# Test drove an Atlas V6 4Motion



## Phil37 (Jul 5, 2015)

Today my family and I decided to test drive the Atlas V6 4Motion. We own a 2017 Golf Sportwagen and while it serves our family of 4 nicely, we realize that if we were to have another child something like an Atlas or Tiguan with a 3rd row would be a much better family cruiser. A couple months ago we test drove a $25,000 Tiguan and liked it. We also test drove a $50,000 Atlas V6 SEL Premium but dismissed it quickly because of the price. I remember thinking if only the Atlas were $5000-$7000 more than the Tiguan, I’d go for that. Well today after more research, I decided to try out the Atlas again in one of the more affordable trim levels. It was a 2019 V6 S 4Motion. Pretty basic for some but the $33,000 asking price was much more appealing to me. 

I have considered the 2.0 Turbo fwd because 1) I would never tow 2) I never go off road 3) I like the better fuel economy. That said, I came across one 2.0T within 200 miles in the past couple months and now it seems that I would need to drive to Maryland to purchase one. I liked the sub $27,500 out the door price and regret not jumping on it at the time. 

I guess I could go with the V6 4Montion and be happy if I could get one in basic S trim for $30k -$32k . I’ll keep looking. 

Has anyone test drove the 2.0 Turbo Atlas vs the V6 4Motion back to back and if so please share your thoughts.


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## sayemthree (Mar 2, 2006)

Phil37 said:


> Today my family and I decided to test drive the Atlas V6 4Motion. We own a 2017 Golf Sportwagen and while it serves our family of 4 nicely, we realize that if we were to have another child something like an Atlas or Tiguan with a 3rd row would be a much better family cruiser. A couple months ago we test drove a $25,000 Tiguan and liked it. We also test drove a $50,000 Atlas V6 SEL Premium but dismissed it quickly because of the price. I remember thinking if only the Atlas were $5000-$7000 more than the Tiguan, I’d go for that. Well today after more research, I decided to try out the Atlas again in one of the more affordable trim levels. It was a 2019 V6 S 4Motion. Pretty basic for some but the $33,000 asking price was much more appealing to me.
> 
> I have considered the 2.0 Turbo fwd because 1) I would never tow 2) I never go off road 3) I like the better fuel economy. That said, I came across one 2.0T within 200 miles in the past couple months and now it seems that I would need to drive to Maryland to purchase one. I liked the sub $27,500 out the door price and regret not jumping on it at the time.
> . I’ll keep looking.
> ...



The $25,000 to upgrade the atlas is nothing for the next child consider that each child will cost you $200,000 to $300,000 until they are 18 . Just get the Tiguan and be happy and not poor


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## Hfqkhal (Oct 14, 2018)

I would also like to add is that based on your side profile and living in Main, i would for sure suggest the 4motion. Now the Tiguan is a turbo you can later opt to tune it up and get higher HP and torque. The Atlas is for sure a large SUV and the MPG of the Tiguan is definitely a plus but it’s stock power might be on the low side. Bottom line you need to weight your priorities and then make the wise purchase that meets your needs. The 3rd row in the Tiguan does no have much room for other than real young kids.


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## vw671 (Mar 6, 2000)

I test drove the 2.0T and VR6 back to back and bought the 2.0T. To me it feels just as powerful as the VR6 and gets better gas mileage. The VR6 does sound better though.

I found a Certified pre-owned 2018 Atas 2.0T S and purchased it for $24,750. I wished it had more features like push button start and keyless entry but I guess I can't complain for the price.


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## Phil37 (Jul 5, 2015)

sayemthree said:


> The $25,000 to upgrade the atlas is nothing for the next child consider that each child will cost you $200,000 to $300,000 until they are 18 . Just get the Tiguan and be happy and not poor


Thanks for your input. The Tiguan with 3rd row is definitely not out of the question.


