[Gev]

I have the same Atlas. Bought it used with 20K miles and now have 30K miles with no issues. We wanted a larger SUV for hauling craft show stuff. I'm happy with the mileage considering the size, combined around 25mpg.

Hi there but you might haven’t drive other brand suvs to know the difference ( 25mpg yes thats right but if you drive the car in highway with less than 65mph no traffic and no hills and no extra weights)

 

[WSmith]

I agree on the shifting - my 2.0T SEL shifts to 3rd very quickly and goes through the gears to fast. Manually, 1st and 2nd are abnormally short. Is this the same on all Atlases?
My AAC is lethal and accelerated in very light snow despite being behind a vehicle. Proximity and Radar wack out in rain.
My truck is, again, dysfunctional - was repaired last May with a new control module.
The User Interface for the Apps is quirky - confirms commend (beep) but does not activate - press again and it will or initiate 2 changes. I suspect they are using underpower micro-chips.
The Wi-fi will not auto-connect to my iPhone (all other Wi-Fis do) - A pain to enter phone settings each time to initiate it.
Beyond the above which I will request to be fixed, I like the Atlas and vey happy with my Dark Racing Green SEL... the room is very nice - I bought the Atlas instead of a Q7!

 

[Bink]

In no way is this intended to be rude…
People need to take the time to research what they want to purchase, and read forums like this before committing. My 2021.5 Atlas SEL 2.0 is my first VW (my fourth SUV and overall my 10th car because I have a hard time keeping a vehicle for its full lease).
Before going with my Atlas, I watched a lot of reviews from professionals as well as read this forum and one other. My experience is on par with some of what I read. Overall, I love this car, especially having a family of five. Three car seats across the middle row and access to the third row is a breeze with plenty of storage to spare. The ride is incredibly comfortable, it does very well in the snow, and acceleration is there when I need it (if I needed more, I would buy the appropriate vehicle that offered that power, although there would probably be a trade off elsewhere), plus the mpg is pretty good for this size of vehicle (went with 2.0 due to the horror stories of the fuel economy of the VR6).
The digital dash is great, but I do wish the infotainment screen were closer to 10 inch and a little faster, but not enough to throw a fit over.
One thing I noticed, being detail oriented, is that the paint seems to scratch very easily. This might actually be my biggest complaint with this vehicle.
I do feel bad for those who do get a poorly made vehicle, but I don’t think those people should label all models “junk” or whatever you want to call it. I do hope those of you having troubles can get your issues resolved, and if you do part ways, maybe jump on some forums before you get your next vehicle and see what people are saying before purchasing/leasing.

 

[Aubrey B.]

I’m having the same issue with my 2019 Atlas where it has trouble shifting gears between 0-40 mph. I was told originally to turn off a safety feature and not told to put it in sport mode. That helps somewhat but it’s still there. I had it at the dealership this week and was told it is how the engine is and to deal with it. I love the car but wish these small issues could be fixed. They also recommended that I replace my rotors cause they are warped already. My car just hit the 18k mark and I’ve had it for almost 2 years. On my old Kia I only replaced the rotors once in the 6 years I had it. It’s just frustrating.

 

[WSmith]

"... I was told originally to turn off a safety feature and not told to put it in sport mode. " At this rate they probably tell you not to drive it. I should work 100% period. I have a 2021. SEL - transmission 1-2-3 is too quick, my trunk will not open normally (fixed in April with new board from Germany and started up again 1 month ago) - the interface is too often is non responsive and has terrible latency... likely from cheap (slower) microprocessors. I'll address it in January, Aside from that, I really enjoy my car. From research, the transmission is the same as Toyota and the programming may be the culprit to gain annoying official MPGs... Merry Christmas!

PS - I wish it has a straight 6 (not V6) and Turbo (I have the 2.0L Turbo)!

Update: 2022-03-27 - 2022-03-08 Repairs: Needs a new rear latch (still waiting) and the driver side wiring harness (no delivery date). The wiper crashing into wind shield frame on driver side repaired. It will be soon time for VW to salvage a new Atlas to fix mine....

