2024 Volkswagen Atlas Peak Edition Off-Road Review

We test the off-road capabilities of the all-new 2024 VW Altas Peak Edition. Is this off-road-ready trim more than just a badge? We put it to the test on our newest off-road course.
#volkswagen #offroad #vwatlas
Get a VIP Pass for Driving Sports TV on KZbin:
/ @drivingsports
Driving Sports produces exclusive automotive reviews, news and motor sports for broadcast, web, mobile and set-top boxes. Do not use our video content without permission. All rights are reserved.
Equipment used to make this video:
Canon R5: amzn.to/2KcwacW
Canon R6: amzn.to/33xLpUa
Canon 24-105mm f/4: amzn.to/2Jx0I8e
BlackMagic Ursa 4.6k G2: amzn.to/37poIm6
Sony RX0II (in-car camera) amzn.to/2NCfWbp
Rode Go Wireless mic amzn.to/364zLP5
GoPro amzn.to/2RrdNjT
Aputure Amaran AL-MW LED amzn.to/3lZHbfP
Follow us:
Facebook: / drivingsports
Twitter: / drivingsports
Official Site: www.drivingspor...

[@Marty1984]

If I wanna see what off road cars can do, I watch your YT channel. Thanks for all your great work. You are still No.1 at serious off road tests. Thank you very much!

[@AndyNC]

Picked mine up last week... very nice so far. I knew it is not a real Offroader. It is too luxurious for that anyway. I liked the trim and the color. I like the captain seats on the second row and that there is a real 3rd row to use with grown ups if needed. I do minimal off-roading with it and I would never expect that this Atlas would be a great offroad performer like a 4runner. There is always something that you miss and would like to have... overall I am very happy with this Atlas.

[@carbonbased5041]

Great review again. It highlights all the important details from the off road perspective. I like the gentle way you push cars right upto, but never over the limits.

[@christophersoutherlin2631]

Fantastic! Another SUV with all terrain tires, hardcore all-terrain plastic trim pieces, and no full-size spare tire. Can't wait to drive down the mountain with a donut spare tire.

[@MrPziddy]

I agree with you that this spec looks great. More like a nice appearance trim... I know it was slow but miss the VR6 engine for this.

[@Traumatree]

We miss the VR6 for a LOT of things! ;)

[@lukiw7044]

Approach angle should be better in this kind of vehicle with this trim. Great off road review as always. Greetings

[@rightlanehog3151]

Ryan, Thanks for the quick peek at the Peak. 😉

[@JulezWinnfield]

My interest is piqued.

[@rightlanehog3151]

@@JulezWinnfield Now that you mention it, I probably should have written - My interest is really piqued by this peek at the Peak.

[@JulezWinnfield]

@@rightlanehog3151 I'll raise a cup of Gold Peak tea in honor of the Peak Edition.

[@artmac9181]

Great review! I’ve always liked the way the Atlas looks but I don’t think I’d ever take it through some rough terrain like that but I’m glad you do.

[@flippypippy1851]

If you didn’t already test the Pilot Trailsport on the trails in this video can you please try to do so?

[@Buckeye996]

Second this

[@nevv8581]

Honestly, one of the only manufacturers that made an effort in this segment to make their SUV off road capable is Honda with the 2023 and newer Pilot Trailsport edition. 1” lift, skid plates designed to hold 2.5 the vehicle’s weight, recovery points, stronger i-VTM and differential, great driver mode choices for different situations, good all terrain tires and a naturally aspirated V6. If that suits your needs it’s a great choice. Nissan pathfinder tried as well.

[@cuneyt4313]

I love your videos. Just got obsessed with your Raptor Ranger videos!🎉

[@justinrucinski]

Can't blame Volkswagen for capitalizing on the fact that many buyers only care about looking like they go off-road instead of actually being able to. Style over substance seems to be the trend in America unfortunately.

