continual warranty issues.

[@tonyaccordino8570]

Yes the Cross is underpowered, but it impractical and affordable and nicely equipped, and I have no doubt you will spend less time in the repair shop as opposed to the other two.

[@Belgoboy]

I'm not sure you meant "impractical"...perhaps pratical?

[@dipin2]

@@Belgoboy correct.. I think he said the wrong word

[@shanemcandrew2443]

the seltos and taos will be requiring thousands in maintenance as they age, unfortunately, even if the ride quality and options are nicer than the corolla cross.

[@nhuff73]

Just bought the 2023 Taos 4 motion. Drives superior to the Kia. I love Toyota but hated the cvt. Absolutely love my Taos. I had higher expectations for the seltos but I’ve heard the dual clutch overheats.

[@powertools2375]

Hope you have a good one. Mine was a pos

[@arturmaksam]

Just got 2022 vw taos 100 miles on and got check engine lights on)))) dealership service blamed to gasoline funny thing is they filled up the tank! So I don’t like how wobbly drivers door is

[@zackarystewart9214]

How'd it do over the last 8 months

[@romank5498]

After Volkswagen and KIA , Toyota look like from 2010😅😅

[@powertools2375]

We got the Taos, and have regretted it. Soo unreliable

[@yellowsnowman9157]

The Taos is so much better than the other 2 and it's not close. The Corolla is utter trash. Seltos is ok but not practical at all. Taos is good on pricing, practicality, best styling, and efficient

[@powertools2375]

If it was reliable I would agree but it’s a pos car. In my opinion I owned one.

[@grantferrigan3837]

Bring back the station wagon...

[@Hercegovac.1]

1. VW Taos 2. KIA Seltos 3. Toyota Corolla cross

[@powertools2375]

This is not based on reliability right. Our Taos was a nightmare

[@yinyangthang]

Great content. Helpful review. However, the background music is annoyingly distracting--it's rattle-y, unpleasant, and I do not like it.

[@clbernier2]

I would never drive a Toyota or Kia. I’d choose the VW all day long!

[@laurensfundaytwlphantom]

Dual zone climate control is not even remotely a concern of mine.

[@frankenelimtangco2400]

Ill take the Toyota Cross n/a engine nothing’s complicated. Remember folks the more you put complicated things on engine the more it will not last and more expensive to repair. This cars are not race-car. Just my cents though 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@mikelbell5419]

That Seltos looks like a 2021. I thought the 2022s had the new logo design??

[@adavelaar]

I thought the exact same. I purchased a '22 and it has the new logo. However the one they are actually driving is a' 22

[@zAngus]

Toyota will have a better resale / trade-in, less depreciation of the 3 if that matters.

[@TheMlvswoll]

Toyota is a drive til it breaks brand and many who just want transportation are good with that. Outside of the Supra(BMW) and the few GR models, they are boring, numb steering cars that last. I was big in Toyota and Honda for years. I’ve now had 3 BMW, 7 VW, and one Audi. I keep up with maintenance and while more than a Toyota I drive for work and want to enjoy my drive. Never going back. Euro is the way if you want to enjoy what you drive.

[@mojavedesertsonorandesert9531]

@@TheMlvswoll have had the worst experiences with Euro cars, found them to be over hyped, stail...Lexus was buy far the best ride and comfort. Never ever would I buy a euro car.

[@tkburn1439]

Corolla cross is soooo slow and plasticky

[@RaviSingh-pz2mj]

Are you seriously giving the win to a Kia over a Toyota. Everything works when it's brand new. Come back in 10-15yrs and see which vehicle stood the test of time.

[@ehhowudoin]

Not everyone is interested in keeping their cars for such long periods. So that's a personal choice and preference. All three actually cater to different buyers. Kia for the ones watching their pockets and want everything thrown in even if the quality is below average. The toyota is for those point A to B buyers who never want service to be part of their vocabulary. Then there's the driving enthusiasts that wants something stylish, fun and refined and have a better understanding of driving dynamics and that's where the volkswagen steps in.

[@fegik5922]

Like the macan the corolla cross is made sexy from the beginning, yk the design will age well

[@TheMlvswoll]

Ok. If you say so. But to compare a Macan and a Corolla is silly in any respect.

[@fegik5922]

@@TheMlvswoll they both share the same design language, from the pug dog fascia to the compact organic proportions

[@Polarbear2829]

the pictures on this video are deferent what they show on real life.... is this a false review?

[@AndresSalazarAutos]

That poor Corolla Cross has more scratches than my 2 yo car.

[@rich925]

Cheap paint that japanese cars use

[@TheMlvswoll]

I saw that instantly.

[@kkahuna4263]

Are you girls from Canada? Didn't Kia and Volkswagon just announced recalls???

[@tenzinyeshe7060]

😂

[@blackcherry6877]

No

[@chocolatewheelchair]

Which one has a louder horn?

[@sammyt3514]

The AMC Hornet, if you can find one in a scrap yard.

[@chocolatewheelchair]

@@sammyt3514 I live in America. They don’t exist

[@colechapman6976]

You could attach a fog horn to these cars

[@boldyo]

Steven Wright - “I got my car back from the mechanic and he said I couldn’t fix your brakes, so I made your horn louder”

[@chocolatewheelchair]

I tested all the horns in an auditory isolation booth, set up for cars located in Jupiter, North Carolina. The Kia has the loudest most masculine horn we have ever tested and it beat the Toyota with out mercy. The VW was a close second, but the tone was so guttural, we really weren’t sure if we could go on, it’s a really distasteful tone.

