2021 Volkswagen Arteon Review

Name: 2021 Volkswagen Arteon Review
Brand: Volkswagen

Price Range: $15,800 - $29,998

Volkswagen Arteon SEL Premium R-Line 4dr Hatchback Exterior Shown

The 2021 Volkswagen Arteon boasts a sleek exterior design and a spacious and modern interior. Couple that with comfortable seats, lots of cargo capacity and refined handling and you have a compelling — though not inexpensive — choice for a midsize sedan. Its overall appeal dips because of its humdrum driving experience and so-so fuel economy, but the upgrades to its tech and interior fit and finish help justify the higher price.

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Price & Payment

18 cars

$23,493 avg. price

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2021 Volkswagen Arteon Review

by the Edmunds Experts

What's new

Exterior styling refresh with new front grille and headlights
Updated interior with VW's newest MIB3 infotainment system
Redesigned dashboard, new steering wheel and new digital driver display
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard
Part of the first Arteon generation introduced for 2019

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon SE 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.74 per gallon for premium unleaded in Virginia.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia

$176/mo

$153/mo

Avg. Midsize Car

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Volkswagen Arteon Owner Reviews

4.3

38 reviews

5(74%)

4(5%)

3(7%)

2(5%)

1(9%)

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Angad Singh, 06/18/2019

2019 Volkswagen Arteon SE 4MOTION 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)

The Arteon is a beautiful car for enthusiasts looking for a spacious sedan. Based on it’s size it is right up there with the Audi A5 Sportback. The power is sufficient enough to coast through a highway at good speeds. The 260 Pound feet torque at low rpm makes it easy to take over. The car is huge on space. I am 6 feet tall and never had an issue with the space. The back seat is …

A German Touring Sedan As The New RoadMaster?

Scott in PA, 08/09/2022

2021 Volkswagen Arteon SEL Premium R-Line 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)

This is one fine piece of machinery. From the nicely-weighted door-closing thunk to the integration of high tech features, the driving experience ticks all the right boxes. It is not a sports sedan, but it is not sedate. It's not a canyon carver, but you'll exit your apex with confidence as you search for the next one. And all this with a cavernous hatchback area that swallows up cargo … on par with SUV's and station wagons. I have the line-topping SEL-P R-Line AWD. The Good Interior Seats: on the same par as my Audi A8. Comfortable, supportive, infinitely adjustable and ventilated. Nice Nappa leather. Excellent contour. HVAC is exceptional. Recent 2500 mile trip to FL and hardly ever had to adjust the temperature. Fan does not blow excessively high on start-up, and the cabin maintains its temperature. Windows: there is no wind thump when you roll one down at speed. Nice! Dash: Not as gimmicky as the A5, much friendlier than the Volvo, and visually a delight to look at. The high degree of customization will ensure you find the right combination of what you want to see. Easily adapted for long-tripping, ripping around town, or visiting Grandma. Learning curve a bit steeper than you'd like. Engine/Transmission I have not wanted for power, although who wouldn't want more? The Edmunds ding on slow downshifts is NOT justified. If you are in Eco mode, of course you have to stabby stabby the accelerator, otherwise it responds just fine. The paddle shifters are nicely placed and just the right size. Steering/Braking/Suspension The adjustable dampers, along with your adjustments to throttle and suspension, make this a near-Audi in every sense. And you can save your favorite combo for future use. I find turn-in a breeze, the tires hold the line well, and stomping on it at exit does not loose the back end. Of course, another 30-40 ponies might change that. Tech We have a winner! Adaptive Cruise is just as Edmunds described: not too hard on the brakes, and a little slow to regain speed. Otherwise it works very well in all conditions. Lane Keeping also performs admirably. Drive Assist is a low-level autonomous system that kind of helps you along vs taking over. I like that. Touch screens are the future, and the future is now. Again, there is a learning curve. Once you've found how to do what you want to do, it is rather intuitive. Road Characteristics There is virtually no wind noise below 80 mph. The occasional tire thump comes through, but with 245/35-20's you have to expect that with tiny sidewalls. Gas mileage is as advertised.. I got 32.9 on the FL trip. --March 2023 Update-- almost 20k miles in 9 months. This is one great highway cruiser. Replaced front rotors at 21k, a known VW concern. Local indy much less expensive than dealer. Replaced OEM Conti's with Michelin Pilot Sport 4AS, changing size from OEM 245/35/20 to a 235/40/20 configuration. Wanted a little more sidewall to help with potholes. Two side effects: the Speedo now runs 2-3mph below actual at highway speeds, so I have to remember that when setting the ACC. Secondly, my MPG trip computer is now accurate to within 1-2 tenths. Recent FL trip produced trip computer MPG numbers that exactly matched manual calculations on 3 of 4 tanks, and the 4th was .02 off. No squeaks or rattles as I've zoomed past 25k. Thank you VW for providing a full-size matching spare.... I rashed up a wheel and it is now my spare tire! --- end update. **Special Commendation** to the headlights. They are nothing short of miraculous. The adaptable beam pattern illuminates everything ahead of you, regardless of corners or hills. Cornering lamps and fog lights wrap up the package. What a safety boost! The Not-As Good Steering wheel angle is only column-adjusted, so the wheel itself does not pivot independently. I'd like another 1" of drop, but that is purely subjective. Cubby for the phone is awkwardly located above the shifter and you need to learn to contort your fingers to remove it. Charge is very slow. Also, the only USB ports are USB-C, I had to upgrade my cables. Lastly, the glove box is so small the Owners Manual will not fit in it. Oh, and whoever designed the OM should be fired... it is very poorly laid out, making your learning curve a bit harder than it needs to be.