[@bradbaraniuk4085]

love watching your videos on veichles that are mild off roaders,i have a rav4 and thats basically what i do.keep it up

[@Bryan-dj7oh]

Ryan, you’re the best! Love your channel and your thorough reviews. I hate all these SUVs with small turbos. I love my 2021 TRD Pro Sequoia. 5.7 V8 goes through the gas for sure though. Sometimes I wish it was AWD because it is hard to make tight turns in 4H when it snows here in the Northern Cali mtns

[@charlesnickell7257]

I went up to capital forest about a week ago and helped a family that's has this VW atlas they was stuck from being high center

[@TheMrJourneyer]

Love watching all of these - and love it when a new episode is up!

[@dcam456]

I guess you can sorta look cool in the pickup line at school but that’s about it. This trim is a complete waste of money.

[@bryanmauroner3347]

Overall the Peak Edition did a great job 👍 From a Touareg owner’s perspective. I do believe Volkswagen needs to dial it up a notch moving forward. Better Tires, higher ground clearance, and underbody protection. Conclusion I would grade this a B- . I definitely do believe buyers are looking for more capable focused Factory options.

[@trudgyhd]

Would love to see a New Mitsubishi outlander(PHEV best) on your trails and how the different drive modes work in those situations.

[@todor92]

If someone gets VW for any offroad purposes.. he must be on expired crystals, lmao

[@dwb468]

Alex, I'll take "Cynical Cash Grab" for $2,000 please.

[@mattheviewer]

Surprising about the body creaks... This seems more of a "badge" vehicle than one modified for mild off road use (ala Subaru Wilderness, etc).

[@reserva120]

Going back over 23 years ago - The Tourage .. by the Dr guy ( if I recall VW fired him somewhat unceremoniously).. Made it to be the real deal off road - Before release.. :) times are a changing :)

[@EZapar]

Those of you who say "keep the wheels straight." lol. I would never!

[@kevincraftsbcs4488]

The creaking must be coming from that large panoramic sunroof opening. Good all wheel drive system but the geometry is not up for off roading.

[@JFischer85]

There is no front facing camera on SEL Peak Edition.

[@TumerBerk]

They used to have air suspension on Touaregs that was adding up way more clearence to the already sufficient clearance.

[@bradbaraniuk4085]

after watching this seems the subarus wildrness edition might be the only off roady edition might get through these new courses.cant wait to see other vehicles example hondas trailsport.with there version ivt4m or what ever its called

[@Rich-xq3uv]

There's a few people out there think they're buying a new cross-over and have no idea it was thrashed on Ryan's off-road coarse or the Rubicon Trail LOL.

[@drivingsports]

These are manufacturer testers that are often crushed at 10k miles.

[@Rich-xq3uv]

@@drivingsports Good to know LOL . Thanks!

[@JRs-guitars]

Great video. I'm very underwhelmed by this though. Definitely a money grab appearance package.

[@petraws5911]

Pretty sure with proper off road tires it could manage to drive up to the difficult part . Even just a simple SUV without trail badge could drive over the difficult one with proper off road tires , like a VW T-Rock or a Yaris cross or even an XC60

[@TexasStormChaser]

This video isn't about testing a special off road edition. It's to show you what just any regular crossover can do.

[@fartman10284]

All Atlas has 5th gen Haldex. My old 2016 Tiguan even had the 5th gen Haldex, minus the off-road modes. that Tiguan I had, had 6.9" of ground clearance, which is at below the engine, at the belly pan

[@0HOON0]

10:03 Front left spinning forward. Rear left rolling backward. Traction control couldn't deal with this obstacle.

[@Traumatree]

Too low, too heavy, engine too small for such weight to displace on flat surface, so imagine in inclines == cash grab!

[@Rockybalboa541]

Tell that to the Toyota grand Highlander with a their turbo 4 being the majority of sales with that engine.

[@05Forenza]

The new 4cyl makes more torque than the old VR6.

[@reserva120]

What about the New Chevy traverse AT4 or whatever it’s called ??

