2018 Volkswagen Atlas vs 2017 Honda Pilot Comparison Test 

Rough ride? How sensitive are you? THe Atlas is one of the smoothest I've tried outside of Mercedes. It's not rough at all.

Atlas is smoothiest drive that I ever had on a sub.

You lost me on the random swearing guy....

Great comparison. Both the Atlas and the Pilot are pretty solid choices in their class! This comparison test highlighted some of the many features, creature comforts, and cabin amenities of these two vehicles. I personally believe it will ultimately be up to the most minute personal preferences that will result in the complete sway of decision, from the buyers of these Midsize 3-row Crossovers. Especially since, both of these vehicles have proven to be pretty practical, ergonomic, and spacious "family worthy" crossovers within their class. From car enthusiast to another, keep up the great work! 👍🏽

I test drive both before I made my decision and first off the atlas has a lot more room. The bulkier design makes it feel a little more manly where as the pilot kinda felt mini vanish. The smoothness over the bumps was very similar for both. Now as far as “jerky” acceleration and all that stuff. It has modes, if you don’t want it to be like that I just put it in eco and it’s very laid back. After comparing both back to back it was no question that you get a lot more with the atlas and it feels very high class when you drive it. So I bought it!

I have the 2016 Pilot. Bought it the moment it hit the lot when it was first released. I put over 43k already. So far its been very machanically reliable. I found the ride to be good especially on long road trips. The Infotainment system not very intuitive and can be buggy. All in all, I love my Pilot.

Atlas is so smooth. It is such a joy to drive this car.

I've just had an Atlas for a week in Mountain, coastal and flat high way driving. Also in tight old town driving. In all honesty I have decidedly NOT been an SUV person but I came away loving the Atlas. The turning radius on that beast was astonishing. The ride was a bit "sporty" but since our kids have all moved out, we didn't mind that so much and actually appreciated all the driving feedback on the twisting mountain roads. Accelerating was just fine off the line in normal mode. In sport mode it will absolutely shift if you give it the beans. The biggest gripe, and it was certainly livable for us, was the road noise. It was louder than I would have expected. The rear camera was stellar. The sound system was stellar. My wife is a waif of a thing at 4'11. The passengers set was a bit of a challenge for her as it didn't drop quite low enough for her legs to hang comfortably. I would absolutely opt for the power seat option for the passenger to fix that slight issue. I'm a larger guy at 6ft and 230 lbs. After 13 hours of constant driving I was just fine. No tailbone or leg fatigue. No arm fatigue. I would absolutely recommend the Atlas if you're looking for a larger vehicle that can carry what ever you need. In my case, my bass amps, basses and pedals. All easily stowed in the back.

As a VW Atlas RLine Sel owner, have to say I'm very happy with the car. Recommend getting the captains chairs.

2:55 you said the atlas has one more seat than the pilot but actually they are the same because the atlas only has two seats in the third row

I drove them both...had the Pilot for 3 days....then bought the Atlas. The Pilot waffles back and forth like a boat. The Atlas has a smooth ride and the acceleration is fine. What did I trade-in for the Atlas?, a 2012 Pilot.

Hi!!!! What about Pilot X Ascent? ;-)

Despite recent Honda's reliability hiccups, if I had to choose between those two, it would be Honda Pilot hands down. The cost of ownership over a longer period (I keep cars for an average of 10 years or more) will be far lower for the Honda than the VW..

The Atlas also has an option for captains chairs in the second row, also the Atlas in this review is an SEL Premium trim and it is the only trim level that has the digital cockpit, the lower trims have your standard dials for rpm and speed. The SEL Premium is also the only trim with heated and ventilated front seats, the other trims except the base have just heated seats while the base trim has neither and has a cloth interior. Don’t know what he is talking about on the ride feel, I have been in a few Atlas vehicles and I think it is a nice smooth ride and does not feel like it is a big car when I drive it. It handles like a Volkswagen Passat to me. The warranty that is on the new Volkswagens is awesome as well, 6 years or 72k miles of limited bumper to bumper warranty is the best, brings cost of ownership way way down.

