Volkswagen Atlas vs. Honda Pilot

With three rows of seats, there’s room for everyone to join the adventure: friends, family, and anyone else who wants to come along for the ride. Both the Volkswagen Atlas and the Honda Pilot are built to keep your whole crew comfortable, but there are some key differences worth noting.

In many key areas—especially up front—the Volkswagen Atlas offers more space, giving passengers extra room to stretch out and settle in for the journey.

Whether you’re hauling home a new appliance or packing up for a road trip or other big event, having extra space in your SUV can make all the difference. Thanks to its extended size, the VW Atlas stands out once again with more cargo room in every configuration.

FFrom everyday errands to weekend projects, the VW Atlas gives you more space to load up—whether it’s grocery bags, sports gear, or oversized items that need the full cabin. When it comes to cargo flexibility, Volkswagen simply offers more than the Honda Pilot.

Modern advancements have made driving safer and more intuitive than ever. Intelligent driver-assistive technologies help your vehicle monitor its surroundings and stay alert to potential hazards. The VW Atlas and the Pilot each come equipped with their own suites of advanced safety systems, but they share many similarities.

IQ.DRIVE, the Volkswagen suite, includes a robust collection of features for which the Pilot has brand-specific counterparts:

• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Active Blind Spot Monitor
• Front Assist
• Emergency Assist
• Lane Assist

Whether you’re navigating city streets or cruising the highway, these features work behind the scenes to add confidence to every drive. It’s smart safety that moves with you.

The road can be unpredictable, and being prepared for the unexpected is essential. In the event of a collision, peace of mind comes from knowing your vehicle is built with intelligent, protective features. The VW Atlas is designed with both prevention and protection in mind, offering advanced systems that respond when it matters most.

Key safety enhancements include:

• Safety cage with front and rear crumple zones
• Intelligent Crash Response System
• Automatic Post-Collision Braking System
• 6 stability-enhancing systems

These features don’t just protect you—they actively help manage the aftermath of an accident. It’s thoughtful engineering that adds an extra layer of security every time you hit the road. While the Honda Pilot also offers safety features, the VW Atlas stands out with its proactive post-collision systems and comprehensive crash-response design.

Infotainment systems provide a range of features that keep you engaged and make your drive more enjoyable. Both the VW Atlas and the Honda Pilot have similar offerings. Still, there's a key difference: These features come standard in the Volkswagen, while they’re available only as options in the Honda.

The difference between these two models really lies in the details. Continuing that trend, the Volkswagen Atlas provides six fast-charging USB ports as standard, while the Honda Pilot comes with four.

Both the Volkswagen Atlas and the Honda Pilot feature their own app-based platforms for connected services. The myVW app with Car-Net® in the Volkswagen Atlas and HondaLink® in the Pilot allow you to remotely start your vehicle, lock/unlock the doors, locate your parked car, and more.

Both vehicles feature central touchscreens that serve as your hub for everything from personal settings to entertainment and navigation. When it comes to ease of use, a larger screen can make all the difference.

While the Pilot comes standard with a 7-inch screen and offers a 9-inch display on select models, the Volkswagen Atlas takes the lead with its standard 12-inch infotainment display, surpassing the Pilot in both size and functionality.