2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport vs 2020 Toyota Sienna

Since the second half of the 20th century, each decade has had a hot-topic family car, and, as we’ve noted in a number of reviews this year, the crossover is our current darling vehicle. Before the crossover, there were big, truck-based SUVs. Before that, there were station wagons.

And for the past 35 years, there's always been the minivan.

The Dodge Caravan has been widely considered the Patient Zero of the minivan segment. From there, seemingly everyone joined the party, including Toyota, Nissan, Ford, Chevy, GMC, Volkswagen, Oldsmobile, and more. Heck, even Mercury had a “Nautica Edition” version of the Villager.

The minivan was king once, the crossover is king now, and some other type of vehicle will likely dominate in the near future. But in all this, the 7- and 8-passenger minivans will always represent the ultimate in versatility. The crossover is an image-forward fad with a dash of usability, but the minivan continues to prove itself as the pinnacle of practicality.

The 2020 Toyota Sienna is neither the newest nor flashiest minivan out there, but when you absolutely need space for people and gear, there’s nothing better. Additionally, as of 2020 the Sienna is the only minivan to offer all-wheel drive (AWD), which is something specifically desired by many car buyers.

Launched for the 2020 model year, the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is a two-row, five-seat version of the Volkswagen Atlas family crossover, itself a fairly new model, having launched for the 2018 model year.

The two-row midsize crossover segment is experiencing a resurgence, with newer models like the Cross Sport, Toyota Venza, Honda Passport, and Chevrolet Blazer joining the aging Ford Edge and Nissan Murano. VW also named the Jeep Grand Cherokee as a competitor to the Cross Sport, but the Jeep is a more traditional SUV.

Typically for a model entering its sophomore year, the Cross Sport doesn’t get many updates for 2021. The only change is VW’s new MIB3 infotainment system for most trim levels, and two new driver-assist features: Travel Assist and Emergency Assist.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is available in four trim levels: Trendline, Comfortline, Highline, and Execline. In Canada, 4Motion all-wheel drive (AWD) is standard while front-wheel drive (FWD) is not offered. The option to choose between the four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines is available on all trims but the base model. Our test car was a U.S. model, the approximate Canadian equivalent being the Execline grade with the six-cylinder engine.