30,000-Mile Update
Sometimes it feels like we’re piling on. When one of us starts complaining about a car, it’s all too easy to join in. We summarized a few negative comments about our Volkswagen Atlas and its lack of Germanic driving verve in its last update. But not everyone has bought into the narrative that the Atlas is a disappointing vehicle.
Staff photographer Marc Urbano, who shuttled his family to Pittsburg in the Atlas during the December holiday season, was prepared to be underwhelmed by the three-row VW. But he found it to be a comfortable on the freeway, and said, “if you aren’t going into it thinking it might be sporty the Atlas is just fine.” Of course, “just fine” is not effusive praise, either.
Road test editor Becca Hackett also couldn’t figure out why so many of us dislike the Atlas, although she did note a small annoyance with the windshield wipers in a snowstorm. Though the wipers are said to be “rain-sensing,” they don’t seem to do as good of a job sensing snow. Hackett noted frustratingly random wiper activity when in auto mode and had to assume manual control by repeatedly hitting the stalk to clear the white stuff off the windshield.
The Atlas is still riding on its splendid Yokohama winter tires, and staff editor Austin Irwin also encountered plenty of powder (pictured above) when he took the Atlas up to Oscoda, Michigan, to fish through a hole bored into a frozen lake. Technical editor David Beard also took the Atlas “Up North”, but Beard’s winter activities are a bit more active. On his way to a weekend of snowmobiling he complimented the supple highway ride while also complaining about the sluggishness and passing power of the 3.6-liter V-6 engine.
The Atlas’s average fuel economy of 19 mpg hasn’t budged in recent months, and it remains spot-on the EPA’s combined fuel-economy estimate. We took it to the dealership for a 30,000-mile service, which included routine stuff such as an oil and filter change, a tire rotation, and various inspections for a total of $ 138.99. We had no quality complaints or any issues this term, but the technicians did perform a service action at no charge that involved removing the plugs for the sunroof drains and cleaning out the drains to prevent clogging.
Months in Fleet: 13 months Current Mileage: 30,534 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 19 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 18.6 gal Observed Fuel Range: 350 miles
Service: $ 559 Normal Wear: $ 0 Repair: $ 0
Damage and Destruction: $ 821
20,000-Mile Update
Roughly halfway through its 40,000-mile long-term test, our Volkswagen Atlas’s standout characteristic is its size. Most comments in the logbook remark on the, uh, remarkable amount of interior space it provides for passengers and cargo. This is VW’s biggest SUV ever, and largeness seems to be its sole reason for being.
But we might have hoped for a bit more spunk and driving character from the sole German entrant in the nonluxury three-row SUV segment, which is otherwise full of American, Japanese, and Korean competitors. “There’s nothing German about how the Atlas acts or drives. It might as well be a Chevy,” wrote deputy editor Tony Quiroga. No other logbook comments offered up any rebuttals.
Really, the Atlas’s branding is the only thing that’s German about it, as it’s built in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and was developed specifically for the American market. No surprise, then, that this Volkswagen excels at things that Americans love to do, such as stuffing vehicles full of items from big-box stores.
Executive editor Ryan White used the Atlas’s expansive cargo space during trips to Target, Best Buy, and Bed Bath & Beyond, and then documented a long list of things that comfortably fit in the Atlas during a move: two beds, two mattresses, one ladder, luggage, and two cats. Other editors strapped Christmas trees to its roof, hauled firewood in the back, and used the Atlas to transport detritus to the recycling center.
The Atlas has visited the dealer a few times since our last check-in, both for repairs and regular maintenance. We paid $ 821 to replace a cracked windshield and $ 148 for a scheduled 20,000-mile service that included an oil filter replacement and a tire rotation. During that same service the dealer found a leak in the bevel box—the component that turns the transmission output 90 degrees to turn the rear driveshaft when the all-wheel-drive system is engaged—and replaced the entire box under warranty. Prior to that, an airbag warning light reared its head at around 15,000 miles, a problem that stemmed from twisted and frayed wiring, which also was fixed it under warranty.
In mid-November, we fitted the Atlas with OE-size Yokohama IceGuard winter tires just in time for the first snowstorm of the season. This author then took it on a trip to Nashville for the Thanksgiving holiday and stuffed it full of food and family members. Our average fuel economy stands at 19 mpg, which is spot on the EPA’s combined estimate and about what you’d expect for something with this much interior space.
