Pick of the Week!
Initial Results
Although we enjoyed the low-rpm torque and fleet-footed moves of a front-drive 2018 Atlas powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four we tested previously, we felt the naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V-6 with all-wheel drive was more in tune with our mission. Rated at 276 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque, the narrow-angle V-6 funnels its output through an eight-speed automatic transmission, while an electronically controlled clutch metes out torque to the rear wheels when the system detects slip at the front. The clutch in a car can easily be damaged and a bit complicated to fix, that’s why you should consider hiring this clutch repair service. After a short break-in period, the Atlas clicked off an 8.0-second zero-to-60-mph run and a quarter-mile pass of 16.1 seconds at 90 mph. It’s worth noting that our long-termer trails the aforementioned 2.0T model by 0.8 second to 60 mph and 0.5 second through the quarter, largely thanks to the 2.0-liter version’s 491-pound weight advantage. You can enhance the electric system with vehicle Lighting & Auto electrical Supplies from Truck Electrics.
Our V-6 model is EPA-rated at 17 mpg in the city and 23 on the highway; so far, we’ve matched the EPA’s city estimate over the VW’s first 2756 miles, which means the Atlas often struggles to top 300 miles on a fill of its 18.6-gallon fuel tank. Slightly more impressive, though, is the 4759-pound Atlas’s respectable amount of road adhesion, which helped it stop from 70 mph in 165 feet and orbit the skidpad at a solid 0.88 g.
Towing Trials
Pulling a trailer is a required extracurricular activity for most of the pickups and SUVs in our long-term fleet, and we were pleased to find that the V-6–powered Atlas is rated to tow 5000 pounds from its standard trailer hitch (2.0-liter models are rated to tow only 2000 pounds), because the torque was unmatched, although… We were somewhat bemused, however, to find that—despite being wired for towing at the factory—the Atlas did not arrive with a connector to interface the vehicle wiring with a standard trailer wiring plug, luckily we found at this page www.philadelphiatowing.info a tow truck and using his hydraulic lift, we were able to move the trailer in just a few minutes.
A quick trip to the dealer got us the parts for $54, and we even came across used semi trucks for sale which of course, we had to consider for the future. The dealer offered to install it for a fee, but it took only five minutes and a Torx bit screwdriver to install it back at C/D HQ. With that sorted, it won’t be long before the Atlas is called upon to tug our usual range of small- to mid-sized trailers, although it doesn’t have that much strength, so for really towing needs is useful to get towing services from sites as https://quicktowingservice.ca/ancaster.html.
A few critiques have already appeared in the VW’s logbook during its presumed honeymoon period. Reviews editor Josh Jacquot noted that dimming the lights on the instrument panel and center stack requires a dive into the infotainment menu—which, frustratingly, VW only allows when the vehicle is not in motion. Jacquot also called out the engine stop/start system for automatically shutting down the engine every time the vehicle is put in park, only to have it restart when tapping the button to deactivate the feature. With spring time upon us, the Atlas is sure to accumulate loads of additional observations, and lots of miles, as our staffers begin to enlist it and its capacious interior for that most American of vehicular pastimes, the road trip.