2024 Volkswagen Atlas vs 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander

The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas underwent a styling refresh that enhanced its original design, dating back to the Volkswagen CrossBlue concept from 2013. This update included new lighting elements, most notably the light-up VW logos similar to those on the ID.4 electric crossover. The front logo illuminated in white, while the rear logo shone red. A front light bar connected to the daytime running lights, which were part of the new LED headlights reminiscent of those on a Ford Expedition. These subtle changes gave the Atlas a new "face," emphasizing American swagger over European influences. At the rear, the taillights seamlessly blended into a full-width light bar housing the illuminated logo. The Atlas also featured new wheel designs across all trim levels, with the Comfortline base model sporting 18-inch alloy wheels, the Highline 20-inch wheels, and the Execline 21-inch wheels. The Atlas Peak Edition joined the lineup, offering a more rugged appearance with black 18-inch wheels, all-terrain tires, and unique exterior colours. Inside, the Atlas received a revised look, with a freestanding infotainment touchscreen and a minimalist interior design that contrasted with its truck-like exterior. Volkswagen aimed to make the interior feel more upscale, with improved fake wood trim and new weaved plastic trim options. Leatherette seats were standard, while leather upholstery with contrast stitching was available on higher trims.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was a true crossover built on the TNGA-K platform, sharing its underpinnings with the regular Highlander, RAV4, Sienna, and Camry. It was not a body-on-frame vehicle, and its towing capacity was capped at 2,268 kilograms. The Grand Highlander was notably larger than its competitors, measuring 5,115 millimetres in length with a 2,950 mm wheelbase. Its design drew inspiration from rugged vehicles, featuring a blockier appearance compared to the smaller Highlander. The front showcased a trapezoidal grille with a smaller horizontal slit between narrow headlights, resembling the 4Runner. Toyota offered the Grand Highlander in three trims: XLE, Limited, and Platinum. Inside, the XLE trim featured black Softex synthetic leather, while the Limited and Platinum trims offered real leather. The Platinum Hybrid trim could be equipped with Portobello upholstery. The Grand Highlander excelled in comfort and build quality, with ample headroom, legroom, and shoulder room in all rows. It was a spacious and well-built road-trip vehicle, with a reputation for mechanical reliability.

The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas saw a reduction in powertrain options, leaving only a 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine. This engine produced 269 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, offering more torque than the previous VR6 engine. The engine was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive in Canada. The Atlas was quicker than the previous six-cylinder model, taking approximately 8.5 seconds to reach 100 km/h. While the driving experience focused on comfort and frugality, the four-cylinder engine provided smooth acceleration. The Atlas maintained its towing capacity of 2,268 kilograms, matching most rivals. The Peak Edition added all-terrain tires and an Offroad driving mode, but the 4Motion AWD system was primarily designed for pavement.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander offered three engine options. The 2.4-litre turbo four-cylinder engine produced 265 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. A 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid option delivered 245 combined net horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. The top-tier Hybrid Max powertrain generated 362 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. All powertrains came with all-wheel drive in Canada. The Hybrid Max provided impressive acceleration, with a zero-to-60 time of 6.3 seconds. The Grand Highlander prioritized comfort over sporty performance, with solid brakes and adequate acceleration. It featured three drive modes—Sport, Eco, and Normal—with additional modes for gas-only and Hybrid Max models. The Grand Highlander excelled in providing a comfortable and well-sorted driving experience.

The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas offered more standard features, including heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats, and a power liftgate. It provided seating for seven with a three-seat second-row bench that could split-fold, recline, and slide. Second-row captain's chairs were optional on higher trims. The Atlas boasted competitive headroom and legroom across all rows, with third-row legroom being the best in its class. Cargo space varied from 583 litres with all seats in place to 2,735 litres with the second and third rows folded.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was larger than its rivals, offering a spacious interior with a total cargo capacity of 2,761 litres. It provided 1,640 litres of cargo space behind the second-row seats and 583 litres with all three rows up. The Grand Highlander excelled in comfort, with ample headroom, legroom, and shoulder room in every row. It offered a comfortable and spacious alternative to minivans, with good outward visibility and easy access to the third row.

The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas featured a 12-inch touchscreen and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster as standard, along with wireless phone charging and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It offered up to eight USB-C ports and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system on higher trims. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with sharp graphics and a map view in the digital instrument cluster. However, the reliance on haptic touchpads for controls made them less intuitive to use.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander came with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, offering a visually stunning interface. An intelligent assistant and cloud-based navigation were available through a connected-services subscription. Standard features included dual-device Bluetooth connectivity and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Grand Highlander Limited and Platinum trims featured an 11-speaker JBL stereo. Streaming audio integration and Sirius XM satellite radio were also available.

The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in side crash testing and four stars in frontal and rollover tests. It featured standard driver assistance equipment, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, and adaptive cruise control. The Execline trim added park assist and a surround-view camera system. The Atlas also included features like automatic post-collision braking and an emergency assist feature.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander had not been crash-tested by the NHTSA or IIHS at the time of publication. However, it came with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, which included automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert with steering assist, lane-tracing assist, automatic high beams, road-sign recognition, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The Platinum grade offered traffic jam assist and a head-up display. Adaptive cruise control was standard, with four following-distance settings.