A refined sport sedan that can bring the muscle!

Anthony, 07/07/2019

2019 Volkswagen Arteon SEL Premium R-Line 4MOTION 4dr Hatchback AWD w/19" Wheels (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)

I purchased one of the first available fully loaded SEL Premium R-Line Arteon in New England. I was drawn by the shape, design, and performance of the Arteon. Car and Driver magazine selected the Arteon as one of the 15 most beautiful cars for 2019. If you don’t want the looks and stares from people or for them to come up and ask you about this car, I would say buy something else! When …

Just what we were looking for

Will Gessner, 07/30/2021

2021 Volkswagen Arteon SEL Premium R-Line 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)

I read a million reviews on the Arteon before purchasing it this week. The main complaint that came through those reviews is that the car doesn’t handle sharp enough or accelerate enough with blistering speed. Ok maybe so when compared to a V6 Audi or the like but enough is plenty enough. I put 1,000 miles on it this first week. It’s a great highway cruiser and handles nicely on back …

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon, so we've included reviews for other years of the Arteon since its last redesign.

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2021 Arteon Highlights

Trim:

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$36,995
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	25 MPG
Cost to Drive	$176/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	27.2 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

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Safety

Our experts like the Arteon models:

Parking Steering Assistant: Measures the size of available curbside parking and helps the driver steer into the spot.
Front Assist: Warns if it detects an imminent front collision and automatically applies the brakes if the driver doesn't respond in time.
Lane Keeping System: Warns you if the Arteon begins to wander outside of marked lanes and can automatically apply corrective steering.

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2021 Volkswagen Arteon Review

Price & Payment

2021 Volkswagen Arteon Review

What's new

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon SE 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.74 per gallon for premium unleaded in Virginia.}

Volkswagen Arteon Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Trending topics

Premium At a good price

A German Touring Sedan As The New RoadMaster?

A refined sport sedan that can bring the muscle!

Just what we were looking for

2021 Arteon Highlights

Safety

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2021 Volkswagen Arteon Review

Price & Payment

2021 Volkswagen Arteon Review

What's new

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon SE 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.74 per gallon for premium unleaded in Virginia.

Volkswagen Arteon Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Premium At a good price

A German Touring Sedan As The New RoadMaster?

A refined sport sedan that can bring the muscle!

Just what we were looking for

2021 Arteon Highlights

Safety

People who viewed this also viewed

Related Used 2021 Volkswagen Arteon info

Vehicle reviews of used models

Shop similar models

Shop used vehicles in your area

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Research other models of Volkswagen

Join Edmunds

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon SE 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.74 per gallon for premium unleaded in Virginia.}