#2017 vw jetta wagon

[zanydazecollectionworld]

2017 Vw Wagon

[purplecalluna]

Turn the Corner

For Summer 2017

I turned the corner and headed northwest out of Paige, Arizona, and freaked out. For the next several miles, I saw nothing other than stripes and blacktop even thought it was a gorgeous sunny day. I had never been there before, that road, that part of the map, that landscape, and I was alone. Ok, as alone as a person can get with two young kids in the back of the car. But alone in the “no other adult with me” sort of way. It was on me now, all the planning, all the packing, all the driving, all the problems, all the danger, and the responsibility of the unknown. If I messed up, or got lost, or… Any mistake I made could literally kill us. But it was that or stay home and I was losing my mind staying home. So, one mile at a time, one deep breath at a time, I drove us into the unknown adventure before us.

My mother had installed in my mind the wanderlust program from an early age. I don’t remember my first plane ride at a month old and I don’t remember my first camping trip. Or first hike. Or first long car trip. My first time on a horse is a vague dreamlike memory- I may have been 2-1/2. The first ice skating and skiing experiences were in preschool. The sailboat was sometime in elementary school, as was the rafting and zipline. My first time in the cockpit was the summer before my freshman year in high school. Everything I had just shown the kids I had already seen either with my parents, a college class “field trip”, or with my husband. My only solo trip had been retracing the path laid out from my parents’ door to my aunt’s door - I had been shown the road, the way, by others.

Ironically, it was my mother that had begged me to not take myself and my 2 kids into the unknown alone. Dozens of reasons spilled from her over several weeks beforehand, including the fact my 6 year old kid was not yet old enough to take care of me if something went wrong. I still have the greeting card she slipped into my gear the morning she drove home and I drove onwards.

In my travels since then, I have met many well-meaning people, from my friends (“Do you have a SPOT?”) to strangers (“You mean you don’t have your husband with you?”) who are astonished that a mom in a VW Jetta station wagon with two young kids and a tent are camping and seeing the national parks. I have been asked if I am a teacher- Who else has the whole summer off? Answer- a bored stay at home mom.

As of right now, the three of us have seen 135 national parks and monuments (etc) units. Honestly- I have lost count, not because I can’t count the checkmarks on the master map, but how do you include the different 22(?) varieties of the park system in a count and explain it to the people around you? Currently there are about 400 different pieces and I could sit down with any fellow traveler and double the list. It is like reading all the Caldecott and Newberry winner and honor books- they are the best of the best we have.

I was also asked, sometimes in curiosity, sometimes in anger, why I was making my kids go do this. My answer is this- you have one precious childhood that you will spend like currency one moment at a time. What are you going to choose to spend it on? Like Mary Oliver said, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

Whether you are a bored SAHM, or a teacher with the summer off, or any variety of working parent with a smidge of vacation time, I hope you enjoy these stories and are inspired to “turn the corner” and head into unknown adventure.

[renatosampaio101]

Carros automáticos usados até R$ 50 mil: 10 opções

Outro dia você viu aqui no AutoPapo que o carro automático zero-quilômetro mais barato do país custa R$ 57 mil. Mas para quem não quer gastar essa grana toda, ou quer um carro mais equipado, espaçoso e potente – sem abrir mão do conforto da transmissão -, há diversas opções entre os carros usados automáticos por menos de R$ 50 mil.

Carros automáticos baratos 2020: todas as opções até R$ 70 mil

Selecionamos 10 modelos, entre sedãs, SUVs, compactos e até uma station wagon e um carro de marca de luxo. Confira.

BMW 320i 2011: R$ 48 mil a R$ 50 mil

Motor: 2.0 16V

Câmbio: automático de seis marchas

Começamos a lista dos carros automáticos usados com o pé na porta. Garimpamos o Série 3 automático, opção de sedã requintado e com pegada esportiva garantida pelo motor de 156 cv e 20,4 kgfm disponível a 3.600 rpm. Ajudam no desempenho a tração traseira e o ágil câmbio automático de seis velocidades. Destaque para a suspensão multibraço na traseira com acerto bastante firme.

O espaço interno é assegurado por um entre-eixos de 2,76 m e o toque de sofisticação está no acabamento, com couro, costuras aparentes, superfícies emborrachadas e tapetes de veludo. Ar automático, ESP, seis airbags, GPS e banco do motorista elétrico estão entre os equipamentos. Só não esqueça que o pós-venda de um carro de marca premium usado é caro.

Kia Sorento EX 2.4 4×2 2012: : de R$ 42 mil a R$ 47 mil

Motor: 2.4 16V

Câmbio: automático de seis marchas

O Kia Sorento é para quem gosta de SUV espaçoso e conforto. Os cinco ocupantes têm sobras para pernas, ombros, joelhos e cabeças. A caixa automática de seis velocidades ajuda em um desempenho mais confortável e pacato, ainda mais que o motor de 174 cv é apenas suficiente para os mais de 1.700 kg do Sorento – atenção para o consumo elevado.