I had pilot 2016 and I love it,my husband had overprice Touareg...so he hates VW.....he said no more VW.but now I look at Atlas,they have good change,Atlas looks nice

Thanks for this review. I almost never hear any reviewers mention how low the seat cushions are in vehicles. This is why I prefer the Tundra to the F150 or the Sienna/Sedona to the Odyssey/Pacifica and now the Atlas to the Pilot/Explorer. When you're tall (74") you don't want your knees in your chest while trying to relax and enjoy a ride. For me in this segment roominess and comfort would trump something like lurching (which I could modulate and am still getting used to in my Outback). I don't know if the Atlas has adjustable suspension settings like my GTI that would help out with bumpy roads but if not I would look into a tire change to help. It's much more feasible for me to spend a few hundred dollars on tires than to be annoyed for 3-7 years about how limited my third row of seating is that I paid for in my alleged 7 passenger vehicle. If you have an opportunity take a look at the next class (up) in the SUV segment. The segment leader Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban/Escalade group has a super limited third row compared to the likes of the Sequoia, Armada and even the Expedition XL yet people still buy them. People could save a lot of money on fuel and price with a vehicle in the segment you're reviewing here since the seats are all but useless anyway. Thank you!

No mention of the volkswagen digital cockpit, the self parking system or the 6yr/72K warranty..the pilot does not even have a 360 camera system..biased? seems like it..

The atlas looks like a Kia Borrego and 2004 Grand Cherokee had a one night stand

My parents tried the atlas all of the seats are good and it drives smoothly idk why u said the middle backseat isn't comfortable

The irony of this review is my wife got rid of her pilot for an atlas. The first thing we noticed was how much better the atlas rode over familiar road imperfections and bumps around town. She loves the steering and sportier feeling drive of the atlas and the tighter turning radius. We did a true side by side comparison on our test drive. The fake stitching on the dash didn’t look any different to us than the fake stitching on the pilot dash. We found the seats of the atlas very comfortable as were the pilots. However the dye on the pilot leather seats was coming off in areas that weren’t high rub in less than 70k miles which was very disappointing as I kept it up meticulously. In short, I don’t feel Like we gave up anything making the swap with the exception of around 2mpg. Take your time looking at both if you’re in the market. Having had each one they are both great options in the segment.

Awesome review I'm happy someone called them on using low profile tires which create rough bumpy rides

Yes.. I like the Pilot too.. but.. Really the only bad thing about the Pilot is its dashboard and controls. The steering wheel is great, but I am not sure how Honda could totally make such a terrible dashboard and controls. All Honda had to do was make a simple, clean, traditional dashboard design (Note to Honda: just copy the Dashboard/controls/instrument clustor of the Mazda CX-9) and they would have made a really great SUV. That is really unfortunate, because the dashboard layout is so important.

My question is will the Atlas fit in my garage. I worry about the Pilot and if the Atlas is longer then that is a problem.

Thanks for review this tells me if you want to use ur suv sometimes as a pickup truck you have atlas shining 👍👍

Hey are u guys going to do a civic si vs Elantra sport episode... I was hoping I wouldn't have to ask 😏

My wife has a 2016 Pilot Touring. Why reviewers hate the unobtrusive, slick pushbutton gear selector, I cannot figure out. Also, they called it sluggish. 0 to 60 in 6.4 seconds and quarter mile in 14.6 seconds according to several reviews. Just one of many great vehicles available.

Huh that’s funny I watched a lot of videos on the atlas and they all said it rode very smooth and went over bumps very well idk

We recently (August) bought the VW Atlas, the final decision was between the Atlas and the Pilot. We considered the Highlander and CX-9 but both third rows where too small and not really usable unless you have very little kids. We considered the Durango/Explorer, but the vehicle was a bit too outdated to us. We are not fans of Korean brands. We eventually choose for the Atlas instead of the Pilot: -Atlas drives much better, really like a European SUV and not like a van as the Pilot -Superior steering, much more sporty -The controls and entertainment systems are more modern -The safety package on the Honda is outdated -The looks of the Honda are very boring -VW has 72k miles warranty and is just more modern vehicle then the Pilot -VW is more spacious -Did not like the stupid shifter in the Honda -Standard 10 speed -Did not like the fake blue lighting in the Honda -Exterior lighting, full LED in the VW is far superior -Honda is a great vehicle, but more a soccer mom vehicle and a van that looks like an "SUV".. just buy the Odesy What we liked about the Honda: -Very good seats -Honda quality -Overall very sturdy and durable After 3 months driving, are there comments on the VW, yes: -Fuel-tank is small, and vehicle, especially the AWD drinks fuel -The rims (its a huge vehicle) are small looking and big rims only come in high or sport package (plus 3k) For the rest we love our VW. Please know, the Atlas is not a luxury SUV. I business wise drive a JEEP GC Summit 4X4 and thats is a totally different vehicle, so do not compare the Atlas to a Touareg: it is not.

