Having read other reviews which I encourage, my key observations are (SEL 4MOTION):
1) Overall Good Handling. Road irregularities tend to cause hunting in direction of irregularity. Not sure if this is mechanicals, tires or both. Minor issue.
2) Yep, I want to permanently disable start/stop feature. Strong want for firmware update that allows this. I just manually disable feature but wish it could be a memorized setting.
3) Generous in size and I am a LARGE guy. Six full size adults no problem if third row folks are able to move well into those seats.
4) Acceleration a minor bit slow as observed by others but Im not a lead foot guy. Power was fine with six adults loaded in car.
5) Driver/front passenger storage and USB/power/aux design is a significant design error:
a) not enough USB/power plug-ins,
b) awkwardly angled and buried at bottom of deep storage compartment,
c) non-robust connection subject to disconnect on wiggle/bump,
d) limits storage space if anything is plugged-in. Poor & not thoughtful design given this gizmo world.
End rant.
6) Love the up to date electronics and safety systems; screen is finger smudge magnet.
7) No initial quality/reliability problems so far, 1300 miles.
8) 20-22 MPG with combination city highway driving.…
Very comfy and roomy 3 row SUV!
By Mike | on Saturday, April 06, 2019
5.0
(Warning- a little long) We were looking for a roomy 3 row SUV with easy access to all 3 rows. After a ton of research and multiple test drives of the possible options, we settled on the VW Atlas, SEL Premium. We’ve owned our Atlas for a little over a month now. We’ve taken it on a couple of long trips (1000+ miles), so we’ve seen enough to write a decent review.
The Atlas was one of 4 finalists for us. The others were the GMC Acadia, the Chevy Traverse, and the Infiniti QX60. These were our finalists for one primary reason- access to the rear seat with car seats installed in the middle row seats (without climbing into the middle row, and going through the middle space between the captain’s chairs). No other 3 row SUVs had this option, although I understand some will have it for the 2020 model year. Because we only had 4 models to look at, we focused all our attention on these models.
Likes: Third row access is incredibly easy in the Atlas. By pulling up on the release on the top of the seat, the entire seat tips forward, and then slides forward, leaving a large opening to access the rear seat, and allowing us to buckle our 4 year old into that seat very easily, even while standing outside the car. This middle row seat movement can be performed with a car seat installed in the middle row seats, a maneuver that very few 3 row SUVs are capable of. The Infiniti QX-60 has a similar setup, and it is just as easy to use. The Acadia and Traverse also have this option, but during our test drives, we found the mechanism to be incredibly difficult to use. The salesman said it was probably just stiff, but it was almost impossible for my wife to get the seat to move, and it happened in both of those models. Also, the GMC and Chevy only have this capability on the passenger side, which is highly annoying.
The interior of the Atlas is HUGE, the door openings are very wide to provide easy access, and it is very comfortable. The seats in the Atlas were by far the most comfortable of any vehicle we tested. When I say that, I mean ALL of the seats, to include the 2nd and 3rd rows, and the 3rd row is actually usable by adults. I am 5’10”, and I was very comfortable back there. I would not say the same of the other three vehicles tested. Also, the middle row seats of the Chevy and GMC were very uncomfortable. The had a weird shape, with a weird forward “hump” that hit right between the shoulder blades. I’m sure this has something to do with crash safety or something like that, but those seats were just extremely uncomfortable.
Our Atlas is equipped with a panoramic sunroof, which is pretty cool. It also has a power sunshade for the sunroof. The Chevy and GMC have a very cheap, manual cover. It is spring-loaded, and if you accidentally let go of it, it will snap back like a window shade. At this price level, it should be a power sunshade. While we are on the topic of sunshades: the 2nd row windows in the Atlas have built-in sunshades, which is ingenious! I wish all cars had this feature.
The Atlas has an infotainment system that is easy to use and intuitive, and it allows for swiping and pinch zooming. Apple Car Play is awesome! Surprisingly, some manufacturers have not integrated this feature at this time. The digital instrument panel has a very nice, modern look, and it offers 5 or 6 different views. One of the really cool things about the Atlas- you can display the nav map in the middle of the instrument panel. Additionally, you can make the map bigger and the gauges smaller, which allows you to see more map detail- a really nice option. The car even has an altimeter, which is really cool to me (I’m a pilot by trade). Not so much for my wife…
The Atlas allows for 4 customizable driver settings. It also has an overhead view camera, which allows you to see a birds-eye view of the vehicle- very handy to ensure you are actually centered in that parking spot! (this is only offered in the highest trim level) The car also has a traditional shift lever. This appeals to me, because I’m old school.