Tem ar-condicionado automático bizona, revestimento de couro, som com USB e retrovisores rebatíveis eletricamente, mas deve itens de segurança: só oferece airbag duplo, freios com ABS e sensor de ré. A versão mais completa é a com motor 3.5 V6, que tem sete lugares, tração integral, mas passa fácil dos R$ 60 mil – mesmo ano 2012. Vale a pena colocar entre os carros automáticos usados.

Chevrolet Onix LTZ 1.4 2016: de R$ 39 mil a R$ 44 mil

CHEVROLET ONIX 2017

Motor: 1.4 8V

Câmbio: automático de seis marchas

Carro mais vendido do país, o Chevrolet Onix também tem vez entre os carros automáticos usados. E a caixa de seis marchas é bem funcional e confortável para rodar com o compacto na cidade, mesmo com o cansado motor Família I de 106/98 cv.

A opção de mudanças sequenciais é que poderia ser de outra forma que não na minúscula tecla ao lado do pomo da alavanca.

A versão LTZ era a mais completa da geração anterior do Onix, mas é aquele pacote trivial: ar, direção hidráulica, trio, computador de bordo, controle de velocidade, rodas de liga leve e faróis de neblina. O destaque é a central MyLink.

Avaliamos o Onix LTZ 1.4. Veja o vídeo!

Mitsubishi Outlander GT 3.0 V6 4×4 2012: de R$ 47 mil a R$ 50 mil

Motor: 3.0 V6 24V

Câmbio: automático de seis marchas

Está aí uma opção de carro automático usado com motorzão e tração integral sob demanda. O Mitsubishi Outlander é para lá de bem disposto com seu V6 de 240 cv e 31 kgfm e a transmissão de seis velocidades, que tem mudanças bastante pontuais e relativamente ágeis – além de opções de mudanças sequenciais no volante. Só não esqueça que o consumo acompanha tamanha disposição.

A lista de equipamentos é comedida: ar automático, couro, ajuste elétrico do banco do motorista, teto-solar, GPS e sensores de luminosidade e chuva. Destaque mesmo só para o assistente à partida em rampas e os seis airbags. Atenção ao pós-venda.

Toyota Corolla XEi 2014: de R$ 48 mil a R$ 50 mil

(Toyota/Divulgação)

Motor: 2.0 16V

Câmbio: automático de quatro marchas

Obviamente o queridinho dos clientes de sedãs não poderia ficar de fora dessa lista de carros automáticos usados. O Corolla se vale da reputação da marca japonesa e de carro que não quebra, e acaba sendo ótima opção de automático confortável por menos de R$ 50 mil.

Pena que a caixa automática de apenas quatro velocidades apresenta alguns delays e buracos, mas o motor de 153/142 e o conjunto da obra compensam. E ainda há opção de fazer as trocas no volante para minimizar as indecisões da caixa.

O Corolla XEI tem quatro airbags, câmera de ré, ar automático, bancos de couro, retrovisores rebatíveis eletricamente, sensores de luminosidade e chuva e multimídia com GPS, Bluetooth e USB.

Honda Civic LXS 2008: de R$ 31 mil a R$ 33 mil

Motor: 1.8 16V

Câmbio: automático de cinco marchas

Onde um vai, o outro tem que ir. O Civic também é imprescindível entre os carros automáticos usados até R$ 50 mil, mas escolhemos uma geração mais para trás do arquirrival do Corolla. No caso, a linha 2008, daquele New Civic (2006) – que consideramos mais bacana e com estilo mais moderno que o da geração seguinte. E o comportamento do conjunto mecânico é dos mais afinados da história do sedã médio.

O motor 1.8 de 140/138 casa bem com a caixa, que, apesar das cinco marchas, proporciona respostas rápidas e desempenho bastante sólido – e até empolgante na estrada.

Só não espere muito dos equipamentos – é um carro da década passada: ar automático, freios ABS, airbag duplo, trio, ajustes de altura e profundidade do banco, controle de cruzeiro e som.

Nissan March SL 1.6 XTronic 2018: de R$ 45 mil a R$ 48 mil

Foto Nissan | Divulgação

Motor: 1.6 16V

Câmbio: automático do tipo CVT

A relação de carros automáticos usados até R$ 50 mil também não poderia ficar sem um representante com câmbio continuamente variável. Ele está na versão mais completa do Nissan March, e oferece um desempenho bastante confortável. O motor 1.6 também trabalha bem com a caixa CVT, mas o comportamento é aquele linear e gradual de sempre.

Trata-se de um hatch compacto e a lista de itens de série é condizente: ar, direção elétrica, trio, faróis de neblina, ajustes de altura do banco do motorista e do volante. Destaque para a central multimídia com câmera de ré, GPS, DVD, roteador de wi-fi, Bluetooth e USB. Outra boa é que o March 2018 ainda está na garantia e as revisões estão entre as mais baratas do segmento. O hatch só peca pelos bancos desconfortáveis e projeto defasado.

