 | Positives: Refreshed exterior looks better, more torque from the new and only engine, huge amounts of room, more upscale trim, expansive safety equipment set. |
 | Negatives: Floaty handling remains, terrible new infotainment and slider controls, still not as fancy as some competitors. |
 | Bottom Line: The updated Atlas gets a better engine and better looks, but the tech that comes from the ID.4 blows chunks. |
Driving Experience
The new and only engine is a 2.0-liter turbo four that's more powerful than the old turbo four. It's slightly down on power compared to the now-defunct V6 engine, but it has more torque and provides better acceleration. It's just too bad that the way the Atlas handles hasn't changed.
Ride Quality: The Atlas's ride is smooth without being totally isolating. It can feel a little bit unsettled over large pavement gaps.
Acceleration: 0-60 arrives a little quicker now with the new engine. It now takes 7.3 seconds instead of the mediocre 7.8. It's still a bit slower than the Kia Telluride, which does it in 6.8.
Braking: The Atlas's brakes feel progressive, and we didn't find any irregularities.
Steering: Steering is precise, responsive, and there's some moderate effort involved in the process. Feedback is pretty much non-existent, which makes it very un-VW.
Handling: Body control is decent until you give it just a little gusto before you enter the turn, where the Atlas exhibits its weakest point. At that point, it feels unbalanced which doesn't inspire much confidence upon exit. It's here where the Atlas feels big.
Technology
The refreshed 2024 Volkswagen Atlas gets a dual display setup that looks better on paper than it actually is to use. There's a 12.0" infotainment touchscreen and a 10.3" digital instrument cluster. What worsens matters is the befuddling layers, the on-screen climate controls, and the horrendous volume and thermostat sliders, which are now backlit but still terrible to use. The Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, wireless charging, six USB-C ports, voice command controls, and automatic climate control are standard across the entire lineup. Ambient lighting and two additional USB-C ports are available.
Infotainment System: The larger screen is crisp and easy to read, but the screens are hard to navigate. There are climate and heated seat icons on the home screen that do nothing but go to another climate screen. The home button is a square, not the shape of a house. All very annoying things that are pointless.
Controls: We still loathe the touch control sliders underneath the infotainment screen. These control audio volume and temperature. They are not easier to use than physical knobs or switches, and it's too easy to accidentally hit them with the heel of your hand when using the touchscreen.
Styling
Last year's Atlas was not a bad-looking SUV, but both the interior and the exterior lacked polish and refinement. The 2024 Atlas gets an infusion of sophistication with the refreshing of the front and rear fascias, as well as upgraded materials in the cabin. The result is a better-looking Atlas that should be more competitive, aesthetically speaking. The addition of illuminated VW logos in the front and rear are a nice touch.
Front: The grille is wider and more squared off, and it also loses its internal silver crossbars in favor of a more aggressive all-black look with a different grille pattern. The headlights also have a vertical setup instead of the old horizontal one. It also gets a light bar that unifies the driving lights The lower fascia now has a body-colored surround that helps the front end look more cohesive.
Rear: The Atlas's taillight signature has the same shape, but the elements are sharper. There's also a new LED bar that unifies the two outboard taillight, and the license plate cutout is wider and more angular. The exhaust outlets get bisected, lending a sportier look to the back end.
Profile: Not much has changed for the side view. It remains nicely chunky with prominent fender creases and a body crease that connects them, along with a handsome R-Line badge at the leading edge of the front doors.
Cabin: The biggest changes in the interior are present in the center stack and center console. The new infotainment screen sits atop the dash, and the HVAC vents move below it. The traditional shift knob is gone, replaced by a small lever-type shifter. Dash trim is now sculpted faux wood, but it certainly adds some polish to a once very Teutonic interior. Additional refinements like a new door card and handles provide a less blocky look, as well. The diamond-quilted R-Line leather seats really help to dress up the cabin. Finally, we really love both the look and functionality of the split HVAC vents at the opposite ends of the dash.
