Compare the2026 Volkswagen AtlasVS 2026 Ford Explorer

Both the Atlas and the Explorer have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, 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 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 Ford Explorer:

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 Explorer’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 Explorer’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Atlas for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Explorer.

The Volkswagen Atlas’ engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Explorer’s 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Atlas uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Explorer requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Atlas has a standard locking fuel door, which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Explorer. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

The Atlas’ standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the Explorer ST are solid, not vented.

The Atlas stops much shorter than the Explorer:

The Atlas SE/Peak Edition’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 Explorer’s standard 65 series tires.

The Atlas 4Motion handles at .84 G’s, while the Explorer Active 4WD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Atlas SEL 4Motion executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Explorer 4WD (27.1 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

The Atlas has 3.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Explorer (153.7 vs. 150.3).

The Atlas has .6 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more rear legroom, 1.9 inches more third row legroom, 4.2 inches more third row hip room and .3 inches more third row shoulder room than the Explorer.

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

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 Explorer’s liftover is 31.1 inches.

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

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Atlas’ liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Explorer doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Atlas uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Explorer 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 SEL has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Explorer doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Atlas’ front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Explorer’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the Atlas the driver can close all of them at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Explorer can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 Explorer’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

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 Explorer doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

When the Atlas 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 Explorer’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Atlas 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 Explorer.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen Atlas has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Explorer and isn’t available on the Explorer Active.

The Atlas 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 Explorer doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Atlas is less expensive to operate than the Explorer because typical repairs cost less on the Atlas than the Explorer, including $3 less for a fuel pump.