Ford Fusion SEL 3.0 V6 2011: de R$ 34 mil a R$ 36 mil

Motor: 3.0 V6 24V

Câmbio: automático de seis marchas

O maior sedã da lista de carros automáticos usados é também o mais espaçoso e confortável. O Ford Fusion, modelo médio-grande importado do México, fez bastante sucesso no Brasil no início das vendas devido ao custo-benefício e a linha 2011 já trazia o face-lift de meia-vida da geração anterior do carro.

Essa versão V6 é a mais divertida, com motorzão bem disposto e transmissão de seis velocidades esperta na maior parte do tempo – ainda é possível pesquisar a configuração com tração integral e bloqueio eletrônico do diferencial central. Só não repare no comportamento banheirão da carroceria e fique atento ao consumo elevado.

Outra coisa bacana é a lista de equipamentos do Fusion: já vinha com alerta de ponto cego, câmera de ré, seis airbags, controles de estabilidade e tração, monitoramento dos pneus, Isofix, retrovisor eletrocrômico, couro, banco do motorista elétrico, ar bizona e central multimídia com GPS e HD interno.

Hyundai ix35 2012: de R$ 49 mil a R$ 50 mil

Motor: 2.0 16V

Câmbio: automático de seis marchas

Outro modelo que vendeu bem devido ao custo-benefício agressivo e mais uma opção de SUV entre os carros automáticos usados até R$ 50 mil. O motor já flex do Hyundai ix35 na linha 2012 tem respostas boas e rápidas, e o câmbio de seis velocidades trabalha bem nas arrancadas – mas há buracos nas marchas mais altas.

O modelo tem espaço interno interessante para cinco ocupantes, mas o comportamento dinâmico oscilante da carroceria desagrada na estrada. Traz o previsível em itens, como ar, trio, direção hidráulica, rodas de liga leve, computador de bordo, GPS e ajustes de altura e profundidade – o mais “diferente” é o retrovisor rebatível eletricamente.

Pesquisando é possível achar um ix35 “completaço” com os opcionais da época: câmera de ré, assistente à partida em rampas, controle de descida, bancos de couro, sensor de luminosidade, teto solar, chave presencial e controle de cruzeiro.

VW Jetta Variant 2.5 2012: de R$ 39 mil a R$ 41 mil

Motor: 2.5 20V

Câmbio: automático de seis marchas

Essa é a opção entre os carros automáticos usados para quem morre de saudades das station wagons. O Jetta Variant, perua média da Volkswagen, tem bom acerto dinâmico e desempenho bacana proporcionado pelo motor 2.5 de cinco cilindros com 170 cv e 24,5 kgfm. O câmbio é o Tiptronic de seis marchas.

Só na parte de itens de segurança, oferece controles de estabilidade e tração, seis airbags, sensores de estacionamento na frente e atrás e regulagem de altura dos faróis. O conforto é garantido também pelo nível de equipamentos: ar automático bizona, retrovisores rebatíveis eletricamente, controle de cruzeiro e som com entrada USB, SD card, Bluetooth e comandos no volante. Teto-solar, couro, retrovisor eletrocrômico e sensor de luminosidade são opcionais fáceis de achar. O porta-malas é o destaque, com 505 litros.

Conhece nosso canal no YouTube? Dicas de manutenção, avaliações, carros clássicos e muito mais!

O post Carros automáticos usados até R$ 50 mil: 10 opções apareceu primeiro em AutoPapo.

https://autopapo.com.br/noticia/carros-automaticos-usados-50-mil-reais/ encontrado originalmente em https://autopapo.com.br

[braunkrautwagen]

May 15th, 2009 - Day 0001

2011 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI

Toffebrown with Cornstalk interior

6-speed manual

Purchased from Volkswagen of Marietta with 78,000 miles on the odometer.

My previous “fun car” was a 1985 Toyota Corolla GTS. It was a raw, pure driving experience but lacked modern amenities and any creature comforts. It only had two seats, no AC, no power anything... and was a 10 year automotive love affair (don’t worry, my wife was well aware of this “mistress”).

With a growing family and a lengthy commute the Corolla became increasingly impractical, so in 2017 I decided to sell it and use the money for a down payment on our first house. Darn responsible adult decisions!

Dependable as my truck was, it wasn’t exactly fun or sporty. Actually it was the far opposite of sporty. The real nail in the coffin was the fuel mileage. I commute ~80 miles round trip each day, and when I finally realized how much I was spending on fuel my wife and I knew we needed to look for a more efficient alternative.

So now I’m picking up in the exact place where I left off with the Corolla... Literally. This is the same spot where I took my “for sale” pictures.

I’ve picked up a couple extra doors. And it has more than 2 seats. And an actual interior. And AC. It’s a big step up in creature comforts and is an absolute blast to drive! The VW “Jetta” SportWagen ticks all my boxes. It’s the same chassis as the GTI, and handles better than a wagon should. A 6-speed manual gearbox means that I am reconnected with the driving experience. And most importantly...

