mmarshall

https://www.vw.com/models/atlas/section/colors/

It's no secret that VW has not exactly been on a roll the American market. From the failed attempt at selling the large Phaeton luxury sedan, to salespersons sometimes lacking tact and people-skills, to incompetent service departments, to a reputation for electrical and hardware unreliability in its vehicles, and, of course, to the well-publicized diesel-emission and other recent scandals of the company leadership in Germany, VW's public image in the U.S. has suffered for years. Large fines and jury-settlements against the corporation, to some extent, stripped them of some of funds they needed to help get out of the mess. So, to put it bluntly, it has not been a cake-walk, either for its American arm, or for the company leadership. Perhaps the only reason VW survived at all was because of its enormous size and assets, particularly outside of the U.S. market, where it is one of the largest auto manufacturers on the planet.

There were, of course, some attempts at damage control and to rebuild a new image. The standard factory Bumper-to-Bumper warranty in the American market was increased from 4/50 to 6/72. VW either bought back (or offered to buy back) some of the diesel-engined vehicles in question......other owners were simply given a check in compensation. However, the warranty-increase may be ending soon (for several reasons, VW management feels it is not needed any more), so, if you are interested in a new VW product here in the U.S., you might want to do that shopping now, while you can still get that extended warranty.

Which brings us to VW's latest SUV in the American market...the mid-sized Atlas crossover. VW has done SUVs before, sometimes with controversial names like the Touraeg, which brought protests from an ethnic group in North Africa with that name. (I see nothing wrong with having a vehicle named after you, but that is another subject, for another article). The latest SUV, the Atlas, not only has a less-controversial name (the Atlas are a mountain range in North Africa, not a group of people), but is less-controversial in its styling as well.....in fact, it is so vanilla and conservative, inside and out, that one can compare it to an appliance. It that sense, it is much like a number of Subarus (Ascent, Forester, and Outback) that are conservatively-shaped, wth square styling, large windows, and good outward-visibility. The Atlas, of course, not only competes against equivalent Subarus its size, but also a literal sea of other mid-size crossover SUVs from the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Korea....it is one of the most popular and largest-selling group of vehicles in the industry. I had looked at the Atlas at the D.C. Auto Show in April and, on the day that VW was offering test-drives at the show, had taken a short loop around the show's inner-city test-drive circuit. I was favorably impressed....today, of course, I took a more extensive test-drive.

In the American market, the Atlas is offered in quite a different number of FWD and AWD (4Motion) versions, and with two different engines....a 2.0L turbo in-line four of 235 HP / 258 ft-lbs. of torque, and a normally-aspirated V6 of 276 HP / 266 ft-lbs. of torque. There are 13 different versions and trim-levels available...I won't list them all of them here, but you can see them on the web-site. Base prices run from $30,995 to $48,395, so that, of course, also covers quite a range.

https://www.vw.com/models/atlas/section/trims/

The Atlas, like most new SUVs, seems to be selling decently. At the relatively small VW shop I was at, a fair number were listed in stock, but only three seemed available on the immediate premises. One was in the showroom (where I did a static-inspection). Two more were outside.....a white SE 3.6 AWD and a Platinum-Gray 3.6L SEL AWD. I had wanted to road-sample the white SE, but it had just come off the transporter and was not legally PDI'ed yet (those PDI persons often don't finish their jobs anyway, as the dealerships usually don't pay them much), so I ended up getting the plate and fob for the gray SEL. In one sense, it didn't matter, since all of them have the same AWD drivetrain anyway.

Before I get into the road-manners, I just want to briefly describe the overall design. I really liked the one I looked at and (briefly) sampled at the D.C. Auto Show, and I liked these, too. I know that my own automotive tastes are somewhat more conservative and vanilla than those of some others (and I respect their views as well), but in my book, to my tastes, VW has done a superb job designing this vehicle, inside and out. Like several more or less equivalent Subaru models, it looks like I believe an SUV should look like, is relatively space-efficient front and rear, has good outward visibility from the relatively large windows and high roofline, has a clean, simple, uncluttered dash design with nice trim, and relatively simple, easy-to-use controls....more so on the simpler SE version than on the more complex-designed instrumentation on the upmarket levels. In short, on the Atlas, function is more important than form...which, IMO, is the way it should be, instead of the other away around that many other vehicles adhere to. There is the usual black cladding all around the lower-base and wheel well of the vehicle to protect from road-debris and salt, paint is well-done (though the color-choices could be a little better), sheet metal and door-closings seemed at least reasonably thunk-solid, and exterior trim was simple, tasteful and well-attached. In short...the classic, efficient two-box SUV design outside, with a few variations. Inside, the seats were comfortable, upper-dash and door-panel surfaces had soft-touch surfaces while the lower parts were hard black plastic, and there was adequate headroom front and rear. The third-row seats were not quite as roomy as on the larger Ford and GM SUVs, but fine for most kids and small adults. Access in and out of the third-row seat, though, could be a little tight, unless the seats were folded all the way down. My specific test-drive vehicle had separate Captain's Chairs in the second row, with individual flip-down armrests.

