2022 Volkswagen Atlas

2022 is a carry-over year after the 2021 refresh and uses the same engines (the 2024 refresh later moved to a 269 hp 2.0T only). The volume trims use the 235 hp 2.0T, which is low for a three-row mid-size SUV when most rivals carry 280-295 hp V6s.

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 shove to the six.

A roughly 4,400 lb three-row SUV with 235 hp is slow by class standards, trailing V6 rivals that run 0-60 in the high 6s to low 7s.

The 2.0T is smooth around town but sounds strained on highway merges or with a full load. The VR6 is smoother but barely quicker and uses more fuel.

The 8-speed automatic shifts smoothly in normal driving but can be slow to kick down, which makes the modest 2.0T feel more sluggish than it is.

The VR6 is rated to tow 5,000 lbs, in line with mid-size three-row rivals. The volume 2.0T is rated for only 2,000 lbs, so buyers who tow need to step up to the six.

4Motion all-wheel drive is available with both engines and comes with an Active Control drive-mode selector that includes Snow and Off-Road settings. There is no low range and no torque vectoring.

With about 8 inches of ground clearance and no off-road trim, skid plates or lockers, the Atlas is a pavement-oriented family hauler. Its 4Motion Off-Road mode handles light gravel and snow only.

Two gas engines, each offered with FWD or AWD. That is a real choice, but there is no hybrid or electrified option.

The volume 2.0T 4Motion is rated at 22 MPG combined. That is below the class's efficient V6 rivals and well short of hybrid three-rows, and the VR6 drops to 19-20 MPG.

City economy is the Atlas's weakest figure: the heavy body leans hard on the small turbo engine in stop-and-go traffic.

Highway economy is poor for the class. The boxy three-row body holds the AWD 2.0T to 24 MPG, below the high-20s many rivals reach.

A large 18.6-gallon tank makes up for the mediocre fuel economy, giving about 409 miles of combined range. That is mid-pack for a mid-size three-row SUV.

This is EPA's current annual fuel-cost 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 on premium, but premium is not required, so there is no mandatory fuel-grade cost.

NHTSA rated both 2022 Atlas drivetrains 5 stars overall. The 4-star frontal and rollover sub-ratings keep it short of a clean sweep.

The 2022 is a carry-over year of the 2021-refreshed first-generation Atlas. It rates Good in the small-overlap, original moderate-overlap, original and updated side, roof and head-restraint tests. It is Marginal in the updated moderate-overlap test and Poor for seat-belt reminders, and it earned no 2022 Top Safety Pick, which puts it in the middle band.

Front Assist AEB with pedestrian monitoring is standard on every trim. The full IQ.DRIVE bundle (Travel Assist lane centering, Emergency Assist) is standard only from the SEL up. The volume SE w/ Technology trim adds ACC Stop and Go, and blind-spot monitoring and Rear Traffic Alert were deleted from some 2022 builds during the chip shortage. Core features are there, but the suite is incomplete.

Vehicle-to-vehicle AEB rates Superior, avoiding collisions at both 12 and 25 mph. Pedestrian detection is only Basic in both the daytime and nighttime IIHS tests.

Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Traffic Alert are standard on paper, but chip-shortage deletions left some 2022 SE-level builds without them. Active Side Assist intervention comes only with the SEL's IQ.DRIVE, and there is no trailer-aware coverage.

The volume trim gets Lane Assist (lane keeping) only. Travel Assist lane centering is standard from the SEL, and reviewers call it functional but prone to wander, with frequent hands-on prompts.

ACC with Stop and Go is standard on the volume SE w/ Technology trim. Combined highway assist (Travel Assist) is SEL-and-up, and reviewers note somewhat abrupt braking in traffic. Capable, with rough edges.

Volkswagen offered no hands-free highway driving system in the US for 2022. Travel Assist requires the driver's hands on the wheel.

The S, SE and SE w/ Technology headlights (the volume range) rate only Marginal. Good-rated curve-adaptive lamps with high-beam assist come only on the SEL trims.

The boxy body, tall glass and upright pillars give the first-generation Atlas some of the best natural sightlines among three-row mid-size SUVs. The Area View 360-degree camera is limited to the top trim.