... TDI. Incredible fuel mileage, between 35-40mpg! This is my first diesel vehicle, and it has radically challenged my perspective on diesel vehicles. Although only rated at 140hp, 236ft-lbs of torque makes up for it when it’s time to move!

Now I get to DD my “fun” car! And there are improvements and upgrades planned. A few subtle aesthetic enhancements, a bit more power... And a blog documenting the build and maintenance of my new “toy”!

#vw #volkswagen #golf #jetta #mk6 #sportwagen #tdi

[zanydazecollectionworld]

2017 Volkswagen Wagon

[savetopnow]

2018-03-09 20 CAR now

CAR

Auto Spies

#GIMS: BMW Executive Lets The Cat Out Of The Bag For The Next i Model

Ferrari SUV To Be First Proper Hybrid For Automaker

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#GIMS: BMW Says Customer Demand Spurred Revival Of 8 Series

Mercedes And BMW Using Fat Profits From Performance Cars To Fund EV Push

Autoblog

Trump authorizes tariffs but exempts Canada and Mexico

2019 Genesis G70 will get manual transmission, EPA listings reveal

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Subaru executive casts doubt on manual transmission future

Car Throttle

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Tesla’s Chief Accounting Officer leaves the automaker

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Inside EVs

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The Car Connection

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The CarGurus Blog

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[smoothshift]

24 Hours with a 2019 Volkswagen Passat R-Line. via /r/cars

24 Hours with a 2019 Volkswagen Passat R-Line.

I am no stranger to the rental desk, some of my friends and colleagues think I am extremely strange because I randomly like to rent cars for longer road trips, and since my Explorer is old and tired its been retired to city only duty, anything inside of my AAA towing range is fair game.

Whenever I need to go visit family across the state, or plan a road trip I now just rent a full size car through Avis, the company I work for offers a significant discount code that can be used for work or personal, so I end up with a full size for under $30/day anywhere in the world. Partner this to a $30 coupon code I also happened to get from Avis last year, and I ended up with the option of renting a full size car for $3.14 for the day (taxes and fees). Who wouldn't?

Normally, I rent from airports, but there happens to be a hire desk down the street from my workplace, so I set a reservation on a Friday afternoon and dropped by Sunday morning. There were two people on line in front of me, and the single gentleman behind the desk did an excellent job of addressing everybody in order and making sure he knew what was going on. While I waited I surveyed the parking lot for every full size car they had, I have learned if I know what they have on the lot, its easier to schoomze my way into the car of my choice, and in a few cases have gotten some upgrades. On this particular day there was a 2017 Toyota Camry, a 2018 Nissan Altima, and a 2019 Volkswagen Passat R-Line. Now, I have rented a Passat before, and wrote about it extensively on a road trip to Yosemite and back on one tank of fuel when I was living in Northern California for a summer. But I hadn't tried out the R-Line before, and this model had a new engine for this year, or I should say its actually a de-tuned carry over of the 2.0T Found in pretty much everything VAG makes.

This new engine makes 174 Horsepower and and 184 Ft-lbs of torque. Initially when I picked the car up I assumed it had come with the old 1.8T that I already had experience with, but after a very short amount of driving I felt a significant difference in behavior.

The old 1.8T had tons of torque down low, and a very mute dead spot that was actually very hard to catch in most situations, the torque was great for anything below about 5000 RPM, but it started running out of puff beyond this. This new 2.0T unit had a completely opposite personality. There is a significant dead spot between 2000 and 3000 RPM that when taking off in a hurry actually made for a noticeable delay in power, then it all rushes in at 3000, revs consistently till 5000, then it takes off again up to redline.

This is very out of character for any VAG product I have experienced in the recent past, almost every car I have driven has consistent torque and power bands with only a short flat spot at low RPM because of the turbocharger spooling, this new engine feels peaky, it feels like it has a personality.

Partner this to the old 6 speed auto that VW has used for over a decade, the R-Line package doesn't change much about the performance of the car, it does offer larger 19 inch wheels with fatter tires, a body appearance package with Piano black and chrome grills, body cladding, an interior tech package with CarPlay and Android Auto, along with something that surprised me; Adaptive cruise control. This I had never had experience with, so I was excited to try it out.

The 6 speed auto seems to be more lazy than I remember, I recall with an old 1.4T Jetta and the 1.8T Passat I had rented, there was very little delay with tiptronic shifts, and even though the R-Line Passat ads the GTI style steering wheel with paddle shifters, the upshifts seem much more delayed, especially 1 to 2, I could feel a significant window when the gear would disengage, then the next would engage, but this would only happen in tip-tronic mode, if I put it in sport and let it shift automatically it was damned near as quick as a DSG, which I felt was odd.

