Volkswagen Atlas vs Cadillac XT6

The 2022 Cadillac XT6 Premium Luxury test vehicle arrived with polished 20-inch alloy wheels, Stellar Black paint, and a Jet Black semi-aniline premium leather interior. It exuded a sense of sophistication, making one feel as if they should be dressed in a black suit and tie, ready to chauffeur someone important. The XT6's design was conservatively tailored, fitting well with Cadillac's lineup, though some details like the towering front running lights and GMC-like taillights made it appear too tall and narrow.

Cadillac offered the XT6 in Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Sport trims, with prices starting just under $50,000. Our test vehicle, loaded with options including Super Cruise and Night Vision technologies, had an MSRP of $73,565. Despite the rich materials and sophisticated driving assistance technology, the interior didn't look as luxurious as expected for its price. The analog gauges and 8-inch touchscreen display felt outdated compared to competitors, and the overall layout seemed more fitting for a lower-priced GM crossover.

Volkswagen made minor updates to the 2022 Atlas, simplifying the lineup to SE, SE with Technology, SEL, SEL R-Line, SEL R-Line Black, and SEL Premium R-Line trims. Our test vehicle, an SEL Premium R-Line, featured 21-inch wheels and Aurora Red paint, priced at $53,790. The Atlas's big and boxy design was appealing, though some wheel choices didn't match its bold styling.

Inside, the Atlas displayed simplicity with a premium flair, though many materials felt low-cost. The amount of hard, shiny plastic was disappointing for an SUV nearing $54,000. Storage areas needed linings to prevent noise and vibration, and low-gloss coatings would have improved perceived quality. Despite these drawbacks, the Atlas's interior design was excellent, offering a roomy and comfortable space for passengers.

The 2022 Cadillac XT6 employed the same engines as the GMC Acadia. The base model featured a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. This engine was less powerful than the base engines in the Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90. The Premium Luxury and Sport trims used a 3.6-liter V6 engine producing 310 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque, also paired with a nine-speed automatic. While the V6 was sufficiently powerful, it lacked the turbocharged zing of competitors' engines.

Our test vehicle had AWD, with the option to switch between FWD and AWD modes, as well as Tour and Sport driving modes. The V6 engine provided a good balance of power and refinement, though the XT6's driving dynamics leaned more towards serenity than excitement. The adaptive-damping performance suspension and 20-inch wheels offered a comfortable ride, but the XT6 wasn't particularly enjoyable to drive. Fuel economy for the V6 AWD model was rated at 21 mpg combined, with our test vehicle achieving 19.5 mpg.

The 2022 Volkswagen Atlas offered a standard turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This engine required premium fuel for maximum output and had a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds. The EPA fuel economy rating was 22-23 mpg combined. The optional 3.6-liter V6 engine produced 276 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque, with a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds. Fuel economy for the V6 was rated at 19-20 mpg combined, with our test vehicle achieving 19.6 mpg.

Drivers could choose between Eco, Normal, Sport, and Individual driving modes, with additional Active Control calibrations for the 4Motion AWD system. The Atlas's driving dynamics were generally sound, though the V6 engine felt underpowered and lacked refinement. The SEL Premium R-Line's 21-inch wheels provided impressive grip but transmitted road imperfections to the cabin, resulting in a busy ride. The Atlas's handling was fundamentally sound, but an adaptive-damping suspension option would have improved ride quality on undulating pavement.

The 2022 Cadillac XT6's interior felt narrower than expected, with comfortable power-adjustable seats wrapped in semi-aniline leather. The second-row captain's chairs offered good legroom, but the third-row seat was cramped for adults. Storage space was decent but unremarkable, with a small cubby on the dashboard and a bin under the center armrest. Cargo space behind the third-row seat was 12.6 cubic feet, expanding to 43.1 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 78.7 cubic feet with both the second and third rows folded.

The 2022 Volkswagen Atlas offered a roomy interior with comfortable seats, accommodating seven passengers with ease. The step-in height was relatively low, making it easy to enter and exit. The Atlas SE with Technology added tri-zone automatic climate control, while the SEL trim included ambient cabin lighting, an eight-way power-adjustable front passenger seat, and a panoramic sunroof. Genuine leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated second-row seats were available with the SEL Premium R-Line trim.

Cargo space in the Atlas was exceptional, with 20.6 cubic feet behind the third-row seat, 55.5 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 96.8 cubic feet with both the second and third rows folded. The Atlas also featured numerous storage areas, though many were unlined, causing items to slide around and create noise.

The 2022 Cadillac XT6 offered impressive features like a digital rearview mirror, Night Vision system, and Super Cruise hands-free highway driving-assistance system. However, it lacked digital gauges, instead featuring analog gauges with a driver information display. The 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system was behind the times in terms of display size, but the software was excellent, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, connected services, and an available embedded navigation system. The Bose Performance Series premium audio system sounded great, but the head-up display was small and unimpressive.

The 2022 Volkswagen Atlas included the Volkswagen Digital Cockpit instrument cluster as standard, with an 8-inch display on lower trims and a 10.25-inch display on higher trims. The Atlas SE had a 6.5-inch touchscreen with last-generation infotainment, while other trims featured the next-generation MIB3 infotainment system with an 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, and Car-Net connected services. The SEL Premium R-Line trim included a 12-speaker Fender premium sound system.

The user experience with the Atlas's infotainment system had some drawbacks, such as slow loading times and a cumbersome process for tuning the radio. The natural voice recognition capability required a subscription to the Car-Net Hotspot plan and Speech Plus, which was not always reliable. Despite these issues, the Atlas offered a comprehensive suite of connected services and a user-friendly interface.

The 2022 Cadillac XT6 came with a comprehensive list of safety features, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. The available Super Cruise system allowed for hands-free highway driving, though it had limitations and required the driver to remain attentive. The XT6 received a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS and five-star ratings from the NHTSA in all crash-test evaluations.

The 2022 Volkswagen Atlas also offered an impressive array of safety features, including automatic post-collision braking, forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Higher trims added adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, and Travel Assist. The Atlas received decent crash-test ratings but did not earn a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS. The NHTSA awarded the Atlas four-star ratings for the driver and front passenger in frontal-impact tests.