Toyota Sequoia vs Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport

The 2025 Sequoia is Toyota’s full-size SUV, based on the same platform as the Tundra pickup truck and using the same i-Force Max hybrid powertrain. It seats up to eight people, holds up to 86.9 cubic feet of cargo, carries up to 1,730 pounds of payload, and tows up to 9,520 pounds of trailer. The new Sequoia 1794 Edition slots into the lineup as a Texas-themed luxury model, and it certainly is nice. But it cannot mask this SUV’s fundamental flaws.

Verdict: People buy full-size SUVs to carry lots of people, haul lots of cargo, and tow lots of weight. However, due to its packaging requirements, the Sequoia is a rock star only if you’re attaching a trailer to it, and even then, it’s not class-leading in capability.

Volkswagen's efforts to grow its appeal in the United States have developed over a long process of trial and error, but VW showed it finally understood American tastes when it launched the Atlas three-row crossover SUV. And because not everyone needs three rows, VW followed up the standard Atlas with the two-row Cross Sport for the 2020 model year. Both versions get a significant refresh for 2024.

The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport gets most of the same updates as its three-row sibling, including different styling, more standard features, and the discontinuation of its six-cylinder engine option in favor of a more powerful turbocharged four-cylinder engine. These changes are aimed at making the Cross Sport more competitive against other midsize crossovers like the Chevrolet Blazer and Honda Pilot, the aged Ford Edge and Nissan Murano, and the more truck-like Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The 2024 Atlas Cross Sport lineup includes SE, SE with Technology, SEL, SEL R-Line, and SEL Premium R-Line trim levels. We drove the range-topping SEL Premium R-Line for this review.

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