2021 Volkswagen Atlas vs 2021 Ford Bronco Sport

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas received a styling refresh that included new front and rear bumpers, standard LED headlights and taillights, and a new grille shared with the two-row Atlas Cross Sport model. These changes added 2.4 inches to the length of the Atlas, giving it a more extroverted look compared to the conservatively-styled 2020 model. The R-Line trim package added sportier-looking front and rear bumpers, as well as side skirts. Despite these updates, the Atlas still rode on the same MQB platform as before, which is used by most current VW models. The interior of the Atlas took a minimalist approach, with a standard seating configuration of seven seats across three rows. However, the material quality on the mid-level SE with Technology trim was below average, with cheap-feeling plastics and simulated wood and metal trim.

The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, a smaller sibling to the resurrected Bronco, captured some of the same styling cues but was a frameless crossover with a more suburban focus. It featured a modern retro look that wouldn’t be out of place in the Land Rover lineup. The Bronco Sport had a short front overhang for a better approach angle and tall fender wells designed for trail driving. The front end echoed the larger Bronco, and bold white lettering on the grille and tailgate announced the vehicle’s name. The interior was tastefully rugged with an uncluttered design, featuring an 8-inch infotainment screen and a rotary gear selector in the center console. The interior trim stepped up from cloth seats to leather-trimmed, heated sport-contour bucket seats, and Navy Pier Leather power front seats on the First Edition.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas offered two engine options. The standard 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four produced 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque on premium fuel. A 3.6-liter VR6, available on SE with Technology and higher trim levels, was rated at 276 hp and 266 lb-ft. Both engines were coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission, with standard front-wheel drive (FWD) or optional 4Motion all-wheel drive (AWD). The 4Motion system could send power to the rear wheels when needed. However, 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 had an Active Control feature with different drive modes, but it lacked a four-wheel drive (4WD) system with low range, making it better suited for pavement than off-road trails. VR6 models could tow up to 5,000 pounds, while four-cylinder models were rated to tow 2,000 pounds. Fuel economy for the four-cylinder models was 22 mpg combined with FWD and 21 mpg with AWD, while VR6 models were rated at 19 mpg combined with FWD and 18 mpg with AWD.

The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport offered two engine choices tied to trim levels. The Base, Big Bend, and Outer Banks trims featured a 1.5-liter EcoBoost turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 181 horsepower and 190 pound-feet of torque. The Badlands and First Edition models came with a 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engine putting out 245 hp and 275 lb-ft. All Bronco Sport models had an eight-speed automatic transmission and AWD, along with a terrain management system with up to seven available G.O.A.T. modes. The Bronco Sport performed well off-road, with a short wheelbase, generous suspension travel, and decent ground clearance. The 2.0-liter engine was better suited to the Bronco Sport’s character, while the 1.5-liter engine could sound strained when pressed hard.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas was designed as a family hauler with three rows of 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. 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. Ultrasonic parking sensors were standard, with low-speed automatic braking and active park assist available on higher trim levels.

The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport offered clever features for active buyers, including cargo space designed to hold two 27.5-inch-wheel mountain bikes. Ford launched a catalog of over 100 factory and aftermarket accessories for the Bronco Sport. The roof could hold up to 150 pounds (100 with moonroof), and the 2.0-liter engine could tow up to 2,200 pounds, while the 1.5-liter engine could tow 2,000 pounds. The cargo hold featured a flip-up rear glass, an optional cargo management package with a slide-out work table, a 400-watt inverter, and liftgate floodlamps. The front cabin had ample storage compartments, but taller drivers might find outward visibility challenging. The Bronco Sport had a terrain management system with G.O.A.T. modes, providing traction control, anti-lock braking, and electronic stability control.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas came with Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone compatibility. The base S trim level had a 6.5-inch infotainment touchscreen, while other models had an 8-inch screen. Volkswagen’s Digital Cockpit was available on higher trim levels, replacing analog gauges with a 10.3-inch reconfigurable digital display. The Atlas was set to receive VW’s new MIBIII infotainment system later in the 2021 model year, which added multi-phone pairing capability, improved voice recognition, and a redesigned navigation system. The base six-speaker audio system was decent, with a 12-speaker Fender audio system available on SEL and higher trim levels. A built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot was new for 2021, supporting up to four devices.

The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport featured the latest versions of Ford’s infotainment systems. The 8-inch infotainment touchscreen connected to SYNC 3, compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and had available Ford+Alexa and SiriusXM capability. FordConnect with 4G LTE WiFi hotspot was standard. The base audio system was an AM/FM stereo with six speakers, with a Bang & Olufsen sound system available on Outer Banks and above trim levels. The Bronco Sport had a terrain management system with G.O.A.T. modes, with Base, Big Bend, and Outer Banks trims getting five drive modes, and Badlands and First Edition models adding Mud/Ruts and Rock Crawl modes. Intelligent access with push-button start was included with all trim levels except Base, and higher trims featured a 6.5-inch digital instrument panel.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas received the top “good” rating in all Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash tests, but with a “marginal” rating for child-seat anchors and mixed headlight ratings. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) hadn’t published ratings for the 2021 Atlas, but the similar 2020 model received a five-star overall rating. Every 2021 Atlas trim level had standard automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring, with adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist available on higher trim levels. The Atlas was set to receive more sophisticated driver aids later in the model year, including Travel Assist and Emergency Assist on SEL and SEL Premium trim levels.

The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport came standard with the Ford Co-Pilot360 suite of safety features, including pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, dynamic brake support, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, auto high-beam headlamps, and a reversing camera. Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist+ was available on all trim levels except Base, adding adaptive cruise control, evasive steering assist, a voice-activated touchscreen navigation system, SiriusXM Traffic and Travel Link, and road-sign recognition. Trailer sway control was included as part of the available tow package. AWD was standard on all Bronco Sport models, enhancing safety with traction control, anti-lock braking, and electronic stability control. Neither IIHS nor NHTSA had revealed ratings for the Bronco Sport’s crash-worthiness yet.