A roomy second row, large rear doors and a second-row seat that tilts and slides with a child seat still installed are real family strengths. IIHS rates the LATCH hardware only Marginal, which holds it in the middle band.

The 2022 Atlas is a carry-over year of the 2021-refreshed first generation. It is a three-row SUV with a 60/40 second-row bench as standard, and second-row captain's chairs drop it to six seats.

The boxy cabin gives generous front headroom for the mid-size class. The volume SE w/Technology has no sunroof, so this figure applies to it.

Front legroom is mid-pack for the class, because the Atlas spends its length on the second and third rows.

Second-row headroom is at the top of the mid-size SUV band, thanks to the upright roofline.

Second-row legroom is competitive rather than class-leading. The bench slides, so owners can trade second-row room for third-row room.

With 33.7 in of legroom and 38.3 in of headroom, the third row seats adults on real trips, among the best outside a minivan. Access is easy because the second row tilts and slides forward even with a child seat installed; the third-row headrests sitting too far forward are the main complaint.

Cargo space behind the second row is well above the mid-size average, and the 20.6 cu ft behind the third row is usable with all seats up.

This is one of the largest maximum cargo holds among mainstream mid-size three-row SUVs, with a long, square load floor.

Everyday storage is competitive: big door bins, a center console bin and an underfloor cargo well, plus a 115-volt outlet and (new for 2022 on SE w/Technology) third-row USB-C ports. There is no standout storage innovation.

Reviewers call the front seats spacious and comfortable, the second-row bench accommodating and the third row comfortable for the class. Third-row headrests that push on occupants' backs and a volume-trim driver's seat without lumbar memory keep it short of the top tier.

The ride is smooth and absorbent on the highway and over broken pavement, with good body control for a tall three-row SUV. Upper trims on 20- and 21-inch wheels pick up more impact harshness.

Wind and road noise are well suppressed at cruise, but the volume 2.0T four-cylinder gets noticeably loud when worked to move this roughly 4,400-lb SUV.

Heated front seats are standard from the base SE, and the volume SE w/Technology adds tri-zone automatic climate and remote start. A heated steering wheel arrives on the SEL, and ventilated front seats and heated rear seats only on the top SEL Premium R-Line.

For 2022 VW dropped the base S trim, which makes the 2.0T SE FWD the entry point. Even so, it undercuts most mainstream three-row rivals on sticker price.

The SE w/Technology is the volume trim, and most buyers add 4Motion for about $1,900. That puts a typical Atlas a little under $42k delivered.

VW parts and labor cost more than Japanese and Korean rivals, and Edmunds' projection for the 2022 Atlas is at the high end of the class. CarEdge's lower figure covers scheduled maintenance only.

The 2022 Atlas held value better than later years because of tight used-car supply in 2022–23. Even so, it trails Toyota, Honda and Kia rivals.

VW's 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty beats the 3/36 offered by Toyota, Honda and GM, but falls short of Hyundai and Kia's 5/60.

VW offers no separate, longer powertrain warranty, so the engine and transmission are covered for only 4 years/50,000 miles. That is the shortest powertrain coverage among mainstream three-row SUVs.

VW Carefree Coverage includes 2 years/20,000 miles of scheduled maintenance, plus 3 years/36,000 miles of roadside assistance and a Car-Net trial. That is useful, but the mileage cap is tight.

$41,700 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (50% retained, or about $20,850) leaves about $20,850 in depreciation. Add the projected $7,600 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $28,450 in total.

2022 is the second year of the refreshed first-generation Atlas (refresh arrived for MY2021) and the first year the 2.0T became the volume engine across most trims. Consumer Reports rates the 2022 Atlas about average for its model year, but J.D. Power scores its Quality & Reliability only 65/100 (Fair) — weaker than the 2023's Average rating — so the signals land in the low half 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 through the early 2020s, with electronics and infotainment the most-cited problem areas — a persistent pattern rather than a one-off.

