2024 Volkswagen Atlas AWD Review and Off-Road Test 

Honestly I was about to cancel appt to test drive the Atlas Peak yesterday because of your review I did not want to deal with the “complicated” menu, but wow I went and the salesman showed me how easy it was to get where I wanted. There actually are hard buttons that you don’t need to play with screen as you show. I ended up buying the SE peak w/ technology pkg. I had already test driven the other suvs u mentioned and VW is much better. YOU did a real disservice to VW because of your lack of understanding and educating yourself first prior to your review. Btw I’m a 55 ur old male who is not tech savy but found this very easy.

Honestly a lot of this review seems kind of uninformed. I drove every 3 row SUV I could get my hands on and while none is perfect, some of these complaints are just not true. You can change the camera angle, you can expand it to the whole screen, there's USB in the 3rd row, you can do almost everything with extremely intuitive voice commands... Some of these complaints are literally not valid.

Hey Ryan, thanks for the great review. Wanted to add a few missed things though. 1. 2 USBC Outlets in 3rd row for charging, you actually show one unknowingly at 11:07 in the video. 2. You can turn on heated seats and adjust them with a 2 finger tap to the temperature bar just under the screen avoiding the process of going into climate and then selecting them. 3. To turn on the cameras you simply hit the park assist button right by the hazard lights. 4. The color on the displays and ambient lighting has 30 color options that can be used independently of the driving modes so it’s always one you like. VW controls can be complicated to learn due to how much technology is offered, but they do a good job at simplifying the majority of it.

6000 miles in and love this SUV. Best in the class IMO and I looked at them all around this price point.

Atlas is an excellent car, light weight body, maneuverable, stands very confidently at high speeds. 8 gear speeds provide comfort when accelerating. What other SUV can allow passengers to sit down without tilting their headsgalvanized body, long space around the engine is a big plus for absorbing the energy of a frontal impact. The safety of your family is not just empty words.

We’ve got a V6 Atlas with 8 inches clearance and it’s AWESOME. Huge inside. Capable enough for most soft reading no problem.

We love our 24. Replaced a 19 w/VR6 - which felt gutless. The new engine was a big improvement. Pulls much better around town with flat turbo torque, the V6s always seemed to need to be pinned to get these 3 rows moving. The ride is better too - not sure if they retuned the suspension or the change from pirreli to Bridgestone made the difference but its better. Its just got a lot more space than its competition, none of which could put a rear facing car seat behind a 6+ foot driver. Seat can flip up with car seat installed too to access 3rd row. For the things VW missed on, the competition missed more things - in my particular situation with 3 kids all in car seats.

Turning on the cameras is super convoluted. Next to the hazards, theres a button that says P menu. You have to go into there, turn on the parking sensors and turn off the park assist.

Volkswagen Atlas is the Best!!

I've had a couple. Great vehicles. I get them for the 3rd row and ability to tow. 4 motion is great. The 3rd ROW HAS USB C PORTS. 👌

Seems like a competent vehicle that will get nearly everyone where they need to go. VW has made some excellent improvements to the Atlas and it shows. However, the long term reliability is a concern. VW should have kept their previously fantastic warranty which was one of the longest in the industry. But, last I read it was shortened significantly.

According to many other reviewers, you get third-row USB-Cs starting from SE/tech trim.

Tell ya what now that I've been through more of this review, having driven a 2024 Atlas now about 5,000 miles, about 500 of them through a snowstorm, through the city, through remote back roads, it certainly turned me off of... Taking a RU-vid reviewer's word for anything.

Ryan, dude...if you're going to question the ground clearance, break out a tape measurer, and lets see what it is. That 6.5 inch was probably just at the front bumper. Oh...and this put that Passport to shame 😂

I own one they are awesome, you can turn on front camera with the short cut buttons surrounding the hazard buttons

Ive owned this car for about 6 months now and have to say it is an incrwdibly fun, capable and well engineered car. the engine is awesome, sporty and powerful and very good on gas. the infotainment system is a pleasant surprise. not perfect but new features are well thought out.

The Atlas is much better looking than the shark face Highlander and passport I’m not a big fan of the looks/design of Kia’s and Hyundai but a lot of people do.

Hello Ryan, love all the reviews. One thing please, 2nd row back seats. Can you also call out whether the back reclines or not? That would help a lot in future reviews. Thanks so much

Ryan, Was there no Golf R available for an off road test? 🤔

"I'm 6'1", legs and torso proportional". I miss hearing that phrase.

Well you should appreciate it can do seat heating and ventilation simultaneously, a great feature still not available in Japanese cars.

You’re missing Ford Explorer and Dodge Durango in all your comparisons obviously. You’re my favorite channel though, keep up the good work!

There is two USBC ports in the back third row on the driver side

The off road traction control is smoother than Subaru's while still being effective.

