2018 Volkswagen Atlas

Only 3-weeks with the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas and we’ve already tacked on 17-hundred miles. That included a 3-day trip to Western North Carolina for the fall colors. 18-hours behind the wheel gave us plenty of quality time in VW’s largest U.S. vehicle. 

The 276-horsepower naturally-aspirated 3.6-liter VR6 pulled strong even up mountains. The 8-speed automatic changed gears with ease even on down shifts. 

Perhaps most impressive was the adaptive cruise control… which adjusted the speed with stealth-like precision. Steering is light but solid. VW’s 4Motion permanent AWD easily handled a steep gravel drive-way and 9-straight hours of rain soaked roads.

The seats are Volkswagen firm and fine for daily commutes… but could be more pliable for long journeys. We’re averaging 19.5 miles per gallon… which is in-line with the EPA’s Combined rating.

Our time is up for this 2018 Volkswagen Atlas three-row crossover after logging over 78-hundred miles in just three months.

“The Atlas has won our Drivers’ Choice award for best large utility two years in a row now so it’s pretty clear that we like this thing a lot. Some of the high points are the really good long haul comfort; that’s for the driver and the passenger and a lot of that has to do with the huge amount of rear seat passenger space and a lot of cargo space in the back. And then just the great visibility front and back. We have noticed a bit of a clunky auto stop/start system, but that’s easy enough to turn off with the push of a button. And overall this has just been a vehicle that a lot of us have wanted to drive on the weekends, especially when it comes to those longer road trips.”

Those long trips aided our average of 20.5 miles-per-gallon on regular… beating the government’s combined rating. The Atlas was designed specifically for American families, and it delivers on all points.

Our 2018 Volkswagen Atlas recently returned from a 12-hundred-mile journey to our winter testing ground in Georgia, so we’ve spent a lot of quality time in the biggest VW SUV. 

The 276-horsepower 3.6-liter VR6 and smooth 8-speed automatic are among the reasons our crew likes this big driver on long road trips. It’s a comfortable cruiser, even though we continue to log comments about the firm seats. But the roomy rear seats and cavernous cargo space are welcome on all trips.  

75-hundred miles have passed by with an overall average of 20-point-4-miles per gallon… which is our best yet… and better than the government’s combined rating.

We’ll see if VW’s 4Motion all-wheel-drive system will be put to the test during what’s left of winter.