Compare the2025 Volkswagen AtlasVS 2025 Cadillac XT6

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

Safety

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With its standard Front Assist, the Volkswagen Atlas is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Cadillac XT6, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Atlas	XT6
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-7 MPH
12 MPH Low beams	-10 MPH	-4 MPH
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-24 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	-23 MPH	-1 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
37 MPH Brights	-28 MPH	-13 MPH
Warning Issued-Brights	2 sec	1.8 sec

The Atlas has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The XT6 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Atlas 4Motion’s standard Hill Descent Assist allows you to creep down safely. The XT6 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Assist.

Both the Atlas and XT6 have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Atlas has Rear Traffic Alert (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The XT6’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Atlas and the XT6 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 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 Volkswagen Atlas is safer than the Cadillac XT6:

	Atlas	XT6
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	57	98
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	48 lbs.	117 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	144	180
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	41 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	14 inches
HIC	279	292

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Volkswagen Atlas is much safer than the XT6:

	Atlas	XT6
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	42	61
Neck Tension	156 lbs.	357 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	163	170
Neck Compression	134 lbs.	178 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	POOR
Shoulder Deflection	.43 in	1.61 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	424 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.54 in	2.2 in
Torso Deflection Rate	10 MPH	13 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Atlas is .4% to 2.8% less likely to roll over than the XT6.

The Volkswagen Atlas achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The XT6 is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

Warranty

The Atlas’ corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the XT6’s (7 vs. 6 years).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Atlas for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Cadillac only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the XT6.

There are over 14 percent more Volkswagen dealers than there are Cadillac dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Atlas’ warranty.

Reliability

The Volkswagen Atlas’ engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the XT6’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

Engine

The Atlas’ 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 34 more horsepower (269 vs. 235) and 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 258) than the XT6’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Atlas’ 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 2 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 271) than the XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Atlas uses regular unleaded gasoline. The XT6 with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Atlas has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the XT6. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Atlas’ front brake rotors are larger than those on the XT6:

	Atlas	XT6
Front Rotors	13.2 inches	12.6 inches

The Atlas stops much shorter than the XT6:

	Atlas	XT6
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Atlas has larger standard tires than the XT6 (245/60R18 vs. 235/55R20).

The Atlas SE/Peak Edition’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the XT6’s standard 65 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Atlas’ drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The XT6 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Atlas’ wheelbase is 4.6 inches longer than on the XT6 (117.3 inches vs. 112.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Atlas is .6 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than on the XT6.

The Atlas SEL 4Motion handles at .84 G’s, while the XT6 Sport AWD pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Passenger Space

The Atlas has 4.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the XT6 (154 vs. 149.9).

The Atlas has 1.5 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom, 8.3 inches more front hip room, 3.2 inches more front shoulder room, 1.3 inches more rear headroom, 2.9 inches more rear hip room, 3.1 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.1 inches more third row headroom, 4.2 inches more third row legroom, 5.6 inches more third row hip room and 1.4 inches more third row shoulder room than the XT6.

Cargo Capacity

The Atlas’ cargo area provides more volume than the XT6.

	Atlas	XT6
Behind Third Seat	20.6 cubic feet	12.6 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	55.5 cubic feet	43.1 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	96.6 cubic feet	78.7 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Atlas easier. The Atlas’ cargo hatch lift-over height is 29.7 inches, while the XT6’s liftover is 33 inches.

The Atlas’ cargo area is larger than the XT6’s in every dimension:

	Atlas	XT6
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	23.8”/53”/85”	15.5”/48”/80.2”
Max Width	61.6”	50”
Min Width	45”	43”
Height	37.5”	32.5”

The Atlas has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The XT6 doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

Towing

The Atlas’ standard towing capacity is much higher than the XT6’s (5000 vs. 1000 pounds).

Ergonomics

The Atlas’ front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The XT6’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the Atlas the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the XT6 can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Atlas’ rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The XT6’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Atlas SEL to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The XT6 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Atlas’ headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the XT6’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The XT6’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Atlas’ standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Atlas to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The XT6 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Atlas has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport.

The Atlas SEL Premium R Line has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the XT6.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen Atlas has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport offers wireless charging.

The Atlas offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The XT6 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Atlas owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Atlas will cost $1840 to $3950 less than the XT6 over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Atlas is less expensive to operate than the XT6 because it costs $173 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Atlas than the XT6, including $25 less for a muffler.

Recommendations

The Volkswagen Atlas outsold the Cadillac XT6 by over five to one during 2023.

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