On the road, the Atlas, at least wth the V6 (I didn't sample the turbo-4), drives as much to my tastes as the exterior/interior's form and function. The German engineering is evident in both the chassis and drivetrain. Start up the 3.6L V6, and it idles smoothly and quietly. It is not exactly a major powerhouse on the road (and has only slightly more torque than the turbo-4) but it is spunky enough for most normal driving, and the 8-speed Tiptronic /Select-Shift transmission shifts smoothly. The VW designers, like with so much else on his vehicle, have done a good job on the suspension. Though it has several different drive-modes (adjusted by a rotary-**** on the console), it generally combines a smooth, compliant ride (one of the best I've seen on an SUV) with decent handling. Steering feel is a little too light and feathery in standard mode, but the custom-tailor system also you to adjust the steering feel to a firmer, sport-setting (which I like) while, at the same time leaving the soft/comfort suspension/ride mode (which I also like). The standard suspension-setting, of course, means more body roll, but I'm not that aggressive a driver. The full-sport-mode, if desired, which also alters engine/transmission characteristics and suspension-firmness, can also be selected. In short, you can tailor this machine to a number of individual tastes. Road noise and wind noise are also generally well-controlled. Brakes are effective, and I don't recall any big clown-shoe size-15 problems with my foot going from the gas pedal to the brake, or the shoe catching on the side of the brake pedal.....the brake pedal seems reasonably well-located in relation to the gas.



VERDICT:

Well, by now, it is obvious that I like this vehicle, and I won't deny it. The Atlas alone, even overlooking VW's other new products, goes a long way towards atoning for the past sins of VW and its management. Some folks might find the styling and general design of the Atlas too vanilla for their tastes...I respect their views, but I'm a firm believer in function over form. This vehicle was a pleasure to drive and review. IMO, it is clearly one notch above the recent Hyundai Palisade I sampled, and two or three notches above the Ford Explorer, depending on trim-level.

Faults? Yes, there are a couple...I haven't seen a perfect vehicle yet. But, for me at least, you really have to nit-pick to find negative things on this vehicle. The exterior paint-color choice is not particularly impressive, though at least they are not all funeral-home colors. I don't particularly like the overly-soft, imprecise, rubbery feel of the shift-lever action...it makes it difficult to tell what range you are shifting into simply by feel. My only pressing concern, though, is VW's history of poor reliability, particularly with electrical and hardware issues...and the fact that all 2020 models will revert back from the 6/72 Bumper-to-Bumper warranty to the former 4/50. So, if you are seriously interested in an Atlas, I'd go for a leftover 2019, rather than wait.

And, as Always.....Happy SUV-Shopping.

MM

Toys4RJill

Nice vehicles. I am not sure I would get one. Kinda boring styling and overall design. Probably would get an Ascent over this.

mmarshall

Gets back to what I said in the article....function over form. Swoopy or Humpback rooflines often impede visibility and headroom, and an overly-complex dash can be a PITA to deal with.

You might be right, but I'll withhold personal comment on the Ascent until I look at and/or test-drive one (maybe next week or later this week). Consumer Reports has gone Ga-Ga over it, and thinks it is the best mid-size SUV on the market (I posted that CR article). Subarus, on the average, hold up better than VWs. But I've never been impressed with the road manners of those CVT transmissions that Subaru uses, even though they do give the cars better performance than with the older conventional automatics.

Toys4RJill

Yes true. But passion can be an important part of the design or appeal...and car buying process.

stasek

I just did a quick search on cars,com..... VW is either flooding the market with the Atlas OR they are not selling all they well. In Chicagoland, there are 930 brand new Atlases available, ~130 Ascends, ~120 Pallisades and only 35 Tellurides. I wonder if the shortage of Tellurides has to do with how “hot” they are.

Toys4RJill

Cant really know for sure. Different regions. End of model year. New model for Hyundai. A larger selection of Atlases is always an advantage for the consumer vs low inventory for the Hyundai or Kias.

