Volkswagen Atlas vs. Subaru Ascent

A spacious cabin is invaluable when you need to load up groceries, sports gear, or oversized furniture for that home office renovation you’ve dreamed of for years. With each SUV offering three rows of seats, you can expect ample room when it comes to transporting everything you and your crew need.

With all seats in the upright position, the VW Atlas and the Ascent offer comparable dimensions, but this trend doesn’t continue throughout the rest of the cabin.

What does 12 extra cubic feet get you? A spacious 70-quart cooler filled with orange slices and sports drinks to take to your kid’s soccer game or a dorm-sized fridge when taking your eldest to college. And with an extra 21 cubic feet of max cargo space, it’s enough room for everyone’s luggage and the breathing room you didn’t know you needed—like not having to choose between sports gear or bringing the dog crate along for the ride.

When you need an SUV that offers ample passenger space, the Volkswagen Atlas and the Subaru Ascent are up for your ever-changing needs. With seating for seven, these spacious 3-row models are ideal for growing families, carpool champions, and weekend warriors who never travel light. But despite their similar dimensions in passenger volume—153.7 cubic feet for the VW Atlas and 153.2 cubic feet for the Ascent—it’s the way each SUV applies these measurements that matters most.

The VW Atlas and the Ascent offer comparable first- and second-row dimensions, but it’s in the third row that the Volkswagen truly shines. The VW Atlas makes every inch count, ensuring a more spacious experience than offered in the Ascent. The extra space in the VW Atlas transforms the third row from a kid-only space to an environment suitable for passengers of all ages.

Everything is about you—as it should be when you’re in the driver’s seat. The interior of the Volkswagen Atlas was strategically designed to offer an ergonomic and functional experience. Within the cabin, you’ll enjoy comfort-focused standard and available features like:

• 10-way power adjustable seat with lumbar support
• 3-profile driver’s seat memory system
• Heated/ventilated front seats
• Thoughtful layout of key controls, from the shifter to the display screens

While you’ll find heated and available ventilated front seats with the Subaru Ascent, this SUV lacks the ergonomic features of the VW Atlas.

Looking to upgrade to a truly VIP experience? Only with the VW Atlas will you have access to available premium features like quilted perforated leather massaging front seats.

Beyond the driver’s seat, the Volkswagen Atlas continues to redefine automotive standards. This SUV comes standard with Climatronic® three-zone automatic climate control, which lets nearly everyone set and adjust their preferred temperature. This provides a tailored experience, ensuring everyone arrives feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. Available second-row heated seats are offered with higher trim levels to extend the enhanced driving experience throughout the cabin.

These same amenities are offered with the Subaru Ascent, making each a joy to travel in. However, the VW Atlas has one unique advantage over the Ascent: the multi-color ambient lighting system.

When optionally equipped, the VW Atlas comes with a 30-color ambient lighting system that lets you toggle between colors to make the cabin match your mood of the day.

Advanced driver-assist systems like IQ.DRIVE® and EyeSight® make the Volkswagen Atlas and the Subaru Crosstrek well respected in the safety arena. In fact, prestigious organizations like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have given the most recent model year of these SUVs a 5-Star Overall Safety Rating.

Each model comes with its own version of driver-assistive features like:

• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Lane Keeping System
• Forward Collision Warning
• Automatic Emergency Braking

Despite these similarities, it’s the VW Atlas that continues to raise the bar with features like Travel Assist. This standard feature uses mild-autonomous capabilities to help keep the SUV centered within its lane and maintain a safe distance from other vehicles, providing an extra layer of security. While you’ll find similar capabilities with the Ascent, this model lacks the advanced offerings found standard with the Volkswagen.

In today’s tech-savvy world, having a smart and intuitive information system is essential. Standard integration of wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ lets you sync your smartphone to your SUV. From there, you can access your phone’s contacts, music library, compatible apps, and more. The Volkswagen Atlas and the Subaru Ascent each come with an available Harman Kardon® Premium Audio System —an advanced speaker system that turns your SUV into a mobile concert hall.

These similarities ensure the VW Atlas and the Ascent provide equally streamlined connectivity experiences, but how do they compare in the information department?

The standard Digital Cockpit Pro system of the VW Atlas offers a customizable experience that puts the information that matters most to you front and center. The Ascent still relies on a more traditional analog instrument cluster—fine for the basics, but not quite the personalized digital command center you’ll find in the VW Atlas.