Compare the2023 Volkswagen AtlasVS 2023 Toyota Sienna

Both the Atlas and the Sienna 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, 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 Toyota Sienna:

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 is safer than the Toyota Sienna:

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

The Atlas comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Sienna’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

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

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

The Atlas’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 258 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. ) than the Sienna’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The Atlas’ optional 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 31 more horsepower (276 vs. 245) and 266 lbs.-ft. more torque (266 vs. ) than the Sienna’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Volkswagen Atlas V6 is faster than the Toyota Sienna:

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

The Atlas stops much shorter than the Sienna:

For better traction, the Atlas has larger standard tires than the Sienna (245/60R18 vs. 235/50R20). The Atlas SEL Premium R-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Sienna (265/45R21 vs. 235/50R20).

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 Sienna LE/XLE’s standard 65 series tires. The Atlas SEL Premium R-Line’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Sienna XSE/FWD Platinum/25th Anniversary Edition’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Atlas has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Sienna LE/XLE. The Atlas SEL Premium R-Line’s 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Sienna XSE/FWD Platinum/25th Anniversary Edition.

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 Sienna doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For greater off-road capability the Atlas 2.0T has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Sienna (7.1 vs. 6.3 inches), allowing the Atlas to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Atlas V6’s minimum ground clearance is .6 inch higher than on the Sienna 25th Anniversary Edition (7.5 vs. 6.9 inches).

The Volkswagen Atlas may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 100 to 350 pounds less than the Toyota Sienna.

The Atlas is 3 inches shorter than the Sienna, making the Atlas easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces. The Atlas is 3.4 inches shorter than the Sienna XSE/25th Anniversary Edition.

The Atlas has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more rear headroom and .9 inches more third row headroom than the Sienna.

The Sienna’s spare tire is stored in the cargo area, where it diminishes the useable cargo capacity and interferes with loading and unloading. The Atlas’ spare is out of the way under the trunk floor.

Maximum trailer towing in the Toyota Sienna is limited to 3500 pounds. The Atlas offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

The Atlas uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Sienna uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The Atlas offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Sienna doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

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 Sienna’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 Sienna doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Atlas offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Sienna doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Atlas SEL also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

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 Sienna doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Volkswagen Atlas and the Toyota Sienna, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Volkswagen Atlas outsold the Toyota Sienna by 20% during the 2022 model year.