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VW Atlas, good or bad?

Discussion in 'General' started by njracer, Feb 7, 2023.

  1. njracer

    njracer Well-Known Member

    Wife want's a new car, well, new to her. She really likes the Atlas and we're going to look at a few 2019's/2020's with about 30,000mi on both of them. Price is about $30k.

    Anything I should look out for?

    The other suv she likes is the Ford Explorer but after all the bs we went thru with her current Ford, I'm not sure I want another one (her 2019 Escape that we've had since new is on motor #3 with less than 30,000 miles).

    Thanks!
     
  2. Funkm05

    Funkm05 Dork

    Only guy I know to have bought one, returned it in under 60 days as a lemon. Can’t help much beyond that, unfortunately.
     
  3. StaccatoFan

    StaccatoFan My 13 year old is faster than your President

    I have a 2020 Highlander.

    My BabyMommaDrama bought an Atlas last year.

    My son says the Atlas sucks compared to my Highlander.

    Oh and I got the Hybrid. Which doesn’t have much as far as go go power. But 35 mpg in a vehicle like that is pretty sweet.
     
  4. turner38

    turner38 Well-Known Member

    Bad
     
    cav115 likes this.
  5. Triple X

    Triple X Well-Known Member

    Drives nice but not much power and horrible gas mileage
     
    BigBird likes this.
  6. Mechdziner714

    Mechdziner714 More Gas Less Brakes

    The skid plate under the motor is plastic and it falls off. Rental company tried to charge me for it.
     
  7. BigBird

    BigBird blah

    My buddy liked his 2020 Atlas better than his 2019 Q7. Said Atlas was bigger, drove better, the Q7 just had a better motor.
     
    Gixxerguy855 likes this.
  8. Resident Plarp

    Resident Plarp drittsekkmanufacturing.com

    Fuck that car. Had the first one that was lemon-law’d.

    More details on that pile of shit when I get done here.

    I hope that car dies a horrible flaming fat death.
     
  9. Gixxerguy855

    Gixxerguy855 Well-Known Member

    I guess I’m the opposite of most on here, my wife bought a 21.5 R-Line Atlas and we love it. The power is awesome, turns on a dime and looks/feels amazing on the road. I’ve asked her to drive the Jaguar SUV, Porsche SUV and a Cadillac, none of them compared in her opinion. The third row seat and second row captain chairs have been great for her and her friends on road trips too. I think it’s cat quick and the transmission is fantastic.
    Only complaint has been the infotainment system has needed more than a couple trips to the dealer for updates due to numerous dropped phone calls, but has been better since the last update.
    Good luck with your search.
     
    BigBird likes this.
  10. Resident Plarp

    Resident Plarp drittsekkmanufacturing.com

    Maybe the newer model years have improved, but coming from a diesel Touareg that would go 600 miles on a tank of fuel, handled well and could pull 7700 lbs., the fAtlas sucked ass.

    The pilot in me doesn’t like to get below half a tank of fuel, ever. With the shAtlas, that meant fueling up at least twice a week since we never got more than 300 miles out of a full tank. The manual recommended not filling the tank all the way to increase fuel mileage which was a weird recommendation coming from a company founded by the Nazis considering some of the things they’d done with gas. It had, I believe, a 17 gallon tank located immediately below the first passenger row. I suppose if you did it right, and managed to get T-boned, the tank would rupture all the while sending you and yours to a thankful death for buying such a piece of shit metal.

    The in-line 6 cylinder engine was more anemic than a you-go-grrrrl fat Oprah. Step on it and wait, forever. Advertised towing capacity was less humorous than a German businessman. Only that was outdone by the wobbly weable shitboat smooshy feel it had at the very hint of making a turn. It wobbled worse than a Ford Exploder on Firestones with Ford-recommended tire pressure.

    The driver assist package was annoying, even after disabling all the functions. The stereo was extra shitty.

    The best part about the car? Water started leaking through the seatbelt port on the C-pillar two weeks after taking possession. After that, the car spent almost three weeks in the garage while ze’ Germans tried to figure out what was wrong. They ended up replacing the entire sunroof’s frame, which was flown in from Italy along with some engineers just for the occasion. VW corporate took a good interest in the car.

    After that, VW recommended not taking the car to the same car wash that a 20-year-old Acura with a sunroof had no problem transiting without a leak. Apparently, the roof spray pressure was noted for being exceptionally powerful. And who wouldn’t expect a German car to withstand a shower just to get cleaned up?

    So we got it back, and all seemed well, except for the regret of having to live with it again. No leaks? Wrong. The roof liner started to rain a few weeks later, praise The Lord. And back to service it went. After ten days, we got a check, minus a few hundred bucks, and bought a Q7 instead.

    To be fair, I bought the car without having driven it. I was young, stupid and rich. Almost immediately, we regretted signing on the dotted line. I would’ve turned around after two blocks and said “hell no” if I was smart enough to test drive that abomination.

    We’re on a second Audi. I’d recommend the fAtlas go in the left line when it gets to the camp.
     
    Phl218 likes this.
  11. njracer

    njracer Well-Known Member

    What year was your Atlas?
     
    Gixxerguy855 likes this.
  12. Resident Plarp

    Resident Plarp drittsekkmanufacturing.com

    First year. To be fair, cousin bought the next year’s model, and also had a roof leak, but that was due to the drain plug being crowded with debris. His wife likes it.
     
  13. BigBird

    BigBird blah

    My Buddy also had the R-Line. He had the year before the new lights.
     
  14. Gigantor24

    Gigantor24 Member

    Lexus gx460 would be my vote all day.
     
  15. skidooboy

    skidooboy supermotojunkie

    Subaru for the win! our Crosstrek has been fairly flawless since 2014. so much so, the wife bought a Forester this past June. Ski
     
  16. ChemGuy

    ChemGuy Harden The F%@# Up!

    Its amazing how many Lesbia...err....people keep buying Subaru's after their first one. :D
     
    R Acree and skidooboy like this.
  17. StaccatoFan

    StaccatoFan My 13 year old is faster than your President

  18. We have a 19 Q7 and it’s a decent car but eats tires, probably trading it on soon for an SQ5.
     
  19. Resident Plarp

    Resident Plarp drittsekkmanufacturing.com

    The Pirelli Verdes, while good to tires, are shite for mileage. Got the latest generation of Michelin all season rubber on our Q7 and, in terms of snow grip, they’re way better than the winter tires on the wagon. I’m really impressed with them, actually. The only bad thing about the French rubber, other than France, is that they’re not run flats. And there’s no spare tire on the Audi.
     
  20. Once a Wanker..

    Once a Wanker.. Always a Wanker!

    I've always preferred a Rand-McNally Atlas myself. Just my personal opinion. I wasn't even aware that VW was in the mapping business.
     
    969, R Acree and GixxerJohn011 like this.

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