What to love or hate about the 2018+ Volkswagen Atlas

In no particular order of my SEL R-Line:


Likes
1. Interior space, including leg room in the rear seats
2. Not many of us on the road yet, and not just another Pilot/Highlander/Exploder/InsertHere
3. Pretty comfortable ride, handles well, drives/parks much smaller than it is IMO
4. Intuitive (for the most part) controls/tech
5. Sound system, USB's, SD slot, etc
6. I especially enjoy pulling up next to a Q7 knowing I saved huge, yes Q7 is likely better in nearly every category, but not that much better.
7. Stock gunmetal grey rims on the R-Line package, quiet honestly 90% of the reason we went that route
8. Have had good luck with the 4-Motion AWD system on previous vehicles


Dislikes

1. I haven't mastered the technique for kick-opening the rear trunk
2. Not always sure when the car is completely off after parking, sometimes I hit Start/Stop and it starts back up, maybe I unbuckle/open the door too early and kills it
3. Key fob distance is poor at best when trying remote start
4. Software CarPlay issue, when iPhone is plugged in to USB, then open Waze, the phone screen goes black. Must open Waze first for it to work.
5. Despite remote start, car is cold when I get in it, and I generally always grab the shift lever before hitting the start button which kills it
6. Car didn't come with wiring adapter despite having tow package
7. Car didn't come with privacy screen in cargo area, and other than a knock off on e-bay is n/a in the US
8. So new that there aren't many accessories (even despite Teramont being out already), but that's the allure of all-new, right?

In no particular order; SEL Premium

Review at a week old

Likes
1. Spacious the perfect space for my family of 4 (2yr and 4 month) Front seats fit well @ 5-11" 250lbs
2. Digital cockpit and custom views. Love how I can have my navi on and my Wife can view her Apple Car Play or radio stations
3. Comfortable ride, great u-turn capability and safe.
4. Key-less entry and personal drivers. once i got it figured out Love the option to change driver settings even if you have a different key.
5. 360 Safety features. Love the different options for cameras, split screen, front, top view, etc.
6. Captains Seats, more flexibility/moveability. Just found out my 2 yr old can climb in and walk around the car seat and get in. Bench seating he couldn't.
7. Built in Window Shades, coming from without, was a pain to have stick-on.
8. Panoramic Sun Roof! w/power shade. GMC Acadia Denali (#2 car choice) has a Sunroof and a separate moon roof with manual shade.
9. USB Charging front and rear


Dislikes
1. Cameras could be clearer
2. No option to permanently disable the auto-stop feature
3. Generic Media Screen for HD Radio and SiriusXM. Seems a lot of wasted space and small artwork.
4. No digital options to lock child doors (Wife disagrees with me). I like the option to switch on/off (or at least i can't find the option)
5. Ventilated Seats, haven't been able to actually feel a difference. Maybe I need to wait for hotter days? Read the manual its not supplying air, more like exhausting air. (First time user)
6. Should have gotten the Black Wheels


Haven't tested out

1. Parallel parking assist. watch the video, it appears you have to control the brake and gas (is that typical?)
2. 4Motion in dirt, rain and snow (may be a while as its Spring!)
3. Towing (thanks to the above, i need to get a wiring adapter)
4. REST Button to where it will take heat from engine bay and circulate the heat while parked/off

SEL


Likes
1. Not a Honda or Toyota
2. Comfortable on long trips
3. Lots of room
4. Handles and accels good, for size


Dislikes
1. Trailer package with no wiring adapter
2. Rear lift-gate window does not open separately
3. Not as amazing as a Touareg (miss my 06 Touareg)
4. Tow capacity
5. No navigation on a $40K+ vehicle

SEL 4Motion R-Line

Likes:
- R-Line Appearance package
- Panoramic Sun roof
- Interior Space. I am comfortable sitting in the 3rd row. (5'10" 210lbs)
- Climate control for the front and rear from the head unit.
- ACC and Lane assists make my drives so much easier.
- I really like the extra cubby space on the dash for little things.
- Sunshade in the 2nd row
- Keyless entry (locking and unlocking and closing all windows)
- Kick to open liftgate.
- Personilization set to key fob.
- Passenger side mirror memory when reversing.
- Dummy proof automatic settings for me. (if you leave your dome lights on after you leave your car they will turn off automatically. I have killed many batteries from my other cars by doing that.

Dislikes:
- Head unit is a finger print magnet. Get a screen protector it makes a world of difference
- Park Assist view cannot be set as a default when putting the car in reverse. (At least I haven't figured it out)
- No kick to close for the liftgate. If you have a hard time opening the liftgate you would have a hard time closing it when you get your stuff out. I know this first hand.
- Instrument cluster and infotainment buttons do not stay illuminate when you have your headlight set to off. You have to have them on the auto position to have them on.
- Gas mileage
- Navigation is only available on the SEL Premium. (I know I have apple carplay but that uses data. Luckily I have unlimited data but apple maps is not the most up to date).
- Captian Chairs should be standard on SEL and above.
- No sunglass holder
- Blind spot monitoring should be more visable. (The Nissan Rouge rental car i had last week had it inside the car at the with big lights.)

Hello I have a SE AWD w/ Tech. It’s been 2 months+ into my purchase.

