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- Best in Class Carseat Capability: The second row is extremely car seat friendly. There are three sets of lower anchors across the bench and tether anchors on all five rear seats. The car-seat-friendly tilt feature is a game changer because you can access the third row without uninstalling a car seat
- Comfortable Third Row & Cargo: The third row is surprisingly usable for a midsize SUV. I had actual legroom back there, and it comes with side vents, cup holders, and lighting. Even with the third row up, you still get about 18 cubic feet of cargo space, which is enough to fit a full-size stroller plus a little extra.
- Big, Spacious SUV in the Mid-Size Class: The Atlas is one of the largest mid-size SUVs on the market, great for families who want more space without jumping to full-size or a minivan.
The Exterior
Volkswagen keeps the Atlas simple — and I mean that in the best way.
The front end is bold with a prominent VW badge, subtle chrome accents, and cohesive hood lines that make it look strong without being overdesigned. The 20-inch rims give it a sporty stance, and I love how the beltline follows the curve of the wheel well. Around back, you get wraparound taillights and a clean chrome bar with ATLAS embossed into it.
It’s sleek. It’s athletic. It’s not trying too hard.
The Atlas comes with two engine choices:
- 4-cylinder
- 3.6L V6
I’ve driven both, and I personally prefer the V6. It offers stronger performance and better towing capacity, which matters for families hauling boats, trailers, or campers. Yes, it comes with a higher price tag but the added power feels worth it to me
First Row
The Atlas interior has always been one of my favorites for pure functionality.
It doesn’t feel flashy. It doesn’t feel overly intricate. It just works.
What Stands Out:
- Simple, intuitive infotainment system
- Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
- Physical climate controls
- Huge center console
- Massive door cubbies (40oz water bottle approved)
The screen is smaller than many competitors, but it’s functional. I’d mostly use CarPlay anyway.
I especially appreciate how easy it is to adjust rear climate from the front. If you’re a parent, you know how important that is when a kid starts yelling that they’re hot.
The center console is deep and wide, with additional USB-C ports inside. Volkswagen has fully moved to USB-C, so that’s what you’ll find throughout.
Cup holders? Elite. Volkswagen consistently nails cup holder design.
Second Row
Second Row: Bench or Captain’s Chairs
The Atlas offers both configurations:
- Bench = 7 passengers
- Captain’s chairs = 6 passengers
And I will say it loud and clear:
The Atlas bench is amazing.
It’s wide enough for legitimate three-across setups. Even with captain’s chairs, though, the space is impressive.
Car Seat Setup:
- Lower anchors in outboard seats
- Tether anchors in all four rear seating positions
- Built-in sunshades
- Excellent side cubbies
Only downside, no ceiling vents!!
Third Row Access:
One of my favorite features in the Atlas is the car-seat-friendly tilt.
If your car seat is installed with lower anchors, you can tilt and slide the entire seat forward to access the third row — without uninstalling the seat.
This works great for:
- Infant seat bases
- Forward-facing seats with LATCH
- Boosters with lower anchor connectors
That feature alone makes the Atlas incredibly practical for growing families.
Third Row
Third Row: Shockingly Spacious
Here’s the thing about the Atlas — the third row is actually usable.
At six feet tall, I still have:
- Solid headroom
- Good knee clearance
- Wide seating
- Pillar-mounted vents
- Cup holders and cubbies
The third-row ventilation is actually better positioned than the second row vents.
And because it’s only two seats back there, you get actual elbow room.
Trunk
With the third row up, you get 20.6 cubic feet of cargo space, which is strong for a midsize seven-passenger SUV.
My UPPAbaby Vista fits back there — and that’s saying something.
There are also:
- Side storage compartments
- Illuminated cargo areas
- Easy fold-flat third row seats
When the third row is down, the trunk becomes impressively spacious.
For reference, only vehicles like the Chevy Traverse and Buick Enclave offer more cargo room in this category.
Safety
The 2023 Atlas received a 5-Star overall safety rating from NHTSA but was not a Top Safety pick from the IIHS.
