2024 Volkswagen Atlas First Drive: Dancing To Music No One Else Can Hear

There are few parts of America more idyllic and nostalgic than the Catskills of upstate New York — think "Dirty Dancing," for example. That's why it seemed so fitting that Volkswagen chose this location for our test drive of the refreshed 2024 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport.

A few years ago, Volkswagen set a dreamy, blurry, optimistic Atlas commercial to Simon & Garfunkel's "America" — it was lovely, reminiscent of VW commercials from what I consider the prime watercooled era, and reminded me of camping as a child in my dad's Vanagon (which, given my parents' proclivities, was probably closer to the Simon & Garfunkel vision than I had context for at the time). The commercial vanished after I saw it only a few times and VW hasn't done any ads that are nearly as cool since, which I thought at the time was a shame. 

It's exactly what this midsize crossover is meant for: it's not the most efficient or most practical amongst its contemporaries, but it scratches that itch for just, like, wanting things to be good. Or even great. This midsize crossover was designed for the American market, is built in America, and represents VW's investment in wanting to be here. That isn't necessarily what makes it worth buying, but it's a vibe that some others just don't have.

This VW is a pretty sculpture inside and out, in both hulking Atlas and svelte Cross Sport versions. The Cross Sport shaves off the third row in favor of a raked roofline that nonetheless maintains the larger profile thanks to an extended roof spoiler, and there's some subtle differentiation among the Atlas and Cross Sport front ends, but no matter what version suits you best, it's lovely. 

Standard adaptive LED headlights are a nice touch, and all trims except the base models get an illuminated grille badge and illuminated trim, which sounds like overkill but is actually executed better here than it is on some more upscale vehicles (looking at you, Mercedes). This lighting treatment is mirrored on the rear end.

The color palette ranges from white to gray to grayer, but VW does pull in some great hues, like the Cross Sport's Kingfisher Blue and the new Peak Edition's Avocado Green. The top-end Peak Edition hints at ruggedness that isn't really there, but the exclusive color choices, badging, and subtle trim upgrades make a nice overall look. New wheels are standard across the lineup, with 18-inchers on base models and 20- and 21-inch designs dressing up premium trims. Roof rails come standard, too.

Regardless of trim level, the cabin sings with entirely too many layers of textures and finishes. Some combinations are more successful than others. For example, upper trims get perforated synthetic leather seating with a bright contrast panel underneath — I really liked my Kingfisher Blue exterior Cross Sport tester with a lovely coordinating blue panel peeking through the centers of the sport seats; red is also an option.

Less successful is the band of piano black trim separating the upper and lower dash segments that appeared in every car I peeked into. Everyone hates these fingerprint magnets and it's a mystery why this type of trim is damn near ubiquitous in this segment. Especially when VW has much better options, like a variety of pretty fabrics and metals and wood, and uses most of them to great effect, like the way the dash trim aligns with the door trim to create a soothing, cocooning effect. The sheer variety of trim types in one small space is overwhelming, but it works much better in the Atlas than it does in, say, VW's snug little Jetta.

When the Atlas debuted in 2018, the biggest selling points were that the third row is comfortable for adults, and that adults can crawl into the third row despite car seats installed in the second row, because the second row seats can still tumble forward (as long as your spawn aren't strapped in). These features carry over for the Atlas (though not the Cross Sport, for obvious reasons), and they aren't quite as new but nevertheless awesome and awe-inspiring for people who were mildly aware of them before but became parents in the meantime, like me.

So yeah, cram in all of the kids and even some aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Everyone is welcome. America (Simon & Garfunkel, not so much Childish Gambino).

Front passengers (most likely, we tired parents) get standard synthetic leather, heating, and cooling. It gets better from there as you move through the trims, with various power adjustments, memory settings, and the like. VW does seats well on premium models and they always have (and there's that nostalgia again). It's also pretty nice that front passengers get seat height adjustment. Captain's chairs are available in the second row of the Atlas, which is expected for the segment by now.

Standard tech features include a 12-inch "floating" infotainment display, that's really more "protruding" than levitating, the VW Digital Cockpit configurable instrument display, wireless charging, fast-charging USB-C ports, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. VW's standard safety suite includes forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitors, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, and a semi-automated notification system for medical emergencies.

The Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport feel exactly the same from behind the wheel. If it's your money on the line, by all means, test them both and see if one sings to you louder than the other, but for the purposes of this driving review, we aren't making a distinction between them.

Volkswagen has installed a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine across the lineup to replace the old four-cylinder and VR6 engines. This is notable for several reasons. First, the new engine is both more powerful and more fuel-efficient than the previous options. That means better acceleration, less time and money at the gas pump, and more competitive numbers compared to rivals. It makes it easier to shop for an Atlas, since there's less decision-making involved if two outdated options are replaced with one good one. 

That said, there's still no hybrid or electrification option, which, let's face it, would be really useful and welcome here. But finally — and elder millennials who are shopping for a family Volkswagen out of nostalgia might catch some feels here — it means Volkswagen's VR6 engine, the distinctive "staggered six," is no longer for sale and has moved over the oil-slick-rainbow bridge. This baby powered some of VW's most interesting cars over the last 20 years, like the under-appreciated Corrado SLC and Jetta GLX, and for anyone about my age who has multiple fond memories of early watercooled VWs, there was probably a VR6 in the mix at some point.

(If you think this is TMI, VW's official press release for the Atlas dedicates four full paragraphs to insider-baseball detailed mechanical terminology describing the new engine. It's a thing with VW. A VW Thing, if you will.)

Wiping away a tear and moving on. We're all adults now.

The specs and resulting experience for this powertrain check in at "solidly above decent": 269 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. That's an improvement of 34 horsepower and 15 pound-feet over the old four-banger and comes close to the VR6 numbers, but with better fuel economy than the six-cylinder. An eight-speed automatic is standard across the board.

The EPA says front-wheel drive numbers come in at 20 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined for both Atlas and Cross Sport. All-wheel drive Atlas models come in at 19/26/22 for SE and SE Technology Package, and for Cross Sport across the line. For Atlas only, ratings are 19/25/21 for SEL and SEL Premium R-Line, and 18/24/20 for Peak Edition.

Most Atlas models can tow a 5,000-pound Airstream trailer when properly equipped, just as long as there's nothing in the Airstream.

Let's talk about Sport modes, though. Aside from the enhanced engine noise, there's really little difference between Comfort and Sport. The steering feel is a little tighter, but acceleration isn't noticeably more urgent and the suspension feels about the same. And this also dates back to an adolescence colored by VWs, but if I owned an Atlas, I'd avoid Sport mode just because it switches the digital instrument cluster to a red gauge design, which triggers a visceral reaction — a red glow from the instrument panel was never, ever a good thing.

On the flip side, while we've recently driven some soft-road-upgraded versions of the Atlas' competitors and actually enjoyed them, it's kind of refreshing that VW doesn't feel the need to go there beyond an Offroad driving mode. Does the Atlas need tons of extra stuff to get the kids to the campsite? No, it does not.

The 2024 VW Atlas lineup starts at $36,715 for the base Cross Sport and $37,725 for the base Atlas, which is a reasonable-ish increase of about $2,000 compared to the 2023 model considering the new engine comes standard across both versions. Volkswagen notes that not only does the trim lineup carry over from 2023, the Cross Sport lineup is consistent with the regular Atlas. In other words, buyers can pick a trim and then a body style, or vice versa, but won't really have to compromise based on features that are available on one but not the other.

As for midsize SUV competitors with similar starting prices, well, there are a lot. It's hard to argue that the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade, arguably the class leaders since their debuts, are in any way inferior to the Atlas. The Honda Pilot, Subaru Ascent, Toyota Highlander and Nissan Pathfinder also all have value prospects and virtues.

Like making your toddlers squeal in glee? The Mazda CX-90 probably comes closest to the Atlas in driving dynamics, but is also several thousand dollars more expensive in base form. One could argue that when you start shopping for a three-row crossover, you've already conceded that you're throwing driving dynamics out the window, but also, that's, you know, both Mazda's and VW's whole thing.

The 2024 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport are arriving at dealerships right now, dispatched from Volkswagen's production facility in Chattanooga, TN.