I drove the Passat 300 miles to visit family, and on 87 octane fuel it achieved an average of 33 MPG. I expected more as the 1.8T model I had rented I was able to do 800 miles round trip on one tank of fuel, and averaged 42 MPG, mind you I was driving in Northern California, so I had a lot more hills, and lower speed back roads to help out with my average, but I wasn't hyper mileing in either car. the 2.0T seems to be just as quick, but less fuel efficient, also this is with winter fuel, so additives may be effecting averages as well. Steering feel was numb when going slowly and very sharp when going fast, typical of VW electric power steering.

The adaptive cruise control was weird at first, there is 6 settings for distance and a setting for speed, so far as I could tell if I was going faster than the car in front of me, it would catch up to the car, leave a significant distance between myself and the next car, and match its speed identically. in a few situations I could feel the brakes automatically engage as well when the car in front of me would significantly slow down. At first it was discomforting, then it became completely 2nd nature, it completely disarmed me from worrying about what the car in front of me was doing. So I started having to be cognizant to make a pass when possible so I didn't turn my brain off.

The thing I liked was that as soon as I turned my indicator on and tried to lane change, the ACC would see a free lane and would start accelerating back to my preset speed as soon as I started the lane change. No harsh downshifts, no jerkiness, just smooth power.

The seats felt identical to every modern VAG product, dating back to my old 2010 Jetta, sitting down in it felt like I was back in my old VW, very supportive of every part of my back, legs and buttocks, a long journey could easily be done in them, and the back seat was enormous.

My biggest qualm cam in the form of the trunk, I needed to do a grocery store run prior to my road trip, and I had a few garbage bags filled with bottles and cans. The trunk was huge, but it was damned near impossible to stuff the garbage bags in the opening to the trunk, and I couldn't help but think "this car would be perfect if it were a wagon" Why offer such a huge trunk if you have such a limitation of what can go into the opening?

Overall, this car is a solid 8/10 in terms of daily driver status, it was quick enough to have fun it, offered plenty of room for passengers front and back with comfortable seating surfaces, acceptable fuel economy and performance, a refined and smooth/quiet engine, and had all of the perfect modern features and ergonomics one might want in any modern car. The unfortunate part about this is that the Passat is a very handsome and conservative car, it has aged quite gracefully but it is overdue for a refresh, and it doesn't feel like that is going to happen any time soon.

[eddiejpoplar]

First-Half U.S. 2018 Auto Sales Are Down Slightly from Last Year

How to handle General Motors’ move to quarterly U.S. auto sales reports? It’s the number-one automaker in the country, and will likely lead others to do the same over the next year.

But most of GM’s rivals list monthly numbers, and year-to-date numbers, and I could never get this web column out in time if I had to add up the last three months’ numbers for every other automaker and its individual models. So from now on, this column will compare cumulative sales for the year. This column compares numbers for the first half of the year, for everyone, and the percentage change, up/down, is compared with sales for the first half of 2017.

Next report will be in October, comparing sales for the first three quarters of the year, and after that comes the annual sales report, which will be in January 2019.

I’ve covered car sales for more than a decade, first at motortrend.com, because I think good knowledge of what cars and trucks people are buying can give you a good hint at what automakers will be building within the next five years. It’s also a reminder that sports cars, and the proverbial diesel stick-shift station wagon, are for enthusiasts and not for the mass markets. We have to hope that automakers that still build sports cars are selling sufficient amounts of compact sport/utilities to fund enthusiasts’ favorites.

Toyota says the Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate is running in the high 16-million range, down from the low 17s of a year ago.

And so, to the numbers …

1. General Motors: 1,474,170, up 4.2 percent.

Chevrolet division was up 5.2 percent, to 1,019,019, with Silverado accounting for 291,074, up 10.7 percent, and Suburban at 29,861, up 19.9 percent. Tahoe sales for the first half were 50,523, up 12.3 percent.

Equinox is Chevy’s second-bestseller, and was up 17.2 percent, to 156,365. Among Chevy sedans, Cruze, at 77,691, off 26.1 percent, narrowly outsold Malibu, off 8.9 percent, to 76,417.

Among Green Chevys, Bolt, at 7,858, up 3.5 percent, edged out Volt, off 28.5 percent, to 7,814. Corvette plunged 25.3 percent, to 10,242. GMC was up 2.4 percent, to 269,507, with Sierra up 1.7 percent, to 100,874, and Yukon/XL up 1.1 percent, to 34,522. Acadia was off 10.7 percent, to 50,008.

Buick sales for the half dropped 0.6 percent, to 109,659. Encore was its bestseller, up 14.9 percent, to 48,635. Encore was next, up 15.3 percent, to 48,635. Envision was off 25.7 percent, to 16,814 and the new Regal, including the TourX, spiked by 26.7 percent, to 8,215.

Cadillac sales moved up 5.4 percent, to 75,949, led by bestseller XT5, up 7 percent, to 31,890. XTS was the biggest gainer, up 16.2 percent, to 8,563. Escalade was up 4 percent, to 17,766, and brand icon CT6 was off 9.3 percent, to 4,894.