Months in Fleet: 10 months Current Mileage: 23,715 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 19 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 18.6 gal Observed Fuel Range: 350 miles
Service: $ 420 Normal Wear: $ 0 Repair: $ 0
Damage and Destruction: $ 821
10,000-Mile Update
With six months and nearly 12,000 miles on its clock, our long-term 2019 Volkswagen Atlas has begun to show its true colors. A favorite for moving large amounts of people and things, it’s been employed as a weekend getaway vehicle to northern Michigan as well as a few neighboring states, and staffers have begun to weigh in with some critical observations and informed opinions.
Most agree that while the interior is laid out logically and the controls are placed intuitively, the quality and feel of the plastic materials are a little out of place considering the nearly $ 50K as-tested price of our top-trim V6 SEL 4MOTION model. While the 276-hp 3.6-liter narrow-angle V-6 is not the brawniest engine in the segment, associate online editor Joey Capparella noted that “It sounds weirdly good and almost burbly in this application.” Senior editor Mike Sutton commented on the powertrain as well, remarking that “The aggressive throttle tip-in can’t mask a shortness of easy low-down torque.” Other drivers noted that once it’s up to speed, the engine, rated for 266 lb-ft at 2750 rpm, made merging into highway traffic and conducting passing maneuvers comparatively stress-free.
But it was director of vehicle testing Dave VanderWerp’s six-passenger, 2034-mile spring-break family adventure from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Hilton Head, South Carolina, and back that really tested the Atlas’s abilities. Ever the observant technician, VanderWerp spared no ink in recording his findings. “The front-row seats are among the most long-haul comfortable I’ve experienced.” To which he added, “The second row is massive (there’s far more space than needed for my six-foot, five-inch frame), and the third row is near adult friendly as well. Importantly, the space behind the third row is right up there with the largest in this class.” While that’s impressive, VanderWerp points out that the Atlas is not a minivan, and a hitch-mounted luggage carrier was required to transport the balance of his family’s belongings.
With the Atlas fully loaded with people and gear, VanderWerp also noted that the aggressive throttle tip-in and the transmission’s known tendency to upshift early, ostensibly in a quest for improved fuel economy, are even more pronounced. Trial and error reveals that selecting the VW’s Sport drive mode and matting the throttle helps to somewhat alleviate the early shift syndrome, but even then, both upshifts and downshifts can lack refinement. The Atlas’s ride quality, previously called out by other editors for its unique ability to alternate from harsh around town to soft and wallowy over large undulations at speed, also seemed magnified under heavy cargo loads. That said, the Atlas handles and corners far better than it has a right to on its big 20-inch wheels and 255/50R-20 Continental CrossContact LX Sport tires, making it feel less massive than its profile suggests.
The Atlas’s highway range, or lack thereof, proved to be a minor annoyance, though. Despite traveling exclusively on the highway, the VanderWerp clan discovered that the VW routinely needed refueling well before passengers required a food or restroom break. To his point, the Atlas has thus far returned an average of 19 mpg, which, given the 18.6-gallon fuel tank, works out to about 350 miles between fill-ups. VanderWerp also collected a subset of dedicated fuel-economy numbers during his family’s excursion, including a calculated 23 mpg for one 376-mile leg of highway travel; the Atlas’s trip computer over the same stretch indicated 22 mpg.
While the Atlas’s first chunk of miles with us have passed without any unscheduled dealer visits, the VW’s first scheduled stop at 10,090 miles did relieve us of $ 272.41 for an oil change, tire rotation, and inspection. With the summer travel season far from over, the capacious Atlas surely will embark on at least a couple more long-distance treks under close observation.
Months in Fleet: 5 months Current Mileage: 11,754 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 19 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 18.6 gal Observed Fuel Range: 350 miles
Service: $ 272.41 Normal Wear: $ 0 Repair: $ 0
Damage and Destruction: $ 0
Introduction
Think of the Volkswagen Atlas as a rolling act of German-American diplomacy. A genuine three-row mid-size crossover, it’s the first Volkswagen SUV configured from the start to appeal to Americans and their oversize appetites for, well, everything. Introduced for the 2018 model year, the Atlas is assembled in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which adds to its cross-cultural identity. To see how well it endures under the unyielding weight of real-world domestic duty, we collected a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas V6 SEL with VW’s 4Motion all-wheel-drive system and the $ 5200 Premium package for a 40,000-mile long-term evaluation.
