HansonBro
Registered User
- May 3, 2006
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Buying a 1st Year of a new model - VW Atlas
- Thread starter Flukeshot
- Start date
DrFeelgood
Chairman Meow
That's equal price but a 5 year old vehicle. Also my wife is short and would have to lift kids into it.
Bjorn Le
Hobocop
They also have no warranty and probably need brakes/tires, if not more. Big trucks like that probably haven't been treated very well either.
HansonBro
Registered User
- May 3, 2006
- 4,906
- 3,470
Bjorn Le
Hobocop
Yeah nobody takes care of big trucks....
No, but lots of people don't. They're work vehicles or family haulers, neither of which are usually associated with careful attention. I've never made the assumption all large body on frame vehicles are maintained poorly. That would be like suggesting mechanics who work on VWs are incompetent compared to mechanics who work on American cars.
HansonBro
Registered User
- May 3, 2006
- 4,906
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Any yukon/Tahoe post 2006 is not a work vehicle. You could even argue post '99. Did you even look at my link and notice the wood trim? Seats that actually fold flat in the rear? I get your a VW guy, I just presented another option
Yes they're family haulers and capable of towing around your toys. How does that suggest poor maintenance?
well one of us (my wife) is going to use it as a daily driver and the ramp her job contracts with has narrow spots. A full size SUV would be a huge PITA in there. It's done, of course, but the later you get there, the harder it is to find a spot that will fit you. The Atlas is really pushing it in that respect. My ramp is a bit better but i'm not keen on driving a SUV around.
Me, i just bought an Audi S3 .
Tested drove it on a lark looooved it. Got a great deal on a used but still half a warranty left pristine car. ridiculous grip like the R. Bit rough on bumpy roads in Dynamic but the magnetic suspension actually does help. It's almost exactly the opposite of what would have been a practical choice with two young children, and dogs. But wth.
Of course that means we'll have to go a bit cheaper on the truckster.
Me, i just bought an Audi S3 .
Tested drove it on a lark looooved it. Got a great deal on a used but still half a warranty left pristine car. ridiculous grip like the R. Bit rough on bumpy roads in Dynamic but the magnetic suspension actually does help. It's almost exactly the opposite of what would have been a practical choice with two young children, and dogs. But wth. Of course that means we'll have to go a bit cheaper on the truckster.
Bjorn Le
Hobocop
Nah, I know lots of foreman's who use body-on-frame SUVs as work vehicles. They're also popular among police (although you won't see many of those for sale used), park and conservation authorities, etc. Luxurious appointments don't mean that a vehicle isn't used for more than just suburban family hauling. I had a Tundra Platinum that was close to $80,000 new after tax (Platinum is a luxury trim level/option) on the Tundra) but it didn't mean I didn't beat the **** out of it.
Cars that are used to haul kids tend not to get the best care because kids make a mess of them. Used vans out of warranty are particularly something I'd avoid. This is my personal aversion but I wouldn't consider buying anything if I knew it had been used to tow in the past. It could be fine, it could be ****ed, regardless if it has high towing capacity. It puts immense strain on the transmission. You could be buying a foreman's body-on-frame SUV that was used to haul something everyday, which would be very bad. On top of these issues, there's usually cosmetic damage.
Overall, I don't think you should suggest people look at 4-5 year old cars if they're looking at similarly priced new cars. Most car buyers today when they start looking at cars have a very good idea of what they want. If they're open to new and used, they're probably looking at recently new vehicles, like 1-2 years old max. Oh and I really didn't like the comment suggesting VW mechanics are incompetent. I know for a fact VW/Audi Canada have more intensive mechanic training programs than GM/Ford/Chrysler Canada, and there are plenty of shops that work only on German cars (i.e. they wouldn't be in business if they were incompetent).
We just welcomed home a new baby and a new car last week.
We ended up getting the Comfort Line trim so slight upgrades only.
Definitely a great alternative to a mini-van for those not wanting to go full Soccer-Dad/Mom mode.
