2024 VW Atlas | Updated in The Wrong Places
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- čas přidán 25. 06. 2024
- We drive the updated 2024 VW Atlas, a three-row SUV that attempts to keep things clean and basic at a reasonable price. We discuss the problems with the updates and how this feels left beyond in a field of 3 Row SUVS that try much harder to wow people. Others to consider are Toyota Grand Highlander, Mazda CX-90, Kia Telluride, and Honda Pilot.
#cars #technology #family
Index:
00:00 Interior and Exterior Updates
3:14 Mechanical Updates
4:49 Driving Impressions
14:33 Final Thoughts - Auta a dopravní prostředky
As car enthusiasts, we often miss the point of cars for the "average" person. Most people buying cars don't care about 0-60 times, how fast they can carve a curve, top speed, etc. They just want a low payment and a vehicle that starts and drives. My wife and daughter fall into this category. The more buttons and technology a vehicle has the more confused they become. My wife drives a Lexus and doesn't use a fraction of the features of the car. I've tried to show her Apple CarPlay, adaptive cruise, remote start, etc. She won't use any of them. Doesn't care. Just wants to push the start button and drive to her destination.
I don't care about spec sheets at all I still wouldn't want to buy this.
Bingo. It used to annoy me that my wife didn’t care about these things, but I’ve since learned to embrace it and thank god cause in the end it’s saving me money anyways.
I agree 💯. My GF is the exact same way. When it was time to replace her old Corolla she didn’t look at any other car. She makes a good salary and could afford so many other vehicles but she chose a new Corolla because her old Corolla gave her no problems.
Makes you wonder why new cars have so many features if a lot of people end up never using those features.
@@Userxxx840 dude that’s 95% of automotive consumers in general…. How many people do you see driving around in 9 passenger SUVs by themselves? Driving big ass full size trucks with NOTHING in the bed? Driving their corvette mustang challenger like a friggen grandma??…. I’d say the vast majority of people are paying for perceived status and something they think reflect their personality or style and they DGAF about what the actual car was engineered to do AT ALL
Being a childless man in his late 40s has its downsides, but at least I don't have to shop for a vehicle in this segment
always remember your inner child
I have 2 children and I've been all allround Europe in a BMW 3-series sedan. Two big suitcases and a stroller just fits. When that fits even my wife enjoys bombing on the M6 (UK) or A3 (Germany). And when we go for more than two weeks, there is always the big roof box.
Rest of the time I enjoy my inner child!
More upsides than downsides
Being childless has a lot of upsides, especially if you have a spouse or significant other. It’s so much fun! My neighbors are the same age as me and all have kids. My spouse and I attended our neighbors child’s birthday party. We left early to go see a concert. They waved us away as my honey and I drove away in our sports car. My spouse laughed and said, “I bet they’re jealous we can just leave whenever we want to do whatever we want.”
@@miniaddict4534 We are!
Updated in the wrong places sounds a lot like how the past few years have been going.
Sounds like my body as I get old. 😢
thats like every product in every segment these past few years
Fully agree
Why would anyone pick this instead of the Pilot is beyond my understanding.
Have you seen the infotainment screen in the pilot? Not sure why would they go with an 8 inch screen for a newly updated vehicle.
The thing that pisses me off the most with VW is that there was a reaction to the criticism of the loss of buttons in the GTI, HOWEVER, they continue to remove buttons from their models going forward. They claimed to be working on a fix for the next gen and apparently fired the person “responsible” for the screen.
They have inventory they need to deplete first, at our expense.
they didn't put the haptic "buttons" on the steering wheel on the Atlas, so that's a start lol. Still shit so that means I have job security 😂
This is exactly what I came in to post. They got blasted (rightfully so it seems, at least form all the reviews). They vowed to fix it.
Refresh rolls out, BAM, same shit.
These changes take years to make and what is coming out now was probably deep into development when they decided to pivot.
Product planning is done 3+ years ahead of when it is need for crash test and all the other regulatory requirements. This is a slow motion train wreck, but they are already moving on from this generation of tech
Geese, you absolutely know how to tell an interesting story about probably the most boring segment of cars on the market. Your channel is gold. Good luck in your work and in life
Whose buying the interesting cars? And that are they to you? These SUV’s are making the companies rich
Gold Jerry, gold!
Jack hit the nail on the head with what some people like about the interior experience.
What Mark finds boring, we found simple and easy to use relative to the Telluride we cross-shopped at the time. It's refreshing in an era of vehicles with increasing complexity. The pre-refresh version with physical controls has superb daily usability, flexible seating, plenty of cargo space, a bulletproof VR6, and better driving dynamics than the Kia and Hyundai twins.
Of course, the new one ditches both of the things we like most about our 2019.
8:20 this. This is why I've been watching for years. Never change Mark. I've not heard anyone so eloquently describe what's wrong with VW, and also a lot of the automotive industry in the place in time we currently find ourselves.
You should try John Cadogan from Auto Expert - he rips VW a new one every time the subject comes up. 😅
I own a 2022 - this sums up my thoughts on it perfectly. Does everything you need it to do - but oh, so boringly.
I’ve said it many times. I’m 26
@@andoletubeyea I don’t think that guy frinkie gets out much. I’ve been saying this even more eloquently since I bought my 2011 Jetta with was full of ugly hard plastic
@@andoletube the former Wheels staffer? I'd forgotten about his channel, I used to enjoy his rants!
A couple things worth mentioning: 1) About 2,000 early production models were recalled for engine issues, something to be aware of but that's largely not an issue in the grand scheme. 2) Front seats are heated and ventilated across all trims - I can't think of any other model in this segment which has this. 3) There is the 2-row version called the Atlas Cross Sport that has a more pear shaped and sportier(tm) look. There aren't many other 2 row mid sized SUVs so this is also a compelling model when you don't intend on using the third row. I personally like the Cross Sport because I have no use for a third row and actually like the exterior and interior (except for the digital controls and piano black on higher trims). 4) I noticed that VW seems to be more roomier in the drivers cockpit vs Honda and Toyota, so if you are a taller/larger person then it could be another reason to check out. 5) Climate controls look like a mess, but honestly, just put it on AUTO mode at the temp you want and you don't have to mess with it much.
Thanks for reading my blog.