SW17LS

The Atlas is a vehicle I really WANT to like. Its a BIG vehicle, tons of space inside, it has super convenient access from the second to the third rows with carseats installed. They drive and ride well, I like the styling okay, don't love it. What I just don't care for is the feel and look of a VW in general. I don't like the cold, angular feel of their interiors, the material choices in many places, the way they do their readouts and such. This is an issue for me even in many Audis, which I love the look and drive of but don't love the interiors of on a few levels.

I still haven't driven the Palisade, but from the exterior to interior package I prefer it to the Atlas.

Then there's the issue of reliability, and having owned one VW in my life, it was enough.

FrankReynoldsCPA

I had one of these as a rental in DC in June for about a week. I was impressed. It took a bit of time to get accustomed to the technology, particularly the cruise control, but it had great road manners, was comfortable for the family, and had a classy yet conservative look and feel to it. My only real issues are that the VR6 felt...inconsistent. Sometimes you had instant power, other times it didn't seem to respond that quick, which led to one white knuckle moment pulling out onto a highway(I'm used to my truck where it flies the moment you step on the pedal.) and that the bluetooth interacts rather poorly compared to what I'm used to in my F-150. When you pause or stop music on the phone, it mutes the radio. So if you're navigating off your phone this is an issue. I would go to turn the volume back up so I could hear the voice directions and it would resume my music playback from whatever I had last been listening to on my phone. My family did not appreciate this at all. You can avoid this though by using Android Auto(and presumably by using Apple CarPlay as well) though.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

nice review... it's great to see how many makers have stepped up with impressive offerings now. atlas, palisade, telluride, explorer, highlander, cx-9, traverse, etc. something for everyone.

Fizzboy7

Good review. This is a polished SUV, but the reliability is a big red flag.
I think this SUV hits all the spots it should. However, it's just too plainly designed. The lights, the grille, the bumper, and all the pillars are mostly boring squares or right angles. Poor decision to leave it at that and really no more dynamic than a 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It looks like it already needs a facelift, as nearly all of VW's current line-up already displays VW's future design language. A simple update here will help things out a lot. I agree it should have the physical structure of a traditional SUV, but that is still possible to do with a little style and curve added in.
Beyond that, mmarshall and I have continually said, "An SUV should look like an SUV, a car like a car, a truck like a truck, etc." It's refreshing to see VW hold this true here.
As far as availability, this unit has been for sale longer than all others listed above. The initial demand is gone, and so dealers have plenty. The other competitors are brand new, so supply hasn't caught up with demand. Pretty basic how that all works.

JDR76

I think these are fine, though I wouldn't own a VW and I find these things to be fairly unattractive. I do like how much room they have, though.

ABC

My wife and i test drove the atlas a few months ago and we both liked it, but she did not like the high hood from the drivers seat.

Margate330

Well, today in another thread (if I understand correctly), it mentioned VW will getting some talent from Porsche.

So while that was on my mind I was driving to the store and saw the VW dealer and I was in the lane by the entrance and said why not.
It's been forever since I've stepped into a VW showroom and have always been a fan of German cars.

Dealer is located in Coconut Creek, FL and while they only had a few new cars, they had TONS of low mileage off lease Atlas's and Tiguans.
The people were very friendly and accomodating and said it was ok to take some pics for everyone of the New 2022 Atlas.

The prices kinda suprised me for a Euro car- at $46,500 for a brand new Atlas(pics below), which included everything including a $2k "market adjustment", I was shocked.
I looked at the sticker for more add on digits and gotchas and didn't see any.






>> Notice the hitch for tow package already installed.








>> And Yes- 3rd row seating f you need it

mmarshall

You must be at least fairly interested in a new Atlas to resurrect a three-year-old thread.

The dealership is probably not asking a mark-up because the Atlas is generally not in very high demand. The majority of people buying mid-sized crossovers in this range are being Highlanders, Pilots, Tellurides, and Palisades.

I myself like the way that both the Atlas and Tiguan drive, handle, steer, ride, and their overall road-manners. It's tough to beat the engineering of those German suspensions. The Atlas and Tiguan also have styling/dash-layouts inside that are simple, effective, and functional.....not an overstyled mess.

Margate330

Well, I didn't know this car existed sadly until I waltzed up i the showroom and I missed your review.
So I figured I put the pics here since you already did a nice review on it.
For the money $$$ I was surprised.

And they look good too.