All in all, I like the vehicle overall design, interior and size - assuming it car be repaired - the transmission shifting is essentially a design failure but I assume intentional and dumb.

 

[DocAlix]

I purchased my 21 atlas SE R-Line Technology in October 2020 and I couldn’t agree with you more! This is the worst vehicle I’ve ever owned and I’ve tried hard to ignore all the issues but I’m nervous to drive this car. I’ve reported so many issues to my dealer since around 3 months in and every time I’m told all is well, they couldn’t recreate any of the issues I’ve experienced. I can’t even count how many times it’s slammed into the side of my garage while backing in or out. My husband didn’t believe me until it happened to him and cracked my side mirror into 2 pieces! Praying it doesn’t crash into the exterior support columns and knock my house down one of these days. I’ve also been close to being rear-ended several times after it engages the automatic braking system and comes to a complete stop while I’m turning if another vehicle happens to make a u-turn in front of me. I turned off that feature after the 4th or 5th time and thankfully it’s been ok since then. As soon as I start it up, I turn off the automatic start/stop because I can’t take the jerking and stalling, but hate that I burn through gas so fast without it on. Not to mention all the recalls that have come during the 1 & 1/2 years I’ve owned it. Who knew that buying a beautiful brand new car with 6 miles on it would be my worst nightmare!

 

[Vince B.]

That is so disappointing that you are having all these issues. My experience has been quite the opposite. I own a 2021.5 RLine SEL and it couldn’t be more perfect. I received it with 6 miles in July. This has turned out to be one of the best vehicles I have ever owned. I also love the 4 Motion system. I live in Northeast Ohio where we have recieved plenty of snow lately and it has performed flawlessly even when others have got stuck on an incline on my street my vehicle handled it with no issues. As for the gas mileage I already knew what to expect, I did plenty of research before my purchase. Good luck with your VW, things are never perfect with any auto manufacturer I know this for a fact I do work in the automotive repair industry. Hopefully all the issues can be resolved and you can enjoy your vehicle.

 

[Bink]

I purchased my 21 atlas SE R-Line Technology in October 2020 and I couldn’t agree with you more! This is the worst vehicle I’ve ever owned and I’ve tried hard to ignore all the issues but I’m nervous to drive this car. I’ve reported so many issues to my dealer since around 3 months in and every time I’m told all is well, they couldn’t recreate any of the issues I’ve experienced. I can’t even count how many times it’s slammed into the side of my garage while backing in or out. My husband didn’t believe me until it happened to him and cracked my side mirror into 2 pieces! Praying it doesn’t crash into the exterior support columns and knock my house down one of these days. I’ve also been close to being rear-ended several times after it engages the automatic braking system and comes to a complete stop while I’m turning if another vehicle happens to make a u-turn in front of me. I turned off that feature after the 4th or 5th time and thankfully it’s been ok since then. As soon as I start it up, I turn off the automatic start/stop because I can’t take the jerking and stalling, but hate that I burn through gas so fast without it on. Not to mention all the recalls that have come during the 1 & 1/2 years I’ve owned it. Who knew that buying a beautiful brand new car with 6 miles on it would be my worst nightmare!

Are you saying your car drives itself? I can’t say I’ve ever had that happen to me…I mean the lane keep assist gets a little aggressive but that’s the extent of it. I could see how it would be hard for the dealership to replicate that issue. Good luck to you, be safe…

 

[Minnie2108]

It might be down to individual vehicles. I had a 2018 Atlas that I did not like at all. It continuously had annoying (minor) issues like recalls, and electronic / electrical problems. Back up camera did not work most of the time, and overall the vehicle just did not drive so well. In 2021 I traded the 2018 Atlas with 26,000 miles and 4 bald tires in for a 2021 Atlas Cross Sport that I absolutely love! I can’t explain what the difference is, but the difference between the two vehicles is night and day. And because of the weirdness of the used car market and interest rates in 2021, the payment new Cross Sport is $100 per month less than the older Atlas (maybe that’s why I like it better?)