We ended up getting the Comfort Line trim so slight upgrades only.
Definitely a great alternative to a mini-van for those not wanting to go full Soccer-Dad/Mom mode.
Congrats! I know all about the new kid part but would appreciate updates/impressions on the Atlas and functionality. Little things that you notice that you appreciate or don't so much like or stuff you thought was cool but you don't really use.
Early impressions, the drive and power is just fine. It is a smooth drive and doesn't feel to struggle pulling such a big frame with a relatively modest engine. (We went with just FWD).
All the extra features are new to us having had a 2013 sante fe and still having a 2015 Jeep Wrangler unlimited sport.
Stuff like remote start, push button start, console features, large display, etc are all great but again it's our first time having them so it feels like a luxury.
The spaciousness truly is our favourite feature. All 3 kids fit in the middle row including a rear facing baby seat, front facing child seat and a booster in the middle. Pushing the middle row all the way back means driver and front passenger can also push their seats back as much as they like. I'm not huge at 6ft but I like to have my seat back far and not being restricted is great. That was not the case in either of our other vehicles. Space in the 3rd is also unbeatable in its class. Two adults can seat back there comfortably.
Negative stuff, the front is huge, hood height is same as the Jeep. But the seat is much lower so visibility on the front right is real tough. Makes it hard to park in some spots.
The start stop feature is annoying. It can be disabled but I think it has to be turned off every time. Maybe I have not found the setting to default to off.
Feel free to ask any specifics.
Bjorn Le
Hobocop
Congrats on the new car. Hopefully you enjoy it for a long time to come.
On stop start, I believe you're correct that it'll have to be turned out every time you get in the car, but I'm also fairly sure you can have it disabled for good with a VW scan tool (so ask your dealership if they'll do it). If you do this I think you'll have to get them to reactivate it if you ever want it on again, however. At the same time, stop start is something you'll eventually get used to. Hopefully at least.
Just the sort of answer i was looking for. Only things giving me pause were the park-ability and power, and I figured there would be a way to permanently disable the on-off. I'd check first to see if changing that will get you flagged by the dealer though---I was looking into playing with my Audi's computer and I've read that you should re-flash it before you take it in for routine service, then set everything back up the way you like it again once that is over because some of the things you can mess with might be cause to void your warranty if something goes wrong (they'll flag alterations when they perform maintenance). I really only wanted it to disable the video in motion block for my display--not that I'd use it a lot but it irks me that we can't do it.
The Atlas has more space than both our current cars combined. Only two kids so maybe overkill but for long hauls during holiday it would be welcome.
Thanks!
We were very disappointed in the Atlas. We were looking forward to it and were positive we were going to lease one. Then once we drove it we were shocked at how cheap it looked and felt on the inside. A base to midlevel Atlas in the $30 to $35,000 price point is fine and, if you need the cargo room and have teenagers that need hauling then it's a great alternative to a mini-van. Once you start adding options and the price climbs the flaws of the Atlas really show. VW is trying to compete with Ford and has Americanized themselves to much. I buy German cars for one main reason, I want a German car. Not a watered down version of a German car. We wound up going with the Mazda CX9. It fit our needs just fine. I bought a new 65 inch TV from Target on Black Friday The box was 5 feet long and over 40 inches wide and it fit in the Mazda just fine. Had room to spare. Laat night we took everyone to the movies. Put two 11 year old kids in the 3rd row and they were fine. They appreciated that the second row slides forward to give them a couple more inches of leg room. I asked them when we go on vacation in the summer would you rather take this car or the other car they all preferred the Mazda.
Here is an in-depth review I wrote comparing the Atlas to the Mazda.
I have test drove both in the past week. The Atlas is bigger and has more room overall for second and third-row passengers. There is much more cargo space as well. The ride was very nice. The power was ok. A little underpowered for such a large heavy truck. The ride was pretty good. The Atlas soaked up the biggest ruts and bumps with ease. The handling wasn't up to German car standards. Since the Atlas is geared towards the United States buyer and is built in the USA that comes as no surprise.
