 What is up you guys welcome back to another one if you are new to the channel I'm Gold Penny I do new car truck SUV reviews on YouTube and today we are in the new 2021 Volkswagen Atlas courtesy of Hanover Volkswagen in Hanover, Pennsylvania Quite excited to be in this one reason being there are several changes for the 2021 Atlas Of course, you also have Volkswagen's complimentary maintenance, which is two years 24,000 miles And this is essentially Volkswagen's largest three-row SUV. So this is gonna be the family hauler So what do you guys say? Let's just go ahead and jump right into it and as always let's start with pricing It's you as you can expect there are several different trim levels for the 2021 Atlas s trim level starts at 31,545 dollars v6 se with technology starts at 38,295 v6 se with technology our line starts at 39 695 v6 se L which actually is the one we have today that one's gonna start at 42,295 dollars And lastly the v6 se L premium with the four-motion all-wheel drive starting at 48,995 dollars and so all trims except for that last one there comes standard with front-wheel drive You wanted to add all-wheel drive to any of those first four trim levels simply add $1,900 to any of those prices, but so as you could probably tell by those trim levels There are actually two different engine setups available for the Atlas first one being a two-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine putting out 235 horsepower at 4,500 rpm 258 pound-feet of torque available at 1600 rpm power sent to the front wheels or all wheels through an eight-speed Automatic giving you a zero to sixty time coming in at approximately 7.2 seconds with MPG numbers coming in at 21 in the city 24 on the highway taking regular Unleaded fuel save you a little bit of money there. It's always nice But so then the other engine setup being a 3.6 liter naturally aspirated v6 that one is going to produce 276 horsepower 266 pound-feet of torque sent to the front wheels or all wheels through an eight-speed automatic once again Zero to sixty time for that one Believe it or not a little bit slower than the turbocharged four-cylinder coming in at 7.5 seconds with that MPG number 17 in the city 23 on the highway again taking regular unleaded fuel that but before we do any kind of acceleration Test in the 2021 Atlas here. I did when I mentioned there are some driving modes and that driving mode dial is located directly behind the shifter Driving modes are going to include comfort sport economy snow and off-road Adjusting things like the shift points the throttle response steering feel all-wheel drive engagement as well Love that and traction and stability control systems as well But those last two though usually aren't adjusted with driving mode So it did want to emphasize that but nonetheless What do you guys say to actually just on-road driving mode simply press down the middle button there? And we're going to push it over to sport and now we are going to find a straight away We're going to do a quick little acceleration test here and let's see how quickly we can get the new 2021 Volkswagen Atlas here up to speed. All right, you guys. I think we found a straight away in three two rolling start one go It's not bad not the quickest thing in the world But certainly no issues of emerging onto the highway plenty of get-up-and-go for basically what you're going to be using the SUV for anyways But it's not going to be as fast as a golf are always like quicker cars But plenty of get-up-and-go with the Atlas bloods you go along with that acceleration as always breaking is equally important So this is probably the first thing I noticed when I started driving the Atlas It may be not in a good way But when it comes to the brake setup of the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas upfront You will find 13.2 inch ventilated front discs in the back 12.2 inch solid rear discs As far as the braking feel goes before I get to the 60 zero stopping distance It is very very soft. So it's not going to be a firm braking feel whatsoever. It's a very soft Luxury-esque I guess you could say sometimes people consider soft braking feels a little more on the luxury side of things for me personally as I'm coming Up to a stop here. I consider a softer braking feel not as good for driver feedback Essentially, so I'm not always the biggest fan and when it comes to that sixty zero stopping distance it comes in in a hundred and thirty nine Feet which quite honestly may be the worst in its class for comparison say key to tell you ride comes in at 126 feet Ford Explorer 121 feet Honda Pilot 128 feet Volvo XC90 I remember I just recently reviewed that that comes in at 113 feet So ultimately as far as three row SUVs go typically the luxury ones are going to come in at around 100 teens feet so 110 to 120 feet the ones in the same class of the Atlas typically come in in the 120s but 139 feet is definitely not as good as the competition I will say that when it comes to braking and when it comes to stopping distance But it will say the Atlas does kind of make it up in other ways I just wanted to put that out though touching on suspension and handling up front you're going to get an independent strut type front Suspension with the 27 millimeter stabilizer bar in the back independent multi-link rear suspension 28 millimeter stabilizer bar as far as ride quality goes it is super smooth