The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Is Still The Family Friendliest 3-Row SUV In America
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ก.พ. 2024
- VW gave their biggest SUv in America a solid refresh for 2024. On the outside it gets an angrier grille with 30% more tripple-blade razor and some of the best LED headlights in the segment. Every Atlas gets new illuminated logos so even in the dark folks will know fahrvergnügen is on the road with them. On the inside we get more tech and a controversial touch-control LCD infotainment system but that's balanced by one of the most handsome dashboard designs in the segment. Also re-worked? The engine lineup. Gone is the 3.6L VR6 and the old 2.0L turbo and in their place is a new 2.0L turbo that delivers better performance than the old V6 with slightly better fuel economy.
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Just bought a 2024 last week based on Alex's review (and Raitti, and Soyfan). The infotainment is actually very intuitive and the lack of buttons is no biggie after a day of use. It's really not an issue and just takes a couple of hours to get used to. Presently in March 2024, the Atlas's are the much better value over the competitors because VW dealers haven't lost their minds like the Korean twins, and Toyota/Honda dealers have in terms of pricing and discounts. You can get a pretty loaded SE w/Tech package for right around the $40-41K range right now. You can't sniff a Grand Highlander for anything less than $50K (if you can find one) and to get a Pilot with the same features, you're also looking at $50K+. The CX90 is a disaster right now with tons of issues (first year car issues) and I still don't trust Kia/Hyundai as long as they're telling owners that 1quart of oil consumption for every 1000 miles is normal.
I thought I would not mind the new infotainment system and all the touch controls. But after test-driving the 2024 Atlas three times, I realized how much I hated it and ended up buying a used 2021 Atlas. The third-row seats are just unbeatable in this segment, better than the grand highlander.
If I recall your right I think the Grand Highlander 3rd row is not as comfy also the new Pilot I felt is more comfy than the new GH.
I wouldnt mind this car but New touch climate controls are a deal killer. And now I found out that they don't light up? Wow.
It really is not that big of a deal than people make it out to be, use it for a bit and it’s a non-issue.
@@pine111agreed except for how it doesn’t light up at night like what lmao
@@jjqq2743 It’s a confusing choice and I wish it were illuminated but you get used to it not being illuminated very quickly. VW is adding illumination to their sliders in their cars now anyways, so it’ll probably make its way to the Atlas soon.
These large sized SUV’s look like someone installed the starter motor but forgot the engine 🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️😆😆😆
It seems any unreliable car manufacturers like touch screen. Honda/Toyota/Mazda keep using old school physical buttons.
Back in 2020-21, when I was midsize SUV shopping, I was going to get the Atlas, but ended up with the Highlander Hybrid... that 35 mpg is hard to resist, and less stops for fueling up.
The Grand Highlander was on the top of my list until the iihs crash test results came out. The Atlas checks all the boxes and the touch controls work well once you learn the system. Overall we loved the looks, feel and driving of the Atlas and 3rd row seat comfort and size.
Great video thank you. I know you said the engine doesn't matter, but is that only considering initial quality? Are there long term concerns when putting smaller engines in big vehicles? Since you get the same mpg as a V6, is it working harder and will have issues sooner?
No one talks about how VW’s adaptive lights not only swivel with the steering, they have auto-leveling. That’s a must in my opinion for any vehicle designed to carry a lot of passengers and/or cargo. Don’t blind the oncoming drivers. Very few manufacturers outside the luxury segment offer auto-leveling.
I had something like that in my Kia Stinger it was super useful when driving around tight corners.
@japanwatchconnectionOur Taos SEL does, too. Some trims of the ID.4 do, also. Curiously, not even the top trim of the Jetta does, though. Not sure about the Tiguan.
I hate the touch sensitive climate controls and no physical controls
I’d go cx90 telluride palisade pilot etc
I don´t know if I hate it or not, because I didn´t even understand it LOL. However, I'm waiting for mine. I choosed this one because the huge space and its the only one with AWD (no one else has it here in Mx).
Alex, thank you. You easily have the best reviews and review based on the vehicles indended market. We have 3 kids in various seats so that was huge. We also wanted a loaded model with 2nd row bench, and that is nearly impossible to find - either not made or dealers dont have them, but it was easy to get an Atlas SEL Rline with a 2nd row bench. And 3 car seat fit in the second row without rebuying slim width seats. We had a 2019 Atlas before the 2024 and the '24 is much better. 2.0 is miles better than the VR6 in power and driving. The suspension is much better tuned as well, the 2019 rode bad, no other way to put it - to the point we swapped the 21" tires to 18". The 2024 rides better in 21s than the 2019 did on 18s. The reviews that say it rides harsh give away that the reviewer didnt actually drive a 2024 and just redid a review of the 2019.