I bought a cross sport last week and absolutely love it... but my previous car was a TAOS so it's a huge upgrade for me :P
Auto never works for us for climate controls; we need to be constantly changing climate controls as the sun shines on different parts of the car. Also, the cross sport has a PHEV version in Europe but inexplicably that doesn’t come to America
you nailed it. Well done. Cross sport is a great vehicle
So buy another car@@cbatiau2528
Great take. I have a 19
I love watching reviews of mediocre crossovers 🥰😍🤗
Are you me? On the attention deficit spectrum (non-medicated) like me?
Agree. There is some incorrect info as far as equipment. Heated and cooled seats are standard on all trims among other errors.
@@spenalis oh no I am taking about the car lol. Couldn't care less about those details for this bucket haha
@@jasperalberts7647 yes, I do have a take as you need medication
@@spenalisit doesn’t matter. It’s a turd regardless.
I LOVE how both of these guys are calm and mature (especially Jack), compare to other car reviewers that act like kids scream, add fake over excited and halfly bounce all around Like Donut and Supercar Blondie.
SPOT ON 👍
@thinkabout602 I just don't think Supercar Blondie as always been like I said above to be precise.
Who are they you speak of ?
Donut used to be good. I miss the Up to Speed series.
@@rjwagz Me too
The VW Atlas is a metaphor for the American car market today. Generic, boring, soulless and cheap. Unfortunately, Americans only buy boring crossovers and VW is giving them exactly what they want.
The best selling petrol car in Europe right now is the Dacia Sandero (Good News!). The base car goes 0-100km/h in 16.7 seconds while the up-range model does it in 11.7 seconds.
But it's cheap, looks okay, and is decently screwed together. Those qualities have fairly universal appeal.
How does being a truck, minivan, sedan, wagon, hatchbacks, coupe, city car whatever, make them better than all crossovers. Most cars are indeed soulless by such standards
That’s what you get when government regulations for safety and pollution requirements help to drive up the costs of new cars to an average selling price of $48k. Plus VW needs extra profits from ICE sales to fund the conversion to EV’s - which are dictated by government regulations in the US and EU.
The SEL R line doesn’t feel cheap at all. It almost feels like a luxury vehicle. I advise you to see one in person. I was very surprised because i had the same mentality going to the dealership.
@@baronvonjo1929It would be so much less lucrative for VW to offer us a Jetta station wagon
The reason we all watch you guys is you true approach to automotive journalism. Factual reporting with great insight into the market. Love you guys. We don't care what you're reviewing just as long as you remain true to yourselves.
I love when you guys turn the conversation into a bigger picture segment. It’s what makes you great.
Something what this folks are missing, is a family car, families have kids. Bulky car seats. Atlas does a great job fitting 3 car seats in the middle job and having access to to the third one without taking the seats out. That’s why I chose Atlas over other ones. Yes is not the best but does the best for what is need it. Also atlas is the only one you can install 2 car seats in the third row. Other models only one and the car seat has to be in the middle and no body else can seat back there.
Exactly. Seems people forget that each segment or type of suv has a purpose, and atlas is meant for families and moving their stuff comfortably.
It is so funny to me how VW, who was on top of their game with the golf 7, in terms of usability and quality, threw it all away to save a couple of cents and appear "modern". Even funnier is when you realize that these UI-nightmares on wheels are still flying out of the showrooms, at least in Germany. God forbid you give the Japanese a shot that would be unpatriotic....
Lol so Germany is like Michigan.
those Japanese polluting world ocean with nuclear waste, it is time to be patriotic
love my toyota
love my mk8, just as i loved my mk7. never really found it to be less usable
I had a Golf Sportwagen as a work car a few years ago. It was pretty good for what it was.
Introducing the Volkswagen Apathy.
Brought to you by "Hey you gotta drive something"
You guys failed to mention value propositions like it’s the biggest vehicle in the segment and comes with standard heated cooled seats and a heated wheel on EVERY trim. You have to spend much more on a pilot, grand highlander, and telluride.
Ya but it’s terrible. Value goes out when you consider how it’s going to age. Think you are right about the cheap proposition but not value.
@@kheldarytdefinitely quantity over quality which ironically is the exact opposite of VW-pre 2012. Miss the older euro Jetta’s, Passats and wagons.
@@japanwatchconnection I mean the newer Mexican and US built VWs are not better reliability-wise. Though as quality decreased sales finally increased.
Ah yes. Yet another indistinguishable crossover...
I bet the European manufacturers totally disdain the American large SUV market and design these vehicles pinching their nose and sneering in contempt.
actually stands out from the crowd.
@8:30 As a matter of fact, VW does take time to put passion into their cars. Back in the early 2000s former VW chairman Ferdinand Piëch commissioned VW engineers to build the first premium sedan to compete with the flagship sedans from MB and BMW.
The engineers needed to work overtime to satisfy Piëch's exacting high standards and they put everything VW had into that car including the kitchen sink. It was available with the entire line of engines from the VR6 to the 6.0 W12 (plus V6 and V10 turbo diesels).
It was built from the same platform as the Audi A8 and Bentley Flying Spur, and met and exceeded all of Piëch exacting demands for ride quality and features. It was a world-class luxury car at every level with an identity all it own. Yet when it debuted in the U.S. it was met with heavy criticism not because it was a bad car, but because it donned a VW badge.
Subsequently VW introduced the king of SUVs with its Touareg which was also available with the same full compliment of power-plants as the Phaeton. It was a potent on-road and fully competent off-road vehicle in the same line as the Land Rover Range Rover is today -- but got there first. You could order it with rear, center, and front lockers.
Again it exceeded all the other top premium brands in capability, features and comfort. Yet despite its remarkable wide-range operation it was either ignored completely, or severely criticized simply for being too expensive for a VW.
Reviews never had anything negative to say about the Touareg, badge shaming, claiming the $50,000 (the cost at the time), nicely equipped SUV was "too much to pay for a VW."
So you see, after such a huge economic expenditure, with nothing but negative feedback for brand identity, who could blame VW for giving the people what they expect and prefer from the company: stale generic transportation.
