Average Doesn’t Cut It Anymore

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas is the most important automobile the corporate has ever offered within the US, a curious providing from an organization that after extolled the virtues of shopping for the compact Beetle over a relatively big Chevy Biscayne. A couple of styling and inside updates for 2021 deliver the Atlas extra consistent with its funky, Teutonic forebears, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a distinctly American product, reflecting the altering values of VW and its patrons.

Sadly, it meets these shopper wants with not one of the elan and poise that was as soon as an indicator of each Volkswagen product. Completely common styling and driving conduct draw no ire, and we applaud the Atlas’ out there superior expertise options and spacious inside. However former Volkswagen house owners will discover themselves let down by the SUV’s disappointingly plasticky inside and forgettable (if inoffensive) styling. However, the seven-seat Atlas is VW’s number-three automobile by way of gross sales, and we appreciated its general competence throughout a take a look at of an SEL V6 4Motion mannequin with the Basecamp accent equipment.

A automobile’s scores are relative solely to its personal section and never the new-vehicle market as a complete. For extra on how Motor1.com charges automobiles, click on right here.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas is an okay-looking machine, notably since its facelift did away with the blocky entrance finish that made it look heavy and ungainly. A extra delicately styled grille, beveled headlights, and practically horizontal hood assist the Atlas look extra German – to this writer’s eyes, the entrance finish one way or the other remembers the lauded Golf Mk4 offered within the early 2000s. The aspect profile and rear views are all however unchanged for 2021, with barely redesigned taillights and never a lot else.

The automobile we drove added the Basecamp accent equipment, which features a satin silver entrance bumper guard, darkish fender extensions with splash guards, satin silver rocker panels, a satin silver rear valance with a trailer hitch cutout, and distinctive Basecamp badges. It additionally sports activities Fifteen52 Traverse MX 17-inch wheels. The dealer-installed Basecamp equipment prices $2,500, plus one other $1,000 for the wheels. It seems to be good, however a bit suspension raise and a few taller rubber would actually promote the accent’s off-road pretensions extra.

Issues begin to go improper when you step inside. We’ve groused in regards to the Atlas’ cabin because it debuted for 2018, and we actually hoped to see some enhancements when it got here time to replace the large SUV. That’s not the case. Laborious plastics abound contained in the Atlas – soft-touch seems solely sparingly on the armrests, sprint prime, and higher door panels. In any other case, the whole lot under the automobile’s beltline is completed up in supplies that feel and appear decidedly low-rent, with sharp-edged plastic seams. Each different competitor, save maybe the Ford Explorer, is best on this regard.

At the very least the inside is reasonably good-looking, headlined by a Volkswagen Digital Cockpit gauge cluster and a crisp, angular sprint design. Our tester’s perforated leatherette upholstery additionally seemed and felt very premium, providing a compelling and environmentally pleasant purpose to by no means select cowhide once more.

In some way, the Atlas options large-crossover inside house in a midsize footprint. Entrance passengers have greater than sufficient house to get comfy on an extended journey, although the soft, heated seats is perhaps a bit too shapeless for all-day assist. The second-row seats slide fore and aft, and of their forward-most place, there’s sufficient house for youths and younger teenagers – adults will need to kick them again a couple of notches. The bench is flat as a pancake, however tall people will respect a seat backside that’s lengthy sufficient for some thigh assist. The lean-and-slide launch affords third-row entry even with a baby seat put in.

Main kudos go to VW for elevating the third-row bench up off the cargo ground, the upper hip level enhancing consolation even for grownup passengers. Owing to its decently spacious third row and sliding second row, the Atlas can be a great choice for a household of 5 or 6, with class-competitive head and legroom in all three rows. Loading it down with seven passengers is perhaps a bit tight owing to its barely pinched shoulder room, but when you must haul that many individuals, you’re most likely purchasing for a minivan anyway.

Due to an expansive 117.3-inch wheelbase, Volkswagen’s general passenger quantity of 154 cubic ft is up a single dice on the Ford Explorer, 2 on the Honda Pilot, 4 on the Subaru Ascent, and a staggering 15 on the smallish Toyota Highlander. The Chevrolet Traverse, Hyundai Palisade, and Kia Telluride are nonetheless one of the best in school, with 157 cubic ft of individuals house.

The Vee-dub additionally acquits itself nicely in seats-up cargo capability, at 20.6 cubic ft – the Chevy does 23.0, the Kia/Hyundai twins 21.0, the Explorer 18.2, the Subaru 17.6, and the Honda and Toyota tied at 16.0 cubic ft. Behind the second row, the Atlas boasts 55.5 cubic ft, and dropping all rear seats opens up 96.8 cubes. Solely the Traverse is bigger in these metrics.

The Volkswagen Atlas SEL comes normal with the corporate’s Digital Cockpit gauge cluster, which is each enticing and straightforward to make use of. We appreciated the number of data it supplied, together with altitude, navigation, audio, gasoline financial system, and driver-assist standing, in addition to the reconfigurable cluster that made use of both two analog-looking dials or a minimalist four-square format. A wi-fi charger is a pleasant contact.

