It is a great SUV for the price. My wife went from the Q7 to the Atlas to cut cost a bit. We don’t mind the drop in the quality of materials at all. The only thing I miss from the Q7 is the sporty handling. I really appreciated being able to take a fast corner and know the big SUV would stay composed. The Atlas doesn’t do that well. I know SUVs don’t need to be sporty but it was a nice cherry on top with the Q7. Again we do love the Atlas.
Nice review. My only complaint is that when the phone is connected to apple car play, I can no longer use the voice command feature to have my phone call someone. Instead, I would have to push the home button on the phone. You should be able to have the phone plugged in and still be able to hit the voice command button on the steering wheel to make a phone call.
actually. you can use Siri if your phone is connected to the car. Simply press the voice command button on the steering wheel. Hold it for like 3 sec and it will turn Siri on.
The Atlas is a great choice. The virtual cockpit is a nice addition and has a lot of space. Looks well for the most part, but I can’t get over certain styling cues. I also think the VR6 could use additional power. I think it’s safe to say the CX9 and Pilot handle better. Both are lighter, the CX9 has a pretty advanced AWD system and the Pilot has basically an SHAWD unit.
Recently drove a 2017 Explorer and was very disappointed in the way it drove. Also for the exterior size it's pretty small inside. Felt really outdated compared to several others in the class.
I own the 2014 Toyota Highlander. This week, I rented the VW Atlas SE and I totally agree with you that the Toyota's handling is sloppy compared to the VW's.
matt, thanks for this and all your informative reviews..I was wondering if the sluggish power/transmission delivery you mention isn't corrected somewhat with the 'sport' mode selection?
BMWGUY i see where your going with this, i noticed he goes a little easier on press cars not to upset the company so more cars will be possible in the future. nothing wrong with it but just saying
For what it is, what it does, the size, and the equipment it has, there are few that match the Atlas for the price. Sorry BMW guy, go pay $80K for a smaller X5 if getting ripped off is your thing.
I think once VW and Chrysler share Mini Van (Bad Move) The Atlas look more like a Chrysler Cheapo Fleet product vs their top tier German made Touareg. This looks and feel Cheap. They cut corners on quality material to reach the $30K-$50K MSRP to complete. I picked the German made CC as my daily drive instead of the cheapo Mexico made Jetta even though the CC cost more. The Feel and Built different is huge between the 2.
Just shopped 3 rows and ended up getting a CX9. Skipped the Atlas because there isn't a convenient VW dealer near me and I am annoyed with VW over the diesel shenanigans and the CX9 seemed a better fit based on reading and reviews. My second favorite was the 2018 Traverse, which was really impressive overall, but we really didn't need that much size. Seems the Atlas and Traverse are pretty direct competitors in that slightly larger 3 row.
Because no other giant company has EVER had scandals. They were all recalled and replaced. The CEO who did it is also still in jail. I get it wasn't really ethical but let's move on shall we?
Sound systems are hard to demonstrate on a video, my cameras only have 2 microphones, but there's usually at least 6 or 8 speakers in most cars so any sound system will sound much richer in person than you'll ever be able to demonstrate on video. They'll all sound the same on camera really. At least that's my opinion on it.
This reminds me of when Jeep came out with the 2005 Commander. I thought that was cool but it was expensive and supposedly unreliable and a victim of a fuel crisis and Chrysler bankruptcy.
Can you review a new grand Cherokee trailhawk? I just bought one but was sort of considering the Atlas. I'd like to hear your thoughts on the GC though
So this is like a GMC Acadia except without proper German engineering and craftsmanship, but with their reliability and cost of repairs. Nice. Everything is massive? That’s not what I assume from a German vehicle, more like a Dodge or a GM product lol. I understand this costs much less than the Touareg, but I would still buy a Touareg. A Touareg is a much better engineered vehicle and it does not look like a soccer mom mobile.
i see your reasoning, but most americans don t think like you, infact some american reviewers even compared it to the audi sq7 which makes no sense, due to that perception and how well this big suv is being received, Volkswagen already said that probably the new touareg will not go to usa. people (even maybe some reviewers) would probably claim its just an atlas super overpriced, despite the fact that it will share the chassis, engines etc with Porches (new cayenne), Audis (q7, new q8), Lamborghinis(urus) and Bentley(ugly bentayga). although i understand volkswagen, it would really be a shame since the new touaregs caught testing seem to be practically the same than the concept that was shown, and the fkn concept was stunning ruclips.net/video/9vwHuUCLB9w/видео.html ruclips.net/video/dMEkO1SdV3c/видео.html
Volkswagens absolutely have a noticeable lag from stop and rolling stops back on power. I have ‘13 CC with the duel clutch and it was so annoying until I got an APR DSG tune. Other people would drive my car and it would feel like they were learning to drive stick. It’s in the tuning of VW’s so even the torque converter autos are guilty of it.