You do such a great job Alex!!
What's the point of ising a 2 liter turbo when the V6 gets the same fuel economy?
Better emissions
@@DeadAir21which pollutants?
Its faster. The earlier V6 felt a big lag which was a complaint from everyone. This is better. Including the mileage actually. The earlier one I believe was 20avg, but this is 23.
@@nj6441Still would take a V6 for reliability. Not a fan of this small displacement turbo engine push in these larger vehicles.
@@matthewgeissinger2856 The turbos are getting better these days, but I get your point. the V6 has a longer proven reliability than the latest turbos.
Great Review. Been waiting for you to do this one, because I was interested in this. And I agree that the only GHighlander that is comparable in price is the hybrid version, but for the price you pay, you lose out on a lot of features from the G Highlander, but for the same price this one is fully loaded. Also, the other point I want to say or rather ask is that would you actually be able to put 3 adults in the 3rd row of any mid-size SUV? You could say 3 kids, but then they would have to be kids that are big enough to avoid car seats but not too big to be adults. It's better to have 2 good seats than 3 cramped seats IMHO. Definitely more family friendly than most others and I agree with you, this has seriously good looks, both interior and exterior.
Alex, The Atlas makes me shrug.😉🤣 Its 18 mpg figure would not be out of place for a body-on-frame SUV. If you can get one, the Grand Highlander Hybrid wins by a mile and 15 mpg.🤩🤩
I had to settle for the Atlas because it was over a year for grand highlander hybrid. Absurd
The Grand Highlander got only acceptable on the IIHS small overlap driver side test that has been around forever and almost every new car gets good on… and because of that failed to get any Top Safety Pick at all, it’s pretty pathetic considering how the Grand Highlander is a brand new car that didn’t get good on a test that’s been around for about a decade now.
The Atlas has a Top Safety Pick+, the Grand Highlander isn’t winning by a mile if you care about the safety of your family and yourself.
Hey Alex, when you put that line at the bottom to show us the length of the different vehicles to compare to each other, I wish you would put the amount of inches along that line just so we can get some context. With the Telluride being way on the other end from the Grand Cherokee L, there's nothing to tell me whether the difference along the whole line is 3 inches or 10 inches.
We tried that but on smaller screens it's unreadable.
@@AAutoBuyersGuideat least write a number on the left and on the right. Then it'll tell us what the spread is between the shortest and longest, you don't have to write the measurements for every single vehicle.
@@Kamla5abi86 thank you for that answer. It's just that a lot of videos state a lot of stats, and it's hard for the layman watcher, especially when given separate statistics, to use comparisons and such when they are not right next to each other to read at the same time.
And like I said I think your suggestion makes it that much easier for us
Both people I know that had this on the list of vehicles they were cross shopping didn't go with it for any other reason other than reliability reputation, either brand or the model itself. VW has a lot of work still to do on this front and I hope they keep it up.
Very good review.
Lack of physical controls kills it for me. I was looking larger 3 row, but I'll probably end up getting a santa fe hybrid and saving about 10k.
I'd love a dedicated comparison video of the segment.
Atlas in the SEL trim is very nicely optioned.
Thanks, nice review Alex.
VW Group has gradually increased the power output of its 2.0 Turbo engine; 250hp, 270hp, etc. Design improvement when new can be a trade off against other characteristics.
Any opinion on long term durability versus a V6?
Hi Alex! As always great video. Do you recommend this vehicle for towing a travel trailer 3800 Dry Weight?
I have a 24 Atlas. Recently pulled a 3500lb box. Towed fantastic. No issues at all.
@@steveam29 And what about the suspension? Doesn't it sink too much?
@@JaimeLAlmirall not at all. That was a tandem axel without a weight distribution hitch.
[...] And Amber turn signals in the rear....
Love to see more automotive journalists giving more attention to this very important feature, normally ignored here in NA
I'm about to get my Atlas Peak Editon, I was considering Pilot, Highlander, Teelluride and ATLAS
Bought a 2024 SE w/Tech last week cross shopping the same competitors as you. For the price, comfort, size, and features, the Atlas is the better value. Also, the included 3 years of maintenance is a big attraction too. The infotainment everyone is ragging on is actually better than the one in our 22 Pathfinder once you get used to it. Just be aware that the SEL's Harmon sound system is not as good as the stock system presently, as there's some limiter in the software that limits volume and bass output. Lots of messages on the forums talking about this and how they wished they would've just gotten the SE instead of the SEL.