Confusingly, Volkswagen will supply each a 2021 and a 2021.5 Atlas; we examined the previous, which does with out the latter’s wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. We favor a wired connection anyway, however one mid-year replace we’d have favored to strive is a brand new MIB3 infotainment system. The outgoing MIB software program works simply fantastic, with fast responses and a gorgeous design, so we gained’t complain an excessive amount of and nor ought to potential house owners. The 2021 Atlas nonetheless encompasses a fashionable, if not completely cutting-edge, expertise suite.

Volkswagen will fortunately match the customer’s selection of two powertrains within the 2021 Atlas. The bottom engine is a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four with 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet, and it will get alongside simply fantastic. Nevertheless, ours rocked the corporate’s legendary VR6 engine displacing 3.6 liters and exhibiting the growl that’s synonymous with that narrow-angle format. With 276 hp and 266 lb-ft on faucet, the Atlas feels adequately muscular in most driving conditions, however by and enormous, the engine’s character ends at its exhaust be aware. An eight-speed computerized transmission sends energy to all 4 wheels.

Not like Volkswagens of eras previous, the Atlas isn’t terribly composed at larger speeds. The Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade, for instance, really feel far more planted when the speedometer needle sweeps previous 70 miles per hour, and the Honda Pilot feels nimbler and extra tossable on metropolis streets or twisty roads. As in lots of different areas, there’s nothing terribly improper with how the Atlas comports itself – it’ll get you and your loved ones dwelling in a single piece – nevertheless it feels neither athletic nor luxurious. One vivid spot is a superb brake pedal, agency and straightforward to modulate when descending a freeway grade or slowing for heavy site visitors.

Volkswagen Entrance Help is normal on each Atlas, bringing ahead collision warning, pedestrian detection, and computerized emergency braking with it. A expertise package deal out there on the mid-level SE will get adaptive cruise management, to which our SEL added lane centering and full-speed site visitors jam help that may deliver the Atlas to a whole cease. We noticed some ping-ponging between lane strains, though a 2021.5 characteristic referred to as Journey Help ought to enhance the driver-assist tech additional – VW thinks it’ll be higher about dealing with freeway curves.

Even our much less superior 2021 Atlas made good use of its energetic driver help expertise to assist us maintain our consideration on the street whereas decreasing fatigue and offering a wider margin of error. Urgent two buttons is all it takes to deliver adaptive cruise management and lane centering to full alertness (Entrance Help is all the time on until you manually change it off), and all of it labored collectively comparatively seamlessly. Nonetheless, we’d have favored to strive Journey Help to see if it’s nearly as good or higher than the Palisade’s Freeway Drive Help, notably because the new Volkswagen tech offers automated lane-change help.

That growly VR6 engine does its finest to reduce gasoline consumption with direct injection, light-weight aluminum-alloy development, and variable valve timing, nevertheless it’s nonetheless fairly thirsty. At 16 miles per gallon metropolis, 22 freeway, and 18 mixed, the Atlas is without doubt one of the least fuel-efficient autos in its class. The parsimonious Ford Explorer, Mazda CX-9, Subaru Ascent, and Toyota Highlander set the curve with 23 mixed mpg, whereas the Honda Pilot isn’t far behind at 22 mpg. The Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade obtain 21 mpg, and the huge Chevy Traverse will get 20 mpg.

Should you’re in search of gasoline financial system on the Volkswagen supplier, you’re higher off settling for a front-drive Atlas with the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine. So outfitted, you’ll obtain 21 mpg metropolis, 24 freeway, and 22 mixed.

The Atlas lineup begins at $31,545 for the front-wheel-drive 2.0T in S trim, however a V6 SEL 4Motion like the instance you see right here calls for $44,195. Due to a complete set of normal tools, the one choices out there on the trim are a $695 set of second-row captain’s chairs, options our Tourmaline Blue Metallic tester did with out (patrons can even go for a $395 shade of pink in the event that they’re hellbent on spending extra money). That meant a sticker value of $45,215 with vacation spot, although there’s one huge caveat.

Since we don’t embody dealer-installed equipment in our pricing scores (because of potential inconsistencies in set up and pricing from supplier to supplier), we determined to omit the $2,500 Basecamp accent equipment and its attendant $1,000 Fifteen52 wheels from our analysis. For data’s sake, Volkswagen says the equipment takes lower than 4 hours to put in, and the wheels don’t include tires, so the proprietor should supply these. All instructed, we estimate an Atlas configured precisely just like the one we drove would price about $49,000 with equipment, tires, and set up. That looks as if a number of coin for what you get, if we’re sincere.

Although well-equipped, the mid-level Atlas SEL is priced like luxurious trims of its opponents. We’d be tempted by a $44,390 Kia Telluride SX or $45,125 Hyundai Palisade Restricted if we had been spending most of our time on-road, whereas a $45,445 Subaru Ascent Touring would scratch that outdoorsy itch that the Basecamp tries to alleviate. The underside line right here is that the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas is a protected, middle-of-the-road selection within the section, however for a lot of patrons, common simply isn’t adequate.