2. Ford Motor Company: 1,277,691, off 1.8 percent.

Divisional split was 1,227,422 for Ford, off 1.4 percent, and 50,269 for Lincoln, down 10.8 percent.

Ford’s F-Series pickup was up 4.9 percent for the half, to 451,138, a 59,190-unit lead over the Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra combo.

Ford Mustang leads #PonyCarWars, at 42,428, off 4.9 percent, and with Dodge Challenger, at 37,367, up 4 percent. Chevy Camaro dropped 30.6 percent for the half, to 25,380.

Ford Expedition was down 10.2 percent, to 27,934, while Lincoln Navigator spiked up 82.4 percent, to 9,115.

Escape is Ford’s next-bestseller, though off 7.9 percent, to 144,627. Explorer was off 6.5 percent, to 110,805, Edge slid 4.5 percent, to 68,048 and Ford sold 23,610 of its new EcoSport b-segment CUVs.

Ford Fusion was down 18.9 percent, to 86,978, and Focus fell 9.2 percent, to 75,1010.

MKX was Lincoln’s bestseller for the half, at 13,470, off 13.1 percent, and edging out MKC, off 8.7 percent, to 12,289.

Lincoln MKZ dropped 32.5 percent, to 9,675 and Continental plunged 28.3 percent, to 4,478.

3. Toyota Motor Sales: 1,189,312, up 3 percent.

Toyota Division sales for the half rose 3.2 percent, to 1,054,312 as Lexus edged up 0.9 percent, to 135,000.

Toyota says its Camry remains the bestselling car in the U.S., up 1.1 percent, to 178,795. RAV4 sales were stronger, though, up 7.4 percent, to 198,392.

Corolla was off 8.5 percent, to 161,462 and Prius was off 16.2 percent, to 46,171.

Tundra sales for the half was up 4 percent, to 55,792, and Tacoma was up 22.9 percent, to 116,266.

Lexus remains the RX brand, as first-half sales for that SUV rose 7.1 percent, to 50,051, including the new three-row RX L. NX was up 10.2 percent, to 28,672.

Lexus ES was off 8.7 percent, to 19,901, in the midst of a model changeover.

Lexus LS sales surged 135.5 percent with the new model, to 4,369.

4. Fiat Chrysler: 1,115,476, up 5 percent.

Jeep, Jeep, it’s all-Jeep. Sales of the brand jumped 22 percent, to 495,022. Even Ram was off 7 percent for the half, to 260,341.

Dodge fell 4 percent, to 250,933, Chrysler dropped 13 percent, to 88,630, and Fiat plunged 44 percent, to 8,285. Alfa Romeo was up 230 percent, but that was to just 12,265.

Jeep sold 35-percent more Wranglers in the first half of ’18, versus the first half of ’17, to 133,492. Cherokee was up 40 percent, to 113,719 and Grand Cherokee dipped 6 percent, to 109.313.

Jeep Compass was up 240 percent, to 87,510, while Renegade fell 5 percent, to 50,439.

Ram pickup fell 7 percent, to 233,539, in the midst of a model changeover.

Chrysler Pacifica sales rose 6 percent, to 63,024, as 300 was off 13 percent, to 24,707.

Dodge Charger was off 4 percent (see #PonyCarWars under Ford sales for Challenger), to 41,406 and Journey was down 8 percent, to 52,309.

Dodge sold 14 Vipers, down 97 percent.

Fiat 500X was down 19 percent, to 3,225, as 500 fell 70 percent, to 2,262, and 124 Spider dropped 24 percent, to 1,894.

Alfa’s Giulia, up 83 percent, to 6,362, outsold the new Stelvio, which posted 5,769 sales for the first half.

5. American Honda, 787,824, off 0.5 percent.

Honda was off 0.4 percent, to 715,171 and Acura was off 1.6 percent, to 72,653.

Honda CR-V led Accord and Civic, off 4.1 percent, to 179,580.

The expanded Civic lineup was up 0.3 percent, to 176,242.

Accord was down 13.6 percent, to 138,290.

RDX led Acura sales, up 8.1 percent, to 27,322. MDX was off 7 percent, to 21,900. TLX was off 11.4 percent, to 16,890.

6. Nissan Group: 780,695, off 4.8 percent.

Nissan division was off 4.3 percent, to 708,525 and Infiniti was off 8.8 percent, to 72,170.

Rogue was up 10 percent, to 215,202.

Nissan Altima was off 15.4 percent, to 123,792, and Sentra was up 2.8 percent, to 115,676.

Nissan Leaf sales fell 8.1 percent, to 6,659.

QX60 led Infiniti sales, up 21.3 percent, to 22,176, while Q50 was next, off 2.3 percent, to 19,157.

7. Hyundai: 335,048, off 3.3 percent.

Hyundai brand was off 2.6 percent, to 327,786 and Genesis was down 26.7 percent, to 7,262.

