What Happened, VW? The 2022 VW Atlas Is Much Better than the ’21
The 2022 Volkswagen Atlas is a big, spacious, and good-looking SUV. Over the years, it’s been dinged for reliability issues and its lackluster acceleration. But it looks like VW has gone to work. For 2022 the Atlas brings more desired features and qualities than ever before.
When the Atlas was released as the big brother to the Tiguan and Taos in 2018, it didn’t come out of the gate strong. This VW SUV was near the bottom of most lists for reliability and owner satisfaction. Thankfully, the 2022 version hits the right notes.
What’s better about the 2022 VW Atlas?
The Atlas was lauded for its large interior, spacious third-row seat, and smooth transmission. However, the Atlas is slow. Its 8.7-second 0-60 mph time puts it near the bottom.
The 2022 VW Atlas is VW’s biggest SUV and that comes with a width penalty. It was dinged for being too wide for tight spaces. This three-row midsize SUV could be the right VW for you. It’s been rated as an excellent family SUV, which makes it great for your weekend adventures.
The Atlas is VW’s largest SUV
The 2022 VW Atlas tends to get lost in the shuffle in the hyper-competitive world of big, but not huge, SUVs with a third row. It has all of the SUV goodies you’d expect to see. But with the rear seats folded down, it can swallow 96.8 cubic feet of stuff, that’s two more cubic feet than a full-sized GMC Yukon.
The 2022 Yukon, however, can be ordered with a 355-horsepower V8. The Atlas? It has a standard 2-liter four-cylinder that puts out 235 horses or an optional 3.6-liter V6 with 276 horsepower.
The atlas comes in five flavors. The SE starts at $34,335 and comes with heated front seats and some driver aids. From there, as you add the VW Digital Cockpit Pro driver assistance package, all-wheel-drive, and even overhead view cameras, Atlases grow in price. The SEL R-Line and SEL Premium R-Line are the most expensive and can top $51,000 with options.
The Atlas is improving, but it still can’t beat Hyundai and Kia
The 2022 Hyundai Palisade and 2022 Kia Telluride corporate twins are in the same class, and they have three-row seating. These two models have been considered two of the best midsize three-row SUVs since they arrived in the market.
While the Atlas and the Telluride start at about the same price of around $34,000, the Telluride simply comes with more stuff. Also, it scored very high in predicted reliability and predicted owner satisfaction.
