2024 Volkswagen Atlas SEL 4Motion

Class: Midsize Crossover

Coloration: Opal White

Miles pushed: 140

Noticed gas economic system: 21.3 mpg

Driving combine: 60% metropolis, 40% freeway

EPA-estimated gas economic system: 19/26/22 (mpg metropolis/freeway/mixed)

Snow Efficiency: N/A

Base worth: $48,445 (not together with $1350 vacation spot cost)

Choices on check automobile: Particular paint ($395)

Value as examined: $50,190

Fast Hits

The good: Spacious and premium-feeling cabin, glorious highway manners

The great: Moderately simple on the gasoline, loads of energy

The not so good: Gradual and glitchy digital interface, an excessive amount of engine noise

Tom Appel:

If you happen to discovered the final episode of “Higher Name Saul” irritating, you then probably respect my emotions relating to the up to date for 2024 Volkswagen Atlas. A lot as “Saul” was a wonderful TV present, the newly freshened midsize Atlas crossover is a standout automobile in some ways, although it’s removed from excellent. And, it’s form of that final episode that will get you.

For 2024 the Atlas underwent minor beauty surgical procedure, all for the higher we’d argue, and had its two-drivetrain invoice of fare trimmed to a single providing. Essentially the most vital replace nonetheless, comes contained in the Atlas, nonetheless. The cabin has been retrimmed as a part of a luxury-themed makeover, and the brand new Atlas comes off as legitimately premium, particularly for the worth.

One of the best information is that Atlas stays one of many roomiest and most space-efficient choices within the midsize crossover class. It is usually among the many most rewarding of its friends to drive. Rating one for conventional VW sportiness, a factor we oldtimers started to fret was misplaced.

2024 North American Auto Present Schedule

For 2024 Atlas is obtainable in 4 trim ranges, base SE ($37,725), SE with Expertise ($41,665), SEL ($48,445), and SEL Premium R-Line ($52,466). Additionally obtainable is the mechanically related fastback-bodied Atlas Cross Spot which we’ll overview shortly.

Shopper Information just lately spent every week behind the wheel of a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas SEL with no choices in extra-cost Opal White. And, as famous above, we had been usually impressed, although there are two sticking factors, each of which we’ll handle presently.

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Let’s begin with the excellent news: The Atlas cabin is nothing wanting fabulous. The cool, stylish, and trendy Atlas cabin is each ethereal and spacious, and lined with high-end materials and accented with premium-looking wooden accents. We’d not be dissatisfied to search out décor of this grade in a automobile itemizing for half once more as a lot cash.

Coming into and exiting the entrance two seating rows is simple, as all 4 doorways open extensive, and Atlas’s journey top accommodates easy ingress. The third row, too, is comparatively simple to entry, particularly for the younger and lithe folks more likely to be headed to again that method.

Our sole cabin criticism facilities on the infotainment system, and the baffling and largely ineffective touchscreen interface. Not solely is the system sluggish to reply to contact inputs, its format and menu system is gorgeous counterintuitive and surprisingly out of sync with the programs present in different autos on this class—or any class. What passes for a house display is confusingly segmented into a number of parts, a few of which—for no apparently cause—to not function hyperlinks to a deeper menu.

However, worst of all—not less than for this writer–is that the media display can’t be reached instantly, however should be accessed by way of a secondary display which—for no good cause—at all times shows each track loaded onto the linked machine in alphabetical order. As I’ve 12,000 songs on my telephone, this display serves me no worth. After a delay of a number of minutes—typically the size of two songs—a more-or-less typical media display does seem, however the info displayed is usually for the incorrect track, and album-cover picture displayed are from a monitor heard a number of items in the past. For somebody who typically spends time within the automotive simply to take heed to music, this infotainment system is a dealbreaker.

All of this musical heartbreak is made extra irritating by the truth that the usual Atlas SEL 6-speaker audio programs is kind of good.

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Additionally, and is that this simply unusual, the console quantity management takes the type of a rheostatic strip positioned beneath the touchscreen. The interface isn’t particularly responsive to the touch, and is troublesome to make use of with any precision. Additionally, it isn’t backlit, so it can’t be positioned or used at evening. Fortunately the steering-wheel audio management works simply positive.

On the highway the Atlas usually shines. Presumably to the chagrin of some returning Atlas consumers, the super-smooth 3.6-liter V6 has been retired for 2024, changed in all fashions by an up-power 2.0-turbocharged 4-cylinder powerplant, the “EVO4.”

Volkswagen code EA888, the brand new 4-cylinder engine produces a reported 269 horsepower, that’s considerably greater than the earlier technology 4 (235), and simply shy of the retired V6 (276). And, per VW, the brand new engine cranks out extra torque than both of the outdated engines.

On the highway the brand new engine proves itself stout, however energy supply is a bit raucous. And, on this level we remind consumers why check drives are so essential when selecting a automobile.

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This writer discovered the brand new engine nicely matched to the Atlas’s 8-speed automated transmission, offering glorious throttle response from any pace. The engine shouldn’t be quiet, nonetheless, serving up a sporty roar when pushed to ship something greater than routine-drive energy. The time period “sporty” is subjective, nonetheless, and different tester discovered the engine noise to crude, and inappropriate for a automobile on this class. The consensus opinion is that the V6 engine was higher suited to the core Atlas mission than is the brand new 4-cylinder, which per one evaluator, simply sounds overworked.

There is no such thing as a quibble about how the Atlas performs on the highway, nonetheless. The massive Volkswagen ranks among the many best-handling midsize crossovers, with surprisingly agency and communicative steering, and nice highway really feel. Trip high quality can be glorious, even over damaged highway surfaces. Consumers on the lookout for long-trip household consolation will discover the Atlas worthy of consideration.

Just like the final episode of Higher Name Saul, the up to date for 2024 Atlas disappoints in the long run. And, just like the Saul ending, the Atlas’s infotainment system and coarse-sounding engine louse up what’s in any other case glorious stuff. However, when you don’t thoughts the touchscreen setup, and you discover the engine sound sporty—quite than crude—when pushed, by all means take an in depth have a look at this stylish, refined, and fairly priced crossover. And, fingers crossed, perhaps there’s a software program replace on the best way for the digital stuff.

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2024 Volkswagen Atlas SEL Gallery

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