2025 Volkswagen Atlas

Is the 2025 Volkswagen Atlas a Good SUV?

"If you're concerned about having enough passenger and cargo space, the Atlas will put you at ease with its downright cavernous interior. Load up those passenger and cargo areas, however, and the mandatory four-cylinder engine may struggle at times. We also have some reservations about the lack of buttons or knobs for its climate control system, but we'd be in a more forgiving mood if there were more sauce under the hood. The Atlas is a bit of an uneven effort, then — but it sure does have a lot of room."—Ranked #10 out of 15 Midsize 3-Row SUVs

Which 2025 Volkswagen Atlas Should I Buy?

MotorDonkey's proprietary vehicle data identifies every significant version of each model so that you can compare and decide. Ordered by price from low to high, here are the versions of the 2025 Volkswagen Atlas that you need to be aware of, along with our expert analysis and recommendations.

1. 2025 Volkswagen Atlas 2.0T Front-Wheel Drive

• Base Price: $38,200
• MPG Combined: 22
• Drive Type: Front-wheel drive
• Engine: 2.0-liter inline-4
• Aspiration: Turbocharged
• Transmission: 8-speed automatic
• Horsepower: 269 
• Torque: 273 lb⁠-⁠ft
• Weight: 4,343 lbs
• Length: 200.7 in
• Towing Capacity: 5,000 lbs

The Atlas is such a big boy that we're surprised it doesn't offer an eight-passenger seating layout, but there's definitely plenty of room for seven. Just note that the entry-level SE doesn't come with a trailer hitch and is limited to 2,000 pounds of max towing, so if you want the full 5,000-lb maximum that the Atlas is capable of, you'll have to pony up for at least the SE w/Technology to unlock it. Acceleration is adequate without passengers or cargo, but load up the Atlas and its four-cylinder engine will labor at times. We miss the old V6, which needed higher revs to generate its superior horsepower but ultimately felt less stressed and inspired more confidence.

2. 2025 Volkswagen Atlas 2.0T All-Wheel Drive

• Base Price: $40,100
• MPG Combined: 21
• Drive Type: All-wheel drive
• Engine: 2.0-liter inline-4
• Aspiration: Turbocharged
• Transmission: 8-speed automatic
• Horsepower: 269 
• Torque: 273 lb⁠-⁠ft
• 0-60: 7.3 sec
• Weight: 4,517 lbs
• Length: 200.7 in
• Towing Capacity: 5,000 lbs

The all-wheel-drive Atlas doesn't get any additional ground clearance compared with the front-drive version, and with just 6.3 inches to spare down there, it's clear you won't be venturing very far off the beaten path. But that just brings the core mission of the Atlas into focus: it's an everyday family hauler that's not trying to pretend otherwise. Well, unless we're talking about the Atlas Peak Edition, which starts around $47k and comes standard with all-terrain tires — but those tires are 255/60/18s, which means each tire is 30 inches in diameter, i.e., not that chunky. For reference, off-road enthusiasts often talk about "33s," meaning the tire diameter, as a starting point for serious trail work. What's obviously different about the Peak Edition is its fuel economy, which drops to 20 mpg combined (18 city/25 highway). For the record, the Atlas SEL AWD finds a middle ground at 21 mpg combined (18 city/25 highway). In any case, every Atlas could use more than the 269 horses provided by the 2.0T four-cylinder engine; a 7.3-second sprint to 60 mph is unimpressive these days for a family SUV.