 

[Pooh]

Hello Atlas Owners! I felt compelled to vent to other Atlas owners on this issue, and am genuinely interested if other people have the same feedback.. After 15 months of ownership, and 15k miles, I can officially say that I HATE OUR ATLAS AND WANT TO GET RID OF IT!!! I felt this way pretty much immediately, but its gotten to a point now where I think this is the worst car I have ever owned. Our 2021 Atlas SE R-Line drives like my 2015 Jetta is trying to tow a boat. The transmission is in 8th gear at 25-30 MPH, with the thing going absolutely nowhere around town. Some people recommended Sport Mode, which changes this very little. I took this to the dealership at around 3 months, because I figured something had to be wrong with the transmission. I was told that I was "just not used to driving it". The 18 gallon tank, and terrible gas mileage, means I am at the gas station 2x a week, and barely even go anywhere. If this drove like a Tahoe, or even an Explorer, I could deal with the bad mileage for a nice, smooth ride- this doesn't deliver on any of those. It looks nice, and has a lot of space for my two kids, but other than that, I think this car is truly a piece of crap. We paid $40k even for it, which is why I tell myself that since it wasn't super expensive, I will have to just deal with the shortcomings- at least we have the space we need. I have a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee, double the miles on it, and the thing drives like a Rolls Royce compared to our Atlas, which is our "new" car. I find every opportunity to not have to drive it, and take our Jeep. Sometimes that means putting the Thule roofbox on the Jeep and leaving the Atlas at home for a long road trip to the in-laws; If I have to drive long distance (or at all), I do not want to take the Atlas.

I see many newer pre-owned Atlas' on car lots, many with 6-12k miles on it, and wonder to myself if they got rid of theirs for the same reason. When I brought it in for a minor recall recently, the service manager for VW told me that he completely agrees with me, and that it is not a smooth ride at all. We have had no real "issues" with it, otherwise it'd be long gone, so it's a hard sell to get rid of a car we just bought for our growing family. Seriously considering just trading it in and getting the new Jeep GC-L, but its hard to justify given that its so new. Does anyone else feel this way about theirs?

We have a 21 sel premium cross sport r line and love it. I agree the shifting is a little weird compared to what I'm used to. But I ja e to believe if your towing and don't want it in the high gear you can knock the shifter over and choose your high gear ( if you have that option in yours not sure) by manually shifting or choosing your high gear. Ours rides awesome. We had a 17 acura mdx and rides way nicer than that, also had an explorer before that and I think it's better than that. Other than the shifting being a "little" different We love it.

 

[Srmull]

Hello Atlas Owners! I felt compelled to vent to other Atlas owners on this issue, and am genuinely interested if other people have the same feedback.. After 15 months of ownership, and 15k miles, I can officially say that I HATE OUR ATLAS AND WANT TO GET RID OF IT!!! I felt this way pretty much immediately, but its gotten to a point now where I think this is the worst car I have ever owned. Our 2021 Atlas SE R-Line drives like my 2015 Jetta is trying to tow a boat. The transmission is in 8th gear at 25-30 MPH, with the thing going absolutely nowhere around town. Some people recommended Sport Mode, which changes this very little. I took this to the dealership at around 3 months, because I figured something had to be wrong with the transmission. I was told that I was "just not used to driving it". The 18 gallon tank, and terrible gas mileage, means I am at the gas station 2x a week, and barely even go anywhere. If this drove like a Tahoe, or even an Explorer, I could deal with the bad mileage for a nice, smooth ride- this doesn't deliver on any of those. It looks nice, and has a lot of space for my two kids, but other than that, I think this car is truly a piece of crap. We paid $40k even for it, which is why I tell myself that since it wasn't super expensive, I will have to just deal with the shortcomings- at least we have the space we need. I have a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee, double the miles on it, and the thing drives like a Rolls Royce compared to our Atlas, which is our "new" car. I find every opportunity to not have to drive it, and take our Jeep. Sometimes that means putting the Thule roofbox on the Jeep and leaving the Atlas at home for a long road trip to the in-laws; If I have to drive long distance (or at all), I do not want to take the Atlas.

