2022 Volkswagen Atlas Review and Test Drive
Volkswagen plots a path to prosperity with the Atlas SUV.
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Review QuickTakes:
The Volkswagen Atlas debuted for the 2018 model year as a family-sized, three-row crossover SUV. Assembled at VW's Chattanooga, Tennessee plant and bigger than most of its rivals, the Atlas offers ruggedly handsome styling, upscale interior design, comfortable accommodations for seven adults, and cargo space approaching some full-size SUVs.
The 2022 Atlas tops a VW SUV lineup that includes the midsize two-row Atlas Cross Sport, compact Tiguan, compact electric ID.4, and small Taos. All five aim to offer the comfort and interior size U.S. buyers prefer with the interior aesthetics and driving dynamics typical of European vehicles. As the company transitions to an electric future, this quintet is driving the bulk of VW's stateside sales.
For this 2022 Volkswagen Atlas review, I test drove the SEL Premium R-Line in Southern California. It came with extra-cost paint, second-row captain's chairs, rubber floor liners, and a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $54,090, including the $1,295 destination charge. Volkswagen provided the vehicle for this Atlas review.
Christian Wardlaw
2022 Volkswagen Atlas Review: The Design
Volkswagen's first foray into the midsize SUV segment came in the form of the two-row, five-passenger Touareg. The Volkswagen Touareg shared a platform with the Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne, making it expensive, and its soft, rounded edges made me think of a used bar of soap. The name was also somewhat tricky.
You can almost imagine the design directive laid out during the first product planning meetings for the VW Atlas: "Whatever you do, just make it look like an SUV, make sure we can price it competitively, and give it an easy name."
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Mission accomplished. The 2022 Volkswagen Atlas has a boxy, chiseled look that conveys strength and rugged capability, and it's priced below most of its competition. Plus, it has a familiar name that sounds ready for an epic road trip.
However, to make the 2022 Atlas affordable, Volkswagen had to trim costs. For example, the interior contains a significant amount of hard, glossy plastic, and most of the storage areas aren't lined with rubber or fabric, which contributes to rattles and racket from stowed items. So while stylish, the Atlas also struck me as inexpensively outfitted.
The control layout is refreshingly simple. But in a move that recalls the long-defunct Swedish brand Saab, VW locates the Atlas's engine start button on the center console rather than the dashboard. Also, while the infotainment system is generally easy to use, a handful of user interface issues might require acclimation.
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Comfort is king inside the Volkswagen Atlas. Every Atlas has a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat and heated front seats, while the SEL models add an eight-way power-adjustable front passenger's seat. Our SEL Premium R-Line swapped the standard V-Tex leatherette for the real thing, and added a heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats, and heated rear seats. Most Atlases come with a triple-zone automatic climate control system as well.
All Atlas models come with a second-row bench seat as standard equipment. Captain's chairs are an option, and reduce passenger capacity to six. The second row offers plenty of room and support for long-distance comfort, and the panoramic sunroof adds to the sensation of size and space. The rear doors open wide, and the step-in height is relatively low, making it easy to climb in and out.
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However, what sets the Atlas apart is its roomy third-row seat. Mounted high off the floor to ensure there's room for taller adults, the Atlas's third row offers 33.7 inches of legroom, which is more generous than what's found in competitors like the Honda Pilot, Subaru Ascent, and Hyundai Palisade. It's even reasonably easy to enter and exit.
Cargo space is generous. Behind the third-row seat, you'll find 20.6 cubic feet of volume and a usefully sized load floor, but there isn't much hidden storage underneath it. The third-row seats fold completely flat, creating 55.5 cu-ft of cargo space behind the second row. The maximum cargo room measures 96.8 cu-ft with the second-row seats folded down.
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2022 Volkswagen Atlas Review: The Technology
When it comes to technology, Volkswagen strongly focuses on infotainment, driver-assist, and collision-avoidance features. Furthermore, the automaker ensures that many are standard equipment on most versions of the 2022 Atlas.
Concerning infotainment, all trims but the SE get an 8-inch touchscreen display (it's 6.5 inches on the Atlas SE). Touch-sensing shortcut buttons and system control knobs flank the screen for easy sound and radio adjustment. The larger screen upgrades the Atlas's standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to a wireless version, adds more modern software, provides Bluetooth pairing for more than one device, and equips the SUV with wireless smartphone charging.
Buyers also get SiriusXM 360L satellite radio and Car-Net connected services, including access to Wi-Fi, remote start, and Amazon Alexa compatibility. An embedded navigation system is available, and VW provides complimentary subscriptions to both satellite radio and Car-Net Remote Services, after which they cost extra.
Also, while voice recognition is on the 8-inch system's list of attributes, in my experience, for it to work as intuitively as the native digital assistant on your smartphone, you'll need to pay for the Car-Net Hotspot Wi-Fi subscription and a Plus Speech add-on. That requirement means using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and asking Siri or Google for directions will be the more fiscally savvy choice.
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Car-Net Remote Services is free for five years, and includes a Family Guardian package that gives parents of young drivers the ability to set alerts related to vehicle speed, curfew times, and geographic boundaries. Car-Net Safe & Secure requires a paid subscription to activate, and adds additional safety features including an automatic collision notification system, and access to emergency assistance from a live person via an SOS button.
The Atlas's standard active safety equipment and collision-avoidance systems include forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automated emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The Atlas also has a post-collision automated braking system, which is designed to bring the SUV to a stop as soon as possible following a crash, and limit the potential for secondary impacts after the airbags have deployed.
In addition, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability is standard on all Atlases except for the base SE trim level, along with front and rear parking sensors with automated braking.
