A Very Serious Three-Row SUV
The Atlas debuted in 2018 as the largest crossover SUV in the Volkswagen line-up. Designed for the American market, the Atlas lives up to its name being big, which is a good thing if you need to seat up to seven people, and if you need the extra storage space for all their gear.
Available in eight trim levels, you can get into a nicely equipped base 2021 Volkswagen Atlas S for about $32,700, which is a compliment to VW being aggressive on pricing and content in the crowded midsize SUV segment. Discriminating consumers will be rewarded with a well-built vehicle that can accommodate the complete family.
Smooth V6 Power
Clean Fleet Report had the opportunity to drive the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas SEL Premium R-Line 4Motion with the 3.6-liter V6 and an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. EPA fuel economy is rated at 16 mpg city/22 highway/18 combined, numbers that were painfully low for us. In real world use by never exceeding 65 mph, we were able to average 26.8 mpg over 110 miles of driving SoCal freeways. Not bad, but making the Atlas a hybrid or plug-in hybrid would bump those numbers significantly. For comparison, the base Atlas 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 engine is rated at 22 mpg city/26 highway/24 combined. Remember to place an * next to the fuel economy numbers, as being able to transport up-to seven people and their gear is a fair trade-off, but will also affect real-world mpg. Fuel economy numbers reported by Clean Fleet Report are non-scientific and represent the reviewer’s driving experience. Your numbers may differ.
Two technologies that can positively affect fuel economy are the respectable 0.34 coefficient of drag (Cd), which is a technical measure of how slippery the Atlas goes through the air, and the engine stop/start feature, which turns off the engine when at a traffic light or stopped in rush hour traffic, then restarts when you release the brake pedal.
Volkswagen’s 4Motion, a permanent all-wheel-drive system, is engineered to eliminate wheel spin under almost all conditions. The system will automatically decouple the rear wheels when the driving load and conditions don’t require the additional traction, thus saving fuel. But when necessary, in fractions of seconds, the 4Motion system engages the rear wheels for seamless and instant needed traction.
Driving Experience: On the Road
The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas 4Motion is balanced nicely and grips the road well. The four-wheel independent suspension has front struts and coil springs, the rear has multi-link with coil springs; both have an anti-roll bar. The 21-inch aluminum alloy wheels, shod with 265/45 all-season tires, did their best to keep the Atlas flat when cornering hard at high speed, where there was noticeable, but predictable and controllable, body roll. Best advice is to take those corners a bit slower. The 21-inch tires made the ride a bit more aggressive than a family may like, so the 20-inch tires with fatter sidewalls might make for a smoother, more comfortable experience.
Weighing-in at 4,614 pounds, the Atlas never felt heavy or sluggish nor was there any softness to the suspension leading to floating at highway speeds. This is no surprise as Volkswagens have been known forever for making fine-handling cars. That a big SUV feels confident on the road continues that history.
The front and rear vented discs and anti-lock system led to solid and straight stops. Large, heavy SUVs can tend to dip and even move side-to-side when stopping hard, but the Atlas, with electronic stability control, brake pressure distribution and hydraulic brake assist, had controlled stops. The Atlas SEL Premium came with a trailer hitch and a 5,000-pound towing capacity.
Driving Experience: Exterior
Debuting in 2018, the Atlas went through an exterior refresh for 2021, with newly designed front and rear bumpers and a three-bar front grill that fully extends between the LED headlights. Look for the “R” badge on the grill to indicate you are driving the R-Line model. The fog lights, which used to be stand-alone on the lower fascia, have now been integrated into the all-weather headlight system. With 900-lumens and an adaptive lighting system, the headlamps turn in the direction of the steering wheel.
A brief science lesson: In LED lighting, lumens measure the brightness of a light, as opposed to watts, which measure the amount of energy in a light. Therefore, lumens measure the amount of light your LED headlights put out. Better yet, just know the headlights on the Atlas SEL Premium were very bright and rotate when turning.
At 200 inches in length, the Atlas is the largest crossover SUV in Volkswagen’s line-up. VW’s designers have come up with a classic design with pleasing proportions that doesn’t make the Atlas look as large as it is. If you have ever stood next to a Ford Expedition or Chevrolet Suburban, you will understand the feat VW accomplished. The overall design of the Atlas has properly placed chrome trim and accents on the grille, roof rack rails, lower doors and the eyebrow that runs the full length of the rear power lift gate between the LED tail lights. The Atlas design will hold up well for many years with its clean lines and European styling.
Driving Experience: Interior
The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas also had a refresh to its interior, which has top notch fit and finish. There is nothing fancy, trendy or quirky to be found; it reeks of the usual German simplicity. There is a good mix of soft and hard plastics, which were complemented by tasteful and brushed aluminum trim. Clean Fleet Report’s Atlas SEL Premium had VW’s Digital Cockpit, which can be found also on the Audi Q7. The white backlighting for the dash gauges added a premium element, which went along with the overall quality materials used throughout the interior. Volkswagen has tweaked its branding recently, so checkout the new logo design on the center of the heated and leather-wrapped, three-spoke, squared-off bottom steering wheel.