Comfort
The Atlas is very good at providing a high level of comfort for all occupants with ample room in all three rows and good seating. Ergonomics and visibility are also good.
Front Seats: The Vienna leather seats in the R-Line are nicer than previous iterations, and they feel softer. Front row seats are wide and accommodating with solid levels of adjustment. The seating position is also quite good.
Rear Seats: The second row is plenty big, as is the third row. It has more legroom in row three than the Telluride by a couple of inches. The sliding second row also helps with rear access. Six normal-sized adults can fit inside comfortably, which is more than can be said by some competitors like the Toyota Highlander.
NVH (noise/vibration/harshness): It's well made and solidly built. No rattles, squeaks, or noise intrusions, even at high speeds.
Visibility: Visibility is good in almost all directions, except side rear due to the thick D-pillars. The 360-degree and birdseye cameras are a huge help when negotiating tight spaces.
Climate: HVAC and heated/ventilated seats worked well. The split vents in outboard positions in the dash are great for both defogging the side window and sending air to the front occupants. The center vents are smaller than the old ones, and you can feel the difference in the reduction of air flow.
Safety
The 2024 Atlas now has more standard safety features in the IQ Drive suite of driver assistance tech with adaptive cruise control with lane centering, emergency braking, forward collision alert, blind-spot monitoring, rear traffic alert, and travel assist. Optional equipment includes a head-up display and predictive adaptive cruise control. The Atlas was crash-tested in 2022 with good results
IIHS Rating: The Atlas fails to earn a top score, even though it did well in all crash tests with a demerit of "marginal" in the updated front overlap test. It also got dinged due to "marginal" headlights and LATCH system and "poor" with seat belt reminders.
NHTSA Rating: The Atlas earns the 5-Star crash safety rating, top marks for any vehicle.
Standard Tech: The Atlas comes with a huge set that includes an Adaptive Front Lighting System, Intelligent Crash Response System, Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, rearview camera, overhead camera, Park Assist, Park Distance Control front & rear, Dynamic Road Sign Display, Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control, Light Assist high beam control, Hill Hold & Hill Descent Control, Exit Warning System, IQ.DRIVE with semi-automated driving assistance, lane keeping assist, semi-automated vehicle assistance in a medical emergency, forward collision warning & automatic emergency braking w/ pedestrian/cyclist monitoring, blind spot monitor, and rear traffic alert.
Optional Tech: None.
Storage/Cargo
The Atlas does a great job with storage and cargo. Now that the center console has received changes like the new shifter, it opens up more storage space in the front row.
Storage Space: There's a large retractable door front binnacle just below the middle vents, and the massive open space under the center console is also new. The center armrest and door pockets are also quite sizable.
Cargo Room: The large 56 cubic feet behind the 2nd row and cavernous 96 cu. ft. with all seats folded flat are at the top of the class, more capacious than the Honda Pilot, Dodge Durango, and the Toyota Highlander.
Fuel Economy
Dropping the V6 certainly helps with efficiency, but the 2024 Atlas still isn't a miser. The 2021 V6 4Motion we tested got 16.3 mpg combined, and this time the numbers were quite a bit better. We drove most of the miles on the highway during a weekend road trip, so that explains some of the higher mpgs.
Observed: 23.8 mpg.
Distance Driven: 432 miles
Audio
It looks like VW dropped the Fender premium system and went with Harmon Kardon. The system is excellent and emits great sound and a solid amount of bass. It's an enjoyable system that exhibited no distortion. We love that it's standard equipment in the SEL Premium.
Final Thoughts
The 2024 Atlas is much-improved over the 2023 model. It's more refined in its looks, and the engine is a welcomed change in terms of power and a slight efficiency bump. The cabin changes also make a difference for the better. It's just too bad the Atlas doesn't handle better, and the infotainment system is a downgrade in our books. That said, we like the Atlas much better after the refresh.