Do you have to drop the engine to change the spark plugs?

Despite the Pilot not feeling fast... Isn't the it one of the quickest 3 row crossovers? MT had a 0 to 60 of 6.5 seconds and quicker. The Atlas is somewhere in the high sevens. The low end torque the Atlas is providing just creates a sensation of oomph while not really making the car faster. Much like the TDI. I think this should be mentioned in this review because the talk of throttle response and torque sort of makes the Pilot sound slow by comparison when it isn't.

Hard ride in the Atlas. Did they remove the shipping pucks. Also, picked CX9 (previous gen) because of its comfort handling balance more to the latter. Tires also make a huge difference. Bridgestone and Pirelli were rough. Michelin made it so much smoother.

"GOD DAMN SLOW"...you won me over on this review!

I would have appreciated details of wheel/tire sizes as part of the ride comparison.

I bought my wife a new Atlas 3 or 4 weeks ago. Took it in for service due to a minor but odd noise from the engine and they found metal shavings in the oil. They will do a free oil change should this fix the issue?

Are these good for 6’7 guys VW??

great review

I think I would choose the Cx-9 even though i really like the explorer to drive, but I cant say anything for the rest. Th cx-9 is a turbo 4 and gives it something like 6 mpg more than the Volkswagen combined

Don’t forget Volkswagen has the better warranty. 6 years/72000 miles if i am not mistaken.

Did the check engine light come on in the VW while making this video? You know a VW isnt running right if the check engine light isnt on....lol

Love the way they roll out every single anti-VW cliche in the f***in book in the intro. Nothing like starting out on a fair and objective footing!

It will be quiet interesting that yo made a comparision betewenn premium versions of honda crv vs vw tiguan.

does the pilot have VTEC? if it does, that's all I need to know

Don't know what he's talking about with the "hard" ride. I just drove an Atlas last week and it was the smoothest SUV I've ever been in.

Atlas is mid-sized crossover? I wonder how big is the next size..

Test drove this car and I fell in love with every inch of it. The pilot looks more like a minivan in my opinion. Nothing against mini vans but they’re just not my cup of tea.

Even though the Volkswagen seems appealing I bought the Honda Pilot Touring for it's solid reputation, spaciousness, quiet ride, spacious 3rd row and electronic transmission. The electronic transmission among other things such as the automatic sliding driver seat with memory are some of the best features. The one thing I'm not happy about it is that it doesn't have lane change warning like my Toyota Highlander XLE which I dumped for the Pilot.

What this reviewer missed was that while the VW has more interior space for storage (seats folded down) the Pilot has a more vertical rear door. Which means items that wouldn't fit into a sedan trunk due to height would fit better in the Pilot with the 2nd row seats folded up. For times when you have people in the 2nd row. Something to consider buying a SUV. Something VERY important to me in a SUV. And, what about the "steering feel"?? Was the Pilot "numb" like most JP vehicles?

Still don't see why you'll choose both over the CX-9, Sorento or Explorer. Perhaps if you really value size.

Boy, Jonathan is one tough reviewer to please. I think he is fair on both SUVs. He prefers Honda Pilot, my family are surely going for the VW Atlas Premium trim. Oh, those killer black wheels too.

Tried both. Excluding looks which is subjective, the cars are very close except for one thing.The third row comfort of the Pilot was the deal breaker for me. The Pilot's rear floor is raised making you almost sit on the ground, jerking your knees up while the Atlas was comfortable for an adult. If you are buying a large SUV like this, it is because you probably have more than 2 kids. With the captain seats (both vehicules offer it) at the second row, someone's going to have to sit in the back. Highschool kids get pretty tall these days. In addition consider the occasionnal times where you will share a ride with 2 other couples from the hotel to the restaurant for example.

As a used car buyer, I looked at both of these last month. Pilot is tiny inside and the space is not as usable. The Atlas DOES feel more like a truck than a car in the way it handles. I saw someone compare it to a Passat. No way does it handle as well as a Passat. I’ve now owned the SEL Premium versions of both (2015 Passat TDI and now a 2018 Atlas VR6). The Atlas transmission does shift a little quirky, but it is fine. The Atlas feels good. It has a low tech power plant, and a nice interior (plastics in VW are not amazing, but good and serviceable). I prefer VWs but even if I didn’t, I’d still acknowledge its massive interior over the Pilot.