If you get into an unfamiliar vehicle without first finding out about the most important functions, you should at least open your eyes when searching and not make such unjustified criticism. You can find the settings for all camera functions at the touch of a button. Below the large center display, the button on the left, next to the hazard warning light. In addition, all of the competitors you mentioned cannot hold a candle to the VW in terms of workmanship quality, nor in engine and chassis technology.

I just saw your video for CX90, and now it’s clear, I’ll go for the Atlas.

Damn. That "multifunction" panel is a dealbreaker. Same with all new Subarus. There are functions that should always be physical switches/knobs.

The 21 wheels may look nice, but just wait for the sticker shock of buying new tires Front camera on my Highlander? There’s a physical button for that. Heated and ventilated seats? I got physical buttons for that

I'm wondering had you commanded verbally: "Volkswagen, enable front camera" Would it work? 🤔

At 3:42 you mention there are no USB ports in the third row, and there are. You can even see them in your video, when you point at the cupholders, on the left. They are "inside" the space close to your elbow.

The “parking menu” shortcut button near the hazards, will turn on your camera view options

Are you able to control the touch menu-based system with voice commands such as "turn on driver's seat heat"? I didn't realize my wife's new Volvo XC40 could do this until someone brought it to my attention. Love your videos. Keep them coming.

I've had a couple VWs, and currently have a Jetta GLI. When I needed a larger family vehicle I took a look at the Atlas. Its honestly very practical with its space and layout. But the engine just wasn't it, felt very strained and that wasn't even loaded with people and cargo. The other thing like you mentioned at the start was the prices, they were crazy. I went a different direction in the end for something bigger. I wish this was better priced with its engine, or had a better engine choice.

I think the OG VW ATLAS design style and interior was more functional and classier than all subsequent refreshes. You can get an original ATLAS for 1/2 this price or less. And can get a VR6. Do that!

Interesting, in Can there is a "Peak" version with 17" wheels. I found the R on road you felt every little irregularity, almost like tramlining. The Peak was obviously much much more comfortable, but love the rest of the R's amenities. I'm sure after a week the screen controls will become 2nd nature along with voice and hand commands. Glad to see the Atlas was able to clear the test track quite well. Its still on my shortlist having eliminated the Korean twins, just can't trust them long term after 4-5 years. I'm sure the same can be said of VW but I've been a fanboy since the 80's

You can actually just double tap the temperature controls to bring up the heated seats, you don’t have to go in the menu like that

They have 2 USB Cs in the 3rd row and you can turn the seat heater witha single 2 finger tap to on the temperature control slider

The basics for off-road would be 1) Hill Descent, 2) Low gear. Even more dedicated would be a larger tire/wheel combination and higher ground clearance. Anyway, what would be nice would be to have the infotainment follow the drive selection. Selecting off-road mode would give you the camera pop-up, for example.

I own 2018 Exec V6 & 2023 R-line V6. The advantage over other cross-over is space and comfort on a long trip. I also hate the infotainment system. Changing original tires from Pirelli to Continental would help deduce the bumpy feeling on the R-line. Both of them are very capable of driving into easy/intermediate level off-road (if with winter or A/T tires). Definitely and obviously VW is trying to save money rather than creating a better car!!! I just need a bigger 3rd row, which no others are better . Besides, I am a Subaru fan.

The camera: Next to the parking brake button, you'll notice a "P" icon with a camera above it.

I think this review is a bit inaccurate, I just got one, and upgraded from a Toyota Corolla Cross, and we love the VW, yeah maybe the standard is high when you compare it to a Palisade (luxury) or a telluride (a techy SUV) but the Atlas is a nice car. Is not as bad as people put it honestly.

I have 2018 vw atlas vr6 with 4motion over 100k miles with no complaints. the all-wheel drive is really funcational but transmission is not smooth. Mine has around 8 inches ground clearance and I am surprised it has only 6.3 inches now. This does not look too low

Any update on the Ranger you ordered or is it still pushed out?

Legend has it that Ryan still looking for that front camera view

Nearly $55k for an underpowered small (2.0) 4cyl turbo. I would imagine there will be issues with the reliability of the engine/powertrain if under load. For the size of the vehicle, I would at least expect an available V6 option. I’m also not a fan of what VW is doing, which is relying on touch capacitive controls rather than the tried and true tactile knobs and buttons. This factors would be enough for me to shop elsewhere

I'm sick of all the BITCHING about the infotainment. It's fine. Trust me, I've used it. It's actually a lot faster in the new Atlas than it was in the ID4 before that system got replaced this year. It works really well once you've played with it for a few days. You also get a lot more STANDARD features in the atlas than any of its competitors. You wMna talk about ugly infotainments? Look at the Honda or especially the Subaru systems. As for charging ports in the 3rd row, cmon. That's something you don't even get in a lot of full size or luxury SUVs and I'm perfectly fine with that. Definitely not something that's going to make or break my decision. I would skip the 21 inch wheels and go for the 20s to smooth out the ride but I've also ridden in many Palisades and the ride is not great in those either, people still buy them 🤷. All these harp on things the average consumer doesn't care about. And that powertrain? Fine. It's faster than the old V6 and quieter too. Definitely not the worst engine in the segment and again, people looking at these don't care about that. This refresh is a great holdover until the Atlas gets a replacement and I think it's great.