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## Phil37 (Jul 5, 2015)

Hfqkhal said:


> I would also like to add is that based on your side profile and living in Main, i would for sure suggest the 4motion. Now the Tiguan is a turbo you can later opt to tune it up and get higher HP and torque. The Atlas is for sure a large SUV and the MPG of the Tiguan is definitely a plus but it’s stock power might be on the low side. Bottom line you need to weight your priorities and then make the wise purchase that meets your needs. The 3rd row in the Tiguan does no have much room for other than real young kids.


Thanks for your input. I’m one of those very few here in Maine that think while 4Motion is definitely a plus, it’s not a must, at least not for my driving. The dealers however agree with you as it’s nearly impossible to find a FWD Atlas within 500 miles of Bangor, Maine. I came across one, a 2018 2.0T in Fortuna Red with black cloth interior for $27,388 out the door. That seemed great vs. the $25,000 Tiguan. I should have jumped on that a few weeks ago :banghead:

After test driving both the Tiguan w/ 3rd row and the Atlas we came to the conclusion that the Atlas could comfortably fit 7 people of my size (6 ft 220 lbs) and while the Tiguan can’t do that, we really don’t foresee any time that we might have that need. The Tiguan could very likely serve our needs.

We like both the Tiguan and Atlas and we would go with base trim which would keep the price down. We were originally leaning towards the Tiguan, but we’re thinking if we could get a base model Atlas within + $5000 -$6000 of a base model Tiguan, that might be the best logical move for us.


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## Phil37 (Jul 5, 2015)

vw671 said:


> I test drove the 2.0T and VR6 back to back and bought the 2.0T. To me it feels just as powerful as the VR6 and gets better gas mileage. The VR6 does sound better though.
> 
> I found a Certified pre-owned 2018 Atas 2.0T S and purchased it for $24,750. I wished it had more features like push button start and keyless entry but I guess I can't complain for the price.


Having owned mostly Turbo cars for the last 2 decades, I have been accustomed to that low end torque. The VR6 didn’t have that.


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## RCDheliracer (Jan 7, 2012)

Phil37 said:


> Thanks for your input. I’m one of those very few here in Maine that think while 4Motion is definitely a plus, it’s not a must, at least not for my driving. The dealers however agree with you as it’s nearly impossible to find a FWD Atlas within 500 miles of Bangor, Maine. I came across one, a 2018 2.0T in Fortuna Red with black cloth interior for $27,388 out the door. That seemed great vs. the $25,000 Tiguan. I should have jumped on that a few weeks ago :banghead:
> 
> After test driving both the Tiguan w/ 3rd row and the Atlas we came to the conclusion that the Atlas could comfortably fit 7 people of my size (6 ft 220 lbs) and while the Tiguan can’t do that, we really don’t foresee any time that we might have that need. The Tiguan could very likely serve our needs.
> 
> We like both the Tiguan and Atlas and we would go with base trim which would keep the price down. We were originally leaning towards the Tiguan, but we’re thinking if we could get a base model Atlas within + $5000 -$6000 of a base model Tiguan, that might be the best logical move for us.


Hello from a fellow Mainer 

Having driven both a 2.0 and a V6, I myself preferred the smoothness and sound of the V6 and went with that and 4Motion was a nice bonus. I also test drove a Tiguan while I was looking. I found the Tiguan to be a bit of a dog due to the version of the 2.0 that's in it and that was with just me and the sales person in it. Fully loaded, it would have been. It unfortunately isn't a simple tune like the Atlas to give it a power bump either. Of the available choices, I would suggest at least the Atlas. Room and power wise, you'll be much more happy I think. I have a good friend that works at a dealership down this way that would be more than happy to help you track down what you're looking for an have it delivered. She's sent vehicles as far as California so Bangor shouldn't be too far to send one lol.


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## D3Audi (Feb 18, 2016)

If you're not gonna be towing or offroading and you're concerned about fuel economy - get a tiguan 4Motion. My 2018 Tiguan SE 4motion gets about 34mpg highway, 28mpg combined, and about 22 in the city all on regular fuel when driving it nicely. If I drive like a douche then the fuel economy severely decreases because it's a heavy car with a small motor. It's also not a fast car but quick enough for daily life. 

