2021 Volkswagen Atlas vs 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE had a mixed reception regarding its exterior design. While it featured an aggressive nose and a sloping, low hood, the design seemed to lose its appeal past the A-pillar, making it almost indistinguishable from its predecessors. The flat taillights and contoured rear helped somewhat, but the overall look didn't match the stunning designs of Mercedes' sedans, coupes, and sports cars. Even in AMG trim, the GLE struggled to compete visually with rivals like the BMW X5 M and Porsche Cayenne Turbo. However, the interior was a different story. The 2021 GLE's cabin was a masterpiece of quality, layout, colors, and textures, featuring luxurious materials and advanced technology that made it feel more palatial than competitors.

In contrast, the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas received a styling refresh that included new front and rear bumpers, standard LED headlights and taillights, and a new grille. These changes gave the Atlas a more extroverted look compared to the conservatively-styled 2020 model. The R-Line trim package added sportier-looking front and rear bumpers and side skirts. Despite these cosmetic changes, the Atlas still rode on the same MQB platform, which was praised for its flexibility. The interior of the Atlas took a minimalist approach, with sensibly laid-out controls and a standard seating configuration of seven seats across three rows. However, the material quality in the mid-level SE with Technology trim was below average, with cheap-feeling plastics and simulated wood and metal trim that didn't impress.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE excelled as a multi-purpose vehicle with a complex suspension and engine setup. The base GLE 350 featured a 255-hp engine with 273 lb-ft of torque and rear-wheel drive, while other trims came with 4Matic all-wheel drive. The GLE 450 had a turbo 3.0-liter inline-six engine producing 362 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. The AMG GLE 53 took this engine to 429 hp and 384 lb-ft with an electric supercharger. The GLE 580 featured a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 with 483 hp and 516 lb-ft, and the AMG GLE 63 S topped the range with 603 hp and 627 lb-ft. The GLE's air suspension systems, including AIRMATIC and E-Active Body Control, provided exceptional ride quality and handling. However, fuel efficiency was not its strong suit, with the AMG GLE 53 averaging 16 mpg and the GLE 580 rated at 16 mpg city, 21 mpg highway, and 18 mpg combined.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas offered two engine options: a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four producing 235 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, and a 3.6-liter VR6 rated at 276 hp and 266 lb-ft. Both engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, with standard front-wheel drive and optional 4Motion all-wheel drive. The driving experience with the base 2.0-liter engine and AWD was underwhelming, with adequate acceleration but rough shifts and poor ride quality. The Atlas also had a truck-like handling despite its multilink independent rear suspension. AWD models featured an Active Control system with different drive modes, but these did not improve on-road handling. The VR6 models had a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds, while the four-cylinder models were limited to 2,000 pounds. Fuel economy was also unimpressive, with the four-cylinder models rated at 22 mpg combined with FWD and the VR6 models at 19 mpg combined with FWD.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE offered a spacious interior with optional third-row seating, allowing for up to seven passengers. The second-row seats had power controls for recline, fore-aft, and headrest adjustments, and could slide and fold for easier access to the third row. Cargo capacity was 34 cubic feet behind the second row and 75 cubic feet with all rows folded. The GLE Coupe, however, was limited to five passengers and had less cargo space due to its sloping roofline. The new MBUX infotainment system improved usability with a single touchpad and a simplified interface. Seat controls, rocker switches, and steering wheel shortcuts were easy to use, although the thumbpads on the steering wheel were fussier.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas was designed as a family hauler with three rows of seating and a standard configuration of seven seats. It offered 96.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the front seats and 20.6 cubic feet with all seats up. The Atlas provided more third-row legroom than most competitors, but at the expense of second-row legroom, which was the worst among its competitive set. The second-row bench seat was uncomfortable with thin, flat cushions. Folding and raising the second- and third-row seats was straightforward, and third-row access was easy thanks to a sliding second-row bench. The Atlas had a tall driving position, but forward visibility was less than optimal. It featured up to five USB ports, an optional wireless charging pad, and up to 17 cupholders.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE featured a 12-inch touchscreen with Interior Assistant, which could read certain hand gestures. The system included a touchpad, right thumbpad, and a simplified interface with search bars and larger type. The AMG models had a Track Pace app for virtual pit crew and GPS lap timing. The Seat Kinetics system made small adjustments while driving, and the car featured perfume canisters, Energizing Comfort, heated armrests, and bolsters that automatically inflated when steering. The head-up display and instrument panel were reconfigurable, and the ambient lighting had 64 colors. The navigation system projected the front camera feed with overlay arrows and street names. The GLE also had a natural voice assistant, semi-automated functionality, and standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

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 featured Volkswagen’s Digital Cockpit, a 10.3-inch reconfigurable digital display. The Atlas was set to receive VW’s new MIBIII infotainment system later in the model year, which included multi-phone pairing, improved voice recognition, and a redesigned navigation system. The base six-speaker audio system was decent, with an option to center the sound in a specific row. A 12-speaker Fender audio system was available on SEL and higher trims. The Atlas also had a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot that could support up to four devices.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE earned the best Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for scoring top ratings in six crash tests, for headlights, and for its standard forward emergency braking. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had not rated the GLE. Standard safety features included blind-spot monitoring and a driver attention monitor. Optional features included adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, evasive steering assist, front cross-traffic braking, and semi-automated control. The GLE also had Pre-Safe Sound, which played a "pink noise" to reduce hearing damage in a crash, and Pre-Safe Impulse Side, which could inflate the side bolsters of the front seats to better position a person's body from a side impact.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas received the top “good” rating in all IIHS crash tests, but with a “marginal” rating for child-seat anchors and mixed headlight ratings. The standard headlights were rated “marginal,” while the headlights on the SEL and SEL Premium trims were rated “good.” The NHTSA had not published ratings for the 2021 Atlas, but the 2020 model received a five-star overall rating. Standard safety features included automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring. Higher trim levels offered adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and a traffic-jam assist feature. Later in the model year, the Atlas was set to receive Travel Assist and Emergency Assist on SEL and SEL Premium trims.