The 3rd row has 2 USBc, the heated seats have buttons (double click the temp slider) the ground clearance is the same 8” as last year and the camera button is right on the dash. One of the only buttons….. Not normal for this channel to have so much misinformation in a video.

My R-Line is perfect. We love it.

VW builder site lists "Ground Clearance, including flexible parts" as 6.3". If that includes the front tire air deflectors, my guess is that's where the low number comes from. Otherwise, briefly looking under one at the dealership, the ground clearance looks a bit better than most crossovers. And this has a bench 2nd row versus the Pilot TrailSport, plus better cargo capacity than Pilot or Ascent.

Another great review, please keep hammering the manufacturers about the multiple steps for common functions. All that transmission shifting is the main reason I prefer a manual transmission... In one of the drone shots, what was that multi coloured building?

You had to drive SE or SE with tech trim, which is 41-45k. Basically, it is almost the same as the R line except for a few convenience features.

Kia’s and Hyundai’s are trash. These are slightly more reliable than Kia as they fall apart at 80k miles. Best options are always Japanese vehicles but the Germans have style going for them. I personally have an Atlas and it isn’t a rough ride at all. The AWD system works every time without fail and it looks good overall. But then again he is driving on Washington roads which were horrifically pitted and crumbling even in the Peninsula where he drives these vehicles mostly. Plus those are the 21’ rims no car rides well with such large rims and no sidewall. Also, Subaru’s are boring cars and their CVT’s are terrible and they blow head gaskets A LOT.

The front camera can be activated by the Parking Menu button near the hazard lights.

That was an not a good review ! He doesnt like it and I find it too whinny to watch ! I have two friends that have this suv and one is the V6 and one brand new with the 4 cyl . I agree the 4 works when pushed . But is fine for every day driving which is what most people will use it for and it has room that is awesome . German firm ride that means it handles better most . I do like most of his reviews but this was a fail !

Another unexpected(expected) off-road review. Pretty cool 3 row SUV, I wish it was available in Europe over VW Tiguan with 1.5 L engine. Greetings

I have the VW atlas 2024 comfortline So far I have 10 problems 1- rattling 2- sometimes the trunk open once I wash 3- the screen is multiplied touch and not safe while driving 4- remote control is not beeping sometimes once locking the car 5- the RPM jump to 3500 rpm if you lightly push the brakes on downhills You will release that it not efficient 6- the gearbox doesn’t shift quickly between gear 3 and 4 it is annoying 7- not a good car for driving Uber , annoying screen system 8- the car in general should lighter , you will feel it is heavy once you drive it 9- lack of bottoms 10- air condition fan shouldn’t be inside the screen, it should be a bottom I am selling my VW atlas 2024 for 10 thousands cheaper than the dealership

What engineer made such a sound from the exhaust line of a V2.0 Turbo engine?? Every time it spoils the mood at low speed. Reminds me of the sound of a motorcycle.

Every review you post of SUVs and crossovers makes me more and more glad I opted for the Outback Wilderness. So much more capability for so much less money.

This seems so similar to the Mitsubishi outlander 2024. But that car has physical buttoms!. More HP. More pricey. But more spacious. Buttoms kill it for me though. Check out the 2024 Mitsubishi outlander PHEV.

Love the off-road course.

In Canada, I need more than 6.3 inches to avoid hanging my car up on snow covered roads!

Test drove all three rows possible, including the 24 VW atlas premium r line. Very impressed with the interior but chose the 24 Palisade Calligraphy. Very quiet ride and soaks up the bumps very well.

Wt to HP ratio is better than the other vehicle you mentioned concerning drive train. But, I have to think that the 2.0 L is going to burn out on long trips with 4 people and a load of luggage driving through the mountains.

2 liter turbo in a giant box of a vehicle. I thought Ford was crazy but VW just said "hold my beer".

Put it in reverse to turn on the cameras then select front camera? Then put it in drive hopefully it won’t turn off until 20 or 25 mph.

Too bad the V6 is gone. I would take a Honda Pilot!

They ruined it by replacing the v6 with a 4 cylinder… and removing all the physical buttons. owning a 2022v6 atm.. the last of its kind I own. Matter of factor, I been a VW owner for almost 2 decades but this is the end for me.