I liked the shape and style of the Atlas as well. I like an aggressive stance. I love the look of the wide fender flares. Were the Atlas lost us was the cheap looking interior. The plastic wood panels on the dashboard screamed 1980's GM. The door handles were made of hard plastic. No elbow padding no soft touch material. The switches, buttons, and vents looked cheap and felt flimsy. Not what you would expect for a $50,000 truck which is what the top of the line Atlas without the R-line package goes for. Our salesman had a horrible time trying to figure out how the second row slides to allow access to the third row and fold the seats down flat. The second-row seats did not slide easily at all. Almost like the rails weren't lined up properly. The second and third-row seats recline. With all the seats down cargo room is abundant. With the third row down there is still a lot of cargo room and ample room when the third row is in use.
The Mazda is smaller than the Atlas. It's a great looking SUV/crossover. The front end is wide and aggressive. The sleek lines of the side give it very aero-dynamic feel while still maintaining sharp edges and an aggressive stance.
There is Lot's of room for the front passengers. Second-row passengers over 6 feet may feel claustrophobic because of the headroom. Legroom is ok if no one is using the third row, otherwise, things can get more tight. However, since second and rows recline that helps. With both rows of seats down the cargo room is sufficient. Third row down is ok. When the third row is up there is enough room for grocery bags, small to medium luggage, or a golf bag, This is where the shape of the Mazda's roof line comes into play. Although it's handsome in style it takes some of cargo space away.
The second and third-row seating operate smoothly and efficiently. Although, it is not as easy to gain entry to the third row as it is in the Atlas because the Mazda is smaller. The seating position of the third row on the Atlas is better than the Mazda. The Mazda makes you feel like you are sitting on the floor. The Atlas third row seats sit higher and are overall more comfortable. The third row in the Atlas can accommodate adults were the Mazda is better suited for children or someone that has flexibility like a Yoga instructor.
When we test drove the Mazda I did not tell my significant other that the Mazda was a 4cyl turbo-charged engine. I felt the power was fine. She told me that she loved how much pick up it had and when she floored it there was no lag it just went. When I told her it was a 4 cyl she was pleasantly surprised as she has been used to driving 6 and 8 cylinders the past 13 years in our other SUV's. The turbo has no lag. Mazda engineers have engineered the engine to make 80% of it's power available before 4500 rpm. The Mazda also uses a smooth shifting 6-speed transmission with manual selector. It automatic mode shifts are seamless. Put in manual and you can have some fun. The engine sounds very nice in the upper RPM range where you can make use of all of its power and is a blast to drive on twisty roads.
At times the Mazda did feel and sound like a Japanese import with the exception of the doors. The doors felt like a high end import when they are opened and closed. They have a great feel of sturdiness and luxury and make a solid sound when pulling them shut not an empty tinny sound like we have become accustomed to from decades of Far East imports. The steering was crisp and agile. The ride was smooth and comfortable. I would call the ride stiff compared to the Atlas. But in a good way. It was more sporty than lumbering. The Mazda is a big crossover. It's bigger in length and width compared to the Toyota 4runner it was replacing and it out handles everything we have owned or test drove. This is where the Mazda really shines. It handles like a sports car, it feels much smaller than it actually is.
The top of the line interior of the signature line beautiful The wood and seats feel and look rich. The stitched materials along the Dash and door handles look expensive. The door panels, armrest, switches, and buttons feel nice to the touch. The one thing I did not like was the position of the nav-screen. I hate the placement of it. I despise how all many of the car makers are sticking a tablet like a screen on the top of the dash like it's an afterthought. It actually drives me crazy and ruins an otherwise great looking interior. The top of the line fully loaded CX9 Signature is roughly $45,000.
My Conclusion: If you need a lot of cargo space and leg room for children and teens the Atlas is the way to go. I would not recommend heavily optioning the Atlas as the bottom of the line up is competitively priced and a fully loaded Atlas just isn't worth the money and the price tag compared to the actual car doesn't match up well and, falls hard below German car maker standards. VW is not trying to compete with Mercedes or BMW. They are competing with the American market car makers and that is hurting their brand.
