2025 Volkswagen Atlas vs 2025 Lexus GX

The 2025 Volkswagen Atlas was available in Canada in four trim levels: Comfortline, Peak Edition, Highline, and Execline. The Peak Edition had an off-road-ready appearance, while the Execline was the sportiest with the most standard equipment. A five-passenger version, the Atlas Cross Sport, offered a more rakish design but was otherwise similar to the three-row Atlas. Prices ranged from $50,995 to $60,995, excluding destination charges and fees. The Atlas Execline, tested in Mountain Lake Blue with a Shetland Beige leather interior, showcased a chiseled, upscale look with polished aluminum detailing, light bars, and 21-inch wheels. Inside, diamond-stitched leather, metallic accents, and artificial wood created a warm environment, complemented by digital instrumentation and a large infotainment touchscreen. However, touch-sensitive controls for temperature and stereo volume were less satisfying, especially in winter conditions.

The 2025 Lexus GX underwent a complete redesign for the 2024 model year, presenting a striking new look reminiscent of old-school Land Rover designs. Its boxy shape, LED headlights, and large grille gave it a brawny appearance, enhanced by 33-inch tires on matte grey 18-inch wheels and a raised ride height. Inside, the GX offered a clean, elegant, and luxurious environment with quality switchgear and chic design elements. The front and rear seats provided ample headroom, and the head-up display was adjustable for perfect visibility. The seats, made of stitched black and tan faux leather, featured heating, ventilation, and massaging functions. Overall visibility was excellent, thanks to tall windows and the elevated ride height of the Overtrail+ package.

The 2025 Volkswagen Atlas featured a new turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, replacing the previous V6 and offering 269 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. Paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and VW’s 4Motion AWD system, the engine provided a refined driving experience. Despite initial concerns about its power, the engine proved satisfying for daily driving, especially in Sport mode. However, fuel economy was less impressive, with the Atlas returning 15.2 litres per 100 kilometres in city traffic and 12.3 L/100 km overall. Ride quality was a downside, with the suspension feeling brittle over road imperfections and excessive body motions at highway speeds. Nevertheless, the Atlas handled predictably on mountain roads, with responsive brakes and steering.

The 2025 Lexus GX came equipped with a twin-turbo 3.4-litre V6, producing 349 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. This engine, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission and full-time 4WD, offered robust performance, achieving 0-100 km/h in approximately 6.5 seconds. The GX’s fuel economy was rated at 15.3 L/100 km in the city and 11.2 on the highway, but real-world driving averaged 19.0 L/100 km. Despite its weight, the GX felt agile, with a chassis featuring adaptive dampers and all-terrain tires. Off-road, the GX excelled, with features like a low gear range, locking centre differential, and downhill assist control, making it a formidable off-road vehicle.

The 2025 Volkswagen Atlas excelled in form and function, offering a spacious interior with a comfortable third-row seat and a cavernous cargo area. The Execline model featured heated, ventilated, and massaging front seats, though the leather felt slightly stiff. Visibility was excellent, aided by large mirrors and a surround-view camera system. The second-row bench seat accommodated three adults comfortably, with ample legroom and a panoramic sunroof overhead. Access to the third-row seat was easy, and the cargo space was impressive, with 583 litres behind the third row and up to 2,735 litres with the second and third rows folded.

The 2025 Lexus GX provided a spacious interior, with generous headroom and legroom for front and rear passengers. The GX’s cargo space was a highlight, offering 291 litres with all seats deployed, 1,138 litres with the third row stowed, and 2,177 litres with both rows folded. The Overtrail packages, without a third row, offered up to 2,563 litres of space. The GX’s towing capacity was 4,111 kilograms, making it suitable for adventurous outings. Despite its size, the GX was easy to park, with a width of 1,999 millimetres and a length of 5,005 millimetres.

The 2025 Volkswagen Atlas featured VW Group’s MIB3 operating system on a 12-inch touchscreen display. While it offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the lack of traditional controls and a reliable native voice assistant made the system less user-friendly. The Harman Kardon audio system provided excellent sound quality, but the MIB3 system had glitches, such as incorrect song titles on SiriusXM radio. The system’s predictive nature often led to confusion, making smartphone integration a more satisfying option.

The 2025 Lexus GX boasted a user-friendly infotainment system with a 12.3-inch gauge cluster and a 14-inch touchscreen. The system offered wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth, with seamless pairing. The Mark Levinson Premium Audio system, available on higher trims, delivered good audio quality. The GX also featured six USB-C ports for connectivity and charging, with cooling available in the armrest storage on select packages.

The 2025 Volkswagen Atlas came with standard IQ.Drive driver assistance features, including Front Assist, Side Assist, Lane Assist, Emergency Assist, and Travel Assist. Adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability and a rear cross-traffic alert system were also standard. The Atlas earned a five-star overall safety rating from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and was a 2024 IIHS “Top Safety Pick.”

The 2025 Lexus GX featured the Lexus Safety System+ 3.0, with adaptive cruise control, lane-centring assistance, road sign assist, lane-departure alert, automatic high-beams, rear cross-traffic alert, and blind-spot monitoring. The Overtrail+ package included pedestrian detection. The GX also offered a 360-degree camera system and trail-viewing cameras for off-road visibility. It had not been rated by the IIHS or NHTSA at the time of writing but included 10 airbags for occupant protection.