Compare the2023 Jeep WranglerVS 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport

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 Wrangler 4-Door are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive is standard on the Wrangler. But it costs extra on the Atlas Cross Sport.

Both the Wrangler and the Atlas Cross Sport have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors 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 Jeep Wrangler is safer than the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport:

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

Jeep’s powertrain warranty covers the Wrangler 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Atlas Cross Sport. 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 Cross Sport ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

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

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance (up to 3 oil changes) on the Wrangler for 1 year and -20,000 miles longer than Volkswagen pays for maintenance for the Atlas Cross Sport (3/unlimited vs. 2/20,000).

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

The Wrangler has a solid front axle with a floating power axle for durability that the Atlas Cross Sport 4Motion’s independent front suspension and exposed front driveshafts don’t offer.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. With 31 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Jeep higher than Volkswagen.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen With 16 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Jeep higher than Volkswagen.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Jeep vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Jeep 5 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

The Wrangler has more powerful engines than the Atlas Cross Sport:

The Wrangler’s 3.0 turbo V6 diesel produces 25 more horsepower (260 vs. 235) and 184 lbs.-ft. more torque (442 vs. 258) than the Atlas Cross Sport’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Wrangler’s 3.0 turbo V6 diesel produces 176 lbs.-ft. more torque (442 vs. 266) than the Atlas Cross Sport’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Jeep Wrangler turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport (automatics tested):

On the EPA test cycle the Wrangler 4-door running on electricity gets better mileage than the Atlas Cross Sport:

On the EPA test cycle the Wrangler 4-door running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Atlas Cross Sport:

The Wrangler 4Xe can travel with zero emissions for 22 miles. The Atlas Cross Sport can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Wrangler Rubicon 392’s fuel efficiency. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Wrangler 2.0 Turbo/3.6 eTorque/4Xe’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Wrangler 4-door’s standard fuel tank has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Atlas Cross Sport (21.5 vs. 18.6 gallons).

The Wrangler offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and sportiness. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

The Wrangler Rubicon 392’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer launch control.

For better traction, the Wrangler’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Atlas Cross Sport (315/70R17 vs. 265/45R21).

The Wrangler 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 Cross Sport doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Wrangler 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 Cross Sport; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The Wrangler has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Atlas Cross Sport’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Wrangler Rubicon has an active front sway bar, which helps keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnects 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 Cross Sport doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Wrangler 4-door 4x4’s wheelbase is 1.1 inches longer than on the Atlas Cross Sport (118.4 inches vs. 117.3 inches).

The Wrangler’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50.7% to 49.3%) than the Atlas Cross Sport’s (57% to 43%). This gives the Wrangler more stable handling and braking.

For better maneuverability, the Wrangler 2-door’s turning circle is 6 feet tighter than the Atlas Cross Sport’s (34.5 feet vs. 40.5 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Wrangler Sport 2-door has a 2.6 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Atlas Cross Sport 2.0T (9.7 vs. 7.1 inches), allowing the Wrangler to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Wrangler 4-door 4x4 is 7.1 inches shorter than the Atlas Cross Sport, making the Wrangler easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

The Wrangler 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 Wrangler can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Atlas Cross Sport can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Wrangler uses the Electronic 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 Cross Sport doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Wrangler has a higher standard payload capacity than the Atlas Cross Sport (1233 vs. 1091 lbs.).

The Wrangler has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Atlas Cross Sport (1351 vs. 1091 lbs.).

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

The Wrangler’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Atlas Cross Sport does not have an oil pressure gauge.

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

Consumer Reports rated the Wrangler’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Atlas Cross Sport’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

The Jeep Wrangler JL comes in four door and soft top bodystyles; the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport isn’t available as a soft top.

Motor Trend selected the Wrangler as their 2019 Sport Utility of the Year. The Atlas Cross Sport has never been chosen.

The Jeep Wrangler outsold the Volkswagen Atlas by over two to one during the 2022 model year.