[@cezarmpanait]

I'm shopping for a small SUV and wanted to hear from the auto experts, but when they say that Kia came out on top two of the most recognized and popular brands in the World, something is wrong with that evaluation. Thanks for your advise, but no thanks. I'll stick with Toyota or VW brands for now.

[@markedwards3634]

Loose that annoying background music.

[@freshtowels3917]

The Toyota Corolla cross engine is not turbocharged.

[@kukakevin]

taos

[@noiricha]

Guess which one will be problem free after 5 years ? Guess which one will hold its value after 5 years ?

[@BIoodySky]

is that peter

[@ARIYA2150]

I have the 22 Seltos 1.6, and I can tell you the engine is not loud nor rattling. Not sure what that guy is talking about

[@19910602011]

That one is probably already starting to experience engine problems

[@ARIYA2150]

@isaac Hunt not a single issue

[@tylerford4561]

Thats the 2021 kia

[@333halfangel3]

Honda accord 18 yrs...no oil leak. Still going 💪

[@19910602011]

No doubt the kia and vw will have better driving dynamics and more features than the toyota but anyone with common sense know u will get better value for your money in the long run reliability wise and resale value with toyota

[@whatthe6532]

Please please please stop talking. I’m trying to listen to the music.

[@isaac198428]

Toyota is weirdly cheap. Being so expensive they only give us a power lift gate but no build in navigation in that ugly looking screen. The cabin of the Toyota looks so empty/lacking in the interior for a ‘fully loaded’ model. It’s like the small Corolla sedan in an suv body and NOTHING extra. She’s right, people like stuff especially for less money so Seltos for the win. Most people keep vehicles for 5-7 yrs so that KIA can definitely last that long. Toyota Cross is good for the second and third owners even though it will be overpriced for lacking most features just because if the name Toyota.

[@ayela562]

People are stupid then. Go look up Kia massive engine issues and tell me again if “stuff” is worth it.

[@jraheemjefcoat429]

@@ayela562 So You're saying people need to sacrifice what they want for a not so exciting dull interior Corolla Cross?

[@Art_V101]

I'll take the Corolla cross everyday over the other two.Seltos would be my second pick and I wouldnt buy a VW ever again in my life.

[@stephstyl3315]

why? what was your experience with VW?

[@Art_V101]

@@stephstyl3315 They break a lot and are very difficult for mechanics to work on and the parts are also really expensive so they have higher repair costs,the same thing with other German brands,Mercedes and BMW

[@lanysmith1321]

I’d take the Corolla Cross 11 out of 10 times

[@sudheer-suri]

I wanted to get corolla cross but the moment i hit the gas on Seltos , it was clearly Seltos. The drive quality is heavenly. Corolla cross : super reliable but absolutely boring drive quality. Seltos: slightly unreliable but damn best drive quality. Seriously good drive quality. Taos: reliable but small legroom and pricy and mediocre drive quality.

[@whatthe6532]

Is this a car review or saxophone soloist. Car review was great. Should ditch the sax and drum machine.

[@tinhinnh]

that lady is dead set on the picking the kia

[@alicec4266]

Taos

[@lemongrass3945]

Nice to see you do not favor reliability

[@Jiggy609]

@@lemongrass3945 fakest narrative around VW is that they aren’t reliable

[@lemongrass3945]

@@Jiggy609 Not really. VW faked numbers for an extremely long time. Also there are more Toyotas over 250,000 miles on the road than VW.

[@alicec4266]

@@lemongrass3945 😂🤣

[@mishasolar]

Cracking up...mother and son team that are clueless. Entertaining, not educational.

[@drivingca]

Thank you for saying we are entertaining :)

[@selsinc9413]

I got toes very nice and good on gas

[@jpch8814]

Taos= Best overall, quality, design, huge comfy size, classy, and excellent tech. Corolla Cross= Terrible at almost everything. (people buy this because it is reliable no other reason) Seltos= Kia, a good car but not in the leagues of Toyota nor Volkswagen.(better to compare a Kia with a Nissan, Chevy...)

[@apocalic]

Nope, Taos drive quality mediocre

[@Molloy1951]

What can we expect from a KZbin video which compares the VW Taos with a Toyota Corolla Cross not with Toyota RAV4? 😅🤦🏻‍♂️

[@clbernier2]

The Toyota RAV4 would complete with the VW Tiguan…not the Taos.

[@mushy213]

I genuinely cannot believe how ugly the corolla cross is. it makes me hate Toyota and I love Toyota. why did they design the back like that?

[@talalztube]

The Canadian Taos sucks, missing a lot of features that the US model has, snd the throttle lag 😰

[@andywisniewski4344]

Kia motors just don't stand up to toyota I've had 2 kias crap motors after 100000 km

[@combatvolta]

Depends of your TLC

[@David-vz5mv]

Dude, is that your mother.......?

[@sammyt3514]

Her name is Jil McIntosh and his name is Elliot Alder; take a wild guess.

[@David-vz5mv]

@@sammyt3514 What's your point moron?

[@SdwaneZ]

My mother is using her maiden name but I am using my father surname, take wild guess

[@protector22222]

My gosh the corolla cross is ugly...its like they started styling it well and about a quarter of the way through went. You know what...i think this is good enough...ok guys start producing it