Compare the2023 Chevrolet TraverseVS 2022 Volkswagen Atlas

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the Chevrolet Traverse’s middle seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Volkswagen Atlas doesn’t offer comfort guides on its middle seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Traverse are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Atlas doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Traverse has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Atlas doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Traverse and the Atlas have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Chevrolet Traverse is safer than the Volkswagen Atlas:

	Traverse	Atlas
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	216	307
Neck Injury Risk	15.6%	30%
Neck Stress	198 lbs.	412 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	53/40 lbs.	67/229 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	35.2%	39%
Neck Stress	128 lbs.	129 lbs.
Neck Compression	51 lbs.	117 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	258/133 lbs.	297/97 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Chevrolet Traverse is safer than the Volkswagen Atlas:

	Traverse	Atlas
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	204 lbs.	345 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	134	144
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	39 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	251	279
Spine Acceleration	34 G’s	51 G’s
Hip Force	554 lbs.	800 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

Chevrolet’s powertrain warranty covers the Traverse 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Atlas. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Atlas ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 5 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Traverse’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 83 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 30th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Volkswagen is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Chevrolet 7 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Engine

The Traverse’s 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 75 more horsepower (310 vs. 235) and 8 lbs.-ft. more torque (266 vs. 258) than the Atlas’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Traverse’s 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 34 more horsepower (310 vs. 276) than the Atlas’ optional 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Chevrolet Traverse is faster than the Volkswagen Atlas V6:

	Traverse	Atlas
Zero to 30 MPH	2.4 sec	2.6 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.4 sec	7.9 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	10.4 sec	13 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	3.2 sec	4.3 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94.9 MPH	81.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Traverse gets better mileage than the Atlas:

			MPG
Traverse
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	17 city/25 hwy
Atlas
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/24 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	17 city/23 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Traverse uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Atlas with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Traverse AWD’s standard fuel tank has 3.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Atlas (21.7 vs. 18.6 gallons).

The Traverse has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Atlas doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Traverse higher (6 out of 10) than the Volkswagen Atlas (3 to 5). This means the Traverse produces up to 23.4 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Atlas every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Chevrolet Traverse, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Atlas.

Brakes and Stopping

The Traverse stops much shorter than the Atlas:

	Traverse	Atlas
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	139 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Traverse has larger tires than the Atlas (255/65R18 vs. 245/60R18).

The Chevrolet Traverse’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Volkswagen Atlas only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Traverse has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Atlas doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

The Traverse has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Traverse flat and controlled during cornering. The Atlas’ suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Traverse’s wheelbase is 3.6 inches longer than on the Atlas (120.9 inches vs. 117.3 inches).

The Traverse RS AWD handles at .81 G’s, while the Atlas SEL 4Motion pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Traverse RS AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Atlas SEL 4Motion (27 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 27.9 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Traverse’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the Atlas’ (39 feet vs. 40.5 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Traverse has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Atlas 2.0T (7.5 vs. 7.1 inches), allowing the Traverse to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The front grille of the Traverse uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Atlas doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Traverse uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Atlas doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the Traverse High Country AWD is quieter than the Atlas SEL R-Line Black 4Motion (67 vs. 68 dB).

Passenger Space

The Traverse has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Atlas can only carry 7.

The Traverse has 1.5 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear legroom, 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room, 3.4 inches more third row hip room and 2.6 inches more third row shoulder room than the Atlas.

Cargo Capacity

The Traverse’s cargo area provides more volume than the Atlas.

	Traverse	Atlas
Behind Third Seat	23 cubic feet	20.6 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	57.8 cubic feet	55.5 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	98.2 cubic feet	96.8 cubic feet

Pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the Traverse High Country’s third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The Atlas doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The Traverse can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Traverse can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Atlas can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Ergonomics

The Traverse Premier/High Country’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Atlas doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Traverse’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Atlas doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Car-Net can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Traverse has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Atlas only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Traverse’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Atlas has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Traverse owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Traverse will cost $550 less than the Atlas over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Traverse is less expensive to operate than the Atlas because typical repairs cost much less on the Traverse than the Atlas, including $199 less for a water pump, $406 less for a muffler, $344 less for a starter, $84 less for fuel injection, $330 less for front struts, $173 less for a timing belt/chain and $610 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Chevrolet Traverse and the Volkswagen Atlas, based on reliability, safety and performance.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its May 2020 issue and they ranked the Chevrolet Traverse Premier three places higher than the Volkswagen Atlas SEL 4Motion.

The Chevrolet Traverse outsold the Volkswagen Atlas by 9% during the 2021 model year.

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