Compare the2025 Volkswagen Atlas Cross SportVS 2024 Mercedes GLE

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 Atlas Cross Sport are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The GLE doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Atlas Cross Sport offers optional Maneuver Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The GLE doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the GLE.

Both the Atlas Cross Sport and the GLE have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, 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 Cross Sport is safer than the Mercedes GLE:

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 Cross Sport is safer than the GLE:

The Atlas Cross Sport’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the GLE’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Atlas Cross Sport 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. Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the GLE.

There are over 68 percent more Volkswagen dealers than there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Atlas Cross Sport’s warranty.

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

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Volkswagen vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Volkswagen 2 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 14 more horsepower (269 vs. 255) than the GLE 350’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport uses regular unleaded gasoline. The GLE requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Atlas Cross Sport has 1.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the GLE 450e’s standard fuel tank (18.6 vs. 17.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Atlas Cross Sport’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the GLE:

The Atlas Cross Sport’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the GLE 350 are solid, not vented.

The Atlas Cross Sport stops shorter than the GLE:

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Atlas Cross Sport is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than on the GLE.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL 4Motion handles at .81 G’s, while the GLE 350 pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL 4Motion executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the GLE 350 (27.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 750 to 1400 pounds less than the Mercedes GLE.

The Atlas Cross Sport has 1.4 inches more front legroom, 2.2 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom and 2.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the GLE.

The Atlas Cross Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the GLE with its rear seat up (40.3 vs. 33.3 cubic feet). The Atlas Cross Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the GLE with its rear seat folded (77.6 vs. 74.9 cubic feet).

trailer stability control is standard on the Atlas Cross Sport, using the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the GLE.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Atlas Cross Sport to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. Heated windshield washer nozzles cost extra on the GLE.

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

The Atlas Cross Sport 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 costs extra on the GLE.

The Atlas Cross Sport is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The GLE doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the Atlas Cross Sport owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Atlas Cross Sport will cost $535 to $7805 less than the GLE over a five-year period.

The Volkswagen Atlas outsold the Mercedes GLE by 66% during 2023.