The Mazda lives up to its zoom-zoom heritage that is sporty and fun to drive in a handsome looking shell and is perfect for a family of four that doesn't need to utilize the entire third row down and can still haul a decent amount of cargo as well. An entry-level CX9 is an absolute bargain when looking at what comes standard. The top of the line signature at $45,000 is a steal when compared to the Atlas at $50,000. The only thing the Atlas gives you that the Mazda doesn't is ventilated seats.
I recommend the Mazda.
Pretty spot on review. We bought the Atlas knowing it was VW's goal to compete with the Ford Explorer.
There was no value in going for the more premium trim packages (nor did we need it). But we do really need the extra space and a 3rd row suitable for adults. Your review pretty much summarizes our decision process.
There was no value in going for the more premium trim packages (nor did we need it). But we do really need the extra space and a 3rd row suitable for adults. Your review pretty much summarizes our decision process.
Bjorn Le
Hobocop
The highest trim does have virtual cockpit, however. Also it'll have IIRC surround view camera (pretty nice for a big vehicle), upgraded driver assists, etc. Which if you're into technology or that sort of thing is pretty valuable. Virtual cockpit is something you only see on Audi's and other expensive VWs (Golf R, top trim Tiguan).
The virtual cockpit looked out of place in the Atlas. The 365 camera is a great feature. The Mazda has a mix of analog and digital gauges. The camera is pretty much standard with object sensors. I do love the adaptive cruise control and heated steering wheel.
Bjorn Le
Hobocop
I don’t know, I think it fits anywhere because it’s a revolution in dashboard technology. It also wouldn’t make sense to not have it in the $50,000+ Atlas but in cheaper models (I also suspect it’ll come on the A7 Jetta Highline/GLI in the spring).
Adaptive cruise I find on the Atlas (and Tiguan for that matter) isn’t as good as in the Golf and the outgoing Touareg. It gets too close to front cars on the front setting and feels too jerky when it needs to brake itself.
VW can make the virtual cockpit look likes it belongs in the Atlas by making the overall quality of the interior better looking and nicer to the touch. VW for the most part over the past 20 years or so have made very nice looking interiors because they were competing directly with their German competitors and sold the same car in Germany that they sold in North America. Now they make two versions of certain cars. One for the German Market, one for the North American market and the Atlas is all about competing with Ford and GM. As long as VW continues to this They definitely lost me as a customer.
The Mazda was the first car I ever drove with the adaptive cruise control. So far I like it. I keep it set at the medium range.
Bjorn Le
Hobocop
The Passat came along way in five years so I could easily see improvements by next year. And besides, it's not like the Atlas is bad for it's class. It's got less hard plastic than the Highlander, Pilot, Explorer, etc. At the Mazda's price range it isn't particularly fancy either.
Plenty of current NA VW models have upscale interiors. The Golf family (Golf, GTI, Golf R, SportWagen, and Alltrack) all have class-leading interiors with no hard plastics (in the front cabin at least, in the Golf you get it a bit in the back door trims and rear console though it's not an issue), and the new Tiguan is very upscale. The outgoing Touraeg (which I have) of course had an interior worthy of it's $60,000 price tag. As well, the new Jetta arrives in April/May, which I've had the chance to see and I think it's very nice as well. It'll get a public reveal in January. The Beetle is the only one that is currently quite bad but it's a low volume model and you could argue VW went for its look on purpose.
VW tried the upmarket quasi-luxury in the US and Americans wouldn't buy them. Canada does quite well on the other hand (more than double the market share as compared to the US). They're never going to go as cheap as the domestic/mainstream Japanese brands, but they're done trying to compete with the low end of the luxury market.
well yeah i guess that's situational! Winter climate where it's cold very often it's fantastic. No idea why you'd consider spending extra money on it in FL. I remember finding "cold weather package" cars from there and wondering what on earth people are thinking.