I got an atlas sel the best by far huge nice and quiet no issues at al just love it the vr6 engine it’s good peppy and the good

“Why is the pilot so God Damn slow”? Wow Autoguide

When are they bringing the minivan back

Rofl at "So why does it feel so goddam slow??"

How is the Pilot slow? It’s one of the quickest in the class and certainly a lot quicker than the Atlas.

I just don't understand car reviewers not being objective. How is the Pilot "GOD DAMN SLOW" ??? 0-60 in less than 7 seconds. Hellooooooooooooooooo! You're not driving a sports car - it's a THREE ROW SUV. Then, only two cars with decent acceleration are twin turbo Explorer and V8 Durango, right Mr. Reviewer?? For the love of God, I'm going to drive this with my family inside, through the traffic - like I care if it's 0-60 in 5.5 or 8.5 seconds. To be honest, I don't see who would appreciate being pushed in the seatback too much every time I step on the pedal(excluding myself or driving enthusiast who's in the SPORTS CAR - not three row SUV). You guys need to think "INSIDE THE CATEGORY" - and say: It's slightly slower than than the following competitors, or faster or just in the middle of the segment. Nobody expects these cars to be lightning fast - you're giving out wrong impression. Someone who's not familiar with cars enough would step away from Pilot now, thinking it's slow and boring - but it's the complete opposite, it's actually on the faster end of mid size three row SUV's. Unbeliavable!

Actually the Volkswagen never even crossed my mind as a car for the family. I see more than a few people driving it though.

The resale value will tell.

I have the atlas and it’s a beast

I'm thinking about either getting the Atlas premium or 4Runner limited. I do like the space the Atlas has. Very spacious and would be good SUV for my wife and I and our future kids. I do hope if I buy the Atlas, it better be reliable and last as long as a 4runner. Still debating what I want for a not too big SUV that's expensive or not too small SUV. All the SUV models looks so unattractive to me. I want a more muscular looking suv.

VW definitely better. The Pilot is not an SUV and looks like a car for moms!

Yeah yeah. The "ride comfort". It's too rough. A little bit of "rough ride comfort" means that the driver gets some feedback about the road. That's for drivers, who are actually driving the car, not for those, who sit in a vehicle and "move" from A to B in the most cosy and comfortable way. And if the ride is too "rough" for some "softies", then put in some softer suspensions and it's fine. I've tried this Atlas and it has the right amount of feedback from the street surface, so you can respond appropriately.

You guys are nuts. The Pilot is fast as a rabbit off the line, especially with the Econ mode off.

That atlas is gigantic in person looks hard to park

Basically he was more opinionated rather than giving an unbiased review.

I love comparison vids

Reliability trumps all the cons of the Pilot, and lack thereof trumps any advantage of the Atlas. After decades and decades of manufacturing, you'd think VW would have finally figured that out.

I’m watching this in my living room with my kids around. Is it really necessary to say ‘God Damn’ in the video? This is a family car review - know your audience! And no, I’m not some overly sensitive holy roller.

I’m more confused now, i want to buy a family 7 passengers SUV 🚙 , i noticed the Atlas has more room, but is too stiff to ride .. and the Pilot is more comfortable to ride but slow response.. i want more room and comfortable ride.

I love the atlas looks

You're not even comparing the same years together need the 2018 pilot to that dang Vw

I was so close to buying an Atala but for the same price I was able to get into a pilot 2016 exl with sunroof and leather and 29k. I have a 2004 pilot with 240k and it still runs on original motor and trans. My wife has a 2016 and now I do. The atlas has a nice warranty but I drive my cars to the growing and the atlas is still new, it has not been tested for lifetime since it’s only 2 years old. The atlas also seems underpowered. Love the look but time will tell how good they are. Maybe next time VW.

This may sound dumb, but that GD push button gear selector killed the pilot for me and made me choose the VW. Oh yeah, let’s not forget the volume knob

Honda reliability and resale for the win

Santa Fe's?

I know it's underpowered, but in order to get and SUV as loaded as the Atlas SEL Premium with a v8 is to pay almost 80k I'll take the 50k and just leave a little earlier

The Atlas is ranked #3 and the Pilot is ranked #11. Both have their pros and cons.

I love my 2016 Pilot... and I believe it will be cheaper to maintain than the VW.

If reliability matters then Honda all the way . If looks then vw wins the game .

Square shape is highly practical for most people as they don't spend much time on a highway (aerodynamics). Shame that the majority of people are suckers for sleek shapes - even for utility SUVs. That's like getting a sports car because it's boxy - makes no sense.

