Compare the2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross SportVS 2023 Volvo XC60

Both the Atlas Cross Sport and the XC60 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 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 Cross Sport is safer than the Volvo XC60:

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

There are over 2 times as many Volkswagen dealers as there are Volvo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Atlas Cross Sport’s warranty.

The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the XC60’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Volkswagen vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. With 26 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Volkswagen higher than Volvo.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Volkswagen vehicles are more reliable than Volvo With 39 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Volkswagen higher than Volvo.

Both the Atlas Cross Sport and the XC60 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 XC60 T8 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 (premium recommended with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine for maximum performance). The XC60 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Atlas Cross Sport stops shorter than the XC60:

For better traction, the Atlas Cross Sport has larger standard tires than the XC60 (245/60R18 vs. 235/60R18).

The front and rear suspension of the Atlas Cross Sport uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the XC60, which uses transverse leafs springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Atlas Cross Sport’s wheelbase is 4.5 inches longer than on the XC60 (117.3 inches vs. 112.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Atlas Cross Sport is 1.9 inches wider in the front and 2.4 inches wider in the rear than on the XC60.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL 4Motion handles at .81 G’s, while the XC60 Recharge Core pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Atlas Cross Sport has 9.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the XC60 (112.1 vs. 103).

The Atlas Cross Sport has 1.4 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more front legroom, 1.8 inches more front hip room, 3.3 inches more front shoulder room, 2.4 inches more rear legroom, 2.6 inches more rear hip room and 4.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the XC60.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Atlas Cross Sport’s rear seats recline. The XC60’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Atlas Cross Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the XC60 with its rear seat up (40.3 vs. 24.4 cubic feet). The Atlas Cross Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the XC60 with its rear seat folded (77.8 vs. 63.3 cubic feet).

Maximum trailer towing in the Volvo XC60 is limited to 3500 pounds. The Atlas Cross Sport offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

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 XC60.

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 Cross Sport’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the XC60’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Atlas Cross Sport has standard extendable sun visors. The XC60 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Atlas Cross Sport to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The XC60 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Atlas Cross Sport offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The XC60 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

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 XC60 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Volvo XC60 isn't recommended.

The Volkswagen Atlas outsold the Volvo XC60 by over two to one during the 2022 model year.