I wanted an atlas S 4motion V6 but it would've been a bit out of my budget. But now I regret that I didnt make it work. The tiguan can only tow 1500lbs before VW voids the warranty. (If you tow more than that - even with trailer brakes). So my tiguan cant tow anything I need it to tow (my 18ft boat, utility trailer, etc). But other than that it is great. 

Something else to consider is that the Atlas is built in The United States whereas the Tiguan is built in Mexico.. I will tell you first hand that the quality control coming out of the Mexico plant is terrible. We actually have two 2018 tiguans and one 2018 GSW 4motion in my family. All have build quality issues of some kind. One of the tiguans was delivered with black trim on the passenger side and chrome trim on the driver side. My tiguan was delivered with ECE euro halogen headlights, and the golf's seats weren't fully assembled on delivery. Make sure you thoroughly inspect the vehicle and compare it to others on the lot to make sure there are no issues when you take delivery. 

I havent heard much about the Atlas quality control from Chattanooga so maybe someone can chime in about it. I bet it's better. 

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## Phil37 (Jul 5, 2015)

RCDheliracer said:


> Hello from a fellow Mainer
> 
> Having driven both a 2.0 and a V6, I myself preferred the smoothness and sound of the V6 and went with that and 4Motion was a nice bonus. I also test drove a Tiguan while I was looking. I found the Tiguan to be a bit of a dog due to the version of the 2.0 that's in it and that was with just me and the sales person in it. Fully loaded, it would have been. It unfortunately isn't a simple tune like the Atlas to give it a power bump either. Of the available choices, I would suggest at least the Atlas. Room and power wise, you'll be much more happy I think. I have a good friend that works at a dealership down this way that would be more than happy to help you track down what you're looking for an have it delivered. She's sent vehicles as far as California so Bangor shouldn't be too far to send one lol.


Hello fellow Mainer :wave:. 

Thanks. I might have to look into your suggestion of purchasing out of state and having it delivered. I’m finding a lot of Atlas in VA and MD cheaper than here in the Vacation land. I agree with you regarding the 2.0 TSI in the Tiguan. If only it had the same 2.0 as the Atlas, it would be so much more enjoyable to drive. The Atlas is an awesome family cruiser. It will likely be our next vehicle purchase. We’re looking at mostly the 2.0 TSI fwd S however the V6 4Motion S would also be an excellent choice at the right price.


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## RCDheliracer (Jan 7, 2012)

Phil37 said:


> Hello fellow Mainer :wave:.
> 
> Thanks. I might have to look into your suggestion of purchasing out of state and having it delivered. I’m finding a lot of Atlas in VA and MD cheaper than here in the Vacation land. I agree with you regarding the 2.0 TSI in the Tiguan. If only it had the same 2.0 as the Atlas, it would be so much more enjoyable to drive. The Atlas is an awesome family cruiser. It will likely be our next vehicle purchase. We’re looking at mostly the 2.0 TSI fwd S however the V6 4Motion S would also be an excellent choice at the right price.


V6 4Motion is SO nice. Super smooth and it's a tank in the snow lol. I was chatting with my Friend at Morong and she says that you can get a V6 4Motion S for just about the price of a 2.0T S.


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## knedrgr (Jun 6, 2011)

RCDheliracer said:


> V6 4Motion is SO nice. Super smooth and it's a tank in the snow lol. I was chatting with my Friend at Morong and she says that you can get a V6 4Motion S for just about the price of a 2.0T S.


4Motion can just power steer out of a corner. I know it's a family car, but too bad we can't adjust the torque split to be more rear bias. LOL.


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## Phil37 (Jul 5, 2015)

RCDheliracer said:


> V6 4Motion is SO nice. Super smooth and it's a tank in the snow lol. I was chatting with my Friend at Morong and she says that you can get a V6 4Motion S for just about the price of a 2.0T S.


