The competition between the well established Honda Pilot and the VW Atlas newcomer is apply named a space race. That's because you need to get into orbit to get a clear view of both at the same time.
There are other 3-row crossovers that are quite popular, such as the Chevy Suburban, Ford Explorer, Nissan Pathfinder or Toyota Highlander. However, it seems like Volkswagen deliberately targeted the Honda Pilot, which came out a little over a year ago.
Both are like magic tricks, offering more space than you would think imaginable in a car. But while the Pilot is cavernous, the Atlas is... What's a good word for bigger than cavernous? It's an Alladin's cave!
In some ways, it's nothing like the Volkswagens you're used to. Power comes from a big 3.6-liter naturally aspirated V6, not a tiny turbo-four. It's also got a regular automatic and slightly ostentatious styling.
But the essence of the Geman brand is still there. For example, Volkswagen doesn't know what a captain's chair is; it just offers benches. There are also drive modes to shuffle through and an infotainment system that simply works.
So how do the two compare? Well, as you've probably already heard from that cousin who has way too many kids, the Atlas has the biggest cargo area at nearly 100 cubic feet with all the seats folded flat. But you have to take the good with the bad, as Auto Guide says the powertrain can jerk you off the line and the suspension just isn't any good at ironing out the bumps.
In the real world and on paper, the Pilot is lighter and more economical (by about 2mpg combined). However, it feels totally gutless. While we know this is exactly what the segment wants, there are too many flaws on both cars not to consider the Mazda CX-9. It's got interior quality for days and a turbo engine. How's that for a conclusion?
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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