We traded our 19 Atlas for a 24, my wife's car. She traded her MB for the 19 and basically grew to hate it. Thr VR6 was gutless dogpoo, the 21" wheels banged and crashed, the parking sensors would slam the brakes leaving our driveway due to the incline (but never activated when she would bump into the trash cans in the garage), and it had captains chairs and we realized when our 3rd child was born its a pain to put a kid in the 3rd row at an age they need help buckling. Plus the having the 3rd row up eats up the space for all the S that comes along with 3 kids. Her 1st and 2nd choice was an X7, Q7 or XC90. Those dealers treat you really well but I couldn't justify $80k on a kidmobile that will have 20k in miles piled on per year. We looked used at the local Honda dealer who had a sub 10k mile Q7 and sub 5k mile XC90 - but they wouldn't let her test drive them, which meant not only were we not going to buy one, we weren't going to look at a Pilot either. So in the end, we called or guy at the VW dealer - who has sold us 2 Jetta TDi and a Touareg TDi and asked about a 24 Atlas. He said he thought she would like the updates - so she picked a color (red) and he ordered it. She loves it. The engine is better. It handles and rides better. We put 17s on the '19 because it rode so bad. The new car also has 21s but rides better then the '19 on 17s. I dont know if its tuning or the change from Pirelli to Bridgestone or both, but its much nicer. Because we ordered the car we spec'd the top trim with a 2nd row bench, much better configuration. The parking sensors dont stop the car anymore either when leaving the driveway.. The lane keeping is better tuned too. She doesn't regret the Atlas over the Q7 or XC90 (but she still loves the X7 design). And most the competition is lousy when putting 3 car seats in. She is tall and drives with her seat so far back she couldn't put a car seat behind her in other cars (looking at you LR Disco). The infotainment doesn't bother us, but we are late 30s, early 40s and understand when old guys can't figure it out😅.
agreed brother the 24 is beautiful both in and out and rides nicely. We are in our 40s and infotainment is fine. Its not a damn ipad. I think folks think they should be watching movies on it. Steering wheel has volume controls. Temp controls can be done by voice. Easy. And yes it beats the XC90 and Mazda
A 7 year old Touareg with 60k miles is much nicer than a top line version of this. At least they nailed it in Whirlpool white.
yeah but americans didnt buy it, thats why you have this now.
Mark in his utter straightforwardness ALWAYS hits the nail on the head. That has to be the MOST
uninspired 2024 three row SUV on the market.
if you really think so then you should see the Buick Enclave and its siblings
Mark was holding back, in fact he was modest. Aside from underwhelming, uninspiring and underperforming there are other adjetives he could have used but he kept it simple. I don’t believe i woukd even look at VW for a SUV at that price.
It’s like they purposefully got a white one to make it look even more fridge
It's such a stark contrast to what VW was doing in the early 2000s. They were really trying to give you the best experience, trying out various models and equipment. Now they're the segment of
"eh, it's cheap so maybe we'll get it and sell it for something better a few years later"
4:58 this exchange is just GOLD!!
I think I am developing PTSD with 2.0l 4 cylinders. I've lost my ability to be subjective with them. I hear "2.0l four...", NOPE NEXT.
Yeah I went from at 2.0 4 cyl to a twin turbo V6, never going back to another I4
Having recently driven the new Atlas and the Lexus TX/Toyota Grand Highlander i think it’s worth pointing out that these are really the only two mid-sized SUV/Crossover options for those looking for a third row that’s actually functional for anyone over 10 years old. That being said both me and my wife were extremely underwhelmed by the fit/finish materials in the Lexus TX with the Premium Luxury packages in them. Honestly the interior to the Atlas is nicer and I’m not seeing where the extra $20-25k goes other than the assumed Toyota reliability and Lexus nameplate. I’m sure either will serve the needs of those that need a functional three row vehicle with space but between the two the Atlas has a better driving “feel” in my opinion but that’s not saying much. Toyota products are notorious for having “vague” road dynamics to be nice about it… and that’s coming from a current Toyota owner.
Thanks for the review and perspective. I enjoyed the viewpoint even if i somewhat disagree with the idea of preferring the Lexus TX/Grand Highlander to this on initial test drives. I preferred the Audi Q7 to all but there’s no Captian’s Chair 2nd row option in that vehicle.
Were you able to live without the captain's chair?
Wow we had the same experience/conclusion as you when we test drove this 2024 Atlas and the Lexus TX350. For us, the value of the Atlas exceeded the Lexus TX350 plus the interior was better, more rugged looking as well. The TX350 was really underwhelming and bland. Mazda Cx90 has poor third row space so non starter. Completely disagree with this video, we are happy with our Atlas.
I cannot agree more. Together with recent Toyota scandals and disappointing IIHS ratings on GH/TX, I appreciate what the Atlas offers.
i love the atlas.. for its intended job it does very well
The LED lighting is phenomenal 💡
I am not sure why everyone is no negative reg Atlas.. i just bought a 2024 Atlas and I absolutely love it!! I have test driven other vehicles too and to be honest i was looking for a family vehicle, not a sports car!! The only competitors for this segment are grand highlander and honda pilot.. honda pilots looks aren’t great and infotainment sucks..highlander is on top 10 vehicles being stolen and the very pricey when compared to atlas.. when it comes to VW, atlas ticked off all the boxes for me, especially the third row is the most convenient in this segment in terms of accessibility and comfort.. i understand that lot of people aren’t happy about removing buttons and knobs in the new atlas, but trust me its a matter of time to get used with this new user interface and in fact i love how clean my dashboard is.. with respect to driving dynamics, atlas is muc more responsive with the new 2.0 L turbo charged engine and i love how it drives and handles.. Atlas being a top SUV in this category in north America, VW isn’t dumb to make these significant updates without validating/ testing the practicality.. bottom line is you gotta try out what works for you and what you like..
We just bought a 2024 as well. Partly thanks to this review if you can believe it. The guys said how good of a family hauler it is without being a minivan. I rather like the clean interior and there's plenty of storage. Try getting heating/cooled seats and wheel on a PIlot or Grand Highlander down around $40k. Ain't happening. It's comfortable, very handsome for this segment, and the safety systems including the adaptive headlights are awesome.
I bought the unremarkable '23 Atlas this summer. I like the unremarkable designs, the knobs, the V6. The only complaint I've had is the seat could be a bit more comfortable but it's also not uncomfortable. The airvents are great in the 23, the dogs like it when they're in the very back. Cup holders still appear to be an issue in the second row. There aren't actual cup holders. Yup I'm glad I went with the '23 Rline Premium (the sound system is worth it). #MommyWagen. I'm hauling kids and dogs not running a quarter miler. I want simple, clean classic design, easy to clean, comfy ride to go to the zoo that my kids can take a comfortable nap in coming home from the zoo.
