Ford Edge vs Volkswagen Atlas: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Ford Edge burns about $2,450 of fuel annually against $2,450 for the Volkswagen Atlas. That $0 yearly gap compounds to roughly $0 over five years and $0 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City versus highway split: the Volkswagen Atlas is the stronger commuter at 22 mpg city, while the Ford Edge pulls ahead on the interstate at 30 mpg highway. If most of your driving is stop-and-go traffic the city figure is the one to weigh; for long-distance highway mileage the reverse is true, and the two vehicles effectively swap places depending on how you drive.

Powertrain choice: the Ford Edge is recorded with 4 distinct engine configurations (SIDI, SIDI; with Semi-Auto Trans, 3.5), the Volkswagen Atlas with 1 (SIDI). Across 45 recorded Ford Edge configurations and 57 for the Volkswagen Atlas, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Ford Edge is offered with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive, the Volkswagen Atlas with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD and Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Ford Edge emits 360 g/mile of CO2 versus 364 g/mile for the Volkswagen Atlas. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.