Compare the2024 Chrysler PacificaVS 2024 Volkswagen Atlas

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Chrysler Pacifica are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Volkswagen Atlas doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

The Chrysler Pacifica has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help 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.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The Pacifica offers optional Emergency Vehicle Alert System, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The Atlas doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from other vehicles.

Both the Pacifica 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 Chrysler Pacifica is safer than the Volkswagen Atlas:

	Pacifica	Atlas
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	168	307
Neck Injury Risk	29%	30%
Neck Stress	230 lbs.	412 lbs.
Neck Compression	56 lbs.	59 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	75/194 lbs.	67/229 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	196	277
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	25%	39%
Neck Stress	117 lbs.	129 lbs.
Neck Compression	51 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 Chrysler Pacifica is safer than the Volkswagen Atlas:

	Pacifica	Atlas
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	66	144
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
Spine Acceleration	50 G’s	51 G’s
Hip Force	616 lbs.	800 lbs.

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Pacifica is 2% to 4.2% less likely to roll over than the Atlas.

Warranty

Chrysler’s powertrain warranty covers the Pacifica 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 Pacifica’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Atlas’ (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are almost 4 times as many Chrysler dealers as there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Pacifica’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 Chrysler Pacifica’s reliability 11 points higher than the Atlas.

Engine

The Pacifica’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 18 more horsepower (287 vs. 269) than the Atlas’ 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Chrysler Pacifica V6 is faster than the Volkswagen Atlas:

	Pacifica	Atlas
Zero to 60 MPH	6.7 sec	7.5 sec
Quarter Mile	15.1 sec	15.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	92.4 MPH	91.3 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Pacifica running on electricity gets better mileage than the Atlas:

			MPGe
Pacifica
	FWD	Hybrid Electric Motor	87 city/77 hwy
Atlas
			MPG
	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

On the EPA test cycle the Pacifica Hybrid running its gasoline engine gets better fuel mileage than the Atlas FWD (29 city/30 hwy vs. 20 city/27 hwy).

The Pacifica Hybrid can travel with zero emissions for 32 miles. The Atlas can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

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

The Pacifica 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.

Environmental Friendliness

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

Transmission

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

The Pacifica 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

For better stopping power the Pacifica AWD’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Atlas:

	Pacifica AWD	Atlas
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.2 inches
Rear Rotors	13.4 inches	12.2 inches

The Pacifica stops much shorter than the Atlas:

	Pacifica	Atlas
70 to 0 MPH	164 feet	174 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	122 feet	139 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires available on the Pacifica can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The Atlas doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

Suspension and Handling

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Pacifica’s wheelbase is 4.3 inches longer than on the Atlas (121.6 inches vs. 117.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Pacifica is 1.4 inches wider in the front and .8 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Atlas.

For better maneuverability, the Pacifica’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Atlas’ (39.7 feet vs. 40.5 feet). The Pacifica AWD’s turning circle is .3 feet tighter than the Atlas’ (40.2 feet vs. 40.5 feet).

Chassis

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Pacifica has liquid-filled engine mounts. The liquid helps further dampen engine harshness. The Atlas uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

The front grille of the Pacifica 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 Pacifica 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.

Passenger Space

The Pacifica offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the Atlas can only carry 7.

The Pacifica has 11.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Atlas (165.1 vs. 154).

The Pacifica has .6 inches more front hip room, 2.3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear legroom, 6.2 inches more rear hip room, 2.5 inches more rear shoulder room, .4 inches more third row headroom, 2.8 inches more third row legroom, 4.4 inches more third row hip room and 6.3 inches more third row shoulder room than the Atlas.

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

The front step up height for the Pacifica is 1.7 inches lower than the Atlas (16.3” vs. 18”).

Cargo Capacity

The Pacifica’s cargo area provides more volume than the Atlas.

	Pacifica	Atlas
Behind Third Seat	32.3 cubic feet	20.6 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	87.5 cubic feet	55.5 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	140.5 cubic feet	96.6 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Pacifica easier. The Pacifica’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 24.3 inches, while the Atlas’ liftover is 29.7 inches.

The Pacifica’s cargo area is larger than the Atlas’ in almost every dimension:

	Pacifica	Atlas
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	23.2”/57.5”/92.5”	23.8”/53”/85”
Max Width	49.3”	61.6”
Min Width	48.8”	45”
Height	47.6”	37.5”

The Pacifica has standard Stow ’n Go second and third row seats (except Hybrid for the second row), which fold flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Atlas only has a third row seat which folds into the floor. The Atlas’ second row seat doesn’t fold into the floor and eats up cargo room.

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

Towing

The Pacifica’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Atlas’ (3600 vs. 2000 pounds).

Ergonomics

The Pacifica Touring L/Limited/Pinnacle’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Atlas doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Pacifica’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 does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Pacifica’s standard sliding doors can be opened with less than three inches side clearance. The Atlas’ standard rear swing-out doors are bulky and make loading in tight spots difficult.

The Pacifica’s power side sliding doors make it much easier to load and unload kids and cargo. One touch opens the door, before you even get to the van. The Atlas doesn’t offer a power rear door.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Pacifica 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 Pacifica’s optional 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.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Pacifica is less expensive to operate than the Atlas because it costs $582 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Pacifica than the Atlas, including $431 less for a water pump, $287 less for a starter, $338 less for fuel injection, $173 less for front struts, $511 less for a timing belt/chain and $730 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Chrysler Pacifica, based on reliability, safety and performance.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Pacifica as the 2017 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Atlas has never been chosen.

The Chrysler Pacifica/Voyager outsold the Volkswagen Atlas by 20% during 2022.

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