It almost isn’t fair, hopping into the driver’s seat of the Volkswagen Atlas after spending a week in the Chevrolet Traverse. The first thing I notice are the seats. They’re stiff, supportive, and remind you that you’re here to drive, not lounge about like some sort of mobile potato. Toto, we’re not in Detroit anymore.

The Volkswagen Atlas is a recent entry in the ever-burgeoning midsize SUV category. With three rows for up to seven passengers and a max cargo space of 98 cubic feet, it’s meant to haul… but maybe not in the metaphorical sense.

Mile 0

A nice addition to any driveway. (Image: Anthony Karcz)

The VW Atlas SE with technology package that lands in my driveway is an attractive vehicle, with a profile that’s more refined than most American-manufactured SUVs. At $38,840 as configured, this model is packed with goodies like remote engine start (helpful for those blazing hot days), adaptive cruise control, an 8″ touchscreen, and a tow package in case I need to haul something around (which happens, like, never).

The LED headlights of the Atlas make an impressive nose even more notable. More than once during the upcoming week, I wonder if I’m not blinding other drivers. It’s funny how you don’t realize how sub par some headlight systems are until you use one that’s as finely tuned as VW’s.

Prettier with the lights on. (Image: Anthony Karcz)

It also comes with a side-illumination feature that points the lights in the direction you’re turning. Honestly, I don’t notice it except on the darkest of dark streets (which, I suppose, is when you’d really need it).

Checking out the Atlas’s profile, the one oddity is the detailing on the hood. Maybe it’s just because I’m not exactly the tallest driver in the world, but the ridges are the first thing I notice when sitting in the driver’s seat. I ignore them after a few days of driving, but it’s an odd intrusion in a vehicle that’s obviously focused on offering an optimal driving experience.

Yeah. It’s purty. (Image: Anthony Karcz)

The VW Atlas SE is well appointed, with smooth leatherette seats and warm wood paneling. The chrome accents used in the interior are much less brilliant than they were in the Traverse, but it makes morning driving a less blinding affair. Overall, Volkswagen’s interior game offers a fit and finish that’s miles ahead of other manufacturers in terms of refinement.

Sarasota to Orlando

Close, but not close enough. (Image: Anthony Karcz)

On the eve of the last dance competition of the year, the 21 feet of cubic space behind the third row of the Atlas is defeated almost instantly by two giant Dream Duffles (essentially rolling dance lockers, yes they’re enormous, yes they’re necessary).

Another option for those who don’t mind buddying up in the second row. (Image: Anthony Karcz)

Since there are five of us in all, I could technically drop the third row to give us more cargo room. But then I’d be consigning our friend to riding 2 hours, hip-to-hip with a couple of tween girls. I stick the other dream duffel in the second row and give her some breathing room.

No fitting three adults back here. (Image: Anthony Karcz)

The girls get in the third row, easily accessed by the one-touch lever in the second row bench. It’s cozy. And with the second row locked back into place, more than a little confined. Just the thought of riding back here all the way to Orlando gives me a mini panic attack. But then I’m claustrophobic and have 100 pounds on the girls. While I technically fit back here, this row is not meant for long trips by adults.

Cabin Comforts

The second row is roomy with USB access on some models (Image: Anthony Karcz)

Moving forward, the second row is actually quite spacious and offers easy charging ports accessible from the center console between the front seats. It’s that comfortable-yet-no-nonsense driver’s seat where I’ll be spending my time, however,

My wife hops in and makes a face. “It’s so big!”

I counter, “It’s actually a little smaller than the Traverse.”

She gives me a disapproving look. “Well, it doesn’t feel smaller.” Sunglasses on, eyes front. “It can’t even fit both Dream Duffles in the back.”

Comfortable, but not too comfortable (Image: Anthony Karcz)

I want to point out that the Chevy would have had similar issues, but I know facts and figures would not play well into this conversation. As richly appointed as the Atlas is, it’s a driving machine, not a comfort cabin. That, as much as anything else has my wife looking at things like space.

Nice to see more manufacturers getting this right. (Image: Anthony Karcz)

As everyone piles in and gets settled, I’m met with “awws” of disappointment from my daughter as I inform her that there’s no WiFi in the Atlas. Other than that, the infotainment system is perfectly serviceable and has some neat tricks, like a near-sensing touchscreen that highlights virtual buttons before you touch them. The layout is fairly intuitive overall, with the only real oddity being that you can only turn the climate controls off from the touchscreen instead of the physical buttons.

Who needs standard nav? (Image: Anthony Karcz)

CarPlay is included standard and integrates perfectly (which makes Toyota about the only holdout, though they are finally including it with some 2019 models). The USB connection is easy to access at the bottom of the center console, but it’s surprisingly unrefined for a car that’s otherwise neat and trim. It also makes me lament, as always, that hideaway touchscreen cubbies (like on the Traverse) aren’t included in all vehicles.

