Is the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas a Good SUV? 6 Pros, 3 Cons
When the Volkswagen Atlas arrived for the 2018 model year, it immediately became one of our favorite mid-size three-row SUVs. Its spacious interior and generous list of standard features helped set it apart in a crowded field and made it a Cars.com award winner multiple times.
Related: 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Review: Smart Changes (Nearly) Redeem a Former Favorite
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Shop the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas near you
A lot has changed in the ensuing years, and the Atlas has just received a welcome update for the 2024 model year. The freshening comes not a moment too soon, too, as newer competitors like the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade have chipped away at the Atlas’ standing. The update brings significant improvements, including a much improved interior, added tech and a new standard engine.
While the changes go a long way toward keeping the Atlas competitive, not all is ideal as Cars.com Managing Editor Joe Bruzek recently found out during testing. You can read his complete expert review by tapping the link above; for a quicker look, read on for six things we like about the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas and three things we don’t.
Things We Like
1. Upgraded Accommodations
A big improvement in interior materials quality helps bring the Atlas more in line with its competitors, at least if you focus on the upper surfaces you tend to see and touch most often. The refresh brings rich-looking and supple available leather upholstery, padded surfaces, and a vibrant and colorful digital instrument cluster along with a 12-inch touchscreen multimedia system.
2. No Haptic Wheel Controls
Other VW models have switched to overly sensitive haptic steering-wheel controls, which make it all too easy to unintentionally change settings. Apparently customers didn’t care for them, either, because the Atlas uses more conventional steering-wheel buttons that are easier to use and less prone to unintended adjustments.
3. News Under the Hood
The outgoing four- and six-cylinder engines have both been replaced with a punchy and refined 269-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that powers all Atlas trims for 2024. Packing more power than the old base engine, the new powertrain delivers similar fuel economy while providing quicker acceleration than either of the old engines. Better still, the new engine is designed to deliver its added performance on regular gas, whereas the old four-cylinder needed premium fuel for maximum power.
4. Ride and Handling
One thing we’re happy to see hasn’t changed is that the updated Atlas retains its confident handling and road holding while still delivering a comfortable, absorbent ride. (The available 20-inch wheels result in a choppier ride and more road noise, however.)
5. Loaded Up
The freshening brings notable additions to the Atlas’ generous list of standard features, which now includes heated and ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, tri-zone climate control and adaptive headlights. There’s also an extensive list of driver-assist safety features.
6. Available Goodies
If the 2024 Atlas’ long list of standard features isn’t enough, newly available options include a head-up display and a slick 360-degree camera system that turns with the steering wheel to improve forward visibility in close quarters.
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Things We Don’t Like
1. Conspicuous Cost Cutting
A closer look at the Atlas’ upgraded interior reveals some obvious cost cuts in some areas. While most surfaces you touch and interact with often are significantly improved, there’s still a lot of hard plastic and cheaper materials down low. That’s maybe not a huge deal, but it’s worth noting that competitors (including the Palisade and Telluride) present a more consistent quality look throughout.
2. Bad News on the Control Front
While Volkswagen gets credit for avoiding overly sensitive haptic steering-wheel controls, the new dashboard brings more issues. Frequently used things like climate controls and heated seats are now accessed exclusively through the touchscreen, making them much harder to use on the fly.
3. Increased Price
All of these improvements come at a cost, which works out to a $2,630 price increase for a 2024 Atlas in the base SE trim with front-wheel drive. That brings the price of entry to about $39,000 (including destination). Though the base trim level gets the biggest increase, it also receives the biggest improvements and additional features. The increase is a more reasonable $650 for a loaded SE with all-wheel drive and the Technology Package when compared to a 2023 V-6 version with the same features.
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