2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport vs 2020 Honda CR-V

The 2020 Honda CR-V, being in its fifth generation and on the market since the 2017 model year, offered a familiar and fun design. Its exterior was characterized by curvy, car-like lines with strong family resemblances to Honda’s sedan lineup in both the front and rear fascias. The overall look leaned more towards a station wagon than an SUV, defining a modern family transportation style. Inside, however, the CR-V's interior presented a mixed bag of textures and materials. While higher trims featured pleasant wood-look trims and leather upholstery, these upscale touches often clashed with low-quality plastics, reminding drivers that an expensive CR-V was still an upgraded version of a commodity car.

On the other hand, the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport carried over most of the sheet metal from the regular Atlas but sported a lower roofline and an aggressively-raked rear hatch, giving it a mix of SUV ruggedness and car-like features. However, the styling, combined with fake exhaust tips on the rear bumper, felt tacky. Based on VW's MQB platform, the Cross Sport was notably shorter and lower than the seven-seat Atlas, but maintained the same wheelbase. All trim levels came standard with LED lighting, while alloy wheels varied from 18 to 21 inches based on the trim. The interior maintained VW’s minimalist design but was let down by subpar materials that gave off a cheap feel.

For the 2020 model year, the Honda CR-V standardized its 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine across all trim levels, replacing the previous 2.4-liter engine. This powertrain produced 190 horsepower and 179 pound-feet of torque, paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Despite some CVTs’ reputations for sluggish responses, Honda’s CVT offered a credible simulation of a conventional automatic transmission, especially in the Sport drive mode. The CR-V’s car-like maneuverability, firm yet comfortable chassis, and light curb weight of just 3,337 pounds for the FWD LX model all contributed to its excellent road manners and impressive fuel economy: 30 mpg combined for FWD models, and 29 mpg for AWD models.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport also offered two powertrain options: a standard 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four producing 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, and an optional 3.6-liter V6 engine generating 276 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. Both engines were mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and featured start-stop systems. While the V6 provided a lively acceleration and pleasing sound at low speeds, its midrange performance fell short. The Cross Sport’s ride quality was among the worst in the segment, with every bump and pothole making an impact. Additionally, VR6 AWD models boasted a 5,000-pound towing capacity, whereas the four-cylinder models were limited to just 2,000 pounds.

The Honda CR-V was praised for its excellent packaging efficiency, offering a roomy cabin comparable to the class-leader Volkswagen Tiguan. The CR-V’s driver's seat and passenger seats provided ample head- and legroom, courtesy of an optimal seating position and low cowl that enhanced visibility. The cargo compartment's 75.8-cubic-foot capacity with the rear seats folded matched the Tiguan, despite the CR-V being three inches shorter. Clever storage solutions, including a minivan-inspired center console bin and a two-position load floor, made the CR-V an easy vehicle to live with.

The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, due to its larger footprint, was competitive in interior space among two-row midsize crossovers. It excelled in front-seat and rear-seat legroom and front headroom but faltered in rear headroom due to the steeply sloping roofline. Cargo space was substantial at 40.3 cubic feet with the rear seats up, expanding to 77.8 cubic feet with the seats folded. The Cross Sport also featured a standard 60/40 split-folding second row with backrest recline, and SE with Technology trims included a foot-activated tailgate for ease of access.

By 2020, the Honda CR-V was showing its age technologically. The base LX trim came with a 5-inch screen, offering minimal features, while higher trims sported a modest 7-inch touchscreen that paled in comparison to competitors. The infotainment system lacked hard buttons, making operations cumbersome, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto were clunky additions. However, the EX trim and above offered ample USB ports and a wireless phone charger in the Touring trim to keep devices powered.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport offered two infotainment systems: a 6.5-inch touchscreen MIB2 system in the base trim and an 8-inch MIB3 system in higher trims. The MIB3 added multiple-device pairing, updated voice recognition, and additional USB ports. Higher trims, like the SEL Premium, included the Volkswagen Digital Cockpit with a 10-inch display, and a 12-speaker Fender audio system. Despite the new system’s capabilities, it was slow to load, and voice recognition required manual touchscreen activation. The Digital Cockpit display, however, stood out for its configurability, which allowed drivers to switch between traditional gauges and text-based displays.

The 2020 Honda CR-V came equipped with the Honda Sensing suite of safety features, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, road-departure mitigation, and adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assist, all standard even on the base LX trim. The CR-V earned a five-star rating from NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick from IIHS, although the latter came with caveats due to marginal headlight performance on non-Touring trims.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport also scored top “Good” ratings in IIHS crash tests but received mixed headlight ratings, with only higher trims achieving a “Good” score. NHTSA awarded it a five-star overall rating. Standard safety features included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert, with optional features like adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and parking assist. Unique to VW was the Automatic Post-Collision Braking and Intelligent Crash Response System, which enhanced post-crash safety.