These were a good deal when they first came out for under $30K 6 years ago. The only unresolved problem I've seen is Carplay not working. It's a decent car but not for the price they're demanding now, just get a Toyota or Mazda.
Yup
WOW! Best video ever. I have been looking something like this for a while. Great Job guys. A new sub here.
VW ATLAS is an incredible suv,I have one and I love how it drives
Engine is slugging
Has the dynamics of a potato. You have the older one? It was much better.
My wife has the 2023 v6 which I prefer to 2L turbo inline for the 2024
Oh my god is that an Atlas this is a masterpiece of automotive engineering, i can't believe how excited i am towards this vehicle.
yes its good
It is interesting though that they improved the material quality. Ever since the Golf Mk7.5, except for the passat and arteon, all of their models went downmarket.
It’s what Americans asked for when surveyed in the late 2010’s. I worked for marketing. Americans said too expensive and too small. We want larger, cheaper cars. And people have been buying them in double the about of previous times
It wasn't hard to, as pre-refresh the interior quality was really bad. It looked generic in pictures, very VW, but in person it was just like the Jetta - a festival of ill-fitting hard plastic. It was positively Chevy-like, and depressing as hell. At least it had nice buttons. This new one looks nice (but so did the old one in pictures), but those controls are deadly. Don't know why VW is just discovering this - Ford tried to go mostly haptic a decade ago and everyone hated it. VW can be very self-absorbed at times, as if only German cars matter.
Thank you SO MUCH for this video. Living in a smaller community, most of my purchases are made online so I rely on videos like this when making big purchase decisions. This video single-handedly stopped me from buying a new Atlas, as I liked the look but was concerned about the lack of physical buttons. THANK YOU!
@japanwatchconnection It was ultimately my opinion based on the lack of physical buttons and in the end am glad I went a different direction. It's a beautiful vehicle, but that was a deal breaker for me.
I guess previous gen of Atlas will be in a lot more demand now. VR6 engine was pretty great (reliable and provided decent towing capabilities), the infotainment system with physical controls was not bad at all. This gen is such a step back! :(
Not really. You can use voice to put up temp. You can use buttons on wheel to turn up and down volume. Seems to me from a safety point of view. The less you have to reach over the better.
The new gen 4 cylinder is superior to the V6. More power and less mpg
Thanks for this review. I've desperately been searching for a "boring" vehicle! I don't need my commute to feel like a sporting event. Life is stressful; I just want my drive to be quiet and comfortable, which is extremely hard to find these days. Manufacturers are almost unanimously stiffening suspension to make it feel more "exciting", but that results in substantially less comfort.
Fall time = Patagonia time
It takes balls for a channel that make a living out of this to be so honest. It gives you more credibility at the same time.
Greetings from southern Ontario Canada I really enjoyed the video looking forward to seeing the ID7 here in exactly 12 months according to the Canadian website
It's also a VW. My niece bought one brand new. It broke down within 2 weeks, and had to be in the shop for 2 weeks. It spent literally half it's life in the shop.
sure it did
I'm 60,000 miles into my Golf R and it's almost annoying that nothing has broken yet, regret that expensive warranty.
Had one of these as a rental for just over a week recently. This was in Central Florida where it was 57 in the morning, 102 by early afternoon, 88 by evening and 75 at night so I was CONSTANTLY adjusting the HVAC. It really isn’t that big of a deal, I didn’t even think twice about it until I saw this video.
Yeah the old controls are definitely a lot better but everyone is blowing the s*** out of proportion although I always kind of feel like these guys don't like any Volkswagen that isn't the GTI
I hate the new controls, but I also question why would you be constantly changing the target temperature?
If it’s 102 outside, I’m comfortable at 72-74.
If it’s 57 outside, I’m still comfortable at 72-74.
Set the target temp and let the auto mode do what it is designed to do.
@@mwahlertthis right here.
You know you can just... set it to 70 or whatever and it will figure out whether to heat or air condition, right?
My car has been on 69 since I bought it. I turn the AC off if I'm driving with the window down and it figures out the rest.
@@tim3172
... nice.
Volkswagen Atlas may not be an authentic Volkswagen, but it is really a car for the American People.
4:59 Mark/Jack’s precious moment with Lifetime/Hallmark Channel guitar music in the background was classic #SavageGeese. Nice touch fellas as always!
Just bought one of these fully loaded for decent amount below MSRP. It’s not a track car for sure, but it’s big, quiet, handsome, w/excellent fit & finish, great HVAC for the South, and serene Volvo-y interior. It’s not a track car for sure, but is that what a practical SUV is for? I can afford a Range Rover, GLS, or X7, but spending $100-150K on something to haul muddy bikes, dripping kayaks, and mulch from Home Depot is overkill - even if it’s the most luxurious and inspired trip to HD ever 😂
agreed mike
The Tuareg is 10x the car this is. Not sure why it was cancelled in the USA. They needed cheap (to manufacture) massive land yachts for people I suppose. The Touareg was expensive and built in Europe. I drive a Tiguan now, after having sold a Cayenne S, and it is literally soul-crushing. However, in today's market, it is an adequate choice. However for any real "drivers" out there, steer clear of VW.
Because idiotic Americans don’t buy them. This model for all its faults is the epitome of the US market. Blame yourselves.
The Touareg was too expensive for what is was. The base model in 2017 was 50k. The average SUV buyer back then wasn’t dropping 50k on non luxury
The same reason no one wanted a Phaeton?
Despite marketing efforts, VW has never been seen as a premium brand in the US, but the Touareg was priced like one. It was very nice, but too expensive.
And being German made I’m sure it was expensive to produce
I picked up a '22 R variety at a National location for a 5 day work trip and thought it was pretty decent. The ride and the lane centering worked well. It was pretty quick. To be honest, this vehicle was non-existent to me until I chose it off the lot and I didn't regret driving it for the week. That said I don't often drive 3 row SUVs and until watching the video, I didn't even realize it WAS 3 rows 😂
Jack listening to '80s R&B...but will Mark really "B there"? ...because he is a God...