It's alright but the explorer owns this segment, looks good, safe, reliable, quite practical( Has more space than the Tahoe we recently rented) fairly economic ( Regularly hit over 30 mpgs on the highway), again this isn't bad but nothing comes close to the explorer.
I compare this to the Explorer in the video, to me the Explorer felt sloppy and didn't handle nearly as well as the Atlas. I also only got 14 mpg in the Explorer I had last year, which is awful for an "Ecoboost" engine...
First 30k miles on a 16' explorer have proved it to be the most unreliable vehicle I've experienced. Brake caliper leaks, power transfer unit failure, throttle body failure, weather stripping peeling off, transmission failure..It also has nowhere near the space a Tahoe has. Just wait until the outer edge of your aluminum hood starts corroding ;) & no I'm not the only one. Approx 60 other new explorers in my area have experienced similar problems. Ford dropped the ball, especially since the aluminum hood corrosion has been an issue since their 2013 explorer.
Try 2018 Traverse. It wasn't even close, much better driving and better interior vs. Explorer. The Explorer seemed to have aggressive pricing and some crazy engine options that you couldn't get on Traverse, but that's all Explorer had going for it IMO.
Puff the Magic Dragon explorer safe? Have you seen the mediocre crash test results and lack of safety features? Also the explorer is inefficiently small inside considering its large exterior size. It's still based on a Volvo platform form the 90s. That car is ancient.
Annnnd they blew their chance at competing with the rivals due to a V6. bye bye towing. How could they not offer he 3.6 as the base and offer a v8 for the top. A 2.0 4 banger in a vehicle this big? Stop it.
Dorian W. The 2.0T is for people who don't need towing and care about fuel efficiency. Both have similar torque figures but the 2.0T will be a lot lighter since V6 engines are way heavier and it doesn't have AWD either which adds more weight and work, so the 2.0T is doing less work and should be fine for just transporting people, assuming it is not used in a region which is hilly. Remember it's a family vehicle, not a race car or truck.
If you were hoping VW was finally going to get rid of the “US” market cheap-o models and make some more upmarket cars/SUVs... sorry! This isn’t it. There still is Touregs though, just extremely pricey. Arteon hopefully gets them on track
Jake Kennedy I don't know why you would want the upmarket cars if you complain it's pricey that's why they stopped upmarket vehicles because too much people complain about the price
Volkswagen cars did struggle with a lot of electronic problems, but it's still reliable. Just a bit more expensive to maintain, unless of course you do your own maintenance. I had a 2004 Jetta with 350,000+miles. No engine problems, but transmission did seem to jerk in the end.
\GER E39/ I've been in a newer Passat and it doesn't feel like a Japanese ecobox but it definitely doesn't feel as sharp as a regular German car anymore
Most German cars have a very simplistic design. Look at BMW, Audi, and Mercedes. All have a very simplistic and classic looking design. They look very nice & are known as being very nice cars.
Certainly what I would buy if I needed a 3 row SUV. I love the boxy design
Great review as usual..........hope you will find a Tiguan to review, I have a SEL premium on order! Can't wait.
Good review. VWs are the best selling cars in Brasil and and seen as extremely reliable.
I LOVE VW's. Fantastic value for money. A lot of them are very Audi like as far as interior quality now.
It is a great SUV for the price. My wife went from the Q7 to the Atlas to cut cost a bit. We don’t mind the drop in the quality of materials at all. The only thing I miss from the Q7 is the sporty handling. I really appreciated being able to take a fast corner and know the big SUV would stay composed. The Atlas doesn’t do that well. I know SUVs don’t need to be sporty but it was a nice cherry on top with the Q7. Again we do love the Atlas.