The Base SE AWD for ~$41K is a great value buy. The higher the trims the less it makes sense.
What car seat is that? That base looked easy for you to remove.
What a nice looking car🎉
No idea what VW is thinking with the touchscreen controls for HVAC. My 2019 Jetta strikes the perfect balance: Plenty of functions on the touch screen but some nice knobs and buttons to control most basic HVAC. It works perfectly.
I see this written a lot but I guess I just don't understand. It feels like people complaining about the iPhone when it first came out and now look...The touch buttons and screens are very responsive, they feel great, SUPER easy to clean with no cracks for dust and all that. Overall I love them. I even bought a new GTI and love them there as well.
Why aren’t the Mazda CX-90’s measurements in your data comparisons (headroom, etc)? Big omission, as the new CX-90 is now one of the largest 3-row SUVs that’s already available on the market.
This is my 2nd favorite 3 row crossover currently in the market, which strikes a perfect balance of design, utility, and features.
Even if you were to look up market at vehicles like the BMW X7, Cadillac Escalade, Audi SQ7, etc you will have a difficult time justifying the premium on said vehicles.
My favorite even now is the Hyundai Palisade. Pound per pound, I think the Hyundai edges out the Atlas. But I would prefer the powertrain of the Atlas over the one you find in the Palisade/Telluride.
IMO, i'd say go for the Grand Cherokee L before they discontinue the V8 for that model, although that may be more expensive than the rest of the competition. Or the Explorer with the twin turbo V6. Because the fuel economy of this is on par with most SUVs with a V8. You might as well get the larger engine.
Apart from the touch controls especially the climate ones, everything else is perfect in the car. I don’t know how you compare the seats especially the seats; out of all the cars that I have sat in this segment, Atlas by far has the best leg space.
Saw one 2024 on the road and loved the new taillight signature. Very modern.
I like Volkswagens & I will try to buy this SUV.
Thanks Alex! The like on the video is for you!! as you always do a phenomenal job with info about cars but when it comes to VW....could care less as they have been sucking at building cars for quite some time now...they should be right up there with Ford, Chevy, Jeep reliability...haven't check CR but im sure, it's not stellar...
They not only do that but they turn off the adaptive beams and lower them closer to the ground to prevent glaring. Look up the arteon press release. Duh
269-hp seems just low for its size on paper whether it's actually adequate or not.
Why not put the outgoing Arteon's 300-hp engine in the Atlas? Then again, I really don't expect to see any good decision making by VW at this point. 😔
I don’t understand who the imitation exhaust system at the bottom of the bumper was made for?
After 10k in VW Turbocharged, that engine becomes extremely fuel efficient. We have one that averages more than 30 mpg easily. German turbocharged needs time to settle down and then it is smooth sailing afterwards whether in fuel efficiency and torquey in city driving.
Thats interesting… Is it 2024 model ?
Sad that they also won't give this an edge to the competition and disable the adaptive taillights... "Iq light" in literally every other market. Look up the toureg from 2022. But VW and BMW still give us the ability to code software.
Should have kept the vr6 engine
The V6 in this segment is on its way to being extinct.
No Physical buttons is a real killer in the Atlas
That 2.0 turbo does not look right sitting in that engine bay. They should have kept the smooth VR6 and maybe just updated it a bit.
4 popper with 18mpg is disappointing....need that 31 gal fuel tank.
You might as well get a Grand Cherokee with the V8.🤷♂️
I see zero reasons to buy this over the competition. The Touch climate controls is a step backwards and screams cost cutting at it’s worst. It was terrible in the GTI and it’s terrible here for a vehicle that’s $10k more
This vehicle with a 4 cyl turbo is proof that they are only using small displacement turbo engines cause they are cheaper. My 09 Honda pilot has the same gas mileage and HP
What about VW reliability?
280hp only for such a behemoth.. My compact suv have that much
Why is the Subaru Ascent not a comparison vehicle?
Oh sorry you addressed my question at 23:19 Lol!
There's 15 vehicles in this class, and the Ascent is one of the smallest in the class. The Atlas is one of the bigger/biggest ones
At 21 mpg it is actually worse than many V-6 mpg which defeats the purpose of forcing the four banger into this vehicle
Interesting that almost everything of this size that I’ve watched reviews of (luxury and non luxury) is 71 db at 50 mph.
