Cars.com names Volkswagen Atlas its 2020 family car of the year

Cars.com named the Volkwagen Atlas its 2020 family car of the year.

Turner Volkswagen Kelowna general manager—and family man—Aaron Fanslau agrees with that assessment wholeheartedly.

“I’ve got four kids, so there was finally a Volkswagen that worked really well for me,” Fanslau says. “We’ve been driving an Atlas for a while now. What I love about it is it enables our family of six the ability to live an active lifestyle around our valley without compromise.

“… It was a massive step for Volkswagen to add an SUV that is capable of comfortably seating seven adults. It really opened up what we have to offer for families.”

The list of features that make the Atlas a leader in the family SUV category is a long one, and that includes price; it starts at $42,045, including freight and pre-delivery inspection.

“It’s extremely refined within its class,” Fanslau says. “The fit and finish is comparable to a lot of the luxury vehicles in the world, but it doesn’t have the luxury price tag.”

One of the most attractive features of the Atlas is its smart slide seat in the middle row. All you need is one hand to flip a switch that will tilt and slide it forward for access to the back row. The middle row will slide forward even if there is a child seat mounted on it.

Volkswagen is known for its engineering when it comes to producing a vehicle, and it hit the mark with the Atlas. It is constructed using laser seam welding instead of spot welding that the competition uses—think about the strength of a zipper instead of buttons—plus all Atlases come with blind-spot warning and front-traffic alert systems that will brake the vehicle for you in an emergency situation. It also has convenient features like wireless cell phone charging and luxury options like the available R-Line package that gives you aggressive exterior sport design with 21-inch alloy wheels.

It can tow 5,000 pounds, which makes it perfect for those family getaways with the camper or boat, and it comes with either a 3.6-litre V6 or a two-litre turbo engine. It’s perfect for getting out and enjoying the Okanagan lifestyle, regardless of where you want to venture in the valley.

“Most people who drive the two-litre are blown away by how well it performs for a vehicle that size, even with a full load, and it gives you a lot more economy,” Fanslau says.

The Atlas needs to be serviced only once per year or every 15,000 kilometres, depending on how much driving you do. It features a four-year or 80,000-kilometre comprehensive warranty, which is one of the longest in the industry, plus five-year, 100,000-kilometre powertrain protection as well. In other words, it keeps the cost of ownership remarkably low.

“It’s a nice looking vehicle,” Fanslau says. “It gives you all the practicality of a minivan, but it’s got that cool factor. And somehow Volkswagen managed to build a big SUV that it still fun to drive.

“It’s sporty. It’s nimble. It's easy to handle in parking lots.”

The Atlas is just another in a long line of premier Volkswagen rides that have been available in the Okanagan since 1953, when the company made Kelowna one of its first locations in Western Canada.

The tradition continues today with locally owned and operated Turner Volkswagen, which proudly offers the VW line up from their new state-of-the-art facility located at 2150 Enterprise Way.

“We’re trying to give people mobility to enjoy our valley,” Fanslau says, “and do things that we’re blessed to do here in the Okanagan.”

Turner Volkswagen's Atlas inventory can be found here.

*The updated 2021 model is available now

This article is written by or on behalf of the sponsoring client and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.