Compare the2023 Lexus GXVS 2023 Volkswagen Atlas

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Lexus GX have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Volkswagen Atlas doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The GX’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Atlas doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Lexus GX are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Volkswagen Atlas doesn’t offer height-adjustable 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 GX 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 Lexus GX 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 GX 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the GX. But it costs extra on the Atlas.

The GX’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 GX and the Atlas have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 and available around view monitors.

The Lexus GX weighs 514 to 937 pounds more than the Volkswagen Atlas. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the GX 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Atlas. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Atlas ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

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

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 GX’s reliability 59 points higher than the Atlas.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the GX second among midsize premium 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 Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in initial quality. With 73 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 Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in long-term dependability. With 33 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 Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus third in overall reliability. Volkswagen is ranked 24th.

Engine

The GX’s 4.6 DOHC V8 produces 66 more horsepower (301 vs. 235) and 71 lbs.-ft. more torque (329 vs. 258) than the Atlas’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The GX’s 4.6 DOHC V8 produces 25 more horsepower (301 vs. 276) and 63 lbs.-ft. more torque (329 vs. 266) than the Atlas’ optional 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Lexus GX is faster than the Volkswagen Atlas V6:

	GX	Atlas
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	7.9 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	20 sec	20.2 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	7.4 sec	8.2 sec
Quarter Mile	15.4 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91 MPH	89 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The GX has 4.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Atlas (23 vs. 18.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

The GX stops much shorter than the Atlas:

	GX	Atlas
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	139 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the GX has larger tires than the Atlas (265/60R18 vs. 245/60R18).

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

The GX has 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 GX offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Atlas’ suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The GX 460 Luxury has a standard automatic rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Atlas doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The GX’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (52% to 48%) than the Atlas’ (55.1% to 44.9%). This gives the GX more stable handling and braking.

For greater off-road capability the GX has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Atlas 2.0T (8.1 vs. 7.1 inches), allowing the GX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The GX’s minimum ground clearance is .6 inch higher than on the Atlas V6 (8.1 vs. 7.5 inches).

Chassis

The GX is 8.6 inches shorter than the Atlas, making the GX easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

Passenger Space

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the GX’s middle seats and third row seats (except Base/Black Line Edition) recline. The Atlas’ third row seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The GX has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Atlas doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

Pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the GX’s (except Base/Black Line) optional third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The Atlas doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The GX’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the right swing out door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Atlas’ rear cargo window doesn’t open.

Payload and Towing

The GX’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Atlas’ (6500 vs. 2000 pounds).

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the GX uses the Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Atlas doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The GX has a higher standard payload capacity than the Atlas (1295 vs. 1113 lbs.).

Servicing Ease

The engine in the GX 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.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Volkswagen. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 64% lower rating, Volkswagen is ranked 28th.

Ergonomics

The GX’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Atlas doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the GX 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.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The GX offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Atlas doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The GX’s standard 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

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the GX is less expensive to operate than the Atlas because it costs $264 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the GX than the Atlas, including $292 less for a water pump, $171 less for a muffler, $93 less for front brake pads, $95 less for fuel injection, $364 less for front struts and $156 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

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

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