Compare the2023 Volkswagen AtlasVS 2022 Lexus RXL

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

Safety

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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 RXL 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.

Both the Atlas and the RXL 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, 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, lane departure warning systems 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 is safer than the Lexus RXL:

	Atlas	RXL
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	3 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	30%	33.2%
Neck Stress	412 lbs.	412 lbs.
Neck Compression	59 lbs.	60 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	67/229 lbs.	433/719 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	277	305
Chest Compression	.7 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	39%	40.1%
Neck Stress	129 lbs.	267 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	297/97 lbs.	403/457 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, results indicate that the Volkswagen Atlas is safer than the Lexus RXL:

	Atlas	RXL
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	48 lbs.	110 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	144	165
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	44 G’s
Hip Force	527 lbs.	594 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 Atlas is 1.6% to 3.1% less likely to roll over than the RXL.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, with its optional front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Atlas its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 122 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The RXL is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Warranty

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

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Atlas for 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the RXL (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’ warranty.

Reliability

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

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Atlas has a standard 680-amp battery. The RXL’s 580-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Volkswagen Atlas V6 is faster than the RX 350L 3.5 DOHC V6:

	Atlas	RXL
Zero to 60 MPH	7.3 sec	7.6 sec
Quarter Mile	15.6 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90.8 MPH	89.3 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Atlas
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/25 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/24 hwy
RXL
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy

Regardless of its engine, the Atlas’ engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Lexus only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the RXL Hybrid.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Atlas uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine for maximum performance). The RX 450hL requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

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

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Atlas	RXL
Front Rotors	13.2 inches	12.9 inches

The Atlas stops much shorter than the RXL:

	Atlas	RXL
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Atlas has larger standard tires than the RXL (245/60R18 vs. 235/65R18). The Atlas SEL Premium R-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the RXL (265/45R21 vs. 235/65R18).

The Atlas’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RXL’s standard 65 series tires. The Atlas SEL Premium R-Line’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the RXL’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Atlas SEL Premium R-Line has standard 21-inch wheels. The RXL’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

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 RXL doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Atlas’ wheelbase is 7.5 inches longer than on the RXL (117.3 inches vs. 109.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Atlas is 2.6 inches wider in the front and 3.6 inches wider in the rear than on the RXL.

The Atlas SEL 4Motion handles at .84 G’s, while the RX 350L AWD pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Atlas SEL 4Motion executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the RX 350L (27.1 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.5 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

Chassis

The Volkswagen Atlas may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 300 pounds less than the Lexus RXL.

Passenger Space

The Atlas has 36.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the RXL (153.7 vs. 117).

The Atlas has 1.5 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom, 2.4 inches more front hip room, 3.2 inches more front shoulder room, 1.9 inches more rear headroom, 6.7 inches more rear legroom, 2.2 inches more rear hip room, 3 inches more rear shoulder room, 3.5 inches more third row headroom, 10.2 inches more third row legroom, 1.3 inches more third row hip room and 9.2 inches more third row shoulder room than the RXL.

The front step up height for the Atlas is 2.5 inches lower than the RXL (18” vs. 20.5”). The Atlas’ rear step up height is 2.8 inches lower than the RXL’s (18” vs. 20.8”).

Cargo Capacity

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

	Atlas	RXL
Behind Third Seat	20.6 cubic feet	7.5 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	55.5 cubic feet	23 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	96.8 cubic feet	58.5 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 RXL’s liftover is 31.9 inches.

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

	Atlas	RXL
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	23.8”/53”/85”	21.5”/48.5”/81”
Max Width	61.6”	51.8”
Min Width	45”	44”
Height	37.5”	30”

Towing

The Atlas’ standard towing capacity is much higher than the RXL’s (2000 vs. 0 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Lexus RXL is only 3500 pounds. The Atlas offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

Ergonomics

The Atlas’ power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The RXL’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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 RXL 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’ available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the RXL’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

The Atlas SEL Premium’s Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The RXL doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Atlas is less expensive to operate than the RXL because typical repairs cost much less on the Atlas than the RXL, including $385 less for a water pump, $4 less for a starter, $4 less for a fuel pump, $623 less for a timing belt/chain and $982 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

The Volkswagen Atlas outsold the Lexus RX Series by 4827 units during the 2021 model year.

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