Used 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Consumer Reviews
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5...
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2019 was a lemon & replacement 21 not much better
Kristin, 08/23/2021
2021 Volkswagen Atlas SE w/Technology 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 8A)
7 of 9 people found this review helpful
Bought brand new 2019 and it was in the shop every other week like clockwork. Steering rack, o2 sensors x6, the list goes on. Get brand new 2021 through lemon law and almost immediately steering rack replaced. Odd electrical issues and known issues with no manufacturer fixes still waiting from 2019. As soon as I get out of this thing, I am NEVER buying VW again.
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Really happy with the car!
Josh H, 04/17/2021
2021 Volkswagen Atlas SEL R-Line 4dr SUV AWD w/Prod. End 08/20 (3.6L 6cyl 8A)
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
I have 4 kids. 2 of them are in creates. I looked at all of the top 3 row suvs as well as large suvs. Palisade, pilot, highlander, telluride, atlas, expedition, Tahoe and suburban. The atlas was the best bang for the buck when it came to features and size. It is the largest of the 3 row crossovers but much easier to drive around town no much cheaper than the large suvs. With the exception of the suburban and expedition max the space isn’t noticeably different. Car seats fit great and getting into and out of the third row is easy for the other kids. I got the sel rline 4motion. Originally was looking at the we with tech but the digital gauges are worth the upgrade in trim to me as well as the large sunroof.
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Lots of room but more than a few annoyances
CCTO, 08/23/2021
2021 Volkswagen Atlas SEL Premium 4dr SUV AWD w/Prod. End 08/20 (3.6L 6cyl 8A)
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
Just had one for a week's rental, mostly highway (about 3000 km over the week). Found myself annoyed with some little things: third-row cannot be folded unless 2nd row is slid forward; 2nd row difficult to slide fore/aft when folded; retractable cargo cover stows underneath load floor, and requires complete unloading of cargo and detachment of cargo net to stow/unstow; wipers had annoying click. Kids in back complained of too-firm seats. All USB ports are USB-C only; 2nd-row AC outlet has poor grip on plugs; dash cubby sockets (2xUSB-C plus one 12V) are hard to access while gear selector is in park; Qi charging very intermittent. Throttle response in Eco mode is laggy to a dangerous extreme. Nav system has no lane view and names hwys by their ceremonial names instead of the route numbers as posted on signage (eg. "Highway of Heroes" instead of ON-401; "Autoroute Jean Lesage" instead of A-20, etc.). Findability of gas stations and fast-food in the nav is entirely random and sparse; you can pass a dozen unmentioned drive-throughs and then find some obscure diner listed as an option. Body roll caused some passenger alarm on freeway curves at speed. Plus side: tons of room, infotainment system mostly intuitive, hvac has real controls, adaptive cruise works mostly ok but can be slow to close gaps when car ahead moves over and then surges ahead a little too agreesively.. Holds 130-140 km/h effortlessly and comfortably. And uses regular gas. Caveat: not sure of trim level on this unit.
Navigation system on 2021Alas R. Loaded
Jim bince, 09/29/2020
updated 03/29/2022
2021 Volkswagen Atlas SEL R-Line 4dr SUV AWD w/Prod. End 08/20 (3.6L 6cyl 8A)
37 of 67 people found this review helpful
Bought a new vw 2 weeks ago. Programmed my address and it loaded but will not take me there. Went back to dealer they checked and said there is nothing they can do. Phone vw canada. I did that talked to customer service ,then asked for supervisor explained. Got nowhere he said to phone software company. The phone number he gave me the company does not manufacture for the Atlas. I emailed and phoned back and no one returns my calls. Further checks found this navigation system is a new platform mlb3 used on Audi i payed $60,000.00 for a defective car
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One of the worst driving / handling experiences
David S, 04/11/2021
updated 04/20/2023
2021 Volkswagen Atlas SEL 4dr SUV w/Prod. End 08/20 (3.6L 6cyl 8A)
12 of 21 people found this review helpful
I drove a 2021 VW Atlas SEL around San Diego doing airport runs. I was literally scared to death about the handling and steering. The lane assist kept kicking in at odd times causing the car to move unpredictably and there was no obvious / easy way to turn it off. The integration with Apple Play was horrible via Waze with the driver's screen going half blank with a message saying that the nav was using another app but not bothering to put the speed front and center (it was on the lower right). Then the audio cut out entirely as though I had hit a mute switch and nothing I could do with the manual volume control nor the steering volume control nor on the iPhone itself would bring back the Waze nav audio. The handling / steering feedback was terrible like I was driving an over-assisted 1974 Ford Grenada and I've already mentioned the unpredictable lane assist feature. On the plus side, it's relatively quiet with low wind noise and it's reasonably quick. The Fender sound system sounds great once you figure out the horrible interface and that "app" button on the right side of the central screen (whoever did the UX should be fired asap). Car is being traded in for a mini-van shortly.
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