I’ve owned 7 Volkswagens and half the stuff that he made sound like was optional is standard equipment on the Atlas heated /ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, digital instrument cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto all of that is standard and go look at a Ford Explorer for $53,000 or a Toyota for $53,000 or the Jeep you will get less options and less space

They're intentionally reducing off-road capability. My evidence? The new Lexus GX has the ground clearance of a Subaru. This is just icing.

You have to learn how to do things around this vehicle. For instance for changing the driving mode, simply tap mode button repeatedly, for seat heating double tap temperature zone or give a voice command. You can also fully customize infotainment system with widgets, like a cellphone. You can command pretty much anything and it knows if command is given by driver or passenger. But then again, if your vehicle needs warm up you can simply use the app or the key to do so remotely. Atlas will warm up the front seats, the steering and the air. My friend's Mercedes GLE AMG does not do that. Mercedes only warm ups the air but no seats or steering wheel. Then again, with every new vehicle, you love some changes, you hate some. It takes some time to get used to it. Some more physical buttons would be nice. At least one row you get with Audis, Mercedes or BMW. But then again after a while I don't even miss the volume knob on AUDI's center console. Go figure...

Thanks for this. Would you recommend this vehicle or a Hyundai Tucson 4x4 for off-roading? Nothing to crazy, but some uphill driving on grass/dirt/gravel.

Atlas over Ascent for sure. Which 3-row has the most aftermarket support? this (Atlas) begs for HPA's 550TT (2.5L VR6 w/2 turbos) VR6 engine swap. Sadly, past the SEL trim, the 'value' factor goes way down (I'm a SE w/tech personally). Sure, the R-line bumpers are cool looking (yes there are other differences), but unless you need parking lot points, a SEL is plenty.

You definitely just sound like you don’t like VW! Most of your complaints are literally nonissues. Maybe get more acquainted with a vehicle before you offer a review on it!

Verizon is VW cellular provider in the US

Great review. Than you!

German cars become EMPs as they age. Germans engineer cars very odd to the extreme. Toyota and Honda are much better overall. Like you said Ryan, lack of pbysical buttons is truly annoying. Not safe for driving.

Very simple to turn on the front camera.

exactly...adequate power/torque for me is part of luxury

Double tap and the slider and "BAM" you have seat warmers ON.

Why can't companies just make voice activated drive modes?

VW are just Calvinists. Everything they do must be sober. Even the engines. If you want something you pay much more. Sounds really Socialist. And then we have the Piramid of Mazlov: the Early adapters want the car. They can buy it straight away but with a underpowered engine. If you wait a year VW will come with a bigger engine which will have a bigger turbo and/or the V6 will show up. But at VW, a EU brand, a V6 is the top of the range. Before that 4 cilinder need to do the job first.

Is it ready to match my Touareg in capability and luxury?

The Traverse has been the biggest in this class since 2009 and it appears the 3rd gen model will continue to be. Atlas may be the biggest of the rest.

Another great review and terrific production value. Great stuff, Ryan. Keep it up.

I hate pano roofs and can't understand for the life of me why so many people like them. I have one in my car because it's nearly impossible to find the features you want without this option.

Please bring back your 0-60 tests.

hmmm ... seems a little disappointing when compared to the Pilot Trailsport ... in an SUV I DON'T WANT FANCY ... I WANT FUNCTIONAL ...

Well when you think you are an expert on every vehicle but never open the owners manual to see how things work/operate you jump to the conclusion that the system is horrible. What’s horrible is people believe you. Front camera is easy to activate actually has a hard button to turn it on.

VW Explorer!

Atalas vs pilot which one is better guys?

If I took a shot every time He complained about the infotainment system I would be done for the day. They were legitimate complaints, but a lot of them!! Note to self-make sure that you like the computer system of the car you are thinking about buying.

People aren't buying much of these because one it is a Volkswagen two it is only 2 liter the smallest engine in this segment.

53K.. holy BALLS

I drive a silly frontier pickup which excels at absolutely nothing but boy it’s a no brainer to use😁

Did you notice there is no garage door opener !??

You literally have the 3rd row Chargers in your 3rd row cup holders shot. It was stated more than twice that it doesn’t have 3rd row chargers when it does. 🤣

Can't you just say: "front camera!" or "surround view!" to bring them up?

VW is too big to turn into the next Nissan…but they sure as heck are trying. Is there anything more universally hated than their infotainment system, combined with piano black.

Engine 4 cylinders TSI not enough, need put V6 TSI available group VW

I was a big VW fan for a long while. When I decided to downsize, expense wise, from my 2020 Stinger GT2, I went back to a 2017 Alltrack, but I have no interest in any of VW's 2020s cars. The downsized engines and terrible infotainment plus the other things that were "quirks" of owning a VW make it just seem like a terrible purchase. The Atlas was one of the few I retained some interest in until they got rid of the V6.