My Likes:
1. ROOM lots of it
2. Comfort
3. Climate controls
4. AWD/Customizable

Dislikes:
1. At 985 miles wheel bearing failure
2. At 1500 miles strut mounts defective
3. At 2600 miles Engine Light came on (Evap Emissions Error) it turned out to be a software update was needed...mmm
4. HATE This the MOST auto stop/start needs to be disabled by default. I hope they come out with an option for this at the dealerships.

Pros:

- Tons of room!
- Premium style that hasn't gotten "boring"
- Practical seats and utility
- Profiles (when my wife uses it right). I open the door with my key and everything sets itself JUST RIGHT!
- Ease of use with infotainment in regards to bluetooth (multiple phone pairing) and carplay and bluetooth audio. Works amazing!

Cons:

- Remote start range is infuriatingly poor
- Need more accessible and practical cupholders
- No sunglass holder
- Can't close lift gate by kick OR anywhere else but with the actual button on the lift gate. Why can't I close it with the fob?!? This is also infuriating.

Love:
Amazing use of overall space (looks smaller outsider than in)
Headroom is great
Styling
We can still get a VR6
LED lights
Tow capacity
4Motion
Standard base options include some nice amenities
Seats are comfortable
Has a spare tire
Has a shift selector that doesn't resemble knob, mouse, or toy of some kind
Good driving position
Access to third row is awesome


Dislikes
How are parking sensors not standard equipment?
Start stop impacts windshield wipers making for an odd experience in the rain
Backglass should open separate from hatch (I swear I am so bothered by this I could pay to have one custom fabricated.)
VR6 needs a turbo and better efficiency.
The fuel tank is too small
The sunglass center console on the "S" is deleted. This is just a dumb money saver.
Fabric seats should be an option on higher models than base-some of us love them!
Center USB access is below a cup holder and with no drain for liquid...did anybody think about that at VW?

2018 Atlas SEL Premium-

-Dislikes!-
- Is a gas guzzler. I can't believe nowadays we are building family cars/SUVs in America with such horrible gas mileage. I used to shake my head when I saw Hummers on the road, but I honestly believe with the Atlas, we are not too far behind.
- 18 gal gas tank for such a size SUV? Meant to be the family road trip vehicle? C'mon!
- Not enough pick-up power. Changing lanes on the highway or having to take off quick at an intersection, is not desirable.
- I would prefer to maintain the A/C RECIRC button ON all the times. Not sure if you can configure to keep ON all the time. Seems that every time I get in the car, I have to adjust manually. If I'm wrong here, please let me know how to adjust. Thanks!
- The cheap plastic material on doors, rear by the third row/fenders, interior in general.
- It wobbles when driving on the open roads/highway. I didn't really get the wobble feeling when I test drove it around the dealership neighborhood area; now that I've been driving it for several weeks, I noticed the bouncy and wobble effect.
- Fog lights not LED.
- Interior lights now LED.

-Likes-
- Maybe the interior size; how roomy it is.


Bottom line, I seriously have regrets of buying this car. I have made mistakes (minor) in the past, but purchasing this car is definitely the top of all mistakes.

2018 Atlas SEL Premium-

-Dislikes!-
- Is a gas guzzler. I can't believe nowadays we are building family cars/SUVs in America with such horrible gas mileage. I used to shake my head when I saw Hummers on the road, but I honestly believe with the Atlas, we are not too far behind.
- 18 gal gas tank for such a size SUV? Meant to be the family road trip vehicle? C'mon!
- Not enough pick-up power. Changing lanes on the highway or having to take off quick at an intersection, is not desirable.
- I would prefer to maintain the A/C RECIRC button ON all the time. Not sure if you can configure to keep ON all the time. Seems that every time I get in the car, I have to adjust manually. If I'm wrong here, please let me know how to adjust. Thanks!
- The cheap plastic material on doors, rear by the third row/fenders, interior in general.
- It wobbles when driving on the open roads/highway. I didn't really get the wobble feeling when I test drove it around the dealership neighborhood area; now that I've been driving it for several weeks, I noticed the bouncy and wobble effect.
- Fog lights not LED.
- Interior lights not LED.
- No wireless phone charger. Interior is roomy enough to have this option. Atlas take pride on infosystem and digital panel. This feature is available on other VW models.

-Likes-
- Maybe the interior size; how roomy it is.


Bottom line, I seriously have regrets of buying this car. I have made mistakes (minor) in the past, but purchasing this car is definitely the top of all mistakes.

2019 SEL 4/Motion


Have not had it a week yet, so I'll be updating :wink2:
Likes;

Most everything, actually did quite a bit research as I've never owned a SUV and this unit
plans on being around for quite some time.
The lines on the hood looking out.
Fit and finish of the body.
Super quiet interior.
Large center console.


Dislike;

No A/C seats.
Start/Stop ordeal, just another step for the pre flight.
Not having a more dense material for the sunroof shade.
Non removable 2nd row Captain Chairs and the goofy space that is
open when folded down. ( DIY thoughts are being planned )
OEM tires, on a SUV like this what were they thinking ? did anyone from R&D
even drive one? @ 156 miles replaced with a set of Michelin LTX Defenders
rides like a full sized car from the 70's and no road noise.