2021 Volkswagen Atlas vs 2020 Lincoln Navigator

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator stood out with its luxurious design elements, including a lattice-type grille insert and an illuminated Lincoln star logo. Designers differentiated it from the Ford Expedition with unique front and rear styling, and the Lincoln Embrace lighting system that welcomed owners. The Navigator's interior featured high-quality materials, a panoramic glass roof, and mid-century modern styling cues. The test vehicle, a standard-length Navigator Reserve with 4WD, boasted a Dark Slate leather interior and 30-way Perfect Position front seats, making it a convincingly luxurious flagship SUV.

In contrast, the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas received a styling refresh with new front and rear bumpers, standard LED headlights and taillights, and a new grille. The Atlas had a more extroverted look compared to its predecessor, although the fake chrome exhaust tips were less appealing. The interior took a minimalist approach, with sensibly laid-out controls and a standard seven-seat configuration. However, material quality in the mid-level SE with Technology trim was below average, with cheap-feeling plastics and unconvincing simulated wood and metal trim.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator featured a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. It offered multiple drive modes and a maximum towing capacity of 8,700 pounds with RWD and 8,300 pounds with 4WD. The Navigator's acceleration was strong, and its adaptive damping suspension provided excellent body motion control, though it struggled with impact harshness on imperfect roads. Fuel economy averaged 16.4 mpg on the testing loop, with an EPA rating of 18 mpg combined.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas offered two engine options: a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four with 235 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, and a 3.6-liter VR6 with 276 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque. Both engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, with standard FWD or optional 4Motion AWD. The base engine's performance was underwhelming, with rough shifts and poor ride quality. The VR6 models had a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds, while the four-cylinder models were limited to 2,000 pounds. Fuel economy for the four-cylinder models was 22 mpg combined with FWD and 21 mpg with AWD, while the VR6 models achieved 19 mpg combined with FWD and 18 mpg with AWD.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator offered ample interior space, with 30-way Perfect Position front seats and a choice between a three-person bench or two-passenger captain's chairs in the second row. The third-row seat provided class-leading legroom and thigh support. Cargo volumes were also impressive, with 19.3 cubic feet behind the third row, 57.5 cubic feet behind the second row, and a maximum of 103.3 cubic feet in the standard-length model. The longer Navigator L increased these measurements to 34.3, 73.3, and 120.2 cubic feet, respectively.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas provided average passenger and cargo space for its segment, with 96.8 cubic feet behind the front seats and 20.6 cubic feet with all seats up. The third-row legroom was better than most competitors, but the second-row legroom was the worst in its class. The standard second-row bench seat was uncomfortable, with thin, flat cushions. The Atlas featured a tall driving position, but forward visibility was less than optimal. It offered up to five USB ports, an optional wireless charging pad, and up to 17 cupholders.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator's Sync 3 infotainment system was its least impressive feature, with slow content loading. However, it offered Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Lincoln Connect services, and wireless device charging. The Reserve's Luxury Package included a 20-speaker Revel Ultima audio system, a surround-view camera system, and a head-up display. The Navigator also featured "Phone As A Key" technology, transforming a smartphone into the vehicle key.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas came with Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility. The base S trim had a 6.5-inch infotainment touchscreen, while other models had an 8-inch screen. Higher trim levels offered Volkswagen’s Digital Cockpit, a 10.3-inch reconfigurable digital display. The Atlas was set to receive the MIBIII infotainment system later in the model year, with improved voice recognition and multi-phone pairing capability. The SE with Technology trim had an 8-inch screen, but the displays were plain and text-heavy. A 12-speaker Fender audio system was available on higher trims, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot supported up to four devices.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator came standard with the Lincoln Co-Pilot360 suite of advanced driving assistance systems, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, and automatic high-beam headlights. The Reserve trim added adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability. The Navigator received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, though the RWD model had a three-star rollover resistance rating. The IIHS had not tested the 2020 model.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas received top ratings in all IIHS crash tests, except for a "marginal" rating for child-seat anchors and mixed headlight ratings. The NHTSA had not published ratings for the 2021 model, but the 2020 model received a five-star overall rating. Standard safety features included automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring, with adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist available on higher trims. The Atlas was set to receive more advanced driver aids later in the model year, including Travel Assist and Emergency Assist.