2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport

2023 is the last year before the 2024 refresh, which dropped the VR6 and moved to a 269 hp 2.0T. The volume trims use the 235 hp EA888 2.0T, which is modest for a mid-size SUV against 280-295 hp V6 rivals.

The turbo four's 258 lb-ft arrives low in the rev range and is close to the VR6's 266 lb-ft, so the volume engine gives up little low-end pull to the six.

In instrumented testing the 2.0T Cross Sport runs 0-60 in 7.5 seconds, and the VR6 is barely quicker. Both trail V6 rivals that run in the high-6-second range.

The 2.0T is smooth, with useful low-end torque around town, but it sounds strained and runs out of breath on highway passes. The VR6 is smoother but thirstier and no meaningfully quicker.

The 8-speed automatic shifts smoothly in normal driving but can be slow to kick down, which blunts the modest engine's responsiveness.

The VR6 is rated to tow 5,000 lbs, which is class-typical. The volume 2.0T is rated for only 2,000 lbs.

4Motion AWD is offered with both engines and comes with an Active Control drive-mode selector that includes Snow and Off-Road modes. There is no low range or torque vectoring.

This is a pavement-oriented two-row crossover with roughly 8.6 inches of clearance and no off-road trim, skid plates or lockers. Its 4Motion Off-Road mode is suited to gravel and snow only.

There are two gas engines (2.0T four and 3.6L VR6), each with FWD or 4Motion, but no hybrid or electrified option.

The volume 2.0T 4Motion is rated at 22 MPG combined, below the mid-size gas SUV median and well behind hybrid rivals. The VR6 drops to 20 MPG.

City economy is mediocre: the heavy body leans hard on the small turbo engine in stop-and-go traffic.

The AWD 2.0T reaches only 24 MPG on the highway, below the high-20s many mid-size rivals achieve. The sloped roof brings no aero gain over the three-row Atlas.

The 18.6-gallon tank offsets the modest MPG, giving about 409 miles of combined range, which is mid-pack for the segment.

This is EPA's current annual estimate at 15,000 miles a year on regular gasoline. It is high for the class because of the modest MPG.

Both engines run on regular unleaded. VW quotes the 2.0T's 235 hp rating on premium, but premium is not required.

NHTSA rated both 2023 Atlas Cross Sport drivetrains 5 stars overall. The 4-star frontal and rollover sub-ratings keep it from being a clean sweep.

The 2023 is the last pre-refresh year. It rates Good in both small-overlap tests, the original moderate-overlap test, the updated side test and head restraints, but it has no published updated moderate-overlap (rear passenger) result and earned no 2023 Top Safety Pick. That puts it in the middle band despite clean crash results.

Front Assist AEB with pedestrian monitoring, Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Traffic Alert are listed as standard on every trim, though chip-shortage builds of the era sometimes dropped BSM/RTA. The full IQ.DRIVE bundle (Travel Assist, Lane Assist, Emergency Assist) is standard only from the SEL, so the volume SE w/ Technology trim has core features without lane centering. NHTSA lists lane departure warning as Optional.

Vehicle-to-vehicle AEB rates Superior, but pedestrian detection is only Basic in both the IIHS daytime and nighttime tests.

Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Traffic Alert are standard on all trims in VW's spec, but they are alert-only on the volume trim. Active Side Assist steering intervention comes only with SEL IQ.DRIVE, and there is no trailer-aware coverage.

The volume SE w/ Technology lacks standard lane centering. Travel Assist arrives with SEL IQ.DRIVE, and even there reviewers call it functional but prone to wander on curves, with frequent hands-on prompts.

ACC with Stop and Go and the combined Travel Assist highway assist come as part of IQ.DRIVE, which is standard from the SEL and only optional below it. Reviewers describe it as capable, with somewhat abrupt braking in traffic.

Volkswagen offered no hands-free highway driving system in the US for 2023. Travel Assist is explicitly hands-on and uses capacitive steering-wheel detection.

The SE and SE w/ Technology trims (the volume range) have non-adaptive LED projectors with no high-beam assist, rated only Marginal. The curve-adaptive lamps with high-beam assist on SEL and up rate Good.

The forward and side view benefits from the Atlas's tall glass and upright A-pillars. The Cross Sport's coupe-like sloped roofline and thick D-pillars shrink the rear window and over-the-shoulder view compared with the three-row Atlas. Front and rear Park Distance Control helps on SE w/ Technology, but the Area View 360 camera is limited to the top trim.

The very roomy two-row rear bench and large rear doors make fitting car seats easy, and all three rear positions have full LATCH hardware. IIHS rates anchor ease of use only Marginal, which holds it in the middle band.

