​​The Best Features on Your Volkswagen to Keep You Cool This Summer​

The Volkswagen Atlas, as its name implies, is a large vehicle. The generously sized 3-row crossover was specifically designed for American families and is built in America within the Volkswagen assembly plant in Chattanooga, TN. While it's easy to assume the ample interior space and three rows of seats means the Atlas is adept at accomodating families of all sizes – including small children – Cars.com still had its child safety seat experts recently weigh in on how well the Atlas can accomodate different times of child seats. This Sisbarro Volkswagen post reports on their results. The Testers Cars.com editors Jennifer Geiger and Jennifer Newman, both certified in child safety seat installation, regularly perform these tests. Because testing every single child seat model isn't practical, they select one representative seat from each stage that best exemplifies most models in that category, and they use these seats consistently for all their testing. These seats are: Chicco KeyFit 30 infant-safety seat Graco Contender Extend2Fit 2-in-1 convertible seat (front-facing and rear-facing) Graco TurboBooster seat Seats are installed in the second row because that's where most are installed. For safety reasons, installing child seats in the front row isn't recommended when alternatives exist, mainly due to airbag deployment concerns. Infant and convertible seats are placed behind the front passenger seat, while booster seats are tested behind the driver. The driver’s seat is adjusted for an average 6-foot-tall adult, while the front passenger seat is set for a shorter person. For large families, editors also test the convertible seat in the forward-facing position in the second row to see if three child seats can fit side by side. Cars.com's assessments focus on how easy it is to access the LATCH anchor points and highlighting any potential installation difficulties. When testing rear-facing seats, editors check whether it causes the front passenger seat to be pushed forward into an impractical position. For vehicles with a third row, like the Atlas, editors also evaluate how practical it is to install seats in that row. Each test is graded from A to F, with specific criteria defining each grade: A: Plenty of room for the car seat and the child; it doesn’t impact driver or front passenger legroom. Easy to find and connect to Latch and tether anchors. No fit issues involving head restraint or seat contouring. B: One room, fit, or connection issue. C: Marginal room plus one fit or connection issue. D: Insufficient room, plus multiple fit or connection issues. F: Does not fit or is unsafe. The Atlas Results Were Almost Perfect Of the five primary tests using the second-row seats, the Atlas earned four A’s and one B. It also did very well with third-row seat installation, earning three As. The following are their verbatim comments on the results of each test. 2nd Row Latch: Grade A “ Three sets of  anchors sit in slits in the upholstery, and three clearly marked top tether anchors sit midway down the second-row seatbacks. All anchors are easy to find and use.” 2nd Row Infant Seat: Grade A “ The car seat was easy to install and there was plenty of legroom for the front passenger in front of the car seat.” 2nd Row Rear-Facing Convertible: Grade A “ The seat was easy to install, and as with the infant seat, there was plenty of legroom for the front passenger. We used the Level 2 recline angle for the rear-facing convertible.” 2nd Row Forward-Facing Convertible: Grade A “ Installation was easy, and the convertible fit well. We removed the head restraint to situate the convertible flush against the seatback, and we had no trouble connecting to the top tether anchor. We installed this car seat with the seat belt for caregivers interested in that method.” 2nd Row Booster: Grade B “ The seat fit well after we removed the head restraint to situate the booster flush against the seatback. The buckles are on short stalks, so they might be tough for kids to grasp and use independently.” Will the 2nd row fit three seats? Yes, provided the Atlas in question is equipped with the 2 nd -row bench seat instead of the available captain’s chairs. 3rd Row Access: Grade B “ The second row moved out of the way easily to create a good-size passage to the third row, and the step-in height should be manageable for small kids.” 3rd Row Forward-Facing Convertible: Grade B “ There are no lower anchors in the third row, so we again used the seat belt to install this car seat; the seat fit well after we removed the head restraint. The third row has two top tether anchors on the seatbacks; they’re clearly marked and easy to use. Legroom is tight, though, so we had to slide the second row forward a bit to share legroom.” 3rd Row Booster: Grade A The seat fit well after we removed the head restraint. The buckles are on short but stable bases, which should make them easy to find and grasp. Cars.com has performed this test on other 3-row crossovers and found that some are not very good at accommodating child seats in the third row. The Atlas is far more accommodating, giving you flexibility in your vehicle seating arrangements. If you live in the Sisbarro area and are contemplating a new vehicle to better accommodate your growing family, visit Sisbarro Volkswagen and check out one of the many 2026 Atlas models in our inventory.

