Compare the2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross SportVS 2023 Jeep Wrangler

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

Safety

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The Atlas Cross Sport has standard head airbag curtains for front and rear seats which act as a forgiving barrier between the driver and outboard passenger's upper bodies and the window and pillars. Combined with high-strength steel door beams and lower side airbags this system increases head protection in broadside collisions. The Wrangler doesn't offer side airbag protection for the head and are only available for the front seats.

The Atlas Cross Sport has standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Wrangler doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Atlas Cross Sport offers optional Maneuver Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Wrangler doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The Wrangler doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line has a standard Area View to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Wrangler only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The Atlas Cross Sport has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Wrangler’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Atlas Cross Sport has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Wrangler.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Atlas Cross Sport uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Wrangler uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Atlas Cross Sport and the Wrangler 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 and available all wheel drive.

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

	Atlas Cross Sport	Wrangler
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	30%	31%
Neck Compression	59 lbs.	72 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	67/229 lbs.	926/731 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Stress	129 lbs.	188 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	297/97 lbs.	380/742 lbs.

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

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is safer than the Wrangler 4-door:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Wrangler
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	0 cm	2 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	23 cm	23 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Tibia index R/L	.46/.5	.51/.38
Tibia forces R/L	2.1/.7 kN	2.1/1 kN

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is much safer than the Wrangler 4-door:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Wrangler
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Tension	156 lbs.	178 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Torso Deflection Rate	4 MPH	6 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	163	363
Head Peak Forces	no contact	134 G’s
Neck Tension	178 lbs.	312 lbs.
Neck Compression	134 lbs.	201 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Torso Deflection Rate	10 MPH	10 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	POOR

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Atlas Cross Sport, with its four-star roll-over rating, is 9.8% to 12.8% less likely to roll over than the Wrangler, which received a three-star rating.

Warranty

The Atlas Cross Sport comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Wrangler’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Wrangler’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the Wrangler’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder, 3.6 DOHC V6 and 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the Atlas Cross Sport have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the 6.4 V8 in the Wrangler.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Atlas Cross Sport has a 680-amp battery. The Wrangler only offers a standard 650-amp battery.

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 Atlas Cross Sport’s reliability 16 points higher than the Wrangler.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport V6 is faster than the Jeep Wrangler turbo 4 cyl. (automatics tested):

	Atlas Cross Sport	Wrangler
Zero to 60 MPH	7.9 sec	8.1 sec
Quarter Mile	16 sec	16.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	87.4 MPH	82.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Atlas Cross Sport
FWD	Auto	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/25 hwy
		3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/24 hwy
AWD	Auto	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/24 hwy
		3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/24 hwy
Wrangler 4-door
AWD	Manual	3.6 DOHC V6	17 city/23 hwy
AWD	Auto	3.6 V6 Hybrid	19 city/24 hwy
		6.4 OHV V8	13 city/17 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	20 city/20 hwy

Regardless of its engine, the Atlas Cross Sport’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Wrangler Rubicon 392 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine for maximum performance). The Wrangler Rubicon 392 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Atlas Cross Sport has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Wrangler 4Xe/2-door’s standard fuel tank (18.6 vs. 17.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Wrangler.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Atlas Cross Sport’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Wrangler:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Wrangler
Front Rotors	13.2 inches	12.9 inches

The Atlas Cross Sport’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the Wrangler 4x4 Sport are solid, not vented.

The Atlas Cross Sport stops much shorter than the Wrangler:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Wrangler
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	150 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	163 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Atlas Cross Sport SE’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Wrangler Sport’s standard 75 series tires. The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Wrangler Sahara 4Xe’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Atlas Cross Sport SE has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Wrangler Sport. The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Wrangler Sahara 4Xe.

Suspension and Handling

The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport’s independent front suspension is much lighter than the Jeep Wrangler’s solid front axle, which allows the Atlas Cross Sport’s wheels to react more quickly and accurately to the road’s surface, improving both ride and handling.

For superior ride and handling, the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Jeep Wrangler has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

For much better steering response and tighter handling the Atlas Cross Sport has rack and pinion steering, like Formula racecars, instead of the recirculating-ball type steering of the Wrangler.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Atlas Cross Sport is 2.3 inches wider in the front and 2.9 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Wrangler.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL 4Motion handles at .81 G’s, while the Wrangler Rubicon 392 pulls only .67 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL 4Motion executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.5 seconds quicker than the Wrangler Rubicon 4-door (27.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 29.9 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

Chassis

Unibody construction lowers the Atlas Cross Sport’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Wrangler uses body-on-frame design instead.

For excellent aerodynamics, the Atlas Cross Sport has standard flush composite headlights. The Wrangler has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

Passenger Space

The Atlas Cross Sport has 8.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Wrangler (112.1 vs. 103.7).

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Atlas Cross Sport’s rear seats recline. The Wrangler’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Atlas Cross Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Wrangler 4-door with its rear seat up (40.3 vs. 31.7 cubic feet). The Atlas Cross Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Wrangler 4-door with its rear seat folded (77.8 vs. 72.4 cubic feet).

The Atlas Cross Sport’s standard folding rear seats are split to accommodate bulky cargo. The Wrangler 2-door’s standard single piece folding rear seat is not as flexible; long cargo and a passenger can’t share the rear seat.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The Wrangler’s swing out door blocks loading from the driver’s side.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Atlas Cross Sport’s power cargo door can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Wrangler doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening cargo door.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Jeep Wrangler is limited to 3500 pounds. The Atlas Cross Sport offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The Atlas Cross Sport uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Wrangler uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

When three different drivers share the Atlas Cross Sport SEL, the memory system makes it convenient for all three. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations. The Wrangler doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Wrangler has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s standard power windows allow the driver or passenger to lower and raise the windows without leaning over or being distracted. Power windows cost extra on the Wrangler.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Wrangler’s optional power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its front windows open automatically.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s standard power window controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Wrangler’s optional power window controls are down in the center of the dashboard, away from the windows and mixed with controls for unrelated features.

If the windows are left open on the Atlas Cross Sport the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Wrangler can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s standard power locks allow the driver or passenger to lock or unlock all the doors at a touch without leaning over, or reaching to the back seat. Power locks cost extra on the Wrangler.

The Atlas Cross Sport has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Wrangler doesn’t offer a locking fuel/charge port door.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Wrangler’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Atlas Cross Sport SEL to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Wrangler doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Wrangler’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Atlas Cross Sport’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Wrangler’s headlights are rated “Marginal” to “Poor.”

The Atlas Cross Sport has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Wrangler has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the Sport S/Sahara/Rubicon.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Atlas Cross Sport offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Wrangler doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Atlas Cross Sport has standard power remote mirrors. The Wrangler only comes with remote mirrors at extra cost. Without them the driver will have to roll down the windows and reach across the car to adjust the mirrors.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Jeep charges extra for heated mirrors on the Wrangler.

When the Atlas Cross Sport SEL is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Wrangler’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Atlas Cross Sport has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Wrangler, and are only available on the Wrangler Sport S/Freedom/Sahara/Rubicon. The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Wrangler.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Wrangler doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Both the Atlas Cross Sport and the Wrangler offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Atlas Cross Sport has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Wrangler doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Wrangler doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Wrangler doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The Atlas Cross Sport is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Wrangler doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Wrangler isn't recommended.