The Cross Sport is the two-row derivative of the Atlas on the same 117.3-in wheelbase; every 2023 trim seats five.

Published figure for the non-sunroof SE/SE w/ Technology trims; panoramic-roof SEL trims lose about an inch.

Shared with the three-row Atlas front structure; mid-pack for a mid-size SUV.

The sloping coupe-style roofline trims second-row headroom versus the boxy Atlas, but it remains adequate for most adults.

The full Atlas wheelbase spent on two rows gives near-class-leading second-row legroom, the Cross Sport's signature space attribute.

There is no third row; buyers needing seven seats must step to the standard Atlas. Scored in the low band per the no-third-row rule.

Very large for a two-row SUV, but the framework's SUV band is set against three-row SUVs with the third row folded, so it scores low in absolute terms.

Generous for a two-row mid-size crossover, about 19 cu ft short of the three-row Atlas.

Conventional but roomy family storage with a deep center bin, large door pockets and a flat, wide cargo floor. The pre-refresh 2023 lacks the 2024's 45W USB-C bank and household outlet on the volume trim, and has no underfloor or fold-flat innovations.

Supportive front seats with a power driver's seat and standard heating, plus an exceptionally roomy rear bench for long trips. Volume trims use leatherette with flatter cushions; ventilation and more bolstering are reserved for the top trims.

Composed, well-damped ride that reviewers describe as balancing agility and comfort. The 20-inch wheels on the volume SE w/ Technology (21s on top trims) add some thump over sharp seams.

Highway noise is about average for the class: wind noise is well controlled, but tire roar from the large wheels and a buzzy 2.0T under load come through.

Heated front seats are standard, but the heated steering wheel arrives at SEL and ventilated seats and heated rear seats only at the top trims. Remote start is limited to SE w/ Technology and up. Key features land on mid trims, which is the middle band and below the 2024+ car's richer standard kit.

2023 is the last pre-refresh year of the first-generation Cross Sport. The entry SE FWD carries the 235 hp 2.0T with the 8-speed automatic, priced below most two-row midsize rivals.

SE w/Technology is the volume configuration (adaptive cruise/IQ.DRIVE, remote start, hands-free liftgate, larger wheels), and most buyers add the $1,900 4MOTION AWD. TrueCar shows an earlier-in-year SE w/Technology price of $39,925 — 2023 prices rose during the model year — so the later KBB list figure is used.

Published estimates span widely; this is a center-weighted figure. VW parts and labor run above Japanese/Korean rivals, and the EA888 2.0T adds known wear items (water pump, PCV), but the Cross Sport shares its hardware with the three-row Atlas and is not unusually costly.

The Cross Sport depreciates roughly half its value in five years — middling-to-weak for the class. The 2023 is tracking that curve, and the visible 2024 refresh (new interior, bigger screens) makes the pre-refresh car look older on the used market.

Volkswagen's New Vehicle Limited Warranty has been 4 yr / 50,000 mi since MY2021 replaced the 6/72 People First Warranty. Beats the 3/36 from Honda, Toyota, Ford and GM, short of Hyundai/Kia 5/60.

VW does not offer a separate, longer powertrain term — engine and transmission are covered only for the 4 yr / 50,000 mi basic period, the shortest powertrain coverage in the class versus 5/60 (Honda, Toyota, Ford, GM) and 10/100 (Hyundai, Kia).

VW Carefree Coverage includes the first two scheduled services (2 yr / 20,000 mi, at 10k and 20k miles), 3 yr / 36,000 mi roadside assistance and a Car-Net connected-services trial. Useful, but the 20,000-mile cap is tight.

$43,575 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (50% retained, or about $21,788) leaves about $21,788 in depreciation. Add the projected $5,500 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $27,288 in total.

2023 is the fourth year of the pre-refresh first-generation Cross Sport (launched for MY2020), a carry-over year with launch-era issues largely sorted. Consumer Reports rates its reliability about average for the model year, and J.D. Power rates the closely related 2023 Atlas only Average on Quality & Reliability. Owners name reliability as the model's weakest attribute, so it sits in the lower-middle of the average band.

Volkswagen has sat in the lower third of Consumer Reports' brand reliability rankings and below the industry average in J.D. Power's Vehicle Dependability Study across recent study years, with electronics and infotainment the most-cited problem areas. A persistent multi-year pattern rather than a single bad year.

Six NHTSA campaigns cover the 2023 Cross Sport, several safety-system heavy. They include a 2.0T connecting-rod-bearing defect that can cause engine failure, and two separate air-bag campaigns: a PODS sensor fault deactivating the passenger air bag, and corroding door-harness contacts delaying side air-bag deployment. Small-population brake-line leak and under-torqued chassis/suspension bolt campaigns add to an above-normal record. None is a park-outside or do-not-drive order.