Small world. Morong Falmouth is where I test drove the Atlas. They called me today and can get me a light Silver 2019 Atlas V6 S 4Motion with tow package for $31,500 plus tax. Seems like a fairly decent deal.


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## KarstGeo (Jan 19, 2018)

knedrgr said:


> 4Motion can just power steer out of a corner. I know it's a family car, but too bad we can't adjust the torque split to be more rear bias. LOL.


You can....OBDEleven.....


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## Hfqkhal (Oct 14, 2018)

Phil37 said:


> Small world. Morong Falmouth is where I test drove the Atlas. They called me today and can get me a light Silver 2019 Atlas V6 S 4Motion with tow package for $31,500 plus tax. Seems like a fairly decent deal.


that seems to be a good price taking into consideration the MSRP would be at least $35,640


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## Hfqkhal (Oct 14, 2018)

knedrgr said:


> 4Motion can just power steer out of a corner. I know it's a family car, but too bad we can't adjust the torque split to be more rear bias. LOL.





KarstGeo said:


> You can....OBDEleven.....


Were is that as I have not seen it yet?


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## RCDheliracer (Jan 7, 2012)

Haha, that's funny. They're great to work with and that is actually a decent deal. You definitely won't be unhappy with it


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## D3Audi (Feb 18, 2016)

Hfqkhal said:


> Were is that as I have not seen it yet?


It's called "increased traction". It does not make it rear biased. Instead it engages the haldex almost all the time whereas before the rear would disengage on the highway and the car would run in FWD mode. With the increased traction tweak the AWD system is 50/50 all the time. (Probably more like 60/40 front biased). Still changes the driving dynamics a lot. It will severely impact your gas mileage though. 

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## Saltmobile (Sep 23, 2018)

*love our Atlas*

I have a 2019 Atlas 4 motion SEL. The 3rd row is the ONLY one that can seat adults. I tried Honda, Mazda, Subaru.... ick! little kids only. My oldest is 36 and my youngest is 17 and over 6ft. I will say this 2 bit wisdom to you: 1. They grow up very quickly and "outgrow" the 3rd row. Will you keep this car for 7 years? 2. My wife is totally in love with AWD but it does not slow you down or aid in turning when you are on a snowy or slippery road. It can get you up a hill or out of a hole with less drama. That's about it. So my 2 bits is: get the full sized VW unless you are trading it in after 3-4 years and if you have to save money AWD is not so much a "must have," unless you routinely drive snowy country roads.


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## Hfqkhal (Oct 14, 2018)

D3Audi said:


> It's called "increased traction". It does not make it rear biased. Instead it engages the haldex almost all the time whereas before the rear would disengage on the highway and the car would run in FWD mode. With the increased traction tweak the AWD system is 50/50 all the time. (Probably more like 60/40 front biased). Still changes the driving dynamics a lot. It will severely impact your gas mileage though.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk


Hmmm. Sounds good. But I think I will pass on this. From what I have read and I think i experienced it, the Atlas 4motion is mostly front wheel drive. However, the rears will also kick in even when on dry and that depends on speed and the turn. I could honestly say that I did feel that rears kicked in the other day while I was going a bit faster on a nice curvy road and it something that my prior AWD Nissan Murano did not do. I do miss the quarto system my 02 Audi A4 3.0L That car saved a me couple times where I thought I was for sure going to slide right into a tree on a turn and that thing just steered like there was no snow below it.

An interesting read about road testing the 4motion of the Atlas *HERE*


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## Lapiz Blue R (Sep 24, 2018)

Saltmobile said:


> I have a 2019 Atlas 4 motion SEL. The 3rd row is the ONLY one that can seat adults. I tried Honda, Mazda, Subaru.... ick! little kids only. My oldest is 36 and my youngest is 17 and over 6ft. I will say this 2 bit wisdom to you: 1. They grow up very quickly and "outgrow" the 3rd row. Will you keep this car for 7 years? 2. My wife is totally in love with AWD but it does not slow you down or aid in turning when you are on a snowy or slippery road. It can get you up a hill or out of a hole with less drama. That's about it. So my 2 bits is: get the full sized VW unless you are trading it in after 3-4 years and if you have to save money AWD is not so much a "must have," unless you routinely drive snowy country roads.