The Elantra compact sedan remains Hyundai’s bestseller, by far, though off 0.5 percent, to 99,728.

Tucson was up 35.3 percent, to 69,949. Santa Fe slipped 1.4 percent, to 59,185.

The electrified Ionics had a good half, up 76.2 percent, to 8,599. Hyundai has sold 15,193 Konas, year-to-date.

Genesis G80 was down 26.2 percent, to 5,646, and G90 was off 28.3 percent, to 1,616.

8. Subaru: 322,860, up 5.9 percent.

Outback is bestseller, up 5.5 percent to 90,978.

Forester was off 9.9 percent, to 79,277, while Crosstrek was up 71.1 percent, to 74,475.

WRX/STI was off 7.1 percent, to 15,038. BRZ was down 14.4 percent, to 1,966.

9. Kia: 293,563, off 0.7 percent.

Forte led sales, off 7.4 percent to 54,400, with Sorento up 5 percent, to 52,760.

Soul was off 5.8 percent, to 50,032.

Niro was up 12 percent, to 14,203, and outsold Hyundai Ionics by 5,604.

K900 was down 30.3 percent, to 175, but Kia sold 8,638 of its new Stingers.

10. Mercedes-Benz USA: 176,408, off 1.9 percent.

Slipping sales this year place Mercedes plus vans and smart just 386 units ahead of BMW at the halfway point. The Mercedes brand, excluding vans, was off 1.9 percent, to 158,848.

GLC-Class leads, up 78.2 percent, to 35,145. C-Class sales fell 30.3 percent, to 29,659.

GLE was off 15.2 percent, to 22,741, and GLA was up 17.4 percent, to 12,162, while E-Class/CLS dropped 5.3 percent, to 23,440.

CLA-Class was up 37.9 percent, to 11,716.

S-Class was up 11.1 percent, to 8,425.

Vans were up 7 percent, to 16,910 and Smart brand plummeted 67.2 percent, to just 650 cars in the first half of the year.

11. BMW Group: 176,022, up 2.8 percent.

BMW brand was up 2.9 percent, to 153,386. Mini was up 1.9 percent, to 22,636.

Three models all were in the 24k range. X3 was up 1.6 percent, to 24,750, X5 was off 0.9 percent, to 24,376 and 3 Series was off 12.7 percent, to 24,180.

The 4 Series, which has outsold 3 Series in certain months, was down 22.6 percent, to 15,758.

Countryman led Mini sales, up 48.6 percent to 9,459. The Cooper/S Hardtop 2 Door was off 10.8 percent, to 4,861.

12. Volkswagen: 172,898, up 7.2 percent.

VW’s second-half of ’18 success is all thanks to the new Tiguan and Atlas SUVs.

VW sold 28,158 Atlases, up from 4,023 as production began early in ’17.

It sold 46,102 of its new Tiguans and 9,293 Tiguan Limiteds, up 226 percent versus the old Tiguans last year.

All major car lines were down. Jetta was off 40.5 percent, to 33,023, Passat fell 36.4 percent, to 22,356, Golf was down 36.6 percent, to 24,257 and Beetle was off 9.7 percent, to 7967.

13. Mazda: 163,924, up 15.7 percent.

The CX-5 compact SUV is a runaway hit, up 40.1 percent for the half, to 81,012. It outsold the VW Atlas and ’18 Tiguan, combined, by 6,752.

MX-5 Miata was off 32.7 percent, to 4,691.

CX-9 was up 21.5 percent, to 14,716, and CX-3 was up 26.5 percent, to 9,627.

Mazda3 was off 10.1 percent, to 35,796.

14. Audi: 107,942, up 4.8 percent.

Q5 was up 12 percent, to 28,951, outselling VW Atlas by 793.

Q7 was up 6 percent to 17,763, and Q3 was up 17 percent, to 10,636.

A4 was off 1 percent to 18,397, while A5 was up 102 percent to 13,592. A3 slipped 22 percent, to 9,731.

15. Mitsubishi: 67,327, up 23.4 percent.

On track to eclipse the 100k mark this year, Mitsubishi is led by Outlander, up 30.6 percent, to 23,506. Outlander Sport was up 48.8 percent, to 22,415.

Mitsubishi sold 2,966 Eclipse Crosses in the first half of the year.

Mirage was off 3.7 percent, to 13,185.

16. Jaguar/Land Rover: 59,566, up 5 percent.

Jaguar is off 28 percent for the year so far, to 14,787, while Land Rover is up 25 percent, to 44,779.

The Land Rover Range Rover is of 2 percent, to 9,438, but 8,812 new Velars were sold in the first half. F-Pace is off 24 percent, to 7,252, while the new E-Pace claimed 1,426 sales.

XE was off 48 percent, to 2,663 and F-Type was off 47 percent, to 1,219.

17. Volvo: 47,622, up 39.6 percent.

The XC90 still leads the marque’s sales, at 15,974, up 32.8 percent.