The volume 2023 Cross Sport uses the 235-hp 2.0L EA888 turbo-four with an 8-speed Aisin automatic; the optional 3.6L VR6 is an old, well-proven if thirsty design. The EA888 family is high-volume and broadly durable but carries known water-pump/thermostat-housing and carbon-buildup service items, and this model year is subject to a connecting-rod-bearing engine-failure recall, a real knock on the engine being scored.

The pre-refresh 2023 cabin is roomy and logically laid out but plain, with reviewers routinely noting abundant hard plastics on the doors and lower dash, especially on lower trims. That is competitive for a mainstream mid-size two-row but behind rivals like the Honda Passport and Hyundai Santa Fe in perceived richness. The upgraded interior arrived only with the 2024 refresh.

Built in Chattanooga alongside the Atlas on mature first-generation tooling, the Cross Sport shows solid panel fit and no systemic rattle pattern. VW's below-average initial-quality standing and assembly-torque recalls (trailing-arm bolts, chassis bolts) and a brake-line leak campaign on small numbers of 2023 units hold it back.

Volkswagen's US network of roughly 600-650 dealers is about half of Toyota's, leaving coverage gaps in rural markets. Metro coverage is adequate, and owners rate the dealership experience only middling.

VW parts and labor price above mainstream Japanese and domestic rivals, and repair-cost indices place the brand above average for annual repair spend. The shared MQB/EA888 parts pool and a large aftermarket keep availability good. Warranty is 4 years/50,000 miles bumper-to-bumper.

The pre-refresh MIB3 head unit uses an 8-inch screen on the volume SE w/ Technology and above, and a 6.5-inch screen on the base SE. Both are small for the class; the 12-inch screen arrived only with the 2024 refresh.

The small MIB3 screen is simple, quick and logically laid out, and reviewers call the tech user-friendly. Physical climate controls and a volume knob avoid the touch-slider complaints of the 2024+ car, but the small display limits split-screen and map usefulness.

Wireless App-Connect (CarPlay and Android Auto) is standard across the 2023 lineup. Some sources indicate the base SE's 6.5-inch unit is wired-only, so this sits just short of a clean top band.

Embedded Discover Media navigation starts at SEL, above the volume trim, and voice control is command-based. Most owners will use phone projection instead.

The volume trims use a basic six-speaker system. A 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium system is reserved for the top SEL Premium R-Line; it is pleasant but not a class benchmark.

A digital cockpit is standard on every trim: an 8-inch unit on the SE, and for 2023 the 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro on the volume SE w/ Technology. The cluster is crisp and configurable, but the base SE's smaller cluster keeps it just below the top band.

MY2020+ VW vehicles on MIB3 are eligible for limited over-the-air infotainment updates through myVW. There are no whole-vehicle, feature-adding updates.

The myVW app with Car-Net offers remote lock/unlock, vehicle status, parked-car location and remote start on equipped trims. Remote access sits behind a subscription after the trial, there is no phone-as-key, and the app draws mixed reliability reviews.

USB-C ports are provided front and rear, and wireless charging comes with the volume SE w/ Technology. There is no household outlet on volume trims, and the ports predate the 2024's 45W fast-charging bank.

Proximity keyless entry and push-button start are standard from the base SE. Remote start and the hands-free Easy Open/Close liftgate arrive on the volume SE w/ Technology, and there is no phone-as-key.

A rear camera is standard and front/rear Park Distance Control comes on mid trims. The Area View 360-degree camera and Park Assist are confined to the top SEL Premium R-Line.

No head-up display was offered on the 2023 Atlas Cross Sport on any trim; VW added one only with the 2024 refresh.

40.4 in of rear legroom, big rear door openings and a wide 40.3 cu ft cargo bay make daily kid-and-stroller logistics easy. IIHS rates LATCH ease of use only Marginal.

NHTSA 5-star overall with Good IIHS crash results, plus standard AEB, blind-spot monitoring and rear traffic alert. But it earned no 2023 Top Safety Pick, pedestrian AEB rates only Basic, and the full IQ.DRIVE suite is standard only from SEL.

A very roomy second row and 40.3 cu ft of luggage space with all seats occupied suit long family trips. Rear amenities on the volume trim are thin: rear vents and USB ports, but heated rear seats and three-zone climate are only on the top trim, and there is no rear entertainment.

Light steering and composed low-speed manners make it easy in traffic. Turbo lag off the line, a hesitant 8-speed and the lack of stop-and-go adaptive cruise on the volume SE w/ Technology unless optioned add some friction.

