Price: $43,825- $50,990
8 /10
Rating
Pros
- Sleek, Artful Design
- Sporty Performance
- Impressive Cargo Space
Cons
- Poor Outward Visibility
- Touchscreen Lag
- Lacking Interior for Price
Overview: 2023 Volkswagen Arteon
The 2023 Volkswagen Arteon is a surprise in today’s market, offering a big sedan with sleek styling and European-inspired style. As one of the last remaining mainstream sedans, it combines comfortable, spacious interiors with handsome lines and desirable standard features. With its hatchback design and ample cargo room, it stands out as a full-size family sedan. Powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, it competes well with V-6-powered rivals like the Nissan Maxima and boasts all-wheel drive, adding an edge in versatility. While the expense makes it the priciest vehicle in its class, the attributes feel justified, giving it curb appeal that even the Toyota Crown struggles to match. However, with automakers having purged sedans from their lineups and SUV offerings continuing to expand, the Arteon’s questionable future is a concern.
What's New in the 2023 Volkswagen Arteon?
The 2023 Volkswagen Arteon brings exciting changes to its lineup, especially for the SE R-Line and SEL R-Line trims. The base model now comes with new standard features like LED headlights and a heated steering wheel, adding more comfort and practicality. Meanwhile, the SEL R-Line gets a boost in style with larger wheels, specifically 20-inch wheels, and new interior dressings that enhance its premium feel. These updates make the Arteon even more appealing in its class.
Pricing, Trim Levels, and Best Choice
The Volkswagen Arteon starts at $43,825 and goes up to $50,990, based on the trim and options. The SE R-Line includes impressive standard features like adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beams, and lane-keeping assist, while the SEL R-Line provides a better balance of style and luxury. Its snazzier cabin includes real leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, and beautiful ambient lights, making it a step above the entry-level model and worth considering for those who want a premium feel.
$43,825
$47,995
$50,990
Powertrain, Transmission, and Driving Dynamics
The Arteon features a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that delivers an impressive 300-hp and 295 pound-feet of torque. Paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, the Arteon offers smooth acceleration and reliable performance. The SE model comes with front-wheel drive, while the SEL and SEL Premium trims feature all-wheel drive, enhancing traction in all conditions. The adaptive suspension dampers adjust between Comfort, Normal, and Sport modes, ensuring a smooth and controlled ride. On the road, its precise steering feels reminiscent of the Golf GTI, delivering competent handling even though this sports sedan leans more toward comfort than aggressive driving.
Despite being quick, with a 0-60 mph time of 4.6 seconds and a quarter-mile sprint in 13.3 seconds at 103 mph during testing, there are noticeable demerits in its drivability. The turbo lag and spool boost often cause a lurching character, particularly in normal conditions or on slight hills, leading to an uncomfortable bucking sensation when you press the throttle. This issue, coupled with the shoddy implementation of the otherwise potent powertrain, is unacceptable for a car in this category.
Even a Car & Driver review noted these flaws, highlighting how the line between comfort and performance could have been better executed. However, with 18-inch, 19-inch, or 20-inch wheels, the trim levels offer a stylish exterior, and the test track performance shows potential that, unfortunately, isn’t fully realized on everyday roads.
Fuel Efficiency and Driving Range
The EPA estimates that front-wheel drive Arteon models deliver 25 mpg city and 33 mpg highway, while all-wheel drive models offer slightly less at 22 mpg city and 31 mpg highway. On our 75-mph highway route, part of an extensive testing regimen, we plan to evaluate its real-world mpg once tested. For more details on the fuel economy of the Arteon models, visit the EPA’s website for the latest updates.
Premium Interior and Comfort
The VW Arteon combines good-quality materials with a conservative design, offering ample interior room in its big five-door layout. Its rakish profile accommodates two large-framed six-footers upfront without rubbing elbows, while the rear seating provides impressive legroom, surpassing the old, now discontinued VW Passat. The hatchback design opens up 27 cubic feet of cargo capacity, fitting nine carry-on suitcases behind the rear seat and up to 21 total with the back seat stowed, making it feel like a near-SUV in terms of practicality. All trims include heated front seats and a power lift gate, while the SEL Premium trim adds features like ventilation, a massage feature for the driver, heated seats for rear passengers, 30-color ambient lighting, and stylish Black Carbon interior trim, ensuring a premium experience for everyone onboard.
