Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport detailing in Houston

What we watch for

Paint and interior on the Atlas Cross Sport

Paint and exterior

Shorter than the Atlas, with a steeply raked rear window and a roof spoiler that throws dirt onto the glass. Dark colors show water spots on the large doors, and R-Line cars add gloss black trim that marks quickly.

Interior

Two rows with a huge rear seat and cargo area, in V-Tex or leather. The rear floor is flat and wide, which makes vacuuming easy, but crumbs collect in the seat tracks and under the cargo cover.

Living in Houston

Cross Sports are commuter-and-weekend SUVs around Cypress and The Woodlands. Love bugs coat the front end on 249 and I-45 in May and September and etch the clear if left for days.

• Family hauler: car-seat areas, cupholders and seat rails hold the most crumbs; pet hair is an add-on quoted on the call.
• Piano-black trim: it scratches if you look at it, so it gets plush microfiber only and can be polished and coated.
• Large wheels and tall tires: wheel faces, barrels and wells take real time on this one, and it shows when they are done right.
• Hard clear coat: swirls take more cutting to remove, so correction is slower, but a corrected finish holds up well afterwards.