Wanna ride shotgun with GRM?
Welcome to this week’s test vehicle, a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport 2.0T SEL R-Line.
You might be asking yourself, "What's the difference between the regular Atlas and the Sport Cross?" We'll let VW explain:
The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport combines the winning formula of the seven-seater Atlas—ample interior space, plus a host of comfort and technology …
The interior on the Atlas has been a nice place to spend time, the seats are comfortable, with the fronts having both heated and cooling options. A favorite feature has been the panoramic sunroof. 
I like the updated front end styling. Reminds me of Ford.
Since you have both of them....this, or the Kia?
ninja edit: This ford:
One issue I have with this SUV and a lot of the VW lineup is the lack of physical buttons. Almost everything is controlled by the infotainment screen through different menus that are not easy to navigate while driving. There are a few capacitive touch buttons for the AC temps and audio volume controls but at night they are not easy to see because they are not back lit. 
In reply to gearheadE30 :
I do really like how this car looks, inside and out, especially the exterior color.
As for this vs the Kia, David and I will have to compare notes and come back with a verdict.
The biggest shock for me: going from the Silverado (all the buttons) to this (very few buttons).
I’m thinking that the Kia Sorento has the right amount of buttons.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
I agree with that, I don't need buttons for everything, but for the things I am using every time I get in the car its nice to have an easy way to use those controls.
One great thing with the Atlas is the amount of room inside. Not a big surprise since this also comes in a 3 row version but there is tons of room in the trunk. I was able to easily fit all my video gear in the back with room to spare. 
Chris Tropea said:In reply to David S. Wallens :
I agree with that, I don't need buttons for everything, but for the things I am using every time I get in the car its nice to have an easy way to use those controls.
Knobs for volume and temperature, please.
Also on the subject of interior space the back seat has tons of leg room. We took a drive to Orlando over the weekend with a few friends and they complemented the Atlas on how roomy it was. Here is a picture of me sitting behind my seating position in the car, for reference I am 5'11". 
I didn’t get a chance to sit in the back seat but, dang, that’s roomy.
Okay so some driving impressions. From behind the wheel you can tell this is a large SUV, overall visibility is good but there are blind spots to look out for. Around town the 2.0L engine feels like it has enough power and there is no lag waiting for the turbo to spool up. On the highway you can tell that this is a 4-cylinder turbo, but it has no trouble keeping up with traffic and passing. The active cruse control works well, it was able to keep a good distance from other cars and did a good job not waiting till the last minute to slam on the brakes when there was slowing traffic ahead. The lane keep assist also worked good and was unintrusive. For mileage I was seeing 22 mpg around town and for my highway trip to Orlando and back to Daytona with 4 people in the car it was showing 27 mpg. Overall this is a nice car to drive and could be a good contender if you are in the market for a car this shape.
this video series from Jamie Orr is what I tend to think back to when the Atlas Cross Sport comes up:
I suppose 1 week with a M-plate isn't enough time to "go full race" on one? {and I reckon most people would wonder: "why would anyone want to anyways!?"}
In reply to sleepyhead the buffalo :
His builds are pretty wild and he is a super nice guy. I got to chat VW stuff with him up at Lime Rock during the IMSA race a few years ago when he brought his Golf Country.
Another cool feature in the Atlas is the interior lighting at night.
You'll need to log in to post.
