2019 Volkswagen Arteon Review

The engine feels strong taking off from a stop. But the transmission is tuned more for smoothness than sport. Accelerating from 0 to 60 mph took 6.6 seconds in our testing. That's quicker than most midsize sedans but a disappointing result considering the car's sporty pretensions.

The brakes feel strong and natural, and the car is stable even under hard braking. We measured a stopping distance from 60 mph of 121 feet, which is what you'd expect from a vehicle of this size on all-season tires.

The steering is nicely weighted. It also gives you a decent feel for the road, which is more than most systems in this class offer. The on-center feel is quite good. Overall, the steering imparts a pleasing sense of sportiness to the car.

In Comfort or Normal mode, there's noticeable body roll. Switching to Sport really tightens up handling, and the all-wheel-drive system does a good job pulling the car through turns. When you drive it harder, the Arteon feels more planted and stable than most midsize competitors. It's not exciting, but there's a lot of confidence and predictability.

The transmission's lax gearing makes the Arteon feel like a larger, heavier car than it really is. Overall, the transmission is smooth, but shifts are a bit slow and slushy. Opting for the R-Line package and paddle shifters gives you more control for sporty driving.

The front seats are supportive and sufficiently cushioned. There's not a lot of side bolstering. The simulated leather upholstery makes the seats feel hot even with the perforation. On cooler days (or with the SEL Premium's seat ventilation), these seats offer all-day comfort thanks to a nice shape.

In Comfort mode, the Arteon's adaptive suspension irons out minor road imperfections really well, making it a great freeway cruiser. But bigger or sharper bumps, like those on a bad road, overwhelm the suspension and are transferred into the cabin.

Wind noise isn't much of an issue in the sleek Arteon, but the cabin gets surprisingly loud on the freeway due to plenty of tire noise. There's also not enough isolation from loud freeway traffic.

The standard three-zone control with an optional rear-seat climate panel and heated rear outboard seats make this one of the more comprehensive climate systems in the class. VW's controls are straightforward enough, and the system does a good job adjusting to keep the car at your desired temperature.

Most of the primary controls are easy to use, and VW's digital information screen is straightforward. The infotainment menus are a bit more cluttered and could be easier to navigate, but finding the primary controls you need isn't a problem.

The low-slung body and sloping rear roofline mean getting into the rear seat requires some ducking. Luckily, the generous rear footroom and knee room help.

The Arteon encourages you to sit lower to the floor, but there's enough adjustability in the steering column and seat to sit more upright if you want. Headroom becomes an issue for taller drivers who prefer an upright position. The pedals oddly feel a bit too close, so taller drivers will find their knees bent more when situated relative to the rest of the cabin controls.

Front headroom and rear legroom, along with elbow and shoulder room, are good all around. Rear headroom only gets tight for passengers 6 feet tall or over. The Arteon also feels more open thanks to all the glass and light interior colors.

It's pretty easy to see out of, especially for a coupe-style hatchback such as this. The long side windows provide good over-the-shoulder views, and the front roof pillars don't create much of a blind spot when turning. The small side mirrors are the only real issue.

The interior looks less rich than it is because even the soft-touch materials are molded with the same texture used in VW's hard plastics … and, yes, there are still hard plastics around. It's a weird mix: A lot of surfaces feel nice for a VW, but overall it falls short of what several competitors offer.

There aren't a lot of interior storage options. The center armrest bin is shallow, and the phone cubby is undersized. The tandem cupholders are decently sized, and the door pockets are padded to keep stuff from knocking around, but there's a definite lack of space.

The Arteon's trunk is fantastic. The hatchback body provides lots of space and a big opening to make loading easy. At 27 cubic feet, maximum space dwarfs just about any competitor's figure in the segment. But the rear seats don't fold perfectly flat, so you can't slide long, heavy objects through easily.

There's plenty of room for car seats, and the anchor points are covered with plastic sleeves that make them very easy to find and access. The sloping rear roofline means you'll be bending over a lot to manage things.

The base stereo leaves a bit to be desired, considering for the money you're getting slightly better upgraded units in competitive cars. VW's navigation system is easy to read and has a few neat tricks up its sleeve, such as integration with the large gauge cluster display and a proximity-sensitive touchscreen. But it doesn't offer any real practical advantages over competitors in finding destinations or navigating traffic.

While you get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, they don't integrate quite as well as in some competitors. For example, nav prompts and track listing info aren't displayed in the gauge cluster. (Honda has figured out how to make that work.)

Adaptive cruise is slow to accelerate after the car ahead pulls away. But we do like that it's not overly sensitive in braking, and it works in stop-and-go traffic. Blind-spot monitoring is standard, which helps compensate for the small side mirrors. Oddly, lane keeping assist is only available on the highest trim level.

Volkswagen's integrated voice controls can be a bit finicky. You'll have to learn the system's specific phrasing to access various commands. The on-screen prompts help, but they don't solve the issue.

Standard SE features include 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, heated mirrors, automatic wipers, adaptive suspension dampers, keyless entry and ignition, selectable drive modes, three-zone automatic climate control, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, simulated leather upholstery, heated front seats and 60/40-split folding rear seats.

The SE also comes with an 8-inch touchscreen, a rearview camera, VW's Car-Net smartphone app integration, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an eight-speaker sound system with satellite radio. Standard advanced safety features include forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and a blind-spot monitor.

Stepping up to the SEL trim adds adaptive headlights with cornering lights, a sunroof, remote ignition, adaptive cruise control, driver-seat memory functions, leather upholstery, a digital gauge cluster, interior ambient lighting and a navigation system.

At the top of the range, the SEL Premium comes with 19-inch wheels, automatic high beams, a hands-free hatch, ventilated front seats, driver-seat massage functions, steering wheel-mounted shift paddles, a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, three-color interior ambient lighting, and a premium audio system. You also get lane keeping assist, front and rear parking sensors, an automated parking system, a surround-view camera system, and additional telematics features (vehicle location, remote locking and diagnostics). 

In general, features are exclusive to trims and are not available on supporting models. VW is offering an R-Line package that dresses things up with 19- or 20-inch wheels, a sporty front bumper, shift paddles (if not already equipped), contrast interior stitching, a black headliner, and metal pedals and scuff plates.