Compare the2025 Volkswagen Atlas Cross SportVS 2025 Lexus RX

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

Both the Atlas Cross Sport and the RX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, 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 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is safer than the Lexus RX:

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 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is safer than the Lexus RX:

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

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

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Atlas Cross Sport for 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the RX (2/20,000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are almost 3 times as many Volkswagen dealers as there are Lexus 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 RX’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 23 more horsepower (269 vs. 246) and 40 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 233) than the RX 350h’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

Both the Atlas Cross Sport and the RX have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Atlas Cross Sports have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The RX 350h/500h doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport uses regular unleaded gasoline. The RX 350 requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Atlas Cross Sport has 4.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the RX 450+’s standard fuel tank (18.6 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Atlas Cross Sport stops much shorter than the RX:

For better traction, the Atlas Cross Sport has larger standard tires than the RX (245/60R18 vs. 235/60R19). The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the RX (265/45R21 vs. 235/60R19).

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RX’s optional 50 series tires.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Atlas Cross Sport’s wheelbase is 5.1 inches longer than on the RX (117.3 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Atlas Cross Sport is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 1.1 inches wider in the rear than on the RX.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL 4Motion handles at .81 G’s, while the RX 350 AWD pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL 4Motion executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the RX 350h (27.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

The Atlas Cross Sport has .6 inches more front legroom, 1.7 inches more front hip room, 3.4 inches more front shoulder room, 3 inches more rear legroom, 2.7 inches more rear hip room and 3.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the RX.

The Atlas Cross Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the RX with its rear seat up (40.3 vs. 29.6 cubic feet). The Atlas Cross Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the RX with its rear seat folded (77.6 vs. 46.2 cubic feet).

The Atlas Cross Sport’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RX’s (5000 vs. 0 pounds).

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

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

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

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 RX.

The Atlas Cross Sport 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 RX.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the RX.