Toyota Highlander vs Volkswagen Atlas: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Toyota Highlander burns about $1,700 of fuel annually against $2,450 for the Volkswagen Atlas. That $750 yearly gap compounds to roughly $3,750 over five years and $6,000 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 and highway economy: the Toyota Highlander leads in both cycles — 36 mpg city and 35 mpg highway against 22 and 29 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Toyota Highlander is recorded with 4 distinct engine configurations (SIDI & PFI; Hybrid, SIDI & PFI, SIDI & PFI; with Stop-Start), the Volkswagen Atlas with 1 (SIDI). Across 72 recorded Toyota Highlander 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 Toyota Highlander 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 Standard 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 Toyota Highlander emits 245 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.