[@alanmay7929]

@@Rockybalboa541 the gigantic Mercedes sprinter van has recently switched to only 2l turbo diesel engine and it actually performs better than the v6

[@Pamlicojdjdj1487]

@@alanmay7929Exactly. Welcome to the 21st century

[@gilmadrigal647]

This is the first video that I've heard the drone's propellers 7:11, just thought I comment on that

[@2tohn]

Thanks for pushing this car, because it capable

[@Kjhgr01]

Interesting vehicle for sure. But for me I can't get over the fake exhaust ports, no foggies and no independent rear turn signals.

[@Kareem-cx4fi]

I don't like this appearance branding they do, like their R-line, which looks sportier but is just appearance. Couldn't they have just given it a different suspension(doesn't even have to be anything fancy, just more offroad orriented), 9 inch lift, and a under body protection as a bare minimum.? Just that would have reduced their profits that much that it wasn't worth it? Changing the shape of the front and rare end to improve approach and departure angles is more work and would affect the complexity of their production lines even more, so i understand not adding that unless that trim actually becomes popular enough to warrant doing more. But I can't get them not even trying to make this peak edition more capable than the regular atlas.

[@brianb7844]

This was on my list, but a visit to the Atlas Forum changed all that quickly. Seems a lot of owners with a lot of issues.

[@CrazyWeeMonkey]

I wonder if the creakiness is a result of it being on the same MQB platform as the Golf/Jetta (and like 500 other small VW-AG vehicles).

[@dachta1]

Don't know why, but I only see Telluride headlamp vibe

[@petergozinya6122]

What’s next ? An off road trim on the Toyota Prius ?

[@Pamlicojdjdj1487]

Porsche 911 Dakar. Look it up

[@jackhammerpka]

I'm not really interested enough to do a breakdown of what you get for those 2000$ vs if you paid for the options singularly, but that's really the deciding factor, if they had a 5 grand package with an actual lift and skid plates it'd be cool to see what the take rates are of each package, then you'd know what the buyer really values.....seems the same strategy has worked with their R badging that doesn't really ad any on road performance either, so same same

[@marlonmonsegue4853]

Seem like all the mainstream vehicles are guilty of so-called off-road/trail ready vehicles that are not equipped and incapable as their name suggest with the exception of subaru which is in my mind superior to all other offerings.

[@bearland7541]

after watching this vehicle’s performance, I really wonder how the Audi a4 all road’s off road capability are

[@KenCheng]

With only 2.0L Turbo but they're able to crank out 269hp/273 Torque??

[@2605155]

Car companies today make off road packages for those few with gravel driveways.

[@iwazaru8101]

Peak Edition? More like the "Peek" Edition - it lets you peek at the log cabin from afar because it can't get to it.

[@sship224]

Don’t think an extra inch would have helped that break-over on that long a vehicle. Inch and a half, with some protection would do wonders, along with a little bit better tire. VW should step it up a little. I own a new cross sport and find the engine to be pretty good so far. If they did those things, and offered it on the cross sport, I would consider. If you want a real off roader, there are of course better choices

[@koskos1971]

I see no reason to buy a SUV if it does not have offroad capabilities. A sedan is just fine .

[@Vanuatoo]

Could you please take 2025 Honda Passport TrailSport on the same course?

[@BB2001hjk]

Another fake fwd based crossover wishing it was a wrangle or 4 runner

[@hombre1mia]

Maybe you can test the Volkswagon Thing.

[@VincentZyp]

In todays Market, off-read trims or badges are just a couple options that effect the look more than performance. However they should represent performance not the look. Having the exact same capabilities as the standard version makes it mean less. VW looks like one of the worse offenders in this regards. I think Subaru does the best with mulit-terrain select, lifts(small) and other features pushing the off-road trim to higher performance. I also think Toyota with their TRD and trail hunter trims are starting to push past and have some new and upcoming vehicles that have the looks and the higher performance I would expect in getting a "off-road" trim on a on-road vehicle.