Vr6 is back sickkk
The power symbol rotates with the volume dial. Hope you’re not ocd about that.
Jimmy ewwwww
That's the only thing I don't like about my moms Jetta. Idk why but it bugs the shit out of me
Same thing in my golf. I use the steering wheel buttons to adjust the volume
Geh, I think I'd be pretty ocd about that...
I saw that I hated it
You can’t beat the german drive feel
Nice review. My only complaint is that when the phone is connected to apple car play, I can no longer use the voice command feature to have my phone call someone. Instead, I would have to push the home button on the phone. You should be able to have the phone plugged in and still be able to hit the voice command button on the steering wheel to make a phone call.
actually. you can use Siri if your phone is connected to the car. Simply press the voice command button on the steering wheel. Hold it for like 3 sec and it will turn Siri on.
Nice review Lots of space & no nonsense features Overall, it's a good family car
The Volkswagen Tiguan R-line 2.0L 4-cylinder diesel 240PS BiTDI it's a superb suv review that next time.
One thing you have to consider is the performance with the car loaded put 7 adults and cargo in the car then go for a drive
The Atlas is a great choice. The virtual cockpit is a nice addition and has a lot of space. Looks well for the most part, but I can’t get over certain styling cues. I also think the VR6 could use additional power.
I think it’s safe to say the CX9 and Pilot handle better. Both are lighter, the CX9 has a pretty advanced AWD system and the Pilot has basically an SHAWD unit.
Do the 2018 Camry XSE V6!
CastrejonHDTV yes! Please do a camry v6 xse
Could you review the 2018 Audi A5 coupe or cabriolet
The VR6 has that slight lag Matt. The torque band is set just right that it brings the drama but then kicks you in the butt when it hits peak torque!
My 2002 gti is like that, but as time goes the vr6 evens out and makes power amazingly and flawlessly!
You have the best intro.
I’m more towards the explorer then the atlas. But this one looks clean.
Recently drove a 2017 Explorer and was very disappointed in the way it drove. Also for the exterior size it's pretty small inside. Felt really outdated compared to several others in the class.
I own the 2014 Toyota Highlander. This week, I rented the VW Atlas SE and I totally agree with you that the Toyota's handling is sloppy compared to the VW's.
Nice review. I think testing it loaded up with people and gear would be very helpful. Also, does it tow?
Nice review as always but why everybody is complaining about the torque of this car which car has more power?
matt, thanks for this and all your informative reviews..I was wondering if the sluggish power/transmission delivery you mention isn't corrected somewhat with the 'sport' mode selection?
NICE Review: 2018 Volkswagen Atlas SEL Premium
Matt has a 20 year old college student watching a spontaneous soccer dads with a bit of a wild side's car review...
The VW Atlas, brought to you by
‘but that’s okay”
BMWGUY i see where your going with this, i noticed he goes a little easier on press cars not to upset the company so more cars will be possible in the future. nothing wrong with it but just saying
Dustin Marlow it’s nothing against him..
I was agreeing with you....
For what it is, what it does, the size, and the equipment it has, there are few that match the Atlas for the price. Sorry BMW guy, go pay $80K for a smaller X5 if getting ripped off is your thing.
BMWGUY hq sawn
I think once VW and Chrysler share Mini Van (Bad Move) The Atlas look more like a Chrysler Cheapo Fleet product vs their top tier German made Touareg. This looks and feel Cheap. They cut corners on quality material to reach the $30K-$50K MSRP to complete. I picked the German made CC as my daily drive instead of the cheapo Mexico made Jetta even though the CC cost more. The Feel and Built different is huge between the 2.
Just shopped 3 rows and ended up getting a CX9. Skipped the Atlas because there isn't a convenient VW dealer near me and I am annoyed with VW over the diesel shenanigans and the CX9 seemed a better fit based on reading and reviews. My second favorite was the 2018 Traverse, which was really impressive overall, but we really didn't need that much size. Seems the Atlas and Traverse are pretty direct competitors in that slightly larger 3 row.
understandable, but ford for example, already had 3 massive emissions scandals and curiosly no one talks or cares about that
Because no other giant company has EVER had scandals. They were all recalled and replaced. The CEO who did it is also still in jail. I get it wasn't really ethical but let's move on shall we?