definitely no issues there Absolutely loving the ride quality on the 2021 Atlas. I'll give it that for sure as far as steering feel goes It does adjust ever so slightly. I can tell that when I put it in the sport driving mode So with it in that sport driving mode, I actually am a fan of the steering field It's definitely a little bit weightier than a lot of the other three row SUVs that I drive and they tend to be on the looser side So ultimately either way it's a little something for everybody You can adjust that steering feel through the driving modes as far as cabin noise goes as I'm driving over a bridge right now It's honestly not bad at all. I have no issues with the cabin noise as far as visibility goes Perfect especially considering the shape of the Atlas. You're absolutely not gonna have any issues of visibility Really one of the better ones in its class I would say when it comes to visibility because of its shape ultimately rain-sensing windshield wipers also comes standard on all trim Levels across the board to a system of visibility Essentially what that is is when the Atlas starts to detect any kind of rainfall or mist It's gonna automatically turn on those windshield wipers kind of like automatic headlights It's just one last thing you got to worry about. So that's always nice as well But that about wraps up the performance segment of this review you guys Let's now go ahead and take a look at the exterior of this brand new 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. All right, so here she is you guys the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas finished in deep black pearl Definitely like it. So anyways, there's a lot of changes for the 2021 model year So let me just start with them starting with updated front and rear faces We're gonna focus on the front obviously right now But actually increases the overall length of the 2021 Atlas by nearly three inches in case you were curious there Also new tri-bar front grille. You guys are looking at that right now. Definitely change for the better there as well and New revised headlight housing. So again, I actually love the new look to the sides LED headlights with the automatic feature Do come standard meaning when it starts to get dark out at night They will turn on automatically for you there LED daytime running lights also coming standard just below that fog lights with low speed Illuminating corner feature meaning when you're going around a bend at night There's fog lights will adjust based on your steering angle better help illuminating. What is around that Ben said? It's always a good thing too. Also wanted to mention one of my favorite colors for the 2021 Atlas being a really nice Racing green exterior color available. That is probably the one I would pick if I were to get that looks so dang good You can get it with the tan interior would look absolutely amazing Anyways, our line specific front bumper of course is going to come with the our line trim level as Expected so let's go ahead and make our way to the side of the 2021 Atlas now So now making our way to the side of black roof rails come standard for all non SEL trims as far as the SEL trims go They will actually come with silver roof rails up top Of course, you guys can see that right now Root privacy glass comes standard across the board. Of course, you do have chrome belt line molding also coming standard when it comes to Those side mirrors they are body colored power adjustable heated side mirrors for all trim levels with Integrated turd signals as well love that matte black side skirts will come standard for all trim levels But the R line because with our line you're actually going to get body colored side skirts That's actually the look I would personally prefer But having said that with this with this black exterior that we have here today the matte black kind of ties in pretty good with it So I will say that but when it comes to the wheel design 18 inch alloy wheels come with the S trim level 20 inch alloys with the SE R line trims and SEL trims and 21 inch alloys for the SEL premium So also with that SEL premium you will get full windows surrounds as opposed to just the belt line molding as well So I did want to mention that but definitely looks good on the side Let's go ahead and make our way to the back of this one It's up now since we are around back like I mentioned to you guys earlier revised back end for 2021 Once again for the better in my opinion shark fin antenna up top Of course just below that rear spoiler with the integrated brake light just below that rear window wiper Of course and LED tail lights will actually come standard across the board once again love that Do you have that Atlas lettering spelled out horizontally on that chrome horizontal bar there in the back and just below it All volt swagger would make you think there are chrome dual exhaust outlets, but there are not they are fake Underneath you actually have tucked away exhaust outlets So don't want to mention that but you guys know what we have to do next as always here is that exhaust clip It's something else since we all around back when it comes to opening that rear lift gate There of course are a few different ways to go about doing that There is actually a button on the key fob itself that is one way there is also a button on the lift gate itself That is yet another way ultimately is a power lift gate