Compare the2025 Lincoln CorsairVS 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport

The Lincoln Corsair 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 Cross Sport doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Corsair’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 Corsair and the Atlas Cross Sport have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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 Lincoln Corsair is safer than the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport:

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 Lincoln Corsair is safer than the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport:

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

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

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

The Corsair has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

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 Corsair’s reliability 17 points higher than the Atlas Cross Sport.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lincoln vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. With 17 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Lincoln higher than Volkswagen.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lincoln vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen With 16 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Lincoln higher than Volkswagen.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Lincoln vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lincoln 4 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

As tested in Motor Trend the Lincoln Corsair turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport:

On the EPA test cycle the Corsair running on electricity gets better mileage than the Atlas Cross Sport:

On the EPA test cycle the Corsair running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Atlas Cross Sport:

The Corsair Grand Touring can travel with zero emissions for 27 miles. The Atlas Cross Sport can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

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

The Corsair 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 Cross Sport doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Lincoln Corsair higher (7 to 8 out of 10) than the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport (3). This means the Corsair produces up to 30 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Atlas Cross Sport every 15,000 miles.

The Corsair Grand Touring 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.

The Corsair stops much shorter than the Atlas Cross Sport:

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

The Corsair 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 Cross Sport’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Corsair Reserve AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the Atlas Cross Sport 4Motion pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Corsair Reserve AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Atlas Cross Sport 4Motion (27 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Corsair’s turning circle is 2.9 feet tighter than the Atlas Cross Sport’s (37.1 feet vs. 40 feet).

The Lincoln Corsair may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 500 pounds less than the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport.

The Corsair is 1 foot, 2.1 inches shorter than the Atlas Cross Sport 4Motion, making the Corsair easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Corsair 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.

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

The Corsair has .1 inches more front headroom, 1.5 inches more front legroom and .9 inches more rear headroom than the Atlas Cross Sport.

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Corsair’s optional rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Corsair Grand Touring can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Corsair can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Atlas Cross Sport can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The Corsair’s standard easy entry system 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 Corsair offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, warning, turn signal 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.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Corsair’s exterior PIN entry system. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Car-Net can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

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

Consumer Reports rated the Corsair’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Atlas Cross Sport’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

The Corsair’s standard rear view mirror and optional 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 Cross Sport has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Corsair Reserve/Grand Touring offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Atlas Cross Sport.

The Corsair’s optional Active Park Assist 2.0 can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

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