The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas comes in over 6 trims, namely S, V6 S, V6 SE, V6 SE w/Technology, V6 SEL, and V6 SEL Premium. With a starting price of $30,750, the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas is one of the cheapest mid-size SUVs you can buy. While its base 2.0L TSI is impressive, you have to get the V6 for unlocking AWD if you live in snow-affected areas. Advanced active safety features start pouring in from V6 SE with technology package and the V6 SEL premium tops the range with a price tag of $48,740, which is outright premium territory.

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The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas V6 SE w/Technology is surely an impressive offering considering the $37,340 price-tag. The V6 engine unit with the 4Motion AWD in itself will hook you onto the Atlas. Add to it various other creature comforts, and the best-in-class tech features, and there you have it- a sheer value-based proposition for the price.

With the exception of a horsepower deficit, the Atlas is a pretty pleasant crossover to wheel around, especially considering its size - Edmunds

The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas comes over with two different engine options. The base and the standard engine with the Atlas is the 2.0L turbocharged Inline-4 unit, which puts out 235 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Then there is the optional engine on offer, which is a 3.6L V6 engine that puts out 276 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque. Having said that, the smaller Inline-4 develops almost as much torque as the larger V6. However, even the more powerful 3.6L V6 with 266 lb-ft of torque can struggle at times pushing this over 4000 pounds of VW SUV. Regardless of the engine, a silky smooth 8-speed automatic is the only available transmission.

While the base 2.0L I4 is only available with FWD, the 3.6L V6 can be equipped with a Volkswagen 4Motion All-Wheel Drive system. The 4Motion AWD seems more sort of a marketing gimmick, as it too does find it hard to carry the 4000 lb Atlas SUV off-road. Coming onto the competition at hand, the Chevrolet Traverse is the most powerful SUV in the segment, with its 305 hp engine and the smooth 9-speed AT. Moreover, it also offers sheer performance for a decent price tag.

The 2.0L TSI-backed 2018 Volkswagen Atlas does 0-60 MPH run in just 7.2 seconds, all the while crossing the quarter-mile mark in just about 16 seconds. Moreover, the Atlas powered by the V6 engine is, even more, slower than the Inline-4 engine, as it takes 7.9 seconds to do the 0-60 MPH run. This is despite the 41 hp and 8 lb-ft increase that the V6 gets. However, Atlas V6 also weighs 500 pounds more. This explains the ambiguity in acceleration.

The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas now rides on the MQB platform, which is used on many other VW offerings. That there should tell you that the Atlas has covered the ride and handling dynamics effortlessly. The Atlas has a stiff structure, that is able to negate each and every bump and soaks up all of the small impacts. The steering wheel is rather quite responsive, rather than delivering outright feel like the VW Golf offers. A true-long distance hauler, its potent suspension setup also manages to soak up all the bumps throughout the road. Also, there are plenty of driver-selectable modes perfect for different terrains. This is only further aided by the 4Motion AWD setup.

The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, with its base 2.0L turbocharged engine, is EPA-rated at 17 MPG in the city, and 23 miles to the gallon out on the highway. Now naturally opting for the 3.6L V6 engine, is going to bring those figures down, as the 2018 Atlas now delivers 18 MPG and 25 MPG in the city and highway respectively. This is with the FWD setup.

Opt for the optional 4Motion AWD setup, and the 2018 VW Atlas delivers 17 and 23 MPG in the city and highway respectively. While that’s worse than what the competition has to offer, even though the competition uses significantly more powerful V6 engines. Moreover, to reduce fuel wastage, the Atlas also comes with a Start-Stop system, that cuts off the engine at the required time.

The Atlas's interior design is elegant and clean, not unlike the simple modern layout of the upscale Audi brand -KBB

The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas' interior has a typical Volkswagen look and feel with clean elegant lines and intuitively arranged controls. However, what’s more, impressive is the space. While the first and second-row room is up with the segment best, the third row beats all of them outright. Third-row access is easy and once seated, even 6-feet adults will find decent headroom and legroom. While the front seats have 6-way power adjustability, the rear ones have 4-way adjustability. This is for the base trims, although the higher trims do offer you 10-way adjustability. The driver is seated in a comfortable position, and will also have great overall visibility.