22 MPG combined for the volume 2.0T 4Motion (20 for the VR6) and about $3,050 a year in fuel make it an expensive commuter against hybrid-equipped rivals.

A 195.5-in, 78-in-wide body with a roughly 40.6 ft turning circle is cumbersome in tight lots. The sloping roofline shrinks the rear window, and the 360 camera is limited to the top trim.

The volume 2.0T tows only 2,000 lbs; the 5,000-lb rating requires the VR6 with tow package. The 77.8 cu ft flat load floor helps with materials, but this is a unibody crossover with no bed.

The EA888 2.0T and VR6 are well-understood engines and V-Tex leatherette wipes clean. But VW ranks poorly in dependability studies and there is no fleet or work-duty track record.

Roof rails and an available hitch cover light duty, but the volume trim has no household outlet, no onboard power and no work-focused upfit ecosystem.

Stable, comfortable highway manners and a roomy rear seat make it a competent tourer, with about 409 miles of range. Travel Assist is standard only from SEL, and tire noise on 20-inch wheels limits its endurance appeal.

4Motion with drive modes and standard roof rails handle gravel roads and bike racks. The VR6 can tow 5,000 lbs, but the volume 2.0T manages only 2,000 lbs, and there is no off-road trim or underbody protection.

40.3 cu ft with seats up and 77.8 cu ft folded is a large, squared-off load space for a two-row, extended by roof rails and an available hitch. The plain 60/40 split and sloping tailgate limit tall items.

It shares the Atlas MQB chassis but is lighter and lower, and reviewers find it drives smaller than its size, with decent body control. It still leans when hurried.

VW's electromechanical rack is accurate and easy to place, but light and short on feedback.

Stopping distances are about average for a ~4,300-lb mid-size crossover. Initial pedal travel is soft, which undermines confidence in hard stops.

The 235-hp 2.0T pulls adequately once on boost (0–60 in 7.5 s), but there is lag off the line. The 8-speed is smooth yet hesitant to downshift, and auto stop/start restarts are noticeable.

The four-cylinder works hard moving a two-ton crossover and sounds coarse under load; the optional VR6 is smoother but no quicker. Cruising refinement is fine.

The Cross Sport keeps the full Atlas 117.3-in wheelbase, so it turns no tighter than the three-row model, near the bottom of the mid-size SUV band.

A commanding, well-adjustable driving position with physical climate controls and conventional steering-wheel buttons, which avoid the 2024 refresh's touch-control complaints. The tapering roofline and thick rear pillars cost over-the-shoulder visibility.

The sportier-feeling Atlas is lighter and lower with pleasant road manners. But neither the 2.0T nor the VR6 has much character, and R-Line is an appearance package.

The 2023 SE comes with wireless App-Connect, an 8-inch digital cockpit, LED lighting, Front Assist AEB, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, but adaptive cruise/IQ.DRIVE, remote start and the power liftgate wait for SE w/Technology. That is competitive for the price rather than generous — the 2024 refresh added the 12-inch screen and fuller standard ADAS.

A $35,755 starting price undercuts most two-row midsize rivals and buys the class's biggest rear seat and cargo hold, but the 235 hp 2.0T is down on power against V6 rivals, the VR6 adds cost without much speed, and weak resale (≈33% lost in ~3 years) erodes the up-front saving.

A wide, well-spaced lineup from ~$36K SE through SE w/Technology, SEL, SEL R-Line Black and SEL Premium R-Line, with FWD or 4MOTION on lower trims and — unlike later years — a choice of two engines (2.0T or 3.6L VR6). No hybrid option.

About 34,800 US sales in 2023 — a respectable steady seller for a two-row derivative, well short of segment leaders and of the three-row Atlas.

Volkswagen is a mainstream brand with some German-engineering appeal that suits the design-led Cross Sport, but it isn't aspirational in the US and trails Toyota/Honda on reliability perception, which shows in soft resale.

2023 sat in the tail of the post-pandemic inventory squeeze, so early-year discounts were thin; as the refreshed 2024 arrived in mid-2023, run-out financing and customer-bonus offers on leftover 2023s became common. Modest-to-meaningful buyer benefit over the year.

2023 is the fourth year of the first-generation Cross Sport (launched for 2020) and the last before the heavy 2024 refresh, which was revealed in February 2023 with a new interior, larger screens and a new powertrain — so a 2023 buyer got the outgoing pre-refresh design.

Well-reviewed but rarely the pick of the class: critics praise the styling, user-friendly tech, huge back seat and cargo space, and criticize the underpowered base engine and mediocre cabin materials in lower trims. No major 2023 awards or comparison-test wins.