Compare the2023 Toyota 4RunnerVS 2023 Volkswagen Atlas

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Payload and Towing
Servicing Ease
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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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 4Runner 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 Toyota 4Runner has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Atlas doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The 4Runner has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Atlas doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The 4Runner’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Atlas doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the 4Runner and the Atlas have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available four-wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota 4Runner is safer than the Volkswagen Atlas:

	4Runner	Atlas
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	267	307
Neck Compression	54 lbs.	59 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, results indicate that the Toyota 4Runner is safer than the Volkswagen Atlas:

	4Runner	Atlas
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	41	57
Hip Force	233 lbs.	345 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	89	144
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	381 lbs.	527 lbs.

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

Warranty

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the 4Runner 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.

The 4Runner’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Atlas’ (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are almost 2 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the 4Runner’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the 4Runner’s reliability 30 points higher than the Atlas.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the 4Runner first among midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Atlas isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in initial quality. With 58 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is rated below 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 Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 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 Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Volkswagen is ranked 24th.

Engine

The 4Runner’s 4.0 DOHC V6 produces 35 more horsepower (270 vs. 235) and 20 lbs.-ft. more torque (278 vs. 258) than the Atlas’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The 4Runner’s 4.0 DOHC V6 produces 12 lbs.-ft. more torque (278 vs. 266) than the Atlas’ optional 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Toyota 4Runner is faster than the Volkswagen Atlas V6:

	4Runner	Atlas
Zero to 30 MPH	2.7 sec	2.9 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.6 sec	7.9 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	8.1 sec	8.2 sec
Quarter Mile	15.9 sec	16 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota 4Runner 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 4Runner has 4.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Atlas (23 vs. 18.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota 4Runner higher (5 out of 10) than the Volkswagen Atlas (3 to 5). This means the 4Runner produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Atlas every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The 4Runner stops much shorter than the Atlas:

	4Runner	Atlas
60 to 0 MPH	129 feet	139 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Toyota 4Runner’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 4Runner has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Atlas; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

The 4Runner has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Atlas’ suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The 4Runner TRD Off-Road offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Atlas doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The 4Runner’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (53.6% to 46.4%) than the Atlas’ (55.1% to 44.9%). This gives the 4Runner more stable handling and braking.

For better maneuverability, the 4Runner’s turning circle is 3.1 feet tighter than the Atlas’ (37.4 feet vs. 40.5 feet).

For greater off-road capability the 4Runner has a 2.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Atlas 2.0T (9.6 vs. 7.1 inches), allowing the 4Runner to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The 4Runner’s minimum ground clearance is 2.1 inches higher than on the Atlas V6 (9.6 vs. 7.5 inches).

Chassis

The 4Runner is 10.5 inches shorter than the Atlas, making the 4Runner easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the 4Runner TRD Off-Road is quieter than the Atlas SEL R-Line Black 4Motion (73 vs. 76 dB).

Cargo Capacity

The 4Runner 5-Passenger’s optional sliding cargo floor is capable of supporting 440 pounds, to make loading and unloading cargo easier and safer. The Atlas doesn’t offer a sliding load floor.

The 4Runner’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Atlas’ rear cargo window doesn’t open.

Payload and Towing

The 4Runner’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Atlas’ (5000 vs. 2000 pounds).

The 4Runner has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Atlas (1625 vs. 1113 lbs.).

The 4Runner has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Atlas (1700 vs. 1113 lbs.).

Servicing Ease

The engine in the 4Runner is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Atlas. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the 4Runner is less expensive to operate than the Atlas because it costs $527 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the 4Runner than the Atlas, including $153 less for a water pump, $383 less for a muffler, $93 less for front brake pads, $151 less for a starter, $152 less for fuel injection, $352 less for front struts and $842 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

The TRD Pro was selected by Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine as their 2015 4x4 of the Year. The Atlas has never been chosen.

The Toyota 4Runner outsold the Volkswagen Atlas by 19% during the 2021 model year.

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