The 2022 Atlas is covered by seven NHTSA campaigns, several of them serious: a 2.0T connecting-rod-bearing defect that can cause engine failure, a fuel-injector fire risk, two air-bag campaigns (passenger occupant detection; door-harness corrosion delaying side air bags), plus assembly-torque recalls on the trailer hitch and rear trailing arm and a rear-camera infotainment fault. That is above-normal activity concentrated on safety systems and the engine.

The volume 2022 Atlas uses the 235-hp 2.0L EA888 turbo-four with an 8-speed automatic (the 276-hp 3.6L VR6 optional). 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 both a connecting-rod-bearing engine-failure recall and a fuel-injector recall; owners also cite transmission hesitation and rough shifts.

The pre-2024 cabin is roomy and logically laid out but plain, with reviewers noting abundant hard plastics on the doors and lower dash, particularly on S and SE trims — competitive for a mainstream three-row but behind the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade.

Chattanooga-built Atlases are generally solid in panel fit and structural feel, but 2022 production produced two under-torqued-fastener recalls (trailer hitch, rear trailing arm) and a missing-filter injector assembly error, and J.D. Power rates the year's quality only Fair.

Volkswagen's US network of roughly 600–650 dealers is about half of Toyota's, leaving gaps in rural markets where three-row SUVs sell well; metro coverage is adequate and owner ratings of dealer service are middling.

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

The 2022 Atlas uses the glass-covered 8-inch MIB3 touchscreen throughout the lineup, small next to rivals' 10-12 in screens.

The MIB3 system has a simple, logical layout and keeps physical climate controls and a volume knob, but the screen is small and responses are slow. Reviewers also dislike the steering-wheel button layout.

App-Connect (CarPlay/Android Auto) is standard on every trim, and wireless App-Connect is standard from the volume SE w/Technology up. Only the base SE is wired-only.

Native navigation (SEL and up) is clumsy and slow, and voice recognition is limited despite VW's 'enhanced voice recognition' claim for MIB3, so most owners default to phone projection.

The standard six-speaker system is underwhelming for a vehicle this size. The 12-speaker Fender premium audio is a worthwhile upgrade but limited to the top trim.

Every 2022 Atlas has a digital cluster, but the volume SE and SE w/Technology get the smaller 8-inch Digital Cockpit. The configurable 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro with full-screen map is SEL-and-up (it reached the SE w/Technology only for 2023).

The first-generation Atlas has no meaningful whole-vehicle over-the-air update program; software and map updates come through the dealer or connected services, not as feature-adding OTA updates.

The VW Car-Net app provides remote lock/unlock, vehicle status and parking location, and remote start with a Remote Access subscription after the trial. There is no digital key.

The volume SE w/Technology gains third-row USB-C ports for 2022, giving USB-C in all three rows, plus wireless charging and a 115-volt household outlet in the second row.

Keyless access with push-button start is standard, and remote start plus the hands-free Easy Open liftgate come on the volume SE w/Technology. Phone-as-key is not offered.

The volume trim has a rearview camera and front/rear Park Distance Control. The Area View 360-degree camera and Park Assist are reserved for the top SEL Premium R-Line.

No head-up display is offered on any 2022 Atlas trim.

Large rear doors, a second row that tilts and slides forward with a child seat still installed, and an adult-usable third row make daily car-seat logistics easy. IIHS rates the LATCH hardware only Marginal.

NHTSA rates it 5 stars overall and Front Assist AEB is standard, with ACC Stop and Go on the volume SE w/Technology. But the full IQ.DRIVE bundle is SEL-only, the volume trims' headlights rate Marginal, it missed a 2022 Top Safety Pick, and chip-shortage builds lost blind-spot monitoring on some SE-level units.

Tri-zone climate, USB-C in all three rows (new for 2022 on SE w/Technology), a 115-volt outlet, adult-sized second and third rows and 20.6 cu ft of luggage space with all seats up make for good long-trip family duty. Weak base audio and no rear entertainment are the gaps.

Smooth brakes and shifts, good visibility and light, accurate steering make it easy to drive day to day. The modest 2.0T and hesitant kickdown make merging feel labored, and its bulk is always apparent.

