The 2025 Volkswagen Taos might just be your perfect car if need something (sub)compact and you do follow doctor’s orders and eat a lot of vegetables and practical foods (read: no danish or donuts).

This is a fun little car to drive.  Admittedly, there is nothing spectacular about it, but in this case, that’s a good thing.  The ride is comfortable and responsive.  You can get to work safely, or do your running-around with a sense that at the very least, you don’t have to worry about the Taos going off the rails (as some weekends often do).

Standard is Front-Wheel Drive, and on those trims, the average miles-per-gallon is 28 city / 36 highway.  That should help your hard-earned dinero go farther.

Edmunds.com last year called the Taos a “top-rated extra-small SUV” with the 2025 model being no exception.  There is some considerable cargo room in the back (28 cubic feet with the rear seats up, 66 cubic feet when folded down).

And for those adults who have never been fat-shamed, you should be able to ride somewhat comfortably in back.

Just keep in mind that this Taos is much like the city of Taos in New Mexico: small, easy to overlook yet there is a flavor (or ‘sabor’ in Spanish) that makes the VW Taos worth all the compact spice it musters.

Look around to see if you can still get the 2025 Taos for the original starting price of $25.5K US.  Think of the Taos as the clutch purse that no one may notice – yet it can definitely hold a lot of stuff and truly get the job done.

We are now solidly living in difficult times, to be sure.  I always recommend buying a new or slightly used car if you can afford to do so.  But nowadays, I know everyone is just trying to keep the lights on and the cupboards stocked. Throw in the ever-increasing price of insurance, and owning a car is quickly becoming The Impossible Dream.

I will admit to having lost sleep and experiencing more anxiety than I did four years ago.  The hits just keep coming and I am just as angry at our defenders, who can’t seem to throw a punch, much less do their job to defend democracy.

No one I know is happy, unless perhaps they still have some leftover prescription medications.

It seems so shallow to say Keep Calm and Carry On, but we need to enjoy our lives and at the same time stay vigilant and as proactive as possible.  What does that look like?  There are many nonprofits helping older queens, trans people, the low income and those who came to America just so they could work and be together with all their families.

See what you can do.  A bit of volunteering or even cash can help.  Don’t stay silent but don’t put yourself in harm’s way.  Be strategic, as we, as the LGBTQIAA++ community have always been.

I would love to tell you this will all be over soon.

But I am running out of medications.