Remember the original Volkswagen Golf R32? When first introduced in 2002, it stole the spotlight (and became the brand’s highest-performance offering) by packing a 3.2-liter VR6 engine, 4MOTION all-wheel drive, and a direct-shift DSG transmission into a compact hatchback form. To celebrate the 25 th anniversary of this performance legend, Sisbarro Volkswagen is pleased to announce that Volkswagen is taking the Golf R racing by competing in the 2027 Nürburgring 24-hour endurance race in 2027. Volkswagen says the R in Golf R (and R32) stands for “racing.” Indeed Volkswagen R models have a storied history on race tracks, including four Rally World Championship titles with the Polo R WRC and several electric records with the ID.R sports car. “The 24h Nürburgring is the toughest test for us under real competitive conditions,” says Reinhold Ivenz, Head of Volkswagen R. “The Nürburgring is also our test and development track, and we will meet people at the 24h race who share our passion for performance – which is why the project is a perfect match for Volkswagen R.” Although the Golf R is the best-known Volkswagen R model in the U.S., but there have been several other R variants in other markets, including the aforementioned Polo R,  Arteon R sedan, and Tiguan R crossover. While road-going Volkswagen R models have long been known for their understated and restrained design, their race-spec counterparts, however, can be much more overt, with dramatic modifications made to rear wings, ground effects, and other body components in order to optimize drag, increase downforce, and improve engine cooling. So far, Volkswagen has only previewed the Nürburgring racing vehicle with the Golf R 24H show car that was revealed to the public at the Ring Boulevard of Nürburgring.  Max Kruse Racing, which has a long relationship with Volkswagen, has been tapped to build the Golf R Nürburgring racer. "With the Golf R 24H show car, we are making our vision for 2027 tangible at an early stage. The preparatory work for the real racing car has already begun. Even though we don’t want to reveal much about the technology yet: fans of the 24h Nürburgring can look forward to the most spectacular Golf R to date,” continues Reinhold Ivenz. As always, innovations and technologies developed for racing tend to trickle down into production vehicles. The date of the 2027 24h Nürburgring has not yet been confirmed, though speculation places the race weekend on May 27–30. German engineering and innovation for practical use can be seen and felt in every model Volkswagen makes, as in the Tiguan, which was the runaway winner in an eight-compact-crossover comparison by Cars.com. Volkswagen builds winners, and we invite you to see them at Sisbarro Volkswagen in Las Cruces, NM.

We call our state of New Mexico the “Land of Enchantment.” With 121,589 square miles of diverse landscape, you can go from desert exploring to skiing and mountain climbing all within its borders. Las Cruces is just a speck on the map. Well…a huge speck in the south-central part of our state. To the north of us is a vast land that is constantly beckoning, imploring that little corner of our brain that loves to get out and drive to go take a Volkswagen on a road trip. Why not do so while exploring what New Mexico has to offer? The Trip Advisor website and app came up with a list of scenic drives you can take within hours of Las Cruces, and it suggested several interesting options, most located just north of our fair city. The Highroad to Taos Scenic Byway, to start, follows a part of New Mexico Highway 76 through the remnants of Old Spain. You get a glimpse of Spanish architecture while traversing through the mountains into Taos. Heading back, you can take the Lowroad from Taos and Santa Fe to our state’s capital. West of Santa Fe is the Jemez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byway. This takes you into the Santa Fe National Forest to the Jemez Pueblo. Along the way, there are some amazing waterfalls and hot springs that bring this mountainous loop drive to life. Keep to the north, and you’ll find another mountain loop known as the Enchanted Circle Drive. Starting in Taos, this loop encircles several alpine peaks while taking you through the history of this state and the land grant given to that area. You will pass through an old mining area that has no longer yielded its treasure. If you like a good rugged road, the Quebrados Backcountry Byway is an experience to drive. It is a 24-mile-long unpaved road that starts in Escondido off Interstate 25 to the north of us. The landscape is worth the trek along this road. This is a great experience that is closer to home. Our state is vast in size, as well as in topography. To enjoy some of these roads, you and your Volkswagen will be racking in the miles happily. We are 353 miles away from Taos, 284 miles to Santa Fe and 149 miles to the start of the Quebrados Backcountry Byway in Escondido. If you are up for an adventure, make sure your Volkswagen is ready to tackle the miles getting there and on these great roads. Before you go, make an appointment to bring your vehicle into the service center at Sisbarro Volkswagen for a thorough fluid check – including an oil change – and other inspections to make sure your Volkswagen is road trip ready. Our service center is still open during construction.