I live in Colorado, and both of my previous VWs were FWD, a Golf TDI, and a Jetta. I put good winter tires on them instead of all seasons, and never had any problems getting where I needed to go with them. If you have good tire such as Blizzaks you will never miss the AWD.


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## D3Audi (Feb 18, 2016)

Lapiz Blue R said:


> I live in Colorado, and both of my previous VWs were FWD, a Golf TDI, and a Jetta. I put good winter tires on them instead of all seasons, and never had any problems getting where I needed to go with them. If you have good tire such as Blizzaks you will never miss the AWD.


Mmmm you're not wrong. But there are situations where AWD can be crucial. For most people FWD and good winter tires are more than enough. Especially on a lightweight car.

AWD really helps out with steep hills and deep snow.

When it comes to SUVs I'll never understand why people buy them in FWD. They think they need the extra ground clearance but limit the capabilities by getting FWD. It's like buying flip flops instead of boots to wear in the winter. 

If you don't need AWD in an SUV ---> buy a minivan. 

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## D3Audi (Feb 18, 2016)

Hfqkhal said:


> Hmmm. Sounds good. But I think I will pass on this. From what I have read and I think i experienced it, the Atlas 4motion is mostly front wheel drive. However, the rears will also kick in even when on dry and that depends on speed and the turn. I could honestly say that I did feel that rears kicked in the other day while I was going a bit faster on a nice curvy road and it something that my prior AWD Nissan Murano did not do. I do miss the quarto system my 02 Audi A4 3.0L That car saved a me couple times where I thought I was for sure going to slide right into a tree on a turn and that thing just steered like there was no snow below it.
> 
> An interesting read about road testing the 4motion of the Atlas *HERE*


Yep exactly. Under normal driving conditions it's about 90% torque split to the front. This really helps with highway fuel economy and such. But the system is proactive so that means it engages up to a full 50/50 split in situations like when driving up a steep hill, temperature is low, etc etc. Usually the AWD is always engaged when it needs to be. 

Audi uses torsen which is superior in terms of performance but not fuel economy since it has a center differential powering all 4 wheels all the time. The haldex system is actually a better system for a family hauler. It's ideal for fuel economy since it's mostly FWD on the highway, but can become a full 50/50 AWD system in a split second. The best of both worlds really. 

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## Lapiz Blue R (Sep 24, 2018)

D3Audi said:


> Mmmm you're not wrong. But there are situations where AWD can be crucial. For most people, FWD and good winter tires are more than enough. Especially on a lightweight car.
> 
> AWD really helps out with steep hills and deep snow.
> 
> ...


I have a friend that lives in the mountains, and has a steep long driveway, and claimed he had to have AWD to make it up his drive when it snows. I called BS, and followed him home from work the next time it snowed, and never spun a wheel going up his drive with 8 inches of snow on it. When I got out of the car I used my foot to scrape the snow aside to see how deep it was and found that the pavement was warm enough when it started to snow that the first inch or so melted and turned to ice under the rest of the snow. The 15 TDI I had was very good in snow, so why would you spend the 4 to 5K extra plus the gas mileage hit for AWD if FWD will get you safely where you need to go?

VW doesn't sell minivans any longer, because the soccer mom thing is over and everyone except me wants an SUV. Personally, I'm a wagon guy, but no Golf R wagons here, so I'm stuck with a hatch with less room. My AWD is there to put big power to the ground!