I own a 2019 Golf R, and drove my friend's Atlas and it drove nice, and felt solid and did what it needed to do.
What the hell do you want from a 3 row family hauler? And I mean that objectively. Geese, you said it's a lobotomy, but it's not supposed to be a road-boner, it's a goddamned modern station wagon. And that's all it should be. Expecting excitement and "feeling" out of this segment just seems insane. Yeah, the screen and haptic buttons are BULLSHIT, and that's why I'm not getting into a new Golf (or any VW) until they roll that shit back. But this constant need to be engaged and "thrilled" with every vehicle speaks to a modern sensibility of dulled brains that can't function without being constantly engaged from exterior sources. Buy a sports car if you need to feel something from the vehicle. These fuckers are for being comfortable and captive with your family for stretches without turning into Jack Torrance from The Shining.
And when a car does try (like the CX-90) they say "Don't do that, because this is supposed to be a boring family hauler." Can't win I suppose.
@@kefkafloyd I think it's just the expectations. None of the folks that I know that own one (the Atlas) have anything negative to say about them (nothing major anyways). They certainly aren't bemoaning the performance or any perceived lack of soul. It's nice if something like this feels like something beyond its borders, but it has a purpose and if someone wants something different, then buy something different.
@@hellboy1976 Exactly, think you hit the nail on the head. Sometimes boring sells.
@@kefkafloyd They want people in MaNuAl WaGoNs like they prefer... after they bought several SUVs for both personal and business use ranging from a Volvo to a BMW X5.
(neither of which are manual or wagon.)
What this review didn't cover well, is that seating space in the Atlas is the best in the 3 row segment. It touches on it briefly, but doesn't let the audience actually know how good that is. Also cargo space is outstanding in the Atlas. When you have multiple teenagers, this is almost the only option for a vehicle. Otherwise, you will have pissed off people riding with you in your car. The other companies need to provide competition in these areas if they want to be a contender for people with families or using it to transport stuff. VW would have to change their gameplay and start applying other options to compete. As of now, the other options just don't cut it for large families wanting an SUV and not a mini van. This is important info, leaving it out could make someone buy a vehicle that didn't fit there needs. I wouldn't even check this vehicle out after hearing this review.
It smacks as if they have an axe to grind with VW or can't swallow the fact that VW made a ginormous family truckster. I watch and enjoy much of their content, but this review just seems grumpy (to be expected) and off-base (unusual). I've been shopping this segment and the Atlas is a very strong contender that should be test driven unless one just hates the look of the thing or just doesn't jibe with German design austerity. Most people who own them tend to love them.
yes balls to this guys review. Atlas is great.
Damn, SG -- there goes your luxury weekend in Wolfsburg. Good on ya!
I think you are being too harsh about the Atlas. I had this car a few month back as a family hauler and so far, I think it's perfect for us. First of, it's very spacious. It can accomodate 2 adults in the 3rd row seat easily and doesn't make us feel uncomfortable for a long trip. Second, the drivetrain is smooth and refine. The ride quality is good with quiet carbin and minimum wind noise / road noise. It makes a few days road trip for family a breeze. Of course it makes body roll when entering the corner but that's to be expected with a big SUV. The steering is light for easy maneuvering in the city and getting harder once you have some speed in the highway. Thirdly, the engine is quite peppy with early torque in the low RPM and it only needs regular, not premium gas. All the driving assistance are there (adaptive cruise control, emergency break, lane changing assitance, etc), even with the lower trim level. Last but not least, the infotainment system which receives the most criticized, is quite intuitive ONCE you get used to it. For the volume and temperature control, you're not suppsed to TAP it, but rather TOUCH and SLIDE. The infortainment screen is big and bright and the touch screen is very responsive, unlike the tiny screen in some competitor like Honda Pilot, or small and non-touch like Mazda CX-90. Once you're familiar with it, you never miss the old knob and physical buttons. All in all, it's the epitome of an all-rounder, not a soulless mediocre like what you have said. Of course it doesn't excel in a particular aspect, but I'll gladly take it for everyday usage rather than just a short thrill for "driving pleasure' to sacrifice other things.
I 100% agree with all your comments.. not sure why the reviewers were too harsh! It is a perfect family vehicle and 2024 refresh made it even better..
The Atlas is the kind of suv that’s trying to replace mass transit. Like when expensive cars should be something you want and need, the Atlas is just a need fulfiller, like a bus.
I like the fact that I can get the top trim with a bench seat because flat floor cargo capacity is more important to me. Most competitors only offer bench seats in lower trims.
I had a rented 2021 one the suspension was horrible on rough roads and expansion joints on bridges and ruts on the highway. I roads was smooth it was great. Hope the fixed that. Great review! 👍🏽
I'm glad you never left Jack
These car manufacturers are making me violent with these infotainment choices. The touch screen/buttons for hvac controls have got to stop. What are we doing here?
I'm currently on my 7th VW. I used to love these cars. But I wouldn't consider any VW past mk7 because of that atrocious infotainment. There's basically nothing to be gained performance wise and Mazda is building better VWs these days than VW is.
Refreshing as always. Great review guys. Why VW keep pumping out cars with no backlighting on key controls ….just goes to show how far these things are designed and signed off in advance and how hard it is / how they don’t care enough to change them once signed off.
I’d walk out of the show room the minute the infotainment showed how bad it was.
I guess many are doing test drives in the day time so probably don’t notice until it’s too late!
I bought one today. Great drive. I disagree with everything the driver said.
Thanks for finally doing a review on something besides an unaffordable supercar. These reviews are where you guys excel. Now do a low trim Chevy.
There was a time when I couldn't afford a mid-priced car. And a time before that w when I couldn't afford a car at all. See how it works now?
I really think it comes down to pricing. People can't afford more than 40,000 with two or three kids for a people mover. There are so many of these in my neighborhood, I agree though, it is an appliance and that's really what people care about
buy a used MDX
@@kheldarytits tiny compared to the Atlas, more expensive, worse tech, and who cares about driving these things quickly. No one is going to go over 75 in any 3 row.
Why are you buying a three row suv when you only have two or three kids?
@@marclangman4836Three small kids in the back seat of a sedan is realistic, but not when they grow up. My sister resented mightily having to sit in the middle.