At 20/24/22 MPG for the volume 2.0T 4Motion (23 combined FWD), fuel costs are average-to-poor for a mid-size three-row, with no hybrid option. It does run on regular fuel.

At about 200.7 in long and 78.3 in wide, with a 40.5-ft turning circle, the Atlas is one of the bulkier mid-size SUVs. Front/rear sensors on the volume trim and excellent sightlines help, but a 360 camera is top-trim only.

The volume 2.0T is rated to tow only 2,000 lbs. The VR6 tows 5,000 lbs (with a hitch now standard on VR6 models for 2022), but it is not the volume engine. The huge 96.8 cu ft cargo hold helps with bulky loads.

This is a family-oriented crossover on the transverse MQB platform with no fleet or work-duty reputation, and the first-generation Atlas has a below-average reliability record.

A 115-volt outlet, cargo-area tie-downs, roof rails and a hitch (standard on VR6) are the extent of its work provisions. There is no upfit ecosystem.

A smooth highway ride, comfortable seats and ACC Stop and Go on the volume trim make it a capable tourer, though Travel Assist lane centering is SEL-only. Engine noise under load and about 409 miles of range hold it back.

4Motion AWD with Snow and Off-Road modes, roof rails and about 8 in of ground clearance handle gravel and snow. There is no off-road hardware, and the volume engine's 2,000-lb tow rating limits toys.

With 96.8 cu ft maximum and 55.5 cu ft behind row two, flat-folding second and third rows, roof rails and an available hitch, it is among the best gear haulers in the mainstream mid-size class.

It is surprisingly composed and sure-footed for its size, with good body control in turns. Dynamically it is secure rather than engaging.

The steering is quick and nicely weighted for a three-row SUV, but it offers little real feedback.

Reviewers describe the brakes as smooth and confidence-inspiring in daily driving. No standout instrumented stopping figure was found for this year.

The 2.0T's low-end torque suits town driving and the 8-speed shifts smoothly, but it runs short of breath on highway merges and loaded, and slow kickdowns make the 235-hp four feel more sluggish than it is.

The engine is unobtrusive at cruise, but the turbo four becomes noticeably loud and a bit coarse when worked hard to move the Atlas's weight.

The large turning circle reflects the Atlas's 117-in wheelbase and is on the wide side for the class.

The commanding, upright seating position gives excellent sightlines, most drivers find a comfortable position easily, and physical climate controls are retained. The unintuitive steering-wheel buttons and small volume knob are the main misses.

It is a pleasant, competent family appliance, but the underpowered volume engine and sheer size leave little to enjoy behind the wheel.

Every 2022 Atlas has a digital cockpit, LED headlights, forward-collision and blind-spot assist, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. However, adaptive cruise and remote start start at the SE w/Technology, and the Telluride and Palisade include more at a similar price.

The Atlas offers class-leading third-row and cargo space at a competitive price. That is offset by underwhelming engines, subpar interior materials on lower trims, short powertrain coverage and below-average resale.

There are 11 configurations across the SE, SE w/Technology, SEL, SEL R-Line, SEL R-Line Black and SEL Premium R-Line, with two engines, FWD or 4Motion, and a choice of captain's chairs or a bench. The lineup is well spaced, even though the base S was dropped.

The Atlas is one of VW's core US volume models and a steady mid-pack seller. Its sales are well below the Explorer, Highlander, Telluride and Pilot, and 2022 volume was constrained by the industry chip shortage.

Volkswagen has a neutral mainstream image in the US. It carries some European cachet but also lingering doubts about reliability and dealer service, which hold down resale.

During the 2022 model year, chip-shortage inventory limits meant most three-row SUVs sold at or near MSRP, so Atlas discounts were thin. VW financing offers came back only late in the run.

MY2022 is the fifth year of a generation that launched for 2018. It carries over the 2021 refresh, so it looks current but is not cutting-edge, and a heavy 2024 refresh was already on the way.

Reviewers praise the Atlas's adult-usable third row, huge cargo hold and agile handling for its size. They criticize its slow engines, plain interior and fuel economy, and it rarely wins comparison tests against the Telluride, Palisade or Pilot.