[@ismailmoharram16]

Is it me or the car sounded like it needed a new power steering pump?

[@segnokosi1878]

This thing should have at least a V6.

[@subazealand9158]

Why Americans pronounce it "Uolkswagen" when is more like "Folksvagen"... Glad that model isn't sold in many markets, I don't think we are missing much.

[@ashleylitebrite6971]

No thanks. They do look cool though.

[@Jcruzer70]

This thing isn't even a soft roader 😂😂

[@KevinSmith-wr1sy]

That was painful to watch. This thing needs to stick to the mall.

[@rememor]

Why no hybrid models…

[@keeponkeepinon76]

Because it is VW - they went straight to EV. Toyota's model is sure paying off!

[@matus201]

Oh VW, how far have you fallen? - Touareg owners

[@michaelptm2269]

Never would I ever buy another Volkswagen

[@Pamlicojdjdj1487]

🤷🏻

[@MrLustor]

My wife wants the new GMC Acadia. So I just subscribed and I'll be waiting for that review. Nice channel! 🫡

[@Pamlicojdjdj1487]

This trail is a walk in the park for a VW Touareg: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqmvZ32QfrR0rckfeature=shared

[@tylermacconnell217]

“It’s giving me a pretty good crawl ratio.” Sorry, this vehicle doesn’t have a 2 speed transfer case so therefore it doesn’t have a crawl ratio.

[@drivingsports]

The rate at which it crawls is a crawl ratio. It doesn’t need a two speed transfer case to have a number.

[@tylermacconnell217]

The definition of crawl ratio is lowest transmission gear ratio x axle ratio x transfer case gear reduction. If what you are saying is correct, every vehicle has a “crawl ratio” to include minivans and Priuses. That’s not what it’s intended use is. A small point I guess.

[@joes3689]

Technically all vehicles have a crawl ratio. If a vehicle does not have a transfer case then the transfer case ratio is not part of the equation. The crawl ratio is the ratio of torque at the wheels to the torque at the engine flywheel. It can be calculated by comparing the torque at the wheels to the torque at the flywheel while the vehicle is in its lowest possible combined gear. Here are some crawl ratio guidelines: Under 50: Most factory setups fall in this range. 50-60: Good for backroads and light trails. 80: Good for intermediate trails. 110-130: Ideal for crawling. Over 130: Excessive with little to no additional benefit. But I agree not really intended for all vehicles.

[@nlken7175]

This is a full on mall/mom vehicle.

[@Kjhgr01]

🤪🤣🤣Just like my 4Runner Limited... except that I can climb over a lot more!

[@KenCheng]

​@@Kjhgr01some of those speed bumps at the mall are crazy big

[@Kjhgr01]

@@KenCheng 🤣🤣

[@lawdog516]

Nothing more than a appearance package 😢

[@RLm-qh2cd]

Just floor it

[@perastotigautera1426]

a 2L turbocharged german piece of junk when you have the Honda Pilot option of a 3.5 Honda engine for the same price??..no wonder Germany is going down really fast!..

[@cuneyt4313]

They killed the V6, which is absolutely disappointing

[@haroldbeauchamp3770]

It was an absolute turd in this vehicle. Go search for some acceleration videos and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

[@2605155]

And blame the EPA

[@KingKong-]

Atlas V6 is a hidden gem......but slow to accelerate due to weight.🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[@cuneyt4313]

@@KingKong- we had the I4 engine, it’s not that fast either. I’d rather have the V6. Acceleration is not that important in this kind of car

[@Pamlicojdjdj1487]

@@haroldbeauchamp3770And fuel Thirsty in this application. The VR6 is an old engine dating from the 1990s

[@theblackhand6485]

Typical VW. You pay a lot and you get nothing. Car was to low, bad suspension, no bottom skit plates, and wrong tires. Oh and it is probable a rebadge and not even a VW.

[@maverickmig211]

This is NOT a car for outside of pavement. Disappointing to say the least!

