2020 Volkswagen Atlas 2.0T SE

With three rows of seating and plenty of room for its occupants, the 2020 VW Atlas offers practicality and a comfortable ride without even a hint of minivan-ness. While its base four-cylinder engine is underpowered when there's a full load of people and cargo, the optional V-6 provides acceptable motivation but it's lacking in fuel efficiency: the V-6–powered Atlas in our long-term test fleet averaged 19 mpg. Driver-assistance technology is on hand, with automated emergency braking, forward-collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert all standard. Since it was an all-new model for 2018, not a lot has changed for the 2020 Atlas. VW's infotainment system, Car-Net 2.0, is standard, along with a Wi-Fi hotspot. The SE with Tech gets 20-inch wheels, the SE with Tech R-Line gets a foot-activated liftgate and rear parking sensors, and the SEL Premium gets 21-inch wheels. The biggest change for 2020 is that what was previously the industry's best bumper-to-bumper warranty at six years and 72,000 miles of coverage has been shortened to four years or 50,000 miles. To help make that reduction in coverage a little easier to swallow, all 2020 Volkswagens offer two years of regularly scheduled maintenance included at no charge. With three basic trim levels, VW keeps things fairly straightforward for buyers. The turbocharged 2.0-liter engine is offered only with front-wheel drive; if you want all-wheel drive (which VW calls 4Motion), you'll have to go with a more expensive V-6 model. Our choice here would be the mid-level SE, which adds useful features such as the V-6, keyless ignition with passive entry, heated front seats with power adjustments for the driver, an infotainment system with an 8.0-inch touchscreen, and three additional USB ports. The Atlas comes with one of two engines—a 235-hp four-cylinder or a 276-hp V-6; an eight-speed automatic transmission is standard but all-wheel drive is only offered with the V-6. The V-6 feels and sounds refined, transmitting nary a shiver into the cabin. Though the Atlas fairly sauntered from zero to 60 mph in our testing—7.9 seconds for an all-wheel-drive V-6 model and 7.2 seconds for a four-cylinder front-wheel-drive one—out on the road it rarely feels underpowered. While it's not as fun to drive as the Mazda CX-9, the Atlas responds obediently to steering inputs and never feels clumsy. It is composed on the highway and feels nimble in the city. Ride comfort is smooth, and all but the harshest potholes are absorbed and dispensed with. Family-friendly interior space, a straightforward layout of its controls, and an overabundance of cupholders make the Atlas a practical choice, even among other highly practical rivals. Plus, a third row of seats that can comfortably accommodate real live adults is an impressive selling feature. The interior design of the Atlas is uncomplicated and utilitarian—perfect for families but less so for style mavens. The interior of the Atlas should accommodate just about anything a suburban family can throw at it, and there are plenty of thoughtfully placed storage nooks to stash small items. In our carry-on-luggage testing, the Atlas impressed us by tying with the enormous Honda Pilot. We fit four of our carry-on suitcases behind the third row of seats and 38 when we folded the second and third rows.