@@skurtov certified used MDX is cheaper than atlas and will hold more value. anyway, if people want bigger then the answer is minivan. hey, I get it Atlas is big and fools people into thinking it's nice-ish but it's just going to age terribly. I'm not knocking people who buy it but just can't see why if it's a space argument then why not go minivan, if it's an SUV argument then almost anything else. Some things are more than the sum of their parts and Atlas just seem like less.
Can’t wait for your review of the new Traverse and Acadia
I frankly like the Atlas. It has cooled seats standard and while the lovely v6 is gone, the 4 cylinder is the ea888 which is good. For the price it's worth it.
And when the engine burns out into the 3 years then what?
Well it has a 4 year warranty for starters but the ea888 is a reliable engine.
@@rdavianea888 engine has been around awhile and has proven to be quite reliable
Can someone explain how in just over 10 years we got from thinking a 50k car was considered to be entering the”luxury” suv territory when now we’re talking as 50k being the “budget” segment? Inflation is insane I feel. So now there’s just inexpensive then hardly any middle ground to 90k+ cars like the Cayenne for full-sized.
a) car prices have gone up due to the amount of tech that needs to be featured to attract customers or regulations
b) the term "budget" in this case is skewed by the class of vehicle, which in this case a 3 row SUV is always going to be on the expensive side. You can get a not-so-budget Audi S3 from the same price.
c) inflation
You see, it all started with the Global Financial Collapse under Bush.
We then righted the ship under Obama and had some prosperous years.
Then Trump ignored a pandemic, the economy faltered, oil futures went negative, we had the top-10 largest single-day stock drops since the Great Depression, he added 25% to the national debt, printed a few trillion dollars, and finally was the first president since Herbert Hoover to leave the White House with fewer jobs than when he started.
Now we're, again, recovering. But it's a bit of a painful process. There's hope, though. Inflation is back down to under 3%, interest rates are rising (a sign of a strong economy), we're exceeding GDP growth estimates buy over 50% and job recovery/growth estimates by about 38%. We'll get back to normality. Let's just hope we don't repeat the same mistakes as before.
50k is the normal now unless you are a midget and can get a small car. Tall people have to go up.
Barrington is a beautiful place to go driving in. Do it again in two weeks when the Fall colors peak. BTW, A relative of mine has one of these things. It's nothing special, as you noted. What is noteworthy is that an injector leaked and filled a combustion chamber with fuel which resulted in a hydro-locked cylinder. I wish I had been there to witness the teardown.
what roads? im in chicago, fam is in algonquin. I can share a few fun roads.
Any idea how much a rear seat delete (2x) option would be ? Get 6 inches higher cargo room. I am doing all I can to avoid buying a Mercedes Metris (Vito in European heritage markets) but want something with tall cargo room.
Why raise the roof when you can lower the floor ?
The 2 row version of this the Atlas Cross looks way better. Overall I like the atlas, it is very big and comfortable while looking really good. Works for me as a family hauler
As a European, I've always considered the Touareg a boat-like SUV
It is a boat. Americans need to have massive vehicles to park in front of their mcmansion and then complain about gas mileage
Touareg is like a tall wagon it’s not that big
Lol we have a Touareg and in America I’d describe it as “svelte”
Boat like refers to the driving dynamics, the Touareg is not a boat.
@@klyded8523 it most definitely is. It would score dead last and be liable to flip in an autocross course. There for, it handles like a boat.
What you are describing reminds me of the Camry I owned.
I called it my “toaster”. It makes toast, and that’s it. But hey, we all need a toaster.
We all need scrambled egg, not toast. 😜
Had one as a rental, as a highlander 2.4 turbo owner, yes this is a little more refined from the NVH materials side. The t24 in the toyota really felt far more responsive, not as smooth, but when you need power it gives it, where this you had to work it a little more.
Highlanders though are boring looking
@@Jack_Hunt I can't say anything in the non-lux 3 row segment is anything better than average looking. They're all more similar than not
Let’s see. Great drivetrain, solid comfort, lots of storage space, updated cabin interior materials at a decent price. All the things a tree row, non enthusiast crossover buyer is looking for. The CX 90 is beautiful, inside and out but with drive line issues, not as much storage space and pricey. The Highlander is boring but reliable and the Pilot is newer but still suffers from a noisy ride and cheap looking interior and Mark doesn’t understand why people buy it!
+ a lot of safety issues from Japanese car
mazda sucks balls its for small japs
It's funny to see the mental gymnastics Mark goes through to try to hide his Japanese homer opinions and objectively compare different products. The reality is like many VWs, the Atlas has great size, powertrain refinement and ride/handling balance for the money.
OMG! That lag! @8:40; right on the money.
Never clicked on a video so fast: in the market for one
Something that I should mention is that my 2019 Tiguan has been in the shop for weeks because the mesh oil strainer they use disintegrated leading to a stretched timing chain and bits and pieces of the part all over my engine delaying full repair. Add to that secondary air flow issues because of carbon build up. My family put some serious miles on this thing so we’re just out of warranty (I did keep up with the maintenance though), but this happened at 85k which seems unusual to me. I contacted VW and they just told me that they expect this to happen around 80k - 90k miles which is absolutely wild to me. So uh, be forewarned about VW’s priorities I guess.
I would never buy a European car I don’t care about any of the anecdotes people tell me.
And let me guess, the dealership had zero loaner cars like mine (they sold their entire loaner fleet to cash in on the crazy times) and you basically have to uber home, wait 3 hours for an oil change, or walk.
@@shootloadrepeat My niece has one of these. The engine grenaded, and they told her it would be six weeks before they could even look at it. It turned out to be two weeks, but even still, you buy a new car expecting it to be perfectly reliable. Luckily for her, there are family members with spare cars. Loaner was not happening.
@@shootloadrepeat That’s a bingo
@@Tool0GT92 I let my wife talking me into getting the Tiguan instead of a CX-5 at the time, so uh not doing that again.
This car will be worth $10,000 in a few years when that warranty runs out.
@@japanwatchconnection or buy a Japanese car for the same price and sell it after 6 or 7 years for way more than a VW. Simple economics.
@@japanwatchconnection just check used car prices. It's common sense.
