Compare the2023 Toyota Highlander HybridVS 2023 Volkswagen Atlas

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Atlas doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Highlander Hybrid’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 Hybrid 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and 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 Highlander Hybrid is safer than the Volkswagen Atlas:

	Highlander Hybrid	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 Hybrid is safer than the Volkswagen Atlas:

	Highlander Hybrid	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 top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Highlander Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 106 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid’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 Hybrid’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 Hybrid’s reliability 45 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 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Volkswagen is ranked 24th.

Engine

The Highlander Hybrid’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 8 more horsepower (243 vs. 235) than the Atlas’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Highlander Hybrid
	FWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	36 city/35 hwy
	AWD	LE 2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	35 city/35 hwy
		2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	35 city/34 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

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

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

Environmental Friendliness

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

Transmission

The Highlander Hybrid 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 doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Highlander Hybrid stops much shorter than the Atlas:

	Highlander Hybrid	Atlas
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	139 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

The Highlander Hybrid’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (53% to 47%) than the Atlas’ (55.1% to 44.9%). This gives the Highlander Hybrid more stable handling and braking.

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

Chassis

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

The front grille of the Highlander Hybrid 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 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

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

The Highlander Hybrid has .3 inches more front legroom, 1.1 inches more rear legroom, .5 inches more third row hip room and .1 inches more third row shoulder room than the Atlas.

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

Payload and Towing

The Highlander Hybrid’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Atlas’ (3500 vs. 2000 pounds).

Standard Trailer Sway Control (TSC) on the Highlander Hybrid 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 Hybrid has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Atlas (1495 vs. 1113 lbs.).

The Highlander Hybrid has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Atlas (1535 vs. 1113 lbs.).

Ergonomics

The Highlander Hybrid Platinum has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, 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 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Toyota Highlander Hybrid as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Highlander outsold the Volkswagen Atlas by over two to one during the 2022 model year.