Not having physical controls is bad. Can't stand the touch sensitive controls.
Also they took away auto vehicle hold and not sure how the auto emergency brake works. Haven't had a close call to test yet.
Someone please remind these designers that even an iPhone has physical buttons on the side to turn the volume up and down. Not everything needs to be a capacitive touch control. Just because I would like to touch a button or turn a knob doesn't mean you need to roll me into a sunny corner with my Cream of Wheat and some Lawrence Welk tunes. Even elder Millennials like some feedback from their controls. Even toddlers like busy boards with actual things to manipulate.
Very near the bottom of the three-row midsize crossover pack.
Good looking SUV, but there are better options.
I own 2024 atlas premium sel r line cross sport. Besides bad fuel economy. It’s a much higher end of the other vehicles you’re comparing to. Outback and passport and rav4. There totally different types of vehicles.
Own a 24 SEL and it’s a really nice car. Reliability TBD but the car itself is great for the price.
Wish it was a hybrid but ventilated seats standard are hard to beat. Also TBD on the engine over time but for now it’s great. No complaints.
The touch controls are a non issue.
It’s just people who have barely had experience with VW’s touch controls or haven’t had any experience with them at all that complain about them the most.
People with the actual experience of living with the touch controls like owners don’t complain nearly as much or if all.
It’s genuinely not nearly as big as an issue as the people who barely if at all have actually used the system make it out to be.
You're too funny...at the 16:41 mark of your video, you state that "thanlkully VW gives us 4 window switches"...HA HA...I think you meant to say that they give us four "AUTO UP AND DOWN" window switches...
VW electric has only 2 window switches with a 3rd button to switch control from front to back seats. Dumb and not well received. So Alex was referring to that disaster.
Yep.
I have a 23’ Atlas and still has the Porsche V6 or does Porsche have a VW motor 😵
Porsche has been using “Audi” V6 since about 2018-19 in Macan S et al.
@@alliejr Audi been using VW 4 and VR6 many years . Look under Audi hood stamping on motor .. VW
Before I decided for the Explorer I decided against the Atlas because of the seat trim, engines and poor mpg. I would still not buy it for the mpg and the updated engine doesn’t convince me.
I prefer reliability of my rdx and mdx, and would choose pilot before this for same reason
@japanwatchconnection not like before because most are American and Mexican made where standards and work ethics to build quality is less....but still better than rest, only behind Toyota because they offer more fun factors and so more abuse.
4 cylinders and still only getting 18 mpg. why didn't they even waste their time.
The Grand Highlander is 0.7 inches longer
Where is the hybrid VW?
VW decided that hybrids had no future so they are skipping straight to EVs.
@@gs98999 yet, VW has hybrids in other markets.
front looks like a ford, imo
Yeah basically the Expedition front with a big VW logo, no wonder they made it big and illuminated lol
Literally looks like a ford expedition
I can't believe they put these mico engines with turbos on large vehicles like this, and the terrible MPG is nearly unforgivable.
As soon as I heard it had a 2.0 w/turbo I was out, no thanks.
This dude is like most Americans. They like Toyota based on their history back in the 80’s and 90’s. Today they put out the ugliest plastic looking cars and are recall machines today. Reliability my ass!
But it’s a modern Volkswagen and it won’t hold up for long. The family friendliest is a Toyota sienna.
Stay away. Wife got the 2024 fully loaded cross sport atlas. Engine failure within 4 months of purchase (december 2023). Got truck back a few days ago and got the following message "Error: Drive system. Please service vehicle." This is AFTER dealer replaced the engine. Truck is back in the shop. Repeat, stay away!
This 2.0L engine sucked in a small sedan, imagine what will happened to it in a big SUV where it gets no respite.
It has been said that this is a different 2.0 turbo from the one you know. Which would mean that it should be more powerful than the old 2.0 turbo.
@@damilolaakanni it is not the power that I am concerned about, but will it die after 50k?
I might go with the hyundai palisade over the Atlas.
and a wheezing 4 banger turbo to move this behemoth family hauler that will always be in boost...yes, let's get rid of the naturally aspirated VR6......smh
Bring back pre-Americanization VW.
2nd refresh of this model. Is it better than before? Sure, but thats only because the previous one had a horribly cheap interior. Now they dressed it up with that hideous front and rear LED lighbar.
@@japanwatchconnection pre Atlas VW had quality interiors, engineering and features. They were a poor man's Audi.
