Entries Tagged 'vw' ↓

I hounded my friend Chris Pirillo while he was on the air last week until he picked up my call. My persistence was worth it, as the controversy over my article on Chrysler’s 35 MPG diesels created quite a stir in the chat room. Chris posted a video of the segment on YouTube, for all to enjoy.

We dropped by the Volkswagen booth at the New York Auto Show hoping to hear some good news. And indeed, we did. The diesel faithful are about to be rewarded. The long wait for the new Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen TDI is nearly over.

After considerable delays, 50-state-legal Jetta Sportwagen TDIs should begin arriving on dealer lots by June, for test drives. Customer delivery is expected to begin in August.

While there are no hard numbers for the 2009 Jetta TDI’s mile per gallon (MPG) ratings as of yet, company representatives are floating figures of roughly 40 city / 50 highway MPG, with some reports as high as 60 on the open road. The wait may very well be worth it.

The Volkswagen EOS wins the MPGomatic “Wow, What’s That?” Award for the stealthiest fuel-efficient car on the market. The 2008 VW EOS delivers decent gas mileage, landing a rating of 30 miles per gallon (MPG) on the highway. And not only that … its a convertible with a super slick retracting solid roof. You’ll never call the EOS a ragtop. … and your friends might never know it’s a Volkswagen. (Hint: shave those emblems.)

Continue reading →

What can you say about the Volkswagen New Beetle? While folks either love or hate the VW Beetle ‘s iconic design, the little Bug has always delivered acceptable gas mileage. Although the current model’s gas mileage ratings of 20/28 for the manual and 20/29 for the automatic aren’t remarkable for a sub-compact, previous years have benefited from the availability of Volkswagen’s legendary turbo diesel (TDI) power plant.

2006 marked the last model year that Volkswagen imported a diesel Beetle to the States. If you have your heart set on a fuel efficient diesel VeeDub but don’t have the cash to splash on a Jetta or Passat, a used turbodiesel New Beetle might just be worth a look. While used Beetle TDIs command a premium price over gasoline-powered Beetles, they tend to be the least expensive of all the VW diesels on the resale market and are rated in the mid- to high-forties on the highway. (A “don’t laugh, I get 50 mpg on domestically produced biodiesel” bumpersticker might be a nice touch.)

It remains unclear whether Volkswagen will reintroduce the New Beetle TDI. Sales figures will dictate the decision, no doubt, although a 50+MPG Beetle would be a compelling option for folks who might have otherwise considered the smaller and less fuel-efficient Smart.

The 2008 Volkswagen New Beetle is fitted with a 2.5 liter inline DOHC five cylinder engine that produces 150 horsepower and 170 foot pounds of torque, while running on regular unleaded.

Continue reading →

The Volkswagen Passat delivers understated luxury and good gas mileage. While classified as a family sedan, outside appearances can be deceiving. As we found from hands-on testing, the stealthily luxurious Passat is capable of producing very respectable highway gas mileage figures. While earlier models of the Passat were available with Volkswagen’s highly efficient turbo-diesel (TDI) power plant, VW stopped importing Passat TDIs to the States after the 2005 model year. We expect the Passat TDI to follow the Jetta TDI in returning to our shores, now that the diesel engine has been tweaked to meet tougher US emission standards.

Two model-specific gasoline-powered engines are available in the 2008 Passat. The turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 2.0 liter four cylinder engine produces 200 horsepower (HP) and 207 foot pounds of torque, with “premium fuel recommended for maximum performance.” This is not an entry-level engine, by any means, as VW estimates 0-60 times of 6.6 seconds for the turbo four. Taking it up a notch, the VR6 and all-wheel-drive VR6 4Motion are fitted with a conventionally aspirated six cylinder engine, producing 280 HP and 265 foot pounds of torque, with an estimated 0-60 time of 6.2 seconds.

Continue reading →