Love the atlas my dad had a 2019, very nice suv for a family. Im sad they dont have the v6 anymore i loved that engine
Aesthetics are important to me and my wife and I are shopping for a 3 row SUV. She doesn't like the long hood on a CX90, she does not like the "look" of Telluride or Palisade. We both don't like Toyota styling or the infotainment. To us the Atlas was most upscale feeling and styled. Not in love with VW infotainment either.
I have always appreciated VWs “generic” interiors. By lacking gimmicks, they age well. I also think this drivetrain is a major improvement over the vr6, which sounded excellent but was otherwise a complete pig. The worst part of the Atlas is the suspension tuning. Maybe it has improved but my 2018 needs improved body control. The Atlas is a value proposition, and it does that well.
Well, 'interior design' ages better than some. From entire door panels that simply fall off, materials that de-bond and peel off, broke clip after broken clip, unusual smells, the interior themselves certainly don't age all that well.
@@95mushroom I have not experienced any of this with either of the VWs I own.
One of which is a 2010 Jetta we have owned for 13+ years, since new.
But, I recognize my ownership experience may not be the norm. I’m also quite particular with how my vehicles are kept.
Actually, they have improved interior design. There's a lot less hard touch injection molded plastic than there used to be. There's also a lot more convenience features such as a full compliment of USB C ports. Just a fer ago VW cam with a total of one for the rear.
Yes, the interior as very bland, but they're far from alone in that department. So are Hondas and Toyotas. Only Kia/Hyundai do a better job with interiors.
@@japanwatchconnection Its based of 9 years auto tech experience, and hundreds of "real-world" VW's. I live in a super hot and humid area, and it really takes it toll on interiors. Be around enough cars, and you'll see some patterns. Volkswagen has a peculiar way of building interiors. Tons of plastic clips, and for like parts of door panels, instead of wrapping the covering around the panel piece, they'll trim it flush with the end (instead of wrapping it around), which leads to the covering peeling. I've literally had an Audi A8 door panel fall out into my hand. It was solely retained by just plastic push clips!?!? No screws.
VW, like every other brand, has gotten better, sure. But no way on earth anyone is defending 2000's-2010's VW's horrendous reliability and shoddy interiors has actually been around thousands of cars.
I am a lead manufacturing engineer and a huge automotive enthusiast. I had a chance to review Atlas, Grand Highlander, CX90 and Palisade last week. I am in the market for a 3 row suv and I try to follow most auto journalists reviews.
Out of the 4 above suvs i tested, the huge let down to me was the Grand Highlander XLE trim with the inline 4 turbo. The interior of the Highlander, i am not sure due to XLE trim, was covered in hard plastics everywhere. I am not sure if a Platinum is fixing the hard plastic upper console and door panels. That suv will be a rattle trap with thermal expansions and contractions.
CX90, was the best looking, inside and out. The engine is also the best with very good output and mpg rating. The suv felt very premium in and out, however the main let down for me with 2 kids and a dog, is the interior space. The suv looked big on the outside but inside was very cramped. The huge differential tunnel goes through second row and 3rd row space almost nonexistent. You have to move the first and second row seats all the way forward to get some space in the third row. What was Mazda thinking? My wife’s 23 Traverse can comfortably haul 4 adults, 2 kids, a dog and cargo behind third row!
Palisade also gave me a very premium feel with good space and quality materials everywhere. Even though it was a limited trim. I would go with the calligraphy. My concerns are Wind Whistle and Noise issues due to door seals and mirrors and also the mpg rating. I am not sure why Hyundai didn’t refresh the mirrors, making them smaller to minimize wind noise. It seems Palisade forum is still full of people with the same complaints since 2018!
The real surprise to me was the 2024 Atlas SEL R line. The inside was almost as big as my wife’s Traverse but materials felt very premium and luxurious. The wood on the door trims looked real and the leather was very nice. Soft touch materials everywhere. With 21 inch wheels, the Atlas also had good ground clearance. The suv and the package comes with nice tech features like ambient lighting similar to Palisade. My concerns with it are the reliability of the new engine, gas mileage with a small fuel tank capacity, touch controls everywhere, no physical buttons for climate controls. I would put the family friendly Atlas on top with the Palisade.
The engine will probably be fine. It's part of an established family that hasn't been troublesome. It's all the electronics that have been a huge problem for VW over the years. The expensive and frequent scheduled maintenance is a negative, too.
7:29 - OMG Mark mentioned Skoda - as a Czech myself I'm pleasantly surprised you guys are even aware of the brand over the big pond.
They're not backlit???? i paused the video to comment the second i heard that. Wow vw dropped the ball hard. That makes it so clumsy at night.
Also the base price rose by almost 2,600 not including taxes or it'll be more. Thanks VW, the middle class of yesterdecade and the new lower class of now will love that.
Which 3 row would I consider in place of the Atlas? Odyssey, Sienna, Pacifica. More room, better fuel economy, likely better ride. Done
Much better family vehicles, no question. My childless brother loves his Odyssey (he's on his third) for its ability to carry almost anything. If he wants to go camping, he can just go, and sleep in back.
Telluride
The removal of physical controls would be a deal breaker for me
nah you can use voice. volume is buttons on steering wheel. And buttons on infotainment are recessed in so its easy.
How would you compare the Explorer in terms of driving dynamics to the Atlas?
I haven’t had any issues with mine. Works great. And no knobs is the future. Knobs are yesterday. Touch screen and motion sensing is the future. People need to change thier mindset and that’s not easy to do
Agree this is a snooze fest on wheels but that’s exactly what my wife wanted to cart our 3 young one’s around. Bought our 2.0T SE in September of 2018 for $29.2k with the ol VW ‘people first’ 6yr/72k warranty that we’ve never needed (getting VWs for $7.5k off sticker was the norm here in the Midwest for years). 5 years later it looks and drives like it did new (only 60k miles on it, but it’s a lot of hard around town driving) and the family still loves loading up in it for road trips. At the price we paid it was a great purchase - anything more and agree, go with something nicer. Hate the way it drives personally but that’s why I have a WRX (which my kids prefer for day to day 😂)
snooze fest. yeah to you ford escape LOL
but is it better than a Chevy Traverse?
😂 not difficult. Chevy Traverse haha
The problem is the dealer will only sell you a Traverse if you can prove you'll sit in the left lane at 15 under the speed limit and brake while merging.
