2026 Volkswagen Atlas

After being on sale for eight model years, Volkswagen's big three-row SUV is overdue for a redesign. But it won't be this year. The 2026 Volkswagen Atlas remains unchanged. That's not a bad thing, depending on your view. Sure, it's not as fresh-looking or as technologically up-to-date as VW's smaller Taos and Tiguan SUVs — both of which have received recent updates — but the Atlas is still a pretty compelling choice for a three-row family SUV.

If you don't want to wait for the next Atlas, there is no shortage of other SUVs to pick from. The Toyota Grand Highlander is a top pick for its mix of value, comfort and space. It's also available as a hybrid, which is something Volkswagen doesn't offer for the Atlas. Hyundai also offers a hybrid for its fully redesigned and impressively stylish Hyundai Palisade. Other notable options include the sporty Ford Explorer, the popular Kia Telluride and the upscale Mazda CX-90.

The current Atlas has a lot going for it. Its turbocharged four-cylinder engine makes solid power and returns acceptable fuel economy for something so big. At 21-23 mpg combined, the Atlas is about as efficient as the Chevrolet Traverse and Honda Pilot, two key rivals. It's also impressively roomy. If you're constantly shutting your kids to sports practice — and your friends' kids, to boot — you'll undoubtedly appreciate the Atlas' roomy second- and third-row seating and big cargo area. Still, the Atlas' age does show in some areas, such as its distracting-to-use controls and dated-looking touchscreen graphics.

Edmunds evaluated a first-generation Volkswagen Atlas over the course of a year and 20,000 miles. You can read all the hits and misses we documented in Edmunds' VW Atlas One-Year Road Test review. Note that this long-term test was based on a 2018 model, but most of our observations still apply given the glacial pace of change and updates to the current model.