[@brandonyen7837]

This car is not for off road it’s a passenger car and go somewhere on pavement only 😂

[@Em_Dee_Aitch]

This version is absolutely laughable and embarrassing.

[@Fitatstic]

It's a joke. I have a 2019 V6 with AT tires. First and last VW ever. Pieces of junk. Just looked at this Peak Edition joke of a trim yesterday (one of my many waste of time visits to dealership for warranty issues). This Atlas Peak Edition at an outrageous $55k, good looks is all you get. Off road and reliability is worthless. Getting a Honda or Subaru once the warranty is up.

[@Pamlicojdjdj1487]

Honda and Subaru have their own quality duds. Hopefully the grass is greener for You on that other side but prepared if is not😂

[@Fitatstic]

I've owned both before with triple the mileage and a fraction of the issues. Yes, they all have issues. VW Atlas is the worst, trust me.

[@Pamlicojdjdj1487]

@@Fitatstic Make no mistake, modern Subaru and Honda are not what they used to be.

[@Fitatstic]

Bad coils (cylinder 6 misfiring) Bad stabilizer links Broken steering wheel clips (twice) Bad sensors (multiple) Waterpump fail Shock issues and now potential drive shaft issue All under 40k miles.... Can't be any worse.

[@Pamlicojdjdj1487]

@@Fitatstic You had bad luck. My personal rule of thumb is: Only buy VWs made in Germany, not Mexico, not Tennessee. So far so good. Best of luck with your next ride.

[@moneyparhar]

Worse than Hyundai XRT

[@viacheslavkrasin3119]

Hyundai is sucking on that rout

[@rondail5675]

Sad poser!!

[@KingKong-]

Pay 51k for 2lit engine???😂😂😂😂😂😂😂.........now you know why VW shuts down plants😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜

[@Pamlicojdjdj1487]

? Well Atlas is made in the US (Chattanooga, TN) and is one best selling vehicles for VW in North America. What you are alluding to, has nothing to do with this Atlas or NA VW manufacturing plants but rather a misguided and poorly executed path to “Electrification” which was nothing more than a forced in and knee jerk reaction to the Dieselgate scandal from a decade ago. VW as any other player in the industry has to keep costs under control and they are reorganizing in Germany by closing 2 factories (Onasbruck and Dresden) that produce poor selling models (T-ROC and ID.3 EV) and concentrate resources back to ICE, PHEV and TDI. But the main problem they had was that 30 year old union agreement with IG Metall that basically guaranteed jobs for life to VW workers whether the manufacturer was doing well or not and at exorbitant pay rates. That is unsustainable in today’s business climate. So good for VW’s management board to void this worker union agreement and start issuing pink slips.

[@Pamlicojdjdj1487]

And many others have abandoned NA V6 engines in favor of 2 liter 4 cyl turbos in this segment, starting with Toyota. So you are implying that Toyota will also go bankrupt for replacing the V6 in the Highlander with a gutless 2 liter turbo that is selling like hot cakes, same as this Atlas?😂😂😂😂

[@KingKong-]

@@Pamlicojdjdj1487 Toyota has 2.5 lit Hybrid@ 35kmpl.........its far better than Atlas 2lit Corolla engine for $51k😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜

[@Pamlicojdjdj1487]

@@KingKong- 🤡🤡🤡😉😉😉😉

[@LetMeCook86]

Diesel gate. Never forget. Never buy VW.

[@Pamlicojdjdj1487]

And what do you drive? Let’s talk about the skeletons in the closet regarding your favorite car brand😂😂😂

[@bladerunner_92]

U speak too much

[@HyndsMax]

trash car who give VW self believe it worth 51k?

[@Pamlicojdjdj1487]

And what do you drive again?😂

[@aarsenalfan]

Big WASTE OF MONEY. 🥱

[@Pamlicojdjdj1487]

And what do you drive again? Let’s talk about your vehicle

[@aarsenalfan]

@@Pamlicojdjdj1487 NOT THAT GARBAGE, THAT'S FOR SURE.