2024 Volkswagen Atlas vs 2025 Subaru Forester

The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas underwent a styling refresh that enhanced its original design, dating back to the 2013 Volkswagen CrossBlue concept, with new lighting elements. The most striking updates included light-up VW logos, with the front logo shining white and the rear logo shining red, similar to the ID.4 electric crossover. A front light bar connected to the daytime running lights, part of the new LED headlights, gave the Atlas a new "face" with American swagger, obscuring its European influences. At the rear, the taillights blended into a full-width light bar housing the illuminated logo. All trim levels received new wheel designs, with the base SE model featuring 18-inch alloy wheels, while higher trims boasted 20-inch or 21-inch wheels. The Atlas Peak Edition joined the lineup, offering an outdoorsy flavor with black 18-inch wheels, all-terrain tires, and unique styling elements. Inside, the Atlas featured a revised center cabin with a freestanding infotainment touchscreen and a minimalist interior design, contrasting with its truck-like exterior. Volkswagen aimed to make the interior feel more upscale with improved materials and stitching, although some areas still felt less premium.

The 2025 Subaru Forester, traditionally known for its practicality over aesthetics, received significant attention to its styling. The exterior featured standard roof rails and 17-inch alloy wheels, with a smoother, more generic look. Steering-responsive LED headlights with welcome lighting were standard, creating an "integrated shield effect" with the grille. The Forester Sport showcased bronze trim accents, while the Limited and Touring trims offered larger wheels and additional features. The Forester's shape maintained its large-greenhouse design, with geometric wheel arches and a more decisive side window shape. Black plastic pieces at the corners added a cat-eye effect. Inside, the Forester offered cloth upholstery with blue contrast stitching, while the Sport trim featured easy-to-clean StarTex material. Limited and Touring trims provided genuine leather seating surfaces. The interior boasted structural dash elements, giving it a more intentional and designed look.

The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas saw a reduction in powertrain options, leaving only a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine. This engine produced 269 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque, an improvement over the previous turbo-four and comparable to the discontinued VR6 engine. The engine was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, offering standard front-wheel drive and optional all-wheel drive. The Atlas demonstrated improved acceleration, with FWD models reaching 0-60 mph in eight seconds and AWD models in 8.3 seconds. Despite the enhancements, the Atlas remained a family-oriented vehicle, prioritizing comfort over performance. The ride quality was consistent with previous models, and the Peak Edition added off-road capabilities, although the 4Motion AWD system was primarily designed for pavement. The Atlas maintained a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds, except for the base SE model, which was rated for 2,000 pounds.

The 2025 Subaru Forester retained its 2.5-liter Boxer four-cylinder engine, producing 180 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque. The engine was paired with Subaru's Lineartonic CVT and Symmetrical AWD system, both standard. The Forester's engine improvements resulted in a quieter ride, with reduced noise at lower speeds. Subaru's X-Mode system, standard on the Premium trim and above, enhanced stability and traction on challenging terrain. The Forester Sport and higher trims featured a dual-function X-Mode. The Forester's performance was stable and confident on various surfaces, including snow and mud. The vehicle's fuel economy was rated at 26 mpg city, 33 highway, and 29 combined, with slight variations for Sport and Touring trims. A hybrid Forester was anticipated, but fuel-economy figures were not yet available.

The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas offered more standard features, including a heated steering wheel and ventilated front seats on the base SE trim. The SE with Technology added a power liftgate, while leather upholstery and heated second-row seats became standard on the SEL trim. The Atlas provided seating for seven, with a three-seat second-row bench that could split-fold, recline, and slide. Second-row captain's chairs were available on higher trims, reducing seating capacity to six. The Atlas boasted competitive headroom and legroom across all three rows, with the best third-row legroom in its class. Cargo space varied from 20.6 cubic feet with all seats in place to 96.6 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded.

The 2025 Subaru Forester introduced a hands-free power liftgate, powered on the Sport trim and foot-activated on Limited. The Forester's cargo space increased slightly, measuring 29.6 cubic feet with the rear seats in place and 74.4 cubic feet with them folded. The cargo area featured eight heavy-duty hooks. The Forester's roomy second row contributed to its competitive cargo space, although it fell short compared to some rivals. The interior included a dark headliner, a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat on the Premium trim, and additional features on higher trims, such as heated and ventilated front seats and heated back seats.

The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas received more standard tech features, including a 12-inch touchscreen, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless phone charging, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Six USB-C ports were standard, with up to eight available, including a dash cam port on higher trims. A head-up display was standard on SEL and higher trims. The Atlas featured a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system on higher trims, with a standard six-speaker system on lower trims. The upgraded infotainment system offered a map view in the digital instrument cluster, although haptic touchpads for controls were less user-friendly.

The 2025 Subaru Forester introduced an 11.6-inch Multimedia Plus infotainment system, standard on all but the base trim, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The base Forester retained two 7-inch touchscreens with wired smartphone projection. Premium and higher trims included dual USB-A and USB-C ports, a wireless charging pad, and Wi-Fi hotspot capability. A navigation system was standard on the Touring trim, featuring voice activation and "what3words" technology. An 11-speaker Harman Kardon sound system was standard on the Touring trim and available on Sport and Limited trims. Subaru's Starlink connected services suite offered additional capabilities for 2025.

The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in side crash testing and four stars in frontal and rollover tests. The IIHS had not yet rated the 2024 model, but the 2023 model received high scores. The Atlas included more standard driver-assist features, such as forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. The SEL Premium R-Line added park assist and a surround-view camera system. The Atlas also featured emergency response systems, including automatic post-collision braking and emergency assist.

The 2025 Subaru Forester offered Emergency Stop Assist, available on the Touring trim, which activated if the driver became unresponsive. The Forester included Subaru's EyeSight suite of driver-assistance technology, with enhancements for 2025, such as a wider field of view and an electric brake booster. The 2025 model had not yet been crash-tested, but the 2024 model received high safety ratings. The Forester also featured a rear seat reminder system and additional safety features on higher trims.