The XC60 was next, up 66 percent to 14,790, of which 14,551 were the new model.

Volvo sold 5,098 XC40s in the first half.

V90 sales were 182, up 1,200 percent, but the CC version was up 26.9 percent, to 1,131.

18. Porsche: 29,421, up 6.7 percent.

Macan led at 11,650, up 9.5 percent.

Cayenne was of 25.3 percent, to 5,275, while 911 was up 10.8 percent, to 4,871.

Luxury/Premium Marques, YTD:

1.) Mercedes-Benz 158,848 2.) BMW 153,386 3.) Lexus 135,000 4.) Audi 107,942 5.) Cadillac 75,949

Mazda MX-5/Fiat 124 Spider: 6,585 (-30.5%) Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ: 4,254 (-29.5%)

Midsize cars, YTD:

1.) Toyota Camry 178,795 2.) Honda Accord 138,290 2.) Nissan Altima 123,792 4.) Ford Fusion 86,978 5.) Chevrolet Malibu 76,417

Compact CUVs, YTD:

1.) Nissan Rogue 215,202 2.) Toyota RAV4 198,392 3.) Honda CR-V 179,580 4.) Chevrolet Equinox 156,365 5.) Ford Escape 144,627

The post First-Half U.S. 2018 Auto Sales Are Down Slightly from Last Year appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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First-Half U.S. 2018 Auto Sales Are Down Slightly from Last Year

How to handle General Motors’ move to quarterly U.S. auto sales reports? It’s the number-one automaker in the country, and will likely lead others to do the same over the next year.

But most of GM’s rivals list monthly numbers, and year-to-date numbers, and I could never get this web column out in time if I had to add up the last three months’ numbers for every other automaker and its individual models. So from now on, this column will compare cumulative sales for the year. This column compares numbers for the first half of the year, for everyone, and the percentage change, up/down, is compared with sales for the first half of 2017.

Next report will be in October, comparing sales for the first three quarters of the year, and after that comes the annual sales report, which will be in January 2019.

I’ve covered car sales for more than a decade, first at motortrend.com, because I think good knowledge of what cars and trucks people are buying can give you a good hint at what automakers will be building within the next five years. It’s also a reminder that sports cars, and the proverbial diesel stick-shift station wagon, are for enthusiasts and not for the mass markets. We have to hope that automakers that still build sports cars are selling sufficient amounts of compact sport/utilities to fund enthusiasts’ favorites.

Toyota says the Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate is running in the high 16-million range, down from the low 17s of a year ago.

And so, to the numbers …

1. General Motors: 1,474,170, up 4.2 percent.

Chevrolet division was up 5.2 percent, to 1,019,019, with Silverado accounting for 291,074, up 10.7 percent, and Suburban at 29,861, up 19.9 percent. Tahoe sales for the first half were 50,523, up 12.3 percent.

Equinox is Chevy’s second-bestseller, and was up 17.2 percent, to 156,365. Among Chevy sedans, Cruze, at 77,691, off 26.1 percent, narrowly outsold Malibu, off 8.9 percent, to 76,417.

Among Green Chevys, Bolt, at 7,858, up 3.5 percent, edged out Volt, off 28.5 percent, to 7,814. Corvette plunged 25.3 percent, to 10,242. GMC was up 2.4 percent, to 269,507, with Sierra up 1.7 percent, to 100,874, and Yukon/XL up 1.1 percent, to 34,522. Acadia was off 10.7 percent, to 50,008.

Buick sales for the half dropped 0.6 percent, to 109,659. Encore was its bestseller, up 14.9 percent, to 48,635. Encore was next, up 15.3 percent, to 48,635. Envision was off 25.7 percent, to 16,814 and the new Regal, including the TourX, spiked by 26.7 percent, to 8,215.

Cadillac sales moved up 5.4 percent, to 75,949, led by bestseller XT5, up 7 percent, to 31,890. XTS was the biggest gainer, up 16.2 percent, to 8,563. Escalade was up 4 percent, to 17,766, and brand icon CT6 was off 9.3 percent, to 4,894.

2. Ford Motor Company: 1,277,691, off 1.8 percent.

Divisional split was 1,227,422 for Ford, off 1.4 percent, and 50,269 for Lincoln, down 10.8 percent.

Ford’s F-Series pickup was up 4.9 percent for the half, to 451,138, a 59,190-unit lead over the Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra combo.

Ford Mustang leads #PonyCarWars, at 42,428, off 4.9 percent, and with Dodge Challenger, at 37,367, up 4 percent. Chevy Camaro dropped 30.6 percent for the half, to 25,380.

Ford Expedition was down 10.2 percent, to 27,934, while Lincoln Navigator spiked up 82.4 percent, to 9,115.

Escape is Ford’s next-bestseller, though off 7.9 percent, to 144,627. Explorer was off 6.5 percent, to 110,805, Edge slid 4.5 percent, to 68,048 and Ford sold 23,610 of its new EcoSport b-segment CUVs.