I want to call out the lack of second and third-row seat belt pre-tensioners. Pretensioners remove slack from the seat belt in the nanoseconds before a crash, dramatically reducing injury in frontal and near-frontal collisions. This feature has been standard in front seats for nearly two decades, but not in the back seats. While this doesn’t affect children in harnessed car seats, it does affect other passengers.
Safety Features:
- Forward Collision Warning with Automatic Emergency Braking
- Blind Spot Monitoring
- Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
- Electronic Stability Control and traction control
- Lane Keep Assist (available)
- Adapative Cruise Control (available)
Don't want a full-size SUV, but still need to fit 4–5 kids in car seats? The Atlas is the car that can fit everyone practically and comfortably.
Second Row Options & Car Seat Access
The second row offers either a bench seat or captain’s chairs, and both feature car-seat-friendly tilt. The Atlas bench is arguably the best midsize SUV to accommodate three-across setups.
Every seating position in the second and third rows has:
- A removable head restraint
- A top tether anchor
Every second-row seating position also has lower anchors. Lower anchors are notably missing from the third row. While they are not necessary for a safe car seat installation, they are helpful for booster seats. Many boosters offer lower anchor connectors to keep the seat secure when unoccupied. Otherwise, the booster seat should be buckled in with a seat belt to keep it from becoming a projectile in a crash.
Important Second Row Details
The second-row center lower anchors are unfortunately overlapped by the outboard behind-the-driver seat belt. That means if you want to use the center seat’s lower anchors, you cannot use the outboard driver’s seat belt at the same time.
Additionally, the space between the seat belt buckle for the center position and the buckle for the adjacent position is very small. This means most car seats are too wide to install in the middle seat without resting on the belt buckle, which can damage the buckle.
Refer to your owner’s manual for specific guidance, but you can contact VW for a buckle cover if you wish to install a larger car seat in the center position. The buckle cover renders the outboard passenger buckle useless.
Translation:
If you want to install the outboard seat with the seat belt (usually needed for three-across installs), your center car seat must be:
- Very narrow
- Installed using the seat belt
Enter the Graco SlimFit3 LX. While some other narrow car seats work here too, nothing is as versatile as this seat.
Best Car Seat Fits in the Second Row
The wide outboard seats can accommodate just about any car seat. There’s also plenty of legroom to fit large seats front-to-back.
If you plan to use both the second and third rows for passengers simultaneously, I recommend using a compact car seat in the second row to preserve third-row legroom.
Examples of compact seats include:
- Graco Extend2Fit 3 in 1
- Nuna Rava
- Britax Poplar
Third Row Space & Access
The third row has two full-size seats and can comfortably fit:
- Adults
- Children in boosters
- Children in car seats
Rear-facing seats fit, but they must be compact.
To access the third row, use the car-seat-tilt feature, which moves the seat up and forward without compromising a car seat installed with LATCH. Of course, this also works with no car seat installed.
A rotating car seat is a great option here so even a rear-facing seat can take advantage of car-seat tilt.
Car seats that rotate and have higher lower anchor weight limits in rear-facing mode include:
- Evenflo Revolve360 Slim
- Graco EasyTurn360
These seats are also compatible in a three-across configuration next to a narrow, low-profile, forward-facing car seat in the center, like the Graco SlimFit3 LX.
Car Seats That Are NOT Compatible
Any forward-facing harnessed seat or booster seat that:
- Requires a head restraint
- Does not permit a gap caused by a head restraint
This is less of a problem in the second row since the head restraints are relatively flush to the seat, particularly in the center position.
However, the third-row head restraints are extremely bulky when not removed for a car or booster seat installation.
Can You Use Lower Anchors & Seat Belt Together?
Another common question is whether the lower anchors and seat belt may be used together if the car seat permits it.
Yes — if the car seat permits using both lower anchors and the seat belt, VW also permits it.
At the time of this writing, the only car seats that permit this are:
- Nuna Pipa
- Clek Foonf (forward-facing)
- babyark
- Axkid One3
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