USED: 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport – Space, Space, and More Space
Jill Robbins
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What’s important to you in a car?
Most of us are going to have a list of things we need our car to be. What’s on the list will tie into the kind of life you lead. For me, it’s space: space for me, space for the plethora of travel mugs and water bottles that we’re carrying around with us, space for my kids and all the stuff that goes with having kids.
The 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport checks that box for me. It offers incredible space for my family and all the stuff that we seem to need when we’re going from point A to point B. But that’s not all – there’s lots more to love about the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport.
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Photo: Jill Robbins
Have you met the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport?
The Volkswagen Atlas is a relative newcomer with 2018 being its debut model year. Three-row SUVs are more popular than ever. The VW Atlas has proved to be a good-looking solution for lots of families. However, this model is a little different. The Cross Sport V6 SEL 4Motion, which you see here, is a two-row model with a slightly sportier profile and a bit shorter in length.
Our founder and Editor in Chief, Scotty Reiss, checked out the Cross Sport just before it rolled onto the market. You can read her initial impressions here. After driving my kids around Texas, I can definitely vouch that it was practical and met all my needs. Plus, it looks good and was just plain fun to drive. All the important things.
Do you really need that third row?
This is an important question to ask yourself when buying a large SUV. It’s a surprisingly difficult question to answer – at least for me. I love the idea of having the third row just in case, but the situation where we’d actually use the third row hasn’t come up often. In most things, I am not a ‘just in case’ kind of person, but with an important decision like what car to buy, ‘just in case’ might be worth exploring.
I’ve been a proud minivan mom since 2014. My husband and I are trying to decide what we want next. Our kids are a little older, and I’m leaning toward wanting something a little cooler and sportier than a minivan. Our second vehicle is an SUV with a third row that we have actually never used. I drive two 10-year-old boys around on a daily basis, and they come with a lot of stuff. Plus, don’t get me started on what our regular weekly grocery haul looks like.
The VW Atlas Cross Sport V6 SEL 4Motion is slightly shorter than the regular model and has no third row. Photo: Jill Robbins
I drove the VW Atlas Cross Sport V6 and loved that it had plenty of room without looking like a minivan. I love my minivan, I do. However, the sporty look of the Cross Sport won me over. I absolutely loved how much space there was in the back.
It has the room we need for everyday use and for travel, which we do a lot. Since there are just four of us and we’re staying to our own family unit these days, we didn’t miss the third row. That said, if a third row is important to you, there is a VW Atlas that can meet your needs… just not the model pictured here.
If you’re a family on the go, you’re probably constantly carrying a lot of stuff. Whether it’s backpacks, sports bags, groceries or boogie boards, the VW Atlas Cross Sport has an incredibly roomy rear space. Photo: Jill Robbins
So, what REALLY matters in a car?
Although there are usually a lot of boxes to check on a car purchase, one of my top requirements is comfort. I don’t like to feel cramped in the driver’s seat or the front passenger seat if my husband is driving. I’m a tall lady – 5’10 – and size and space are a big deal for me. Much to their chagrin, my 10-year-olds still sit in booster seats because it’s the law in our state. The VW Atlas Cross Sport had plenty of room for two boosters in the second row and left substantial space in between the seats, so the boys weren’t sitting too close together.
No guarantee the Atlas Cross Sport will solve the “He’s touching me” problem, but two kids in the rear seat won’t be touching each other unless it’s intentional, which is pretty much the situation I’ve got going on in my back seat. Sigh.
Whether I’m going to the store 10 minutes from my house or on a day trip, I want to be comfortable in my car. The VW Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t disappoint. Photo: Jill Robbins
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Who is this car for?
- Active families
- Anyone who needs a roomy SUV but doesn’t want/need a third row they’ll never use
- Die-hard Volkswagen fans. If you loved your Golf or Passat and want to move into SUV land, this is one to check out
This car looks good on the beach, doesn’t it? Photo: Jill Robbins
What we love about the VW Atlas Cross Sport
I loved so many things about this car. The front end was somewhat boxy, so I had a little learning curve with parking. Most cars are going to have their quirks that a new owner is going to have to settle into. Here are a few of my favorite features:
- The room in the rear was key for me. We drove the Atlas Cross Sport to the beach, which meant boogie boards and lots of extra stuff. With a lot of SUVs, I feel like I’m playing Tetris to get everything loaded. The extra room here was nice.
- I also liked the way the driver’s seat felt. It’s like sitting in a comfortable chair.
- Legroom and overall comfort. I mentioned earlier that I’m 5’10. Feeling like I’m cramped when I’m driving is a no-go. I like to sit closer to the steering wheel (is that weird?). I’m able to position the driver’s seat as I want it but without feeling like my knees are touching my chin.
- The get-up and go. The model I drove had a V6 engine with 276 horsepower. I liked the feeling of power behind the wheel.
The bottom line, this was a really functional “mom car” that got put through its paces. At the same time, it felt like an upgrade in style. Win/win.
Ice cream bars not included. Photo: Jill Robbins
What else do you need to know?
Pricing for the 2020 VW Atlas Cross Sport starts at $31,565. There are six different trim levels, bringing the top price to $49,015. The model pictured here (SEL with V6) has an MSRP of $45,180.
- Fuel Economy: Average is 19 MPG, 16 city and 22 highway.
- Eight paint color options are available. Pictured here is Aurora Red Chroma Metallic. It has a very subtle metallic sheen, although it’s hard to tell from the pictures.
- Tech features I love: The touchscreen infotainment display that supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 4G LTE hotspot. Remote start and analytics with VW’s Car-Net app.
What We Listened to in the VW Atlas Cross Sport
While we have family playlists for road trips and traffic jams, when it’s just me I love to listen to my own music. This is what sounds great in this car.