Traverse definitely looks better but they're getting rid of the 3.6 next year, sooooo......it'll be no better than the VW Atlas
The atlas is the only 3 row crossover that’s perfect to sleep in. Length height and width is just perfect for that need.
Man I sure don't understand the hate you guys are giving this thing. Yes, the CX90 might be more premium, but it's also much more expensive and a decently optioned example is going to be north of $50K! The inline 6 is great and all, but it's unproven yet and there's already gremlins popping up on forums for it. Like you guys said in the awesome CX90 video, the ride on it is way too harsh and maybe 5% of the buyers of it will appreciate it. The remaining 95% want something that's somewhat floaty, isolated, serene. The Pilot? Good luck finding one and if you do, be prepared to bend over with dealers because the price is the price and if you don't buy it, someone else will. Same story with the Grand Highlander; finding one and getting a decent deal is almost impossible. Unless you go for the top trim SEL R-Line, this Atlas is the best value proposition around the $45K mark with standard heated/cooled seats and wheel. ...12:40. You're not getting a CX90 for $45K with these options, and the Grand Highlander is hard to find and priced way above this to get any options as it STARTS at $45K. Plus, most people are making payments on these large 3-row SUVS and the difference in payment between $45K and $50K is not insignificant when groceries, gas, and everything else is more expensive.
Yup, Mark is missing the point. Right now I’m in the market for a 3 row and a base one at that. I’m not spending anything above 40,000 for a boring family hauler and this VW hits the sweet spot for all its refinement and features. The base Highlander is 45,000 OTD which is too much considering is a blender on wheels and the interior is from 2003
The problem with Volkswagen is that they are expensive for the class they’re in (not just to purchase, but also to maintain) and the way they look/feel is so bland and cheap. The exteriors on 90% of their lineup and interiors on 100% of their lineup are horrendous. They use hard plastics absolutely EVERYWHERE, put no creative thought into the way they design their seats, and have some of the worst infotainment systems I’ve ever used. When they need repaired, not if, but when they do it’ll cost an arm and a leg because for some reason the price of their car parts are priced like and Audi (yes I know it’s the same company).
Un-backlit touch controls is criminal. Where are my sliders? Good question…
Seen from a different perspective, rather than being a generic NPC-mobile, the 2024 Atlas drives better most of the time than the competitive set mentioned here because it has the least faults that would affect people the most when these cars are used in the way the majority of people drive this class of car. CX-90 ride quality and transmission tuning suck. The extra power of the CX-90 doesn't make up for this. Atlas engine/transmission tuning is much better resolved. The engine is more refined than the Grand Highlander and Telluride and has more torque at everyday speeds than all but the Grand Highlander. The risw/handling isn't as harsh or frenetic as the CX-90 or as wallowy boat like as the Telluride. The Pilot handles better but Honda's V6 requires revs and speed that the vast majority of people simply don't push these SUV's to. To me, the Atlas is the thinking man's choice in this class. The steering is much too light though. Re: the UI, I was 100% convinced I would absolutely hate the infotainment before driving the car. Touch/haptics suck compared to knobs and buttons, but in the Atlas, it really isn't as bad as all the hate it gets, especially with the hard steering wheel buttons on the 2024. The screen/touch controls were snappy/responsive and never glitched during my time with it.
For adults you don’t like.
Love it.
Driving around in a lobotomy.
Even more love for it.
Our first 19 R-line VR6 SE W/Tech was junk. TQ converter howling and car would not down shift from a stop or slow roll. It would scream to accelerate. Complained from 500 miles on, move fed up with VW and traded down to an older GX460. Wife hated the bad tech and that car got traded back to our current Atlas. 2019 SE 4cyl. Captains chairs this time instead of the Bench. Why did we go back?
Here’s why, car prices were still nuts last year. 2019 is the people’s bumper to bumper warranty, 6yr 70k. We have used that a few times. But overall it fit the budget and did the most. Yes it’s a big mini van, I miss our Honda odyssey but kids are bigger now and my wife doesn’t wanna drive the mini van. At the end of the day I didn’t wanna be SUV poor, but this car is kinda junk. It’s cheaply built, our drivers seat is coming unstitched at 37k. My wife is 5’2” and 108lbs. Not much stress on that seat. The infotainment is great and easy to use. I hated the tech package as the car wanted to drive itself instead of me. Not to mention the first car would randomly slam the brakes as if it sensed someone or something in front of us.
Our closest VW dealer sucks, their service is impossible to deal with and never Ever a loaner when we take it in. Last time they claimed all the ID’s are in for battery TSB or recall so sorry no loaners. Which told me hey, you are less important because the other cars are electric and more broken.
Been a VW Audi fan forever but I will not be back into another VW after this. The last good VW was the MK7 GTI/Golf R.
Sad to say it but VW has gone down hill and even the dealership sucks to work with. I’ll save my $ and take it elsewhere. Looking to make a move when prices become more reasonable as I’m not eating 10k in over inflated prices that we still have today.
I would buy a Durango gt over this. It’s seriously overlooked but it’s More exciting and better in every way. Not to mention a much larger dealership network. Even with a v6 the Durango is a great vehicle. I loved my rt while I had it.
True. And it'll probably outlast this car as well.
@@JulianRodriguez-sv8de 100%, FCA products are legendary for durability and longevity... totally... 100%.
DURANGO? LOL are you serious? It scored a 4 out 5 on safety vs atlas which got a 5 out of 5, it got a 3.5 out of5 for reliability, Atlas got 5 out of 5 LOL Its got terrible MPG. okay buddy.
@@Jack_Hunt I don’t know who’s arbitrary rating system you’re referring to about reliability but I’ve actually owned one and they’re very reliable vehicles as are all FCA vehicles with a 3.6 or 5.7. The mpg with a 3.6 is perfectly in line with any other v6 equipped 3 row suv. I got 18 in mixed and 21 highway and I had the 5.7 L hemi. My grand Cherokee with the 3.6 got 21-22 in a mix and 25 highway. I can’t argue about safety ratings they are what they are. The Durango is certainly an old platform.
There is quite a lot of extra room in that engine bay. On one side it's easier to service but on the other side it's probably increasing drag compared to how big the engine bay could be.
I too am wearing my Patagonia while watching this video.
Dumpster fire of a vehicle
No, it's just a plain car in Whirlpool white.