Choose one of the SEL trims, and the Atlas includes IQ Drive, Volkswagen's name for all of the above, plus Lane Assist, Travel Assist, and Emergency Assist. Here are the details of each:
- Lane Assist encompasses lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist.
- Travel Assist combines the adaptive cruise control with lane-centering assist to provide semi-autonomous driving assistance on highways.
- Emergency Assist detects when a driver has let go of the steering wheel and commences emergency stopping under the assumption that they have fallen asleep or suffered a medical emergency.
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All Atlas SEL models also get automatic high-beam headlights and an adaptive front lighting system that helps a driver to see around dark curves and corners at night, while the SEL Premium R-Line is exclusively available with a surround-view camera system and semi-autonomous parking assistance technology.
For the most part, the Atlas's IQ Drive systems work well. But during my evaluation, Lane Assist issued false alerts and corrections frequently enough to convince me to turn off the lane-keeping function. However, you cannot do that through the appropriate menu on the infotainment system while driving. Instead, a message pops up saying this limitation is for your safety. Yet, you can disable the lane-keeping assist via the digital instrumentation while the Atlas is rolling down the road. Arguably, that process is more distracting than it might be using the center touchscreen.
Another issue cropped up whenever my entire family joined me in the Atlas. The automated braking would slam the SUV to a stop at the bottom of our driveway, as the rear parking sensors detected the street and presumed the Atlas was about to reverse into an object. With just a driver aboard, this was not an issue.
As far as crash-test ratings are concerned, the 2022 Atlas earned Good ratings in most evaluations performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). However, the VW Atlas is ineligible for the IIHS's Top Safety Pick rating due to Marginal-rated standard headlight performance and Basic pedestrian detection capability.
In testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the 2022 Atlas earned a five-star Overall Rating.
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2022 Volkswagen Atlas Review: The Drive
Volkswagen gets many things about the 2022 Atlas right, but the powertrains aren't a high point. The standard engine is a 235-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, and while it's undoubtedly effective in VW's smaller and lighter vehicles, the numbers suggest that in the hulking Atlas, it might struggle. Plus, it requires premium fuel.
That said, I've never driven an Atlas turbo, so its 258 lb-ft of torque may compensate for the relatively low horsepower. But considering Volkswagen doesn't offer the turbocharged four on the two highest trim levels, and that it tows no more than 2,000 pounds, it's reasonable to conclude that the automaker has deemed it a poor fit for the most expensive versions of the Atlas.
Instead, the SEL R-Line Black and SEL Premium R-Line have VW's 3.6-liter V6 engine and all-wheel drive as standard equipment (the 3.6-liter engine is optional with SE Technology and SEL trim). That means there's a more robust 276 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque on tap. When compared to the base front-wheel-drive model, the added power comes at the cost of 3 mpg in combined driving. Notably, the Atlas V6 comes up short against rivals like the Honda Pilot and Hyundai Palisade when it comes to power, though it does provide a solid 5,000-lb towing capacity.
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Both engines use an eight-speed automatic transmission powering the SUV's front wheels. Volkswagen's 4Motion AWD system is optional with the SE, SE Technology, and SEL trims, and it decouples the rear wheels when AWD isn't necessary. When added traction is desirable, it can send up to half of the engine's power to the rear axle. Drivers can select Eco, Normal, Sport, or Individual driving modes, and with AWD, the Atlas provides Snow, On-Road, Off-Road, and Off-Road Custom powertrain calibrations. Maximum ground clearance measures 7.5 inches.
With only the driver aboard, acceleration with the V6 feels merely adequate. Add a family and some cargo, and the Atlas doesn't feel like it's in much of a hurry, though using Sport mode helps to increase the sense of urgency. Furthermore, I found the drivetrain exhibited a somewhat unrefined feel and sound. During testing, the SEL Premium R-Line averaged 19.6 mpg, performing slightly better than the official EPA fuel economy rating of 19 mpg in combined driving.
The steering and braking systems behave as expected of a family-sized SUV, and because you can easily judge the Atlas's corners, it's remarkably easy to park, especially considering its size. Also, the SEL Premium R-Line's big 21-inch wheels and wide tires supply plenty of grip in corners and curves, making the Atlas entertaining to fling around freeway ramps. This is an SUV that will frequently remind its driver of its Germanic origins.
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However, Volkswagen may have stretched its Modular Transverse Matrix vehicle platform to extremes while creating the Atlas. Volkswagen Group uses the platform for numerous models, from its Polo subcompact to the three-row Atlas. In the Atlas, I found sharp bumps, cracks, and potholes can shudder up through the suspension and into the cabin, making the SUV sound and feel flimsy. Perhaps to compensate, it has a soft ride with pronounced body float, bounce, wallow, and roll. In my opinion an adaptive damping suspension would improve the ride and handling tremendously.
Though Volkswagen equips the Atlas 4Motion with numerous traction enhancement settings, as well as Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control, I elected to stick to paved roads during testing. With the SEL Premium R-Line's expensive 21-inch wheels, low-profile 265/45 all-season tires, and modest ground clearance, the risk felt greater than the potential reward.
Christian Wardlaw
Is the 2022 Volkswagen Atlas a good SUV?
The 2022 Volkswagen Atlas is great for people who frequently carry more than four or five passengers or who want generous cargo space. Good looks help to seal the deal, and most of the technology should impress modern buyers. That said, with a more suitable engine, a tauter ride, upgraded interior materials, and an improved infotainment user experience, the 2022 Atlas would be more than just a good SUV. It would be a great one.