At least put a door here! (Image: Anthony Karcz)

Hitting the Road

Driving the Volkswagen Atlas after spending a week in the Chevrolet Traverse provides a clear distinction between American and European auto manufacturing. Everything about the Atlas feels tight and controlled. There’s no play in the wheel or drift as you ease off the gas. When you turn the wheel, the tires respond. When you let off the gas, you stop. The only curious exception to this is the Start/Stop system.

Like similar systems in just about every other mid-to-large-sized SUV on the market, the engine turns off when the vehicle comes to a stop, then restarts when you jiggle the wheel or apply pressure to the gas pedal. While it was noisy on the Chevy, it never resulted in a delay of power at stops. In the Atlas, however, there’s a curious amount of resistance when you press the gas and the engine reengages. There’s definitely a feel that you’ve got to push hard through first gear to get the car rolling. It’s only a couple of seconds, but it’s enough that I’m tempted to leave the system disabled (there’s a handy button to do just that on the center console).

Woo-hoo! Hit my goal! (Image: Anthony Karcz)

However, with an average fuel economy that hovers in the high teens in town, I’m loathe to do anything that handicaps its MPG even further. There is a “Blue Trainer” screen that analyzes your driving style to determine how “blue” you’re driving. Drive less aggressively, with an eye on fuel economy, and you’ll see it reflected positively here. I struggle to keep my average MPG in the low 20s.

The controls are nicely situated. (Image: Anthony Karcz)

All of that is set aside when I hit the highway, though, and engage the adaptive cruise control. Radar enhanced, it keeps an eye on the traffic in front of you and slows accordingly when needed. Hitting I-4 eastbound on a busy Friday night is enough to convince me that I don’t want to take a road trip without this feature ever again.

The packed traffic picks along at a snail’s pace, then opens up for vast stretches. Letting the Atlas figure out how fast it needs to be going to keep up with the flow (and avoid slamming into the car in front of us) vastly reduces the stress I’d usually feel on the trip. I do have to take over a few times when aggressive drivers hang on my bumper (and would have slammed into me if I didn’t ease into braking).

The lane-keeping and blind spot monitors work wonderfully throughout the trip, helping transform what’s usually an exercise in patience into a pleasant drive (well, until the girls in the third row see Disney fireworks and lose their minds for the last 10 minutes of the drive).

Tooling Around Orlando

After a couple of days of getting the girls to and from the competition (and making copious Starbucks runs), I start to appreciate the satisfyingly tight handling and pleasingly responsive engine. I use cruise control constantly around town and am rewarded with non-stressful drives, even as we brave Disney Springs on a Saturday night.

A clearer picture than on most stock backup cameras. (Image: Anthony Karcz)

The Atlas SE has a backup camera only, making me occasionally wish for the parking assist included on some of the higher trims, but it proves to be a moot point. Despite its size, the Atlas is more than capable of sliding into any spot I find (even when the guy behind me in the Orange parking lot at Disney Springs refuses to back up an inch so that I can park in the spot I almost drove past).

Heading Home

After a weekend of dance and general Orlando merriment, we strike out for Sarasota. It’s only a few miles into our I-4 trek that I remember I’ll need gas to get there. After an awkward stop where I learn the gas tank is on the passenger side, I drop a few gallons in the tank to get us home. I’m over 300 miles into the full tank the Atlas had when it was dropped off and I’ve averaged around 21 MPG – it’s not bad for such a large vehicle.

But filling up, I’m reminded that it is a large vehicle. The overall responsiveness and easy driving of the Volkswagen Atlas is not that of a midsize SUV. It has the driving profile of a much smaller vehicle. Just one weekend and I’m convinced: VW knows what they’re doing when it comes to making a vehicle that’s both comfortable and dedicated to delivering a better driving experience.

An Atlas For Every Budget?

Remote start is available at lower trims. At higher trims, you can replace the cluster with an all-digital readout. (Image: Anthony Karcz)

At $38,840 as configured, the Volkswagen Atlas SE with Technology model I drove isn’t the most expensive in the lineup. That’s reserved for the $48,395 SEL Premium with 4MOTION model. That trim adds a staggering amount of features including sunroof, all-wheel drive, a digital cockpit (replacing the standard instrument cluster), park assist, overhead camera, and more (though second row captain’s chairs are still extra).

If that’s more vehicle than you’re looking for, there are no less than seven trim levels between the SE with Technology and the SEL Premium with 4MOTION. There are also four trim levels below the model I drove, starting with the Atlas S at $30,895 (which sports a 2.0 turbo engine instead of the V6 of its model-mates).

All of this is to say, if you’re interested in the Volkswagen Atlas, you’ve got a lot of options. With 13 standard model trims, do your homework before you get to the dealership so you don’t get lost in “feature fog.” Know exactly what’s in the one you’re interested in and know what you can add and what you can’t. Thankfully, VW doesn’t do a lot of “upgrade package” nonsense, where your configured vehicle ends up being almost as expensive as a higher trim model (hence the 13 different models).

Hit up VW.com and do some research. If you’re interested, I highly recommend a test drive (overnight if you can swing it). The Atlas will impress you.

(Thanks to Volkswagen for providing a vehicle for this article. Opinions are my own.)