Compare the2023 Toyota VenzaVS 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Ergonomics
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 Venza 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.

The Toyota Venza 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 Cross Sport doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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

The Venza’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 Cross Sport doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Venza and the Atlas Cross Sport have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available 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 Venza is safer than the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport:

	Venza	Atlas Cross Sport
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	152	307
Neck Injury Risk	29.3%	30%
Neck Stress	306 lbs.	412 lbs.
Neck Compression	56 lbs.	59 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	37.4%	39%
Neck Compression	95 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 Venza is safer than the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport:

	Venza	Atlas Cross Sport
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	146	208
Hip Force	508 lbs.	529 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	299	309
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	41 G’s

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, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Venza the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Atlas Cross Sport does not qualify as a “Top Safety Pick.”

Warranty

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Venza 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 Venza’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Atlas Cross Sport’s (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 Venza’s warranty.

Reliability

The battery on the Venza is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Venza’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Atlas Cross Sport’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

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 Venza’s reliability 21 points higher than the Atlas Cross Sport.

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

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Venza is faster than the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport:

	Venza	Atlas Cross Sport turbo 4 cyl.	Atlas Cross Sport V6
Zero to 60 MPH	7.5 sec	8.1 sec	7.9 sec
Quarter Mile	15.7 sec	16.3 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	87.8 MPH	84.5 MPH	87.4 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Venza gets better mileage than the Atlas Cross Sport:

			MPG
Venza
	AWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	40 city/37 hwy
Atlas Cross Sport
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/25 hwy
		3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/24 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/24 hwy
		3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/24 hwy

The Venza can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 1.6 miles. The Atlas Cross Sport can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Venza’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Venza uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Atlas Cross Sport with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Venza higher (7 out of 10) than the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport (3 to 5). This means the Venza produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Atlas Cross Sport every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Venza has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Venza stops shorter than the Atlas Cross Sport:

	Venza	Atlas Cross Sport
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	126 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

The Venza Limited handles at .80 G’s, while the Atlas Cross Sport 4Motion pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Venza LE’s turning circle is 4.4 feet tighter than the Atlas Cross Sport’s (36.1 feet vs. 40.5 feet). The Venza XLE/Nightshade/Limited’s turning circle is 3.1 feet tighter than the Atlas Cross Sport’s (37.4 feet vs. 40.5 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Venza has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Atlas Cross Sport 2.0T (8.2 vs. 7.1 inches), allowing the Venza to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Venza’s minimum ground clearance is .7 inch higher than on the Atlas Cross Sport V6 (8.2 vs. 7.5 inches).

Chassis

The Toyota Venza may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 550 pounds less than the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport.

The Venza is 8.9 inches shorter than the Atlas Cross Sport, making the Venza easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Venza is 5.3 inches narrower than the Atlas Cross Sport, making the Venza easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

The front grille of the Venza uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Ergonomics

The Venza’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 Cross Sport doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Venza Limited has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning 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 Cross Sport doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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

The Venza has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Atlas Cross Sport.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Venza has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Atlas Cross Sport.

Recommendations

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

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its December 2020 issue and they ranked the Toyota Venza Limited higher than the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport 4Motion.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Venza third among midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Atlas Cross Sport isn’t in the top three.