The Atlas has a very nice exterior, and it looks great from both the front and the back. The LED headlights are really nice, and much brighter than standard headlights. Also, the daytime running lights look really cool (I noticed that when another Atlas pulled up behind us on the freeway). It also has a small turn radius, which makes maneuvering in tight spaces much easier.
The Atlas has a few other really nice options- adaptive cruise control, auto-dimming headlights, auto-wipers, and an auto-park feature (highest trim level only) for parallel and back in perpendicular parking. The cruise control also has an option to speed up or slow down in increments of 5 mph in addition to the more standard 1 mph increment, which is handy. It also has a feature that turns on the fog light on the side of the car in the direction of a turn, providing extra light for making the turn safely. You can also lock the middle row seat HVAC controls, to prevent the inevitable arguments from the kiddos!
One of the best things about the Atlas is the industry leading warranty- 6 years/72k miles, bumper to bumper. Very few of the competitors even come close to this. And it is manufactured in the USA, which I really like.
Now let’s talk about the things I don’t like about the car. (And believe me when I say these things are pretty minor in the grand scheme of things…) The biggest gripe I have is the engine power. Given that my primary goal with this vehicle is to comfortably get a lot of people from point A to B, this isn’t a huge deal. I didn’t buy this car to qualify for the Indy 500, but I do wish VW offered some different engine options, like a V-8 or a turbo V-6. They do offer a turbo 4 cylinder, but it is not offered above the base trim level, and I don’t think it is anything more than adequate for this car anyway.
A close 2nd for cons would be the height of the front seat armrests (on the door side of each seat). I like to drive with my left arm resting on the armrest while my left hand is controlling the steering wheel. In this car, I simply cannot do that, because the armrest is not high enough. Ditto with the passenger seat. It just isn’t comfortable for me, and I think I am pretty representative of a standard driver/passenger. I found that during longer drives, I have to fold up a coat and stick it under my left arm to make it comfortable to drive those longer distances. This is just me, but you might find it to be a similar issue.
The rest of the cons are really only small things: the blind spot warning only gives a visual cue in the side mirror, but no audible warning like all of my other vehicles; you cannot program which view comes up for the reverse camera- it is the same initial view every time you shift into reverse, and then you must select the menu and then the view you desire; an entry/exit seat position is not programmable; the adaptive cruise control cannot be turned off to make it operate like normal cruise control, and the following distance setting resets every time the car is shut down, rather than keeping the last used setting; an audible warning sounds whenever the temperature hits 39 degrees, to let you know you might have slick road conditions- seems like an arbitrary number and a little too high to me; the trip mileage reset switch is a manual switch, unlike everything else in the car, which is digital and/or automated; the gauge views themselves are not customizable, but I do love the altimeter!; the seat bolsters are not heated along with the rest of the seat, which makes them seem really cold to the touch when the seat heaters are on; the gas mileage cannot be reset manually; there is only one trip odometer- most vehicles have two or more; gas mileage is just average for this class. Keep in mind, these things are all very minor, but they might be major things for you.
Bottom line, this is a nice, comfortable, feature rich 3 row SUV, with 3rd row seats that are useable by full sized adults. My wife and I love it! We highly recommend it, especially if you need access to the back row with car seats installed in the middle row.…
SEL Premium 4MOTION - Good Value, HUGE But Thirsty
By HANISH22 | on Saturday, March 10, 2018
5.0
The overall package is good with the latest and the greatest gadgets in the top end SEL Premium 4MOTION model. The kind of safety gadgets available in the SEL Premium 4MOTION, would cost much more in other brands. Right from remote starter, rain sensing wipers, heated steering, start & stop, blind spot, lane assistance, adaptive cruise control, pedestrian braking and many more, to configurable digital dash board, excellent Fender sound system and host of other things give a great feel. One point I want to make is that, it hands on beats some of the largest SUVs (GMs, Fords etc.) is in the area of space. Nothing short of calling it HUGE ! ! ! !. The overall ride quality is good although some head roll does exist. The downsides are poor fuel economy and low on the HP(HorsePower). The VR6 engine is not up to the mark when compared to other vehicles in this class. The top end model (SEL Premium 4MOTION) is basically a poor mans AUDI Q7.…
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