Compare the2024 Cadillac XT6VS 2024 Volkswagen Atlas

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages

Safety

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The XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport’s optional pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Atlas doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

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 XT6 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 Cadillac XT6 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.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Atlas doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the XT6 and the Atlas have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, 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 Cadillac XT6 is safer than the Volkswagen Atlas:

	XT6	Atlas
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	167	307
Neck Injury Risk	25%	30%
Neck Stress	187 lbs.	412 lbs.
Neck Compression	28 lbs.	59 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	38%	39%
Neck Compression	71 lbs.	117 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	9/6 lbs.	297/97 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 Cadillac XT6 is safer than the Volkswagen Atlas:

	XT6	Atlas
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	255 lbs.	345 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	249 lbs.	527 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	51 G’s
Hip Force	666 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 “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the XT6 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Atlas was last a “Top Safety Pick Plus” in 2019 but no longer qualifies.

Warranty

Cadillac’s powertrain warranty covers the XT6 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Atlas. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Atlas ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The XT6’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Atlas’ (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the XT6 first among upper midsize premium suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Atlas isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac above average in initial quality. With 79 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 Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac above average in long-term dependability. With 24 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 Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Cadillac 6 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Engine

The XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 41 more horsepower (310 vs. 269) than the Atlas’ 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the XT6 gets better mileage than the Atlas:

			MPG
XT6
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/27 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy
		3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy
Atlas
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	20 city/27 hwy
	AWD	SE 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	19 city/26 hwy
		SEL 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	19 city/25 hwy
		Peak Edition 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	18 city/24 hwy

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the XT6’s fuel efficiency. The Atlas doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The XT6 AWD’s standard fuel tank has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Atlas (22 vs. 18.6 gallons).

The XT6 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Atlas doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Cadillac XT6, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Atlas.

Brakes and Stopping

The XT6 stops shorter than the Atlas:

	XT6	Atlas
70 to 0 MPH	171 feet	174 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	131 feet	139 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Cadillac XT6’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Volkswagen Atlas only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The XT6 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 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

The XT6 offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Atlas’ suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The XT6 Sport AWD handles at .88 G’s, while the Atlas 4Motion pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The XT6 Sport AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Atlas SEL 4Motion (27.2 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 27.9 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the XT6’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the Atlas’ (38.7 feet vs. 41 feet).

For greater off-road capability the XT6 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Atlas (6.7 vs. 6.3 inches), allowing the XT6 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The front grille of the XT6 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.

The XT6 uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Atlas doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Cargo Capacity

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the XT6’s second row seats and pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Atlas doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the XT6 uses the StabiliTrak® 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.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Cadillac service is better than Volkswagen. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac second in service department satisfaction. With a 47% lower rating, Volkswagen is ranked 28th.

Ergonomics

The XT6’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 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the XT6 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.

The XT6’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Atlas has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport’s optional Automatic Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting and stopping automatically, with the driver only responsible for switching from reverse to drive. The Atlas SEL Premium R-Line’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the XT6 is less expensive to operate than the Atlas because typical repairs cost much less on the XT6 than the Atlas, including $246 less for a water pump, $29 less for front brake pads, $334 less for a starter, $93 less for fuel injection, $101 less for a fuel pump, $315 less for front struts, $349 less for a timing belt/chain and $361 less for a power steering pump.