Based purely on some good online reviews, my wife and I decided to test drive the new Volkswagen Atlas. We both came away very impressed with the ride, comfort, spaciousness, and amenities that come even in the base trim level. We didn't necessarily notice the sluggish accelerator which is apparently one of the biggest knocks, but if it stays in contention, we will test drive again and look for it. Despite our initial impressions however, I do have some questions. I know very little in general about cars and even less when it comes to Volkswagen. My biggest concerns are these:

1. Ignoring their unethical behavior on the EPA testing (on diesels, which this is not), what is Volkswagen's general reputation for longevity, reliability, and cost of maintenance? The warranty on the Atlas is great by comparison to competitors, but I would love to buy this car and have it last for 10+ years and 200,000 miles which goes well beyond the warranty period. Reviews online seem to be mixed depending on model and year.
2. What are your thoughts on buying the first year of a given model? Is it not really a concern with modern cars, or am I right to pump the brakes a bit here? I'm a little hesitant to go out on a limb when there is no history of success.

TL;DR: My heart says Atlas and my head says Pilot/Highlander.

The MQB platform underpins every transverse-engine car VAG makes.

The two engine choices are also quite established, so the Atlas isn't really offering up much new tech. It's not like they created a V10 diesel and air suspension system for it. You're essentially buying a supersized Golf/Jetta/Passat/A3/TT.

The warranty is certainly great. If you need a 3 row SUV and don't care about towing or acceleration, it's pretty well positioned, even with the turbo-4cyl.

Had exact same concerns but also liked the look and drive of the Atlas.

One question I had that never felt answered by their sales staff / literature I could find was whether Atlas requires premium gas.

We had a 2004 Passat that required premium, and that was a bit of a PITA.

the general rule of thumb is to avoid new models or significant redesigns in their first model year or so. there will be kinks to work out most likely, but if you are ok with that possibility and willing to just let the warranty deal with it then go for it. any car (new or established) can have problems, but a brand new model will have more of a chance of it.

Poor. German reliability is atrocious. Moreso the more gizmos you have. If you get it, trade before warranty is up.

Hot takes!

We have a 1st year model VW and it's worked out pretty well for us, but things like the engine and other components were used for a couple of years before in other models. Nothing is ever truly all new I guess.

I agree on the engine reliabilty. Should be ok.

I do have issues with VWs interior trim materials. Feels like switchgear and buttons tend to drop their black paint or become shiny quite quickly.

Car and Driver website has both the V6 and the 2.0T listed as regular unleaded for fuel requirements.

beefiedoubleoh said:

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Poor. German reliability is atrocious. Moreso the more gizmos you have. If you get it, trade before warranty is up.

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BMW and Mercedes? Agree. But, Audi is now in the top 5 for reliability.

Not a fan of VW. We owned a 2008 Touareg. Biggest piece of junk I have ever owned. Had constant problems with it and it was expensive to get fixed. When it was running properly, it was a blast to drive but it rarely went more than about three months without having some type of major problem. The biggest issue we had was having to replace the timing chains at 70k. It was over $4000 to repair.

Not long after we got rid of it, VW gets caught cheating on emissions testing and gets a huge fine by the EPA.

Not sure I would trust a major automobile manufacturer who is willing to try and cheat the EPA. Doesn't say much about their ethical status

well, given what's in the news these days i guess you will have to avoid cheaters such as VW, nissan, subaru, GM, fiat chrysler, BMW, mercedes, hyundai, just to name a few. i guess that leaves you with honda and toyota?