We find at Atlas at Volkswagen (used)

The Volkswagen Atlas is a crucial car for Volkswagen. It literally does have all of Volkswagen depending on the success of this vehicle, tough gig!

The 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder won’t be available until later so the only engine you can option for is the dated 3.6 six-cylinder which is shared with the Passat. While it is nice that the six-cylinder is accompanied by Volkswagen’s 4-motion all-wheel-drive system, we wish that Volkswagen would’ve updated the engine to pump out at least 300hp so it doesn’t feel sluggish compared to the Mazda CX-9 we’ve driven. The standard eight-speed auto gearbox does a fantastic job of helping the Atlas feel peppy where it matters the most, but all that gets lost in translation as the steering becomes overly light at highway speeds. It almost makes the whole entire vehicle feel nervous rather than confident. The ride comfort around town is actually quite good considering how firm it feels at times when driving over certain surfaces, but if you hit a bump it will send jolts throughout the cabin, leaving you feeling queasy if the road is anything but perfect. Wind and road noise won’t be much of an issue but you will hear the suspension thump over some surfaces, but that is far from a deal breaker.

The infotainment system is very simple and easy to use. The menus are easy to navigate through and while the whole interface is excellent, we strongly suggest keeping both eyes on the road at all times unless you are stationary. The front seats offer superb comfort, while those in the second row won’t have anything to complain about at all, those in the third row may feel shortchanged on comfort but it’s not as cramped as some of its keen rivals. You’ll have to fold down the third row seat to really exploit the boot space, with both rows folded down you’ve got yourself a cargo van.

Our tester car was a pretty pricey SEL with 4-motion all-wheel-drive. It came equipped with LED headlights, 20-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry with keyless start and optional 20-inch alloy wheels. Leather wrapped seats and steering wheel also come standard as well as tri-zone climate control, remote engine start and Blind Spot Monitoring system with lane departure warning.

We had high hopes for the Volkswagen Atlas, it certainly didn’t disappoint but we expected a lot better from Volkswagen. The refinement is there but it certainly needs tweaking in areas that makes Volkswagen feel special compared to its keen rivals. The steering feedback is way too light at highway speeds, the styling is way too cartoonish for our taste and we certainly wish that Volkswagen improved the aged 3.6 engine. You’ll like the Atlas because it offers a competent package for a reasonable price.

Likes: It can seat comfortably seven people and still offer decent boot space. The standard kit list is pretty generous too and you can option for a turbocharged four-cylinder.

Dislikes: The exterior styling is cartoonish and the turbo four-cylinder only can be had with front-wheel-drive. The 3.6 engine needs updating and the steering is way too light at highway speeds.

Our pick: SE w/ 4-motion strikes a nice balance between price and standard kit. You won’t have to venture too high up unless you are willing to dish out the extra cash. Even so, there are a few rivals from Mazda and Honda that make a more compelling case. The Launch Edition w/ 4-motion is also another worthy trim to consider.

Top pick: Mazda CX-9

You’d be pretty daft to think that Mazda isn’t capable of making a great seven-seat crossover. The proof is in the CX-9 which in our opinion is one of the best options out there if you need seven-seats but don’t want to lose driving entertainment. It’s our top pick after all.

The 2.5 turbo four-cylinder pumps out 250hp and a diesel-like 310lb-ft torque. You can use regular fuel on this engine but the output will drop to 227hp and well a 23hp loss in power is not worth saving few nickels and dimes. We highly recommend using premium fuel to get the fuel 250hp from that four-cylinder engine. The best part of the CX-9 is the fact that despite it not having much horsepower it doesn’t feel sluggish to drive; it’s actually the complete opposite. The high torque at low revs gives the CX-9 so much pull that driving around town is smoother than you’d think and when it comes to passing on the highway, the four-cylinder manages to cope with the heavy weight of the CX-9 with surprising amounts of flexibility. Steering feedback is amazing and the chassis manages to be comfortable and agile. Road noise is present but it is far from annoying or a deal breaker, you can easily drain it out with the radio, wind noise wont’ be much of an issue either thanks to good interior insulation.

The front seats offer superb comfort and the driving position is spot on good. The second row is good in space as well while the third row is surprisingly comfortable with plenty of comfort features to help it feel less claustrophobic. The CX-9 may not have the same amount of cargo space as a Chevy Suburban with both two rows of seats folded down but to say that the CX-9 isn’t roomy enough ultimately means that you’ll have to pick either a Chevy Suburban or Ford Expedition EL.

The dashboard is first class in refinement and the fact that all the controls and dials are within reach of the driver’s hand and are easy to use. The infotainment system is actually quite easy to navigate through with all the menus logically laid out, even though we still bash them for being too distracting while on the go. The Bluetooth connectivity is so seamless to use and isn’t as fussy as the Nissan Maxima we had as a tester.

Our tester car was the Grand Touring trim which came with LED headlights, 20-inch alloy wheels, optional all-wheel-drive system and a Bose premium audio system. Also included in our CX-9 was navigation system, lane departure warning, distance pacing cruise control and blind spot monitoring system (this feature came in handy as we nearly cut-off a few people who rode in our blind spot during a brief drive on the highway).

There are few crossovers that really do tickle our fancy and make us wish we had a need for seven-seats. The CX-9 is one of those crossovers. It really does live up to the ‘zoom-zoom’ with the way it feels on the road and how comfortable and easy it is to live with despite it being a large seven-seat crossover. The only other crossover that doesn’t feel as daunting to drive is the Mercedes GLE and well not everyone wants to pay the premium for one, thus the CX-9 literally is the best of the best and is our top pick.

Likes: The turbo four-cylinder is smooth and offers plenty of flexibility, while running costs is within reason. It can fit up to seven people and doesn’t feel daunting to drive.

Dislikes: Don’t use regular fuel!

Our pick: Most people will be happiest with the Sport or Touring trim. We highly suggest going right for the Grand Touring Trim. It comes with so much kit standard and the asking price is actually quite reasonable. It may be a tad too pricey for some but what you get in return is well justified.