Infotainment, Connectivity, and Smart Tech
The Arteon comes with an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system as standard, controlled via touch inputs and touch-sensitive controls on the heated steering wheel. While there’s no volume knob, the system includes wireless Apple Car Play, Android Auto, and dual USB ports for seamless connectivity. Upgrading to the SEL trim adds built-in navigation, while the SEL Premium enhances the experience with a premium Harman/Kardon audio system. For those seeking advanced connected features, the Volkswagen Car-Net subscription provides access to services like remote vehicle unlocking and emergency assistance.
Safety and Driving Support
The Arteon is packed with advanced driver-assistance technology to enhance safety on the road. Standard safety features include adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and automated emergency braking, ensuring a safer driving experience. The car is also equipped with road sign recognition systems, automatic high-beam headlights, and both front parking sensors and rear parking sensors for added convenience. For those interested in crash-test results, the Arteon has been evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), providing trusted safety ratings.
Key features:
✅ Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert ensure safer lane changes.
✅ Lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist prevent accidental lane drifting.
✅ Adaptive cruise control offers a smooth and stress-free driving experience.
Volkswagen Warranty and Maintenance Plan
Volkswagen offers an above-average limited warranty along with two years of complimentary scheduled maintenance, ensuring peace of mind for owners. However, some rivals provide a longer powertrain warranty, making the Arteon’s coverage competitive but not class-leading.
Key features:
✅ Limited warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles, offering peace of mind.
✅ Powertrain warranty matches the limited warranty at four years or 50,000 miles.
✅ Complimentary maintenance is included for two years or 20,000 miles, ensuring value.
Arteon 140TSI Elegance Running Costs
The 140kW Arteon comes with roadside assistance included for 12 months, which can be extended annually for up to nine years, provided the car is serviced at an authorized Volkswagen dealer. Scheduled maintenance is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. Volkswagen’s pre-paid Car Plans bundle services to save on costs. The three-year plan costs $1600, while the five-year pack is $2600, which includes the first service free. According to VW’s website, these plans can save between $128-$166 for three years or $778-$842 for five years. Though this is cheaper than Audi, it is more expensive to maintain than the BMW 4 Series or Peugeot 508, making it a not cheap option in its segment.
Volkswagen’s Beeps and Complicated Controls
One of the most frustrating traits of modern Volkswagens is the overwhelming number of beeps and bongs, which are not only frequent but also incredibly loud. For example, opening the driver’s door while the engine is running and the transmission in P triggers a constant buzzing noise, even when stationary. It’s a safety warning, but it feels more like a bullhorn in your ear than a thoughtful alert. These quirks highlight the lack of attention from product managers and engineers, as small details like this go unnoticed in other modern cars.
Add to that the haptic and touch-sensitive controls on the steering wheel, which solve a problem that never existed and are more frustrating than functional. With 19 buttons, the wheel feels cluttered and unnecessarily complex. The infotainment system, while intuitive in some ways, locks out access to certain safety features unless the car is parked, adding another layer of inconvenience. Overall, these electronic woes make the experience less enjoyable, despite the effort to improve safety and technology.
Is the Arteon a Worthy Alternative to Audi?
The Arteon is a sleek and expensive V-Dub, but I wonder if it can truly compete with an Audi at a similar price. While its badge aims to appeal to buyers with a touch of aspiration, the reality is that brand snobbery and recognition often favor more luxurious options. The interior feels cheap, with chintzy buttons and hard materials that are only decent until you touch them. On my driveway incline, the chassis and door seals seemed to flex and lose pressure, audibly shifting as the car transitioned from flat to hill—a surprising flaw for a vehicle marketed as premium.
Despite aiming to deliver the best bags of features like the Louis Vuitton of cars, it doesn’t quite reach the level of quality buyers aspire to. Considering these points, along with the vulgar mismatch between its promise and reality, the Arteon feels like a handful of compromises rather than a standout choice.
How did we get here?
News recently broke that the rather pretty Arteon four-door coupe will soon hit the chopping block due to slow sales and disappointing sales figures. I realize now that it’s true—I hardly ever saw one on the road. The last time I tested the Arteon, its gorgeous shape and sleek design left an impression, but even with its appearing elegant style, it couldn’t overcome its lack of mass appeal. Easily one of the best-looking cars with a VW badge, it’s even nicer than some Audi cousins, but the idea that sex sells clearly wasn’t enough.
Over the past year, I’ve only noticed two or three, making me think about how it remains overlooked. Previously, I appreciated its focus on what’s going underneath, but it became one of my least favorite vehicles. In cases like this, even offering more than aesthetics isn’t enough, and it’s likely this model may not ever recover. Still, there’s much to admire about its design, though I won’t miss it if it disappears.
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