The Atlas starts at a class-competitive $ 31,890 with front-wheel drive, but our top-of-the-line model rings in at $ 49,390. The upside is, that sum includes a full complement of equipment, including our example’s Pacific Blue metallic paint, a leather interior, and VW’s latest infotainment and connectivity features, among other niceties. Other extras that we passed on include second-row captain’s chairs ($ 695), a frameless auto-dim rearview mirror ($ 235), and a few additional interior and exterior options such as floor mats, roof rack accessories, and side steps. Our test car is equipped with 20-inch, six-spoke alloy wheels wrapped in 255/50R-20 Continental Cross Contact LX Sport all-season tires, although 21-inchers are available for a $ 700 upcharge.
Initial Results
Although we enjoyed the low-rpm torque and fleet-footed moves of a front-drive 2018 Atlas powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four we tested previously, we felt the naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V-6 with all-wheel drive was more in tune with our mission. Rated at 276 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque, the narrow-angle V-6 funnels its output through an eight-speed automatic transmission, while an electronically controlled clutch metes out torque to the rear wheels when the system detects slip at the front. After a short break-in period, the Atlas clicked off an 8.0-second zero-to-60-mph run and a quarter-mile pass of 16.1 seconds at 90 mph. It’s worth noting that our long-termer trails the aforementioned 2.0T model by 0.8 second to 60 mph and 0.5 second through the quarter, largely thanks to the 2.0-liter version’s 491-pound weight advantage.
Our V-6 model is EPA rated at 17 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway; so far, we’ve matched the EPA’s city estimate over the VW’s first 2756 miles, which means the Atlas often struggles to top 300 miles on a fill of its 18.6-gallon fuel tank. Slightly more impressive, though, is the 4759-pound Atlas’s respectable amount of road adhesion, which helped it stop from 70 mph in 165 feet and orbit the skidpad at a solid 0.88 g.
The Atlas’s boxy shape may be devoid of adventurous styling, but it pays huge dividends in terms of interior space, particularly the adult-friendly third row. Just days after arriving, the big VW became a preferred vehicle for office lunch sorties and weekend excursions. That said, it’s only strayed from home on two occasions: a weekend jaunt to Toronto and a trek to New York. The general consensus so far is that it drives smaller than its footprint would suggest, and that the interior plastics and fit and finish might not be up to the same standard as that of certain Volkswagen products with a bit more Teutonic breeding in their lineage.
Towing Trials
Pulling a trailer is a required extracurricular activity for most of the pickups and SUVs in our long-term fleet, and we were pleased to find that the V-6–powered Atlas is rated to tow 5000 pounds from its standard trailer hitch (2.0-liter models are rated to tow only 2000 pounds). We were somewhat bemused, however, to find that—despite being wired for towing at the factory—the Atlas did not arrive with a connector to interface the vehicle wiring with a standard trailer wiring plug. A quick trip to the dealer got us the parts for $ 54. The dealer offered to install it for a fee, but it took only five minutes and a Torx bit screwdriver to install it back at C/D HQ. With that sorted, it won’t be long before the Atlas is called upon to tug our usual range of small to mid-size trailers.
A few critiques have already appeared in the VW’s logbook during its presumed honeymoon period. Reviews editor Josh Jacquot noted that dimming the lights on the instrument panel and center stack requires a dive into the infotainment menu—which, frustratingly, VW only allows when the vehicle is not in motion. Jacquot also called out the engine stop-start system for automatically shutting down the engine every time the vehicle is put in park, only to have it restart when tapping the button to deactivate the feature. With springtime upon us, the Atlas is sure to accumulate loads of additional observations, and lots of miles, as our staffers begin to enlist it and its capacious interior for that most American of vehicular pastimes, the road trip.
Months in Fleet: 2 months Current Mileage: 2756 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 17 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 18.6 gal Observed Fuel Range: 310 miles
Service: $ 0 Normal Wear: $ 0 Repair: $ 0
Damage and Destruction: $ 0