And you will get a hands-free power lift gate if you were to go with the s e trim level and up meaning Just kick your foot underneath that rear bumper and it's gonna automatically open up if your hands are full for example But once opened up cargo capacity comes in at 20.6 cubic feet behind that third row if that was not enough space that third row does fall down bumping Up to 55.5 cubic feet behind the second row and with all rows folded This is where the Atlas really gets it right 96.8 cubic feet Let me give you a comparison there Honda Pilot comes in at 83.9 cubic feet Hyundai Palisade 86.4 Ford Explorer 87.8 So 96.8 is a considerable amount more than the competition in its class of that I absolutely love about the Volkswagen Atlas here But nonetheless, there's also a ton of different stuff back there in that car where you got cargo tie-down hooks You have a tonneau cover. You also have grocery hooks back there and there's some in-floor storage actually as well So basically everything you want back there But make your way to the third row legroom that comes in at 33.7 inches. So for reference, I'm an even six feet tall This is how much space I have back there did want to mention for those of your passengers They do have rear cupholders back there a little bit of storage and there was rear ventilation They really have their own air vent back there. So that's kind of cool They will definitely remain comfortable if you're in the third row there Second row legroom comes in at 37.6 inches again for reference. I'm an even six feet tall This is how much space I have back there when it comes to that second row Let me mention it now bench seating or captains chairs are available And so the captains chairs are available for all trims, but the S trim level but all other terms You can't get it. We actually do of course have it today. So that's what that looks like But heated second row seats comes with the SEL premium trim level So that's what you're gonna have to get to get those and actually also for that second row passengers You have 115 volt power outlet back there. That's kind of cool Two USB charging ports to the kids can charge their smartphones or tablets back there also a very good thing Of course, you have rear ventilation But the thing that I absolutely love the most personally rear window sunshades. They're a manual rear window sunshades I love that on three row SUVs because if you have a newborn or a toddler or small kids basically You can pull those up and kind of prevents them from being blinded by those awkward angles when the sun comes into the back of the cabin So absolutely love that. So it's gonna be there for you as well But to the make your way to the front seats manually adjustable cloth seating comes with the S 10-way power driver seat with the SE and with that SE trim level Those seats are gonna be finished in a V-tex leatherette and they will be heated as well Actually SEL trim level is gonna give you memory settings if you wanted that an SEL premium is going to add to that full leather Seating with ventilated front seats in the front as well And I will say my short driving stint today absolutely no issues with seat comfort This is one of those you could definitely take on long road trips. It can be completely fine It does have lumbar adjustment as well. So that's definitely a good thing there Let's take a look at the steering wheel. It's tilt and telescoping. It is leather wrapped right now Absolutely loving that. I actually have a button for a heated steering wheel on there as well The steering wheel is plenty fine for me. Make your way to the startup. Let me show you guys the key It's actually a pretty cool key You have your Volkswagen logo on the one side flip it around lock unlock button to pop the rear hatch the times two button That is gonna be your remote start Which is gonna come with the SE trim leveling up and to tie together with that push button start also comes With the SE trim leveling up So all I am going to do simply put my foot on the brake and press that engine start button Located just to the left of the shifter there And so yet another very cool feature on the Atlas when you start this one up full digital cockpit comes with the SEL trim levels, of course since we have the SEL we do have that today Absolutely love that you will get traditional gauges if you were not to get one of the SEL trim levels But the digital gauge cluster is absolutely amazing It's completely customizable by using the steering wheel mounted controls on the right side there You can check out basically anything you would possibly want to up there including how many miles you have left until you hit empty Which apparently we have 485 that is a heck of a range for a three-row SUV. Let me tell you that wow didn't even expect that long with your Radio settings Bluetooth information. You can check out your assist systems average miles per gallon tons just about everything You could possibly think of up there is up there So absolutely love that as well, of course, but make your way to overall interior quality panoramic sunroof comes with the SEL trim levels That's what you're looking at right now, of course It is going to be optional though for the SE trim level on the R line trim So you can get it with those if you wanted it overhead sunglass holder also coming standard across the board garage door Ipners are available as well