I see many newer pre-owned Atlas' on car lots, many with 6-12k miles on it, and wonder to myself if they got rid of theirs for the same reason. When I brought it in for a minor recall recently, the service manager for VW told me that he completely agrees with me, and that it is not a smooth ride at all. We have had no real "issues" with it, otherwise it'd be long gone, so it's a hard sell to get rid of a car we just bought for our growing family. Seriously considering just trading it in and getting the new Jeep GC-L, but its hard to justify given that its so new. Does anyone else feel this way about theirs?

I have to agree completely. 2022 Cross Sport SEL… this is hands down the worst car I’ve ever driven. The transmission feels like it has no idea which gear to go in even when braking.

i cannot wait to get rid of it!

 

[Timothy Ayers]

It might be down to individual vehicles. I had a 2018 Atlas that I did not like at all. It continuously had annoying (minor) issues like recalls, and electronic / electrical problems. Back up camera did not work most of the time, and overall the vehicle just did not drive so well. In 2021 I traded the 2018 Atlas with 26,000 miles and 4 bald tires in for a 2021 Atlas Cross Sport that I absolutely love! I can’t explain what the difference is, but the difference between the two vehicles is night and day. And because of the weirdness of the used car market and interest rates in 2021, the payment new Cross Sport is $100 per month less than the older Atlas (maybe that’s why I like it better?)

If you interested I have oem roof rack for atlast cross sport

 

[Jouett]

Hello Atlas Owners! I felt compelled to vent to other Atlas owners on this issue, and am genuinely interested if other people have the same feedback.. After 15 months of ownership, and 15k miles, I can officially say that I HATE OUR ATLAS AND WANT TO GET RID OF IT!!! I felt this way pretty much immediately, but its gotten to a point now where I think this is the worst car I have ever owned. Our 2021 Atlas SE R-Line drives like my 2015 Jetta is trying to tow a boat. The transmission is in 8th gear at 25-30 MPH, with the thing going absolutely nowhere around town. Some people recommended Sport Mode, which changes this very little. I took this to the dealership at around 3 months, because I figured something had to be wrong with the transmission. I was told that I was "just not used to driving it". The 18 gallon tank, and terrible gas mileage, means I am at the gas station 2x a week, and barely even go anywhere. If this drove like a Tahoe, or even an Explorer, I could deal with the bad mileage for a nice, smooth ride- this doesn't deliver on any of those. It looks nice, and has a lot of space for my two kids, but other than that, I think this car is truly a piece of crap. We paid $40k even for it, which is why I tell myself that since it wasn't super expensive, I will have to just deal with the shortcomings- at least we have the space we need. I have a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee, double the miles on it, and the thing drives like a Rolls Royce compared to our Atlas, which is our "new" car. I find every opportunity to not have to drive it, and take our Jeep. Sometimes that means putting the Thule roofbox on the Jeep and leaving the Atlas at home for a long road trip to the in-laws; If I have to drive long distance (or at all), I do not want to take the Atlas.

I see many newer pre-owned Atlas' on car lots, many with 6-12k miles on it, and wonder to myself if they got rid of theirs for the same reason. When I brought it in for a minor recall recently, the service manager for VW told me that he completely agrees with me, and that it is not a smooth ride at all. We have had no real "issues" with it, otherwise it'd be long gone, so it's a hard sell to get rid of a car we just bought for our growing family. Seriously considering just trading it in and getting the new Jeep GC-L, but its hard to justify given that its so new. Does anyone else feel this way about theirs?

I think you have a different view from a different mountain top than most. I have a 2022 R line SEL and don't relate to this post at all. I have owned mine for a year and a half, and my ONLY complaint is there is no cold air conditioned seats for the summer months of south Missouri. Sounds like you need to sell yours, for personal or performance issues that I do not notice. I love my Cross Sport as much as the day I got it, 6 cyl is the way to go on a SUV, if you settle for a 4 cylinder version... that would be on you.. I wouldn't touch one of those, and that is why I paid 35k for a 22 model with 22k on it, I knew what I wanted. Drove 3 hrs to look at it, drive it, and buy it. Still smilin~ John Jouett