Compare the2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross SportVS 2023 Toyota Rav4

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

Safety

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The Atlas Cross Sport has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Rav4’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Atlas Cross Sport has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Rav4.

Both the Atlas Cross Sport and the Rav4 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport weighs 424 to 1069 pounds more than the Toyota Rav4. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 Toyota Rav4:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Rav4
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Leg Forces (l/r)	67/229 lbs.	400/388 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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is safer than the Toyota Rav4:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Rav4
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	48	83
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.5 inches
Abdominal Force	64 lbs.	138 lbs.
Hip Force	215 lbs.	246 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	49 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
Hip Force	594 lbs.	835 lbs.

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 Rav4:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Rav4
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	42	120
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Torso Max Deflection	1.1 in	1.34 in
Torso Deflection Rate	4 MPH	7 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	163	542
Head Peak Forces	no contact	104 G’s
Neck Tension	178 lbs.	312 lbs.
Neck Compression	134 lbs.	223 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.43 in	.94 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	290 lbs.
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL

Warranty

The Atlas Cross Sport comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Rav4’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Rav4’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the Rav4’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

Engine

The Atlas Cross Sport’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 32 more horsepower (235 vs. 203) and 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 184) than the Rav4’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Atlas Cross Sport’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 73 more horsepower (276 vs. 203) and 82 lbs.-ft. more torque (266 vs. 184) than the Rav4’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is faster than the Toyota Rav4:

	Atlas Cross Sport turbo 4 cyl.	Atlas Cross Sport V6	Rav4
Zero to 60 MPH	8.1 sec	7.9 sec	8.8 sec
Quarter Mile	16.3 sec	16 sec	16.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	84.5 MPH	87.4 MPH	83.8 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

Regardless of its engine, the Atlas Cross Sport’s 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. Toyota only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Rav4 LE AWD/XLE/XLE Premium.

The Atlas Cross Sport has 4.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Rav4 (18.6 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Atlas Cross Sport’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Rav4:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Rav4
Front Rotors	13.2 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	12.2 inches	11.1 inches

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 on the Rav4 are solid, not vented.

The Atlas Cross Sport stops shorter than the Rav4:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Rav4
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	134 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	140 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Atlas Cross Sport has larger standard tires than the Rav4 (245/60R18 vs. 225/65R17). The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Rav4 (265/45R21 vs. 235/55R19).

The Atlas Cross Sport SE’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 Rav4 LE/XLE’s standard 65 series tires. The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Rav4 XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Atlas Cross Sport SE has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Rav4 LE/XLE. The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s 21-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the Rav4 XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited.

Suspension and Handling

The Atlas Cross Sport has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Rav4 doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Atlas Cross Sport’s wheelbase is 11.4 inches longer than on the Rav4 (117.3 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Atlas Cross Sport is 4.3 inches wider in the front and 4.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Rav4.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL 4Motion handles at .81 G’s, while the Rav4 Limited pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL 4Motion executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the Rav4 Limited (27.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.9 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The Atlas Cross Sport has 13.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Rav4 (112.1 vs. 98.9).

The Atlas Cross Sport has .7 inches more front legroom, 3.9 inches more front hip room, 3.7 inches more front shoulder room, 2.6 inches more rear legroom, 10.3 inches more rear hip room and 4.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Rav4.

Cargo Capacity

The Atlas Cross Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Rav4 with its rear seat up (40.3 vs. 37.6 cubic feet). The Atlas Cross Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Rav4 with its rear seat folded (77.8 vs. 69.8 cubic feet).

Towing

The Atlas Cross Sport’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Rav4’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Toyota Rav4 4WD is only 3500 pounds. The Atlas Cross Sport offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The Atlas Cross Sport uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Rav4 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.

Ergonomics

The Atlas Cross Sport’s 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 Rav4’s power window (except driver window), power lock and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s 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 Rav4 LE’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

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 Rav4 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Atlas Cross Sport offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Rav4 doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Atlas Cross Sport to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Rav4 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Toyota charges extra for heated mirrors on the Rav4.

When the Atlas Cross Sport SEL is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Rav4’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’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 Rav4 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport and the Toyota Rav4, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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