VW Atlas Interior

BigChuck said:

What are the missed opportunities that you've found? Can they potentially be remedied with some DIY or aftermarket parts ?

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When comparing to my old 2013 Honda Pilot (and my wife's 2016 Honda Odyssey minivan), they both had a small blue LED that acted as very directional downlighting from the room right onto the where your fingers would grab the knobs of the AC/Radio/etc. They're small, but very functional in that you could see a map, find something in the center console box, or look through a purse without turning on a bright dome light.

I also don't like that the door handles don't function as key holders/containers - I already ordered some 3rd party 'containers' that will go in each of the four door handles and give each door another location to store things. I don't get why VW would just opt for a door handle that's simply a 'hole' vs a door handle that can actually hold stuff.

There's no real spot for a cell phone mount, unless you like the 3rd party options that sit in your vent and constantly blow hot/cold air on the back of your phone (unless you close the vent, which is sometimes hard to do with those mounts.... despite the CarPlay implementation (which is fantastic and will hopefully continue to be updated as time goes on), I (or my passengers typically like to be able to look at the phone and/or grab it select things quickly when we're at a light, parked, etc. As of now, I'm just finding myself sticking the phone in one of the cup holders, or underneath the screen, either of which is not practical. The rubber tray on top is a nice thought, but it doesn't support holding a phone upright in either landscape or portrait position.

Would have been nice to have a little visor or sunscreen over the touchscreen -- in certain lighting conditions (especially with the great sunroof wide open, the screen gets completely masked from overhead sun glare, which I think could have been reduced with a slight shade over the top of the screen.

There's only a USB port in the center console armrest - why not have a 12V cigarette lighter style option in the console armrest so that you can plug in things and keep their wiring hidden out of view (as opposed to having cables and cords extending to the dash.

And despite the large (illuminated) glove box, there really isn't a great amount of space to place things. As a family car, there's always toys, books, games, food, etc being passed around, and ultimately it's nice to be able to set things in various places on the dash, console, etc instead of constantly pulling them in and out of bags and backpacks.

I admit, these are nitpicks..... for the record I'm very pleased with the interior and actually like that it's not TOO luxurious.... the above checklist is all small stuff that I'm not sweating over at all.... To m, the Atlas really feels like a People's car - with just enough sophistication to live up to the VW and Audi pedigree but not too much as to call attention to the fact that I'm eager to spend money on vanity.... I wouldn't have ever considered the Touareg or Tiguan because of their price points, but with the Atlas, VW has provided an option that I think will appeal to a lot of consumers like me - working families that are constantly on the run and need versatility, comfort and safety in a package that is both classy and affordable. IMHO, the Atlas nails those points hands down.