Volkswagen meant for the 2018 Atlas to be practical, and it certainly is. The 2018 Atlas has a 20.6 cu. ft cargo capacity, behind the 3rd row. Fold those seats down, and you get treated with a bigger 55.5 cu. ft of space. This provides plenty of space for all your storage requirements. The Atlas also has a low cargo floor for ease of access, and moreover, the one-touch rear liftgate only adds to the ease of loading and unloading.

Some of the interior features on offer are-

• Three-zone automatic climate control
• Leather upholstery
• Second-row captain's chairs
• Heated and ventilated seats
• Panoramic sunroof
• 10-way power-adjustable front seats

The 2018 Atlas gets the Volkswagen Digital Cockpit, although it is exclusive to the higher trims. The base trims get a decent 6.5-inch touchscreen system, whereas the top-end trims get a larger and much more responsive 8-inch touchscreen setup. The interface is quite good, and the physical buttons present also prove to be a boon. The infotainment system on the whole is pretty user-friendly and is quite accustomed to its function.

Some of the standard infotainment features included with the 2018 Atlas are-

• An 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Navigation
• Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Satellite Radio
• Three USB ports
• Sirius XM satellite radio
• 9-speaker premium audio system

Its bricklike shape gives the Atlas a sturdy, off-road-ready appearance and enables a space-efficient interior - Car and Driver

The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas is a completely new model this year. The three-row SUV has a slightly boxy silhouette, although consisting of clean character lines. The front appealing end is dominated by the VW grille followed by the long broad hood space. The front also houses the symmetrical scooped LED headlights and LED DRLs. The subtle VW exterior styling language blends into the traffic, without anyone noticing it.

The front is also accentuated by the broad fender flares, which give way to those clean character lines down the side. There is also a skid plate underneath, which adds to the off-roading character. Chrome accents are offered in plenty across the body. While the smaller trims get 19-inch wheels, the top-end trims such as the SEL Premium are treated with 20-inch alloys. Overall, it puts out a confident stance.

Some of the exterior features on offer with the 2021 Atlas are-

• Automatic LED headlights
• Black 20-inch wheels
• Windshield wiper de-icer
• Automated power liftgate
• Roof Rails
• Skid plate

Despite being a whole new model, Volkswagen has not brought about a lot of changes to the Atlas' safety systems, with respect to its other models. It still carries forward the same active and passive safety tech in place. Coming to the crash test scores, the 2018 Atlas gets a total of 5 on 5-star rating from the NHTSA and also a Top Safety Pick honor from the IIHS. The well-built Atlas comes with the following safety features in place-

• StabiliTrak electronic stability control system Airbag system.
• Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA)
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System
• Intelligent Crash Response System (ICRS)
• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane-keeping assist
• Forward Collision Warning system
• Blind-spot monitoring

2018 Volkswagen Atlas vs 2018 Honda Pilot

If the performance front of an SUV is all that matters as a deciding factor between these two SUVs, the Honda Pilot is the definite winner. But for a prospective buyer in this segment, the practicality factor including the cabin space on offer is what decides the fate of a family-friendly SUV, and thus the Atlas wins it here, hands down!

The feature list on offer with Atlas is also the best in the business. Although when it comes to reliability, it's Honda all the way, as it has a great resale value too.

2018 Volkswagen Atlas vs 2018 Toyota Highlander

One of the aptest rivals to the Atlas, the 2018 Highlander is certainly a tough competitor. It more or less has the same price tag, yet it is able to get more power from the same V6 engine. Having said that, the Atlas surely is the best in terms of ride and handling dynamics.

Both also have the same towing capacity. The safety tech in the Highlander is much more advanced than that in the Atlas. Moreover, on the interior front, the last row in the Highlander lags a bit more in space when compared to the Atlas.

The new 2018 Volkswagen Atlas has its pros as well as its cons. For instance, there is none in this segment that can match the feature list of that of the Atlas, and that the Atlas can also excite you through curvy roads is just icing on the cake. There are shortcomings though mainly in the powertrain department. The V6 does not pack enough punch and is not particularly efficient either. Also, the base 2.0L TSI engine is unavailable with AWD. Nevertheless, for the price it is offered, the 2018 Atlas is definitely worth it.