if you wanted them dual-zone climate control comes with the S However SE trim level it up is going to give you three zone climate control So the rear passengers can set their own climate as well LED interior lighting comes standard with all trim levels wireless phone charger with the SE trim level and up We'll actually get LED ambient lighting for the SEL premium trim level only wouldn't have minded a full So I can put that on some of the other trim levels But still glad that it's offered at least on one of them You also get some rubberized storage just above the infotainment display as well You can put some stuff up there and it's less inclined to slide around I suppose since it is rubberized Do you like the wood trim detail just above the passenger side glove box? It ties on to the doors as well But just in front of the shifter you do have two USB charging ports once again auxilary port 12 volt power outlet Just to the side of the shifter you got your dual cupholders lecture mechanical parking brake as well Any massive amount of storage within that center armrest and yet another USB charging port It is impossible not to stay charge it up in the Atlas. There's so many USB charging ports It's ridiculous, but I absolutely love it though and overall when it comes to interior quality, it's plenty fine for me I do like the wood accents. It's pretty cool. I kind of like it makes it feel more high-end But let's go ahead and make our way to the tech display now 6.5 inch color touchscreen display comes with the S 8 inch color touchscreen display comes with the SE trim level and up either way You still get Bluetooth and audio streaming still get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay meaning if you have a smartphone Simply hook it up to the Atlas Therefore you have free navigation through that smartphone displayed up on that screen and the ability to like and dislike your Pindore song since there's a couple other compatible apps as well Factory navigation system comes with the SEL trim level and up climate control information You could check out up there along with your radio information and by the way when it comes to the sound system on the Atlas Six speakers is what you get across the board. That is pretty much the standard sound system for all trim levels So having said that what do you guys say? Let's go ahead and turn the radio. See what we got playing today and Let's test out the clarity of this one Honestly that is plenty fine considering you're probably gonna have kids in the back You don't want to blow their eardrums out anyway So quite honestly a six speaker sound system for three row SUVs really it's plenty fine So plenty of clarity there for what it is. It's six speakers, but that'll do the trick in the Atlas But so the last thing I want to mention to you guys on that tech display is when you do put the Atlas in reverse You will find a rear view camera across the board 360-degree monitor actually comes standard with the SEL premium That is the trim level you're gonna want to get if you wanted that so that's gonna be there for you too But it's always that is going to lead us into safety And so to start front side side curtain airbags come standard in the back You're gonna have latch aka lower anchors and tethers for children for the rear car seats Also standard in the back rear child door locks tire pressure monitoring system comes standard But also standard for all trim levels across the board a bunch of fun advanced safety features including Forward collision warning with autonomous emergency braking pedestrian monitoring blind spot monitor with rear cross traffic alert a lot of times That's optional and other manufacturers So I like that and the SEL trim levels are actually gonna give you a little bit more including high beam control road Sign recognition and lane keep assist as well And so ultimately when it comes to my final thoughts of the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas love the redesign. It looks absolutely amazing. So well done Volkswagen Actually when I was filming this video a couple people walked by and said they absolutely loved the look of this thing So there you go. Definitely a good look to it tons of space at 96.8 cubic feet of cargo space that is well more than the competition in its class Especially for the price range. So absolutely love that about the Atlas digital gauges are absolutely awesome Love that as well. Love the racing green color. I wish we could have had that today, but honestly this black looks really good So I will say that constructive criticism of the Atlas. It's not an IIHS top safety picks I always kind of look for that well below average reliability as well according to consumer reports And of course the braking feels one thing that kind of bothered me ever so slightly on this one as well Very soft braking feel some people actually like that But it's not gonna bring you to a stop as quickly as some of the other competition. I will say that but That is about it for this one you guys Thank you so much for watching feel free to follow me on social media at the bottom of the screen there If you like be sure to hit the subscribe and the bell notification button if you're in a new car truck and SUV reviews That is what we do here on this channel after all do appreciate you guys watching more than you know When I will see you guys all in the next video Stay Gold