Compare the2023 Toyota HighlanderVS 2023 Volkswagen Atlas

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Payload and Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Highlander 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.

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 Highlander 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 Highlander has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps 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 Highlander’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 Highlander and the Atlas have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, 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 Toyota Highlander is safer than the Volkswagen Atlas:

	Highlander	Atlas
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	292	307
Neck Stress	347 lbs.	412 lbs.
Neck Compression	55 lbs.	59 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	28.4%	39%
Neck Compression	90 lbs.	117 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 Toyota Highlander is safer than the Volkswagen Atlas:

	Highlander	Atlas
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	55	57
Chest Movement	.3 inches	.5 inches
Hip Force	300 lbs.	345 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	114	144
Spine Acceleration	37 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	152 lbs.	527 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	51 G’s
Hip Force	664 lbs.	800 lbs.

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Highlander its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Atlas was last a “Top Safety Pick Plus” in 2019 but no longer qualifies.

Warranty

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Highlander 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 Highlander’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 Highlander’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 Highlander’s reliability 25 points higher than the Atlas.

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 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Volkswagen is ranked 23rd.

Engine

The Highlander’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 30 more horsepower (265 vs. 235) and 52 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 258) than the Atlas’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Highlander’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 44 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 266) than the Atlas’ optional 3.6 DOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Highlander
	FWD	2.4 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.4 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
Atlas
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/25 hwy
		3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/24 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/23 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/24 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Highlander 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.

Suspension and Handling

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

For greater off-road capability the Highlander has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Atlas 2.0T (8 vs. 7.1 inches), allowing the Highlander to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Highlander’s minimum ground clearance is .5 inch higher than on the Atlas V6 (8 vs. 7.5 inches).

Chassis

The Highlander is 5.8 inches shorter than the Atlas, making the Highlander easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

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

The Highlander has .3 inches more front legroom, 1.1 inches more rear legroom and .5 inches more third row hip room than the Atlas.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Highlander’s middle and third row seats recline. The Atlas’ third row seats don’t recline.

Payload and Towing

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

Standard Trailer Sway Control (TSC) on the Highlander uses the Enhanced 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 Highlander has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Atlas (1330 vs. 1113 lbs.).

The Highlander has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Atlas (1390 vs. 1113 lbs.).

Ergonomics

The Highlander Platinum has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Atlas doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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

Recommendations

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

The Toyota Highlander outsold the Volkswagen Atlas by almost three to one during 2022.