Picked up sel premium at 44700 and msrp was 52700

I wonder about your complaints on the Atlas, pretty much every other car reviewer likes the things you dislike.

I tested Toyota Highlander Limited, Mazda CX9, HiundaySanta FE and Honda Pilot 2017. Sharing my thoughts: So why I didn't choose Toyota Highlander: Sounds ridiculous spending around $50,000 a SUV with a lack of capacity (1 and 2nd row 4 people) and a 3rd row that is really a punishment room only for little kids in short trips, in addition, the finishing of interior is not what you expect in vehicle of 50K and has a limited cargo capacity. Mazda CX9: A third row also tight, although the finishing is much better than Highlander but it is a very light SUV with a driving more like an "over-dimensioned auto" than like a SUV. It has a 4 cyl only and 235 HP, I wondered if this makes sense carry on 7 people + baggage? in long trips otherwise, why you own a SUV??. In addition, the acceleration in high speed is really weak for what I expected. The Hyundai Santa Fe has a narrow room and the finished in the sunroof and all interior is very basic. It doesn't have a good cargo capacity and rooming. I finally picked the Honda pilot Touring, it is silent, has a great room, smooth driving, great performance and handling and impressive acceleration in high speed and according to what I am watching and reading including the VW Atlas, in the whole balance for me it was the best election for the average.

You have no idea how awesome is to have a panoramic sunroof also the fact the you get more for you’re $$$ with the Atlas, then the overpriced Honda Pilot

I test drove the Pilot before purchasing the Atlas -- I'm completely confused by the comments over harshness as mine handles even the massive potholes here beautifully. The Pilot seems like a nice car, but it just didn't have any 'wow' factor.

Autoguide and Redline reviews have always favoured the Japanese (or Korean) car manufacturers , no matter how good the competition was ....

Haha oh man, that subtle "God damn slow" had me laughing my ass off! Great review.

He's saying that the VW has a rough ride and makes more road noise, he only showed us the 2.0T trim, the 3.6L Atlas is far more quiet, powerful and fun to drive than the V6 Pilot. I wish he also talked about the great off road capabilities of the Atlas, it beat the Pathfinder in off roading. The Fast Lane makes more objective comparisons than this page.

I’d take the Atlas exterior paired with the Pilot interior.

Thumbs down for not talking about the warranty on these cars.

We always have affirmation of German Volkswagen technologic rigor , in July 2018 my father was very happy to buy a flagship version of the new Volkswagen (Teramont) 530V6 (2.5T) in Shenzhen, But driving to 4000 kilometers we found oil leakage problem of engine, my father ask the seller to a new car replacement but this request was unreasonably refused by the seller that made my father very depressed. I would like to ask how Volkswagen Germany can get a reasonable solution to Volkswagen China?

Pilot is better, i'll pick LX or EX models without thinking, LX can be upgraded with some custom computer

Stay away from the Honda Pilot 9-speed transmission!!! Sadly their "loaded" models have it: Touring & Elite.

This was a great video to watch with my kids until you through out "does it have to be so G d slow". Sorry nice vid but do to language I cannot sub

Why did they compare the 2017 Pilot with the 2018 Atlas? Some of the things that went against the Pilot in his review have been corrected in the 2018 model; second row seats now flip and slide forward with the push of a button, both getting in and out. Reverse camera now has three angles, including wide view; regular that you see in this review and also a angle from above looking straight down. Those are just two of the improvements for the 2018 Pilot off the top of my head. If you're going to compare cars, do it right.

Very good comparison - although the foul language is unnecessary.

I have was and its comfortable this man is high

Hehe, those americans. I read german articles about the Atlas. It was described as a very quiet, comfortable and unruffled car. The big engine is not a wonder in acceleration, but runs silky smooth and extremly comfortable. And this car is very far away from the agility of an Audi Q7, nobody would expect or think it would drive like a sports car.

Interesting, the extremes of some reviewers over others. AutoGuide - this dude says the ride is stiff and far too uncomfortable. While most other reviewers, including Consumer Reports say the ride is comfortable and quiet. I tend to believe them first. This guy says the acceleration is almost too quick and responsive but others say it could be a little faster.. The review here is just a little off center of the others and my gut tells me this is a really nice vehicle, acceleration is good not great, and ride is pretty comfortable overall. The Honda Pilot as Consumer Reports says..... handles like an apartment building on wheels.