Now Vw is just a German Chevrolet. Bleh cars with space and not much else to differentiate. Boring npc cars. Case in point Jetta, anonymous styling contraption that will get you from point a to point b.
A second refresh on the Atlas to bring it within earshot of cars like the GH, Palisade and Telluride.
For next year, Atlas will come with 1lit turbo😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂.......dont waste your money on this crap when there are V6 options🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
@japanwatchconnection Toyota is more powerful with electric motor hybrid setup. V6 engines with Honda pilot, Acura MDX, Hyundai Kia....several others......weakest engine is in Atlas....Got it buddy????🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪
Terrible interior controls + meh mpg = pass.
I still just don't understand why this car exists. It's so "meh" in every way. Especially with only 6" of ground clearance.
Toyota Grand Highlander is the better choice.
Not if you care about safety, the Atlas got IIHS Top Safety Pick+ while the Grand Highlander got no award at all from IIHS because of their failure to get a good rating on the small overlap driver side.
This is a test that’s been around for about a decade and basically every new car passes, the fact that the Grand Highlander didn’t pass reeks of laziness from Toyota, a family SUV, where safety is top priority, and it doesn’t pass a test that’s been around forever? Pathetic if you’d ask me.
No it’s not. It’s really not…😂
The gh isn’t that attractive vs the rivals, once the outgoing traverse disappears in room for the new one, the grand Highlander will now have the worst interior in the segment. The tech is still dated, it’s not as advanced, it lacks features for the price, interior space is barely better than a telluride despite being a much bigger vehicle in terms of exterior size. The hybrid and hybrid max are nice but not enough to forgive those negatives. Also on the con side, the grand Highlander is way overpriced. Combine that with a poor crash test score
Eight people in a vehicle is a lot of humans! Let another soccer mom scoot another seven - no problem!
As to the screen, what a punt by VW just grabbing something old from their parts bin.
The tiny engine? No way.
As far as the problematic black shiny, scratchy, dusty plastic, I do appreciate that Nissan addressed this in the Pathfinder (not saying the Pathfinder is great, just their solution regarding smudge plastic).
Good review but yawn on the car….
I’m sorry why do people buy this?
Engine, ick. No thanks.
It may be the family friendliest, but not the driver friendliest thanks to VW's fascination with touch controls, no thanks.
Turbo 4 🫤. I'm out
With those interior controls...
I'm literally shocked they can sell any of these. 👎
Maybe because the interior controls are genuinely not nearly as big as an issue as people on the internet make it out to be
@@pine111 VW knows that they screwed up. They are going back to physical buttons and will have a prominent volume knob in all models. Their CEO announced it late last year.
@@haze1123 They’re only going back on it because people who haven’t touched the system complain about it online like it’s the worst thing ever when in reality it’s fine. Would I prefer buttons? Sure, but the system VW has is perfectly fine and people acting like it’s a dealbreaker are overreacting extremely and have probably barely used the system and are just parroting things they heard from others parroting.
That might be true for some, but personally I would never buy any car that didn't have a volume knob. It's like a gas pedal. I use it constantly and the design cannot be improved.
No V6 ? Bye bye VW !!
Yes.....a "family friendly" SUV with bamboo wood trim with integrated ambient lighting etc etc but lets not include a volume knob or back lit controls??......great! LOL What a disaster
You have physical volume knobs on the steering wheel. Calm down.
not correct, there is no physical volume "knob" on the steering wheel.
Its the same shit as before. How you managed to talk about it for half and hour??
Ugly cheap plastic, poor quality, poor reliability, poor dealer care and service.
You just described todays Toyota and Honda lol
POS plastic engine parts. Hard pass don’t spent hard earned money on cheap German engineering.
@japanwatchconnection my reply will seem staged as your handle is japanwatchconnection. I generally buy Japanese, preferably Made in Japan.
And you probably forgot that Japanese brands use plastic engine parts too LOL😆
You seen a Toyota or Honda recently. They have More plastic and recalls than VW. Yet they still win reliability awards. My ass!
Who cares about lights
Plenty of people, I guess. Those who like to discuss the overall design of the vehicle. The lights play an important role here.
2.0 I4 but more expensive than CX-90 3.3 I6 LOL
Lol......no plactic engine that will melt too...
Go into a CX-90 and you’ll see why, the CX-90 is insanely cramped for this segment.
that's bc the Mazda uses a LONGITUDINAL platform which is MORE EXPENSIVE, even more reason why the VW with its cheaper TRANSVERSE platform should cost LESS, you are clueless@@pine111