Our Atlas SEL Premium had an 8.0-inch color touchscreen for navigation and the 12-speaker (with subwoofer) Fender premium audio system. Excellent sounds were generated for the AM/FM/HD radio with USB inputs, and SiriusXM. Bluetooth for telephone and streaming music, and VW’s Media Device Interface, or MDI, rounded-out the audio offerings. Clean Fleet Report is a big fan of knobs to make it easy to operate the radio and the three-zone climate control system. Pairing our mobile phone, selecting channel presets, and the phone wireless charging were all simple, convenient and operator-friendly.
Our Atlas SEL Premium had heated and ventilated front seats in two-toned Shetland and Quartzlite that were leather-covered and had power adjustments. The outbound second row seats are also leather-covered and heated, with the center seat and the third row seat covered in the V-Tex Leatherette. Leatherette is a durable fabric technology that is comfortable to the touch and provides good air circulation. The driver had a good choice of seat settings that, when combined with the height adjustable and telescoping steering column, made a comfortable position easy to find. Separating the front seats is a center console offering ample storage and an USB charge-only port.
The second row is 60/40 split-folding, and has the convenient fold-and-slide feature that made getting to the 50/50 split-folding third row easy. The third row bench has good thigh support and a comfortable angle for the seat back. Up to six-footers could spend a few hundred miles back there, but anyone taller may want to sit up at least one row. A nice feature is that a child car seat can remain attached to the second row when it slides forward for access to the third row.
Storage configurations abound, all depending on how many seats are folded. But if you are looking to tote an eight-foot kayak or surfboard, the Atlas can handle it.
Interior conveniences, standard or optional, include remote start, a power tilting and sliding sunroof, remote and hands-free power lift gate, rear door window shades, keyless access, multi-function steering wheel with audio and telephone controls, power adjustable and manual folding heated exterior mirrors, multiple power ports, front and rear reading lights and carpeted floor mats.
The beauty of the Atlas interior is the space efficiency, which is achieved by having near squared-off sides and a tall roof, resulting in expansive shoulder and leg room, which is good for even the tallest passengers.
Safety and Convenience
The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas has standard or available safety features such as six airbags, a tire pressure monitoring system, and the Intelligent Crash Response System (ICRS). In case of an accident, the ICRS turns off the fuel pump, unlocks the doors and activates the hazard lights. But the real stand-out from Volkswagen is their automatic post-collision braking system, which is pretty self-explanatory. Working in conjunction with the airbag sensors in a collision, the brakes are applied automatically after an accident so your car does not continue moving where it could strike another vehicle or object.
Additional safety features include VW’s Car-Net remote access system, adaptive cruise control, power-assisted anti-lock brakes, park assist, stability control, overhead view and rear view cameras, blind spot monitor, lane departure warning, rear traffic alert forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking.
The 2021 Atlas earned a Good rating by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, and a 5 Star Overall rating by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. These are the highest ratings by the IIHS and NHTSA.
Pricing and Warranties
The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas is available in eight trims and two drive systems. Base prices, including the $1,195 destination charge, range from $32,750 to $51,920.
Clean Fleet Report’s 2021 Atlas V6 SEL Premium 4Motion had a MSRP, with $695 in options and including the $1,995 destination charge, of $52,585.
The 2021 Atlas comes with these warranties:
- New Vehicle – Four years/50,000 miles
- Powertrain – Four years/50,000 miles
- Corrosion Perforation – Seven years/100,000 miles
- 24 Hour Roadside Assistance – Three years/36,000 miles
- Scheduled Maintenance – Two years/20,000 miles
Observations: 2021 Volkswagen Atlas V6 SEL Premium R-Line
With nearly a $20,000 spread from the base and fully optioned 2021 Volkswagen Atlas, it’s important to research each of the eight trim levels to find which is best for your family. Whichever way you go, this is a very nice, three-row, seven-passenger crossover SUV and you will enjoy the many miles it will provide.
With so many choices in this category, including the Honda Pilot, Subaru Ascent, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Kia Telluride, Hyundai Palisade and Mazda CX-9, why an Atlas should be in your driveway?
To start, you won’t be disappointed owning an Atlas as the build quality on Volkswagens is second-to-none. Choosing either engine, front-wheel or all-wheel drive will be based on your lifestyle and where you live. Will you be going off pavement or pulling a trailer? With the Atlas, Volkswagen gives you good options when needing to transport up to seven people.
The only way you will know is to go to your local Volkswagen dealer and drive both engines out on the open highway, around town and, if necessary for your intended use, off-road. You may feel the front-wheel-drive Atlas suits your commuting and around town needs, while the Atlas 4Motion fits your adventurous lifestyle just a bit better.
Whatever you end up buying, Happy Driving!
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Story by John Faulkner. Photos by John Faulkner and Volkswagen.
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Disclosure:
Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.
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