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## Lapiz Blue R (Sep 24, 2018)

Also just had my R in deep snow for the first time and found the front air dam doubles as a snow plow. :laugh:


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## D3Audi (Feb 18, 2016)

Lapiz Blue R said:


> I have a friend that lives in the mountains, and has a steep long driveway, and claimed he had to have AWD to make it up his drive when it snows. I called BS, and followed him home from work the next time it snowed, and never spun a wheel going up his drive with 8 inches of snow on it. When I got out of the car I used my foot to scrape the snow aside to see how deep it was and found that the pavement was warm enough when it started to snow that the first inch or so melted and turned to ice under the rest of the snow. The 15 TDI I had was very good in snow, so why would you spend the 4 to 5K extra plus the gas mileage hit for AWD if FWD will get you safely where you need to go?
> 
> VW doesn't sell minivans any longer, because the soccer mom thing is over and everyone except me wants an SUV. Personally, I'm a wagon guy, but no Golf R wagons here, so I'm stuck with a hatch with less room. My AWD is there to put big power to the ground!


Considering VW's AWD system is haldex the hit in fuel economy isnt as big as it is on other full time AWD cars. I've had situations where I almost didnt get unstuck with 4motion and studded nokians. But I was also trying to drive through a 3 foot snowbank at the end of the driveway that was created by the snow plow.. got through it though after a couple tries! It all depends on the circumstances. 4motion is just extra peace of mind. And can be great to have in many situations. 

And I agree on the wagon topic. Would love to see a passat wagon stateside. Will never happen again I bet. Wagons are the perfect family haulers. 

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## Hfqkhal (Oct 14, 2018)

Lapiz Blue R said:


> Also just had my R in deep snow for the first time and found the front air dam doubles as a snow plow. :laugh:


To be honest one can get a front wheel drive and can live with it fine. My daily drivers were mostly FWD until the A4 Quattro after that I got spoiled and it was hard for me to adjust to an AWD after trusting the Audi. In the Murano LE I had I was not comfortable in always trusting it. I went as far as changing the tires. The AWD drive system needed service due to basically no use. Now came the Atlas, that trust was built so fast. I wanted an SUV that can fit family and and others as we take trips together so the inside space was important and above all I did not want to have one that looks to be a half way SUV and half way minivan. The pilot had the right look but it moved to be an in between so did the highlander. It was either the Atlas or an Explorer next would have been the Landrover Discovery. The Atlas ticked all the boxes and that was it and have not regretted it at all and actually everyone has commended me on the choice including neighbors who got Enclaves and Audi Q7 and wished they looked at it while shopping. 


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## kootenaydub (May 15, 2009)

I wish that VW had a light on the dash that showed when the awd was kicking in. My crappy santa fe had that, kinda liked it. It also had an option to turn on the awd so that power was to all 4 wheels up until 40kmh then it decoupled and goes back to fwd.

That's the one thing I don't like about the awd system is that I can't really ensure it's engaged, especially when I'm in a situation that I'd prefer it to be, but I guess I have to trust the electronic wizardry it's doing its thing. I supposed it kicks in at 1 billionth of a second or whatever and I need not worry. Either way, I feel confident in the 4 motion and like that fact that it runs in fwd most of the time.


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## Phil37 (Jul 5, 2015)

After some research, it looks like I can get either a 2.0 fwd S for $27-28k out the door or go with the V6 4Motion S and spend at least $5400 more. I like the $27,388 out the door vs. $33,000+ .


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## gti330ex (Dec 19, 2013)

kootenaydub said:


> I wish that VW had a light on the dash that showed when the awd was kicking in. My crappy santa fe had that, kinda liked it. It also had an option to turn on the awd so that power was to all 4 wheels up until 40kmh then it decoupled and goes back to fwd.
> 
> That's the one thing I don't like about the awd system is that I can't really ensure it's engaged, especially when I'm in a situation that I'd prefer it to be, but I guess I have to trust the electronic wizardry it's doing its thing. I supposed it kicks in at 1 billionth of a second or whatever and I need not worry. Either way, I feel confident in the 4 motion and like that fact that it runs in fwd most of the time.


Tell me more about your Santa Fe. How does Atlas compare, much quality difference? I'm looking at the '19 SF and the Atlas. I do like the idea of locking center diff. Thought the system disengages above 40mph. 

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