Love my jetta tdi but when i can im getting the atlas. It would be the 3rd vw that ive owned
Seems like went with the American Passat strategy, make it roomy but otherwise completely unremarkable.
You need to move over here in cali, you'll get way more exciting cars
Hey Matt, I love your reviews, but can you please give us like a demo of the sound system.
Sound systems are hard to demonstrate on a video, my cameras only have 2 microphones, but there's usually at least 6 or 8 speakers in most cars so any sound system will sound much richer in person than you'll ever be able to demonstrate on video. They'll all sound the same on camera really. At least that's my opinion on it.
With all due respect you look very tiny in that vehicle.
worth considering but too bad has fake wood "appearance" trim for 50k
Like all big SUVs, nothing but jacked up mini vans.
Does anyone agree with blacked out tail lights and LEDs?
Was this review shot with a new camera setup? Looks a bit clearer..
No, same one.
14:43 youre welcome .
MVP trophy, on a side note, his smile was sooooo forced. That was pretty painfully slow.
Is it gti fast or way slower ?
Review the 2017 CX-9 and the 2018 Atlas please
What colour did he borrow?
Please review the Lexus is300
SHEETZ!!
The best handling 3 row suv is mazda CX9! Someone get Matt a review unit
I keep asking Mazda for press cars with no luck :(
This reminds me of when Jeep came out with the 2005 Commander. I thought that was cool but it was expensive and supposedly unreliable and a victim of a fuel crisis and Chrysler bankruptcy.
I always forget about Volkswagen...they're nice enough, but not as memorable as some other options out there
I like Germany cars but that like Hyundai design🙈
you should do an A45 amg review!!
Jarrod I. Alcoseba Not on this continent.
I think there is not a "A class" Mercedes in the US
\GER E39/ ohh! i didn't know 😂 Would be great if it was available!
he reviewed the cla 45 amg
Can you review a new grand Cherokee trailhawk? I just bought one but was sort of considering the Atlas. I'd like to hear your thoughts on the GC though
I reviewed a Grand Cherokee a few years ago and it's still mostly the same. ruclips.net/video/81S69ANlLvE/видео.html
So this is like a GMC Acadia except without proper German engineering and craftsmanship, but with their reliability and cost of repairs. Nice.
Everything is massive? That’s not what I assume from a German vehicle, more like a Dodge or a GM product lol. I understand this costs much less than the Touareg, but I would still buy a Touareg. A Touareg is a much better engineered vehicle and it does not look like a soccer mom mobile.
i see your reasoning, but most americans don t think like you, infact some american reviewers even compared it to the audi sq7 which makes no sense, due to that perception and how well this big suv is being received, Volkswagen already said that probably the new touareg will not go to usa. people (even maybe some reviewers) would probably claim its just an atlas super overpriced, despite the fact that it will share the chassis, engines etc with Porches (new cayenne), Audis (q7, new q8), Lamborghinis(urus) and Bentley(ugly bentayga).
although i understand volkswagen, it would really be a shame since the new touaregs caught testing seem to be practically the same than the concept that was shown, and the fkn concept was stunning
ruclips.net/video/9vwHuUCLB9w/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/dMEkO1SdV3c/видео.html
Volkswagens absolutely have a noticeable lag from stop and rolling stops back on power. I have ‘13 CC with the duel clutch and it was so annoying until I got an APR DSG tune. Other people would drive my car and it would feel like they were learning to drive stick. It’s in the tuning of VW’s so even the torque converter autos are guilty of it.
Beautiful so honda
i low key think that this guy is kind of hot
Matt you are Polish?
Partially.
He’s Pol-ish
Jeep called and they want their car back.
Great video content, but that commentary...did you breath at all? It was exhausting to constantly hear your talk....other than that great video!
We dont have an "Atlas" in Germany;)
You wouldn't want it. It's far too large for European standards. It's much larger than the Taureg if that helps.
Get the 2.0T and do a ECU flash, now you got the 300hp
+B Daw but then no more powertrain warranty unfortunately.
VW dealerships will install APR modifications and honor the warrantee as long as they install it.
Is this true? Considering doing an APR modification on my GLI and my local dealer offers both APR and Unitronic.
ballr4evr1991 yeah, they cover APR, but you can ask to make sure if you'd like
There is nothing German regarding the exterior. Only the badge. This SUV looks like Ford
A big boring Passat. I would pass. Nice review as usual though.
It's alright but the explorer owns this segment, looks good, safe, reliable, quite practical( Has more space than the Tahoe we recently rented) fairly economic ( Regularly hit over 30 mpgs on the highway), again this isn't bad but nothing comes close to the explorer.
I compare this to the Explorer in the video, to me the Explorer felt sloppy and didn't handle nearly as well as the Atlas. I also only got 14 mpg in the Explorer I had last year, which is awful for an "Ecoboost" engine...
First 30k miles on a 16' explorer have proved it to be the most unreliable vehicle I've experienced. Brake caliper leaks, power transfer unit failure, throttle body failure, weather stripping peeling off, transmission failure..It also has nowhere near the space a Tahoe has. Just wait until the outer edge of your aluminum hood starts corroding ;) & no I'm not the only one. Approx 60 other new explorers in my area have experienced similar problems. Ford dropped the ball, especially since the aluminum hood corrosion has been an issue since their 2013 explorer.
Karolis103 I own a tahoe and the space behind the 3rd row sucks TBH...
Try 2018 Traverse. It wasn't even close, much better driving and better interior vs. Explorer. The Explorer seemed to have aggressive pricing and some crazy engine options that you couldn't get on Traverse, but that's all Explorer had going for it IMO.
Puff the Magic Dragon explorer safe? Have you seen the mediocre crash test results and lack of safety features? Also the explorer is inefficiently small inside considering its large exterior size. It's still based on a Volvo platform form the 90s. That car is ancient.
Annnnd they blew their chance at competing with the rivals due to a V6. bye bye towing.
How could they not offer he 3.6 as the base and offer a v8 for the top. A 2.0 4 banger in a vehicle this big? Stop it.
Dorian W. 2.0 has a turbo...
Dorian W. The 2.0T is for people who don't need towing and care about fuel efficiency. Both have similar torque figures but the 2.0T will be a lot lighter since V6 engines are way heavier and it doesn't have AWD either which adds more weight and work, so the 2.0T is doing less work and should be fine for just transporting people, assuming it is not used in a region which is hilly. Remember it's a family vehicle, not a race car or truck.
Look's like a cherokee
If you were hoping VW was finally going to get rid of the “US” market cheap-o models and make some more upmarket cars/SUVs... sorry! This isn’t it. There still is Touregs though, just extremely pricey. Arteon hopefully gets them on track
Touareg is being discontinued. 2017 is the final year. CC is being replaced with Arteon. New Jetta is suppose to be released.
Jake Kennedy I don't know why you would want the upmarket cars if you complain it's pricey that's why they stopped upmarket vehicles because too much people complain about the price
I saw one in person and its ugly imo
2 Words:boring and unreliable
Clint 007 Lmao Volkswagen unreliable?? It's one of the most dependable brands
Clint 007 Volkswagen is very reliable...
Akhil Bolla must be proud to have 119,000 thats nothing, buddy.
volkswagen is very reliable i beat the hell out of my Gli 350whp and i never had a problem. #german engineering
Volkswagen cars did struggle with a lot of electronic problems, but it's still reliable. Just a bit more expensive to maintain, unless of course you do your own maintenance. I had a 2004 Jetta with 350,000+miles. No engine problems, but transmission did seem to jerk in the end.
Meh.
The McLaren of the previous video makes this one look so dumb xD
Volkswagen is becoming too Americanized. The only cars that are still 'German' are the Jetta and Golf :/
BriefCarBreakdown dont forgett the passat
\GER E39/ I've been in a newer Passat and it doesn't feel like a Japanese ecobox but it definitely doesn't feel as sharp as a regular German car anymore
BriefCarBreakdown Same at the BMW G30! My 2003 E39 have better Materials, and feels all around better to me.
\GER E39/ guarantee that E39 would last longer too
BriefCarBreakdown yup, next car will be an e90 335i, but i keep the e39
This thing looks like a 2008 model. So outdated.
Most German cars have a very simplistic design. Look at BMW, Audi, and Mercedes. All have a very simplistic and classic looking design. They look very nice & are known as being very nice cars.
the more stylish for now, the quicker they become outdated.
you know what they say normal people exist and those that like volkswagen
First!!
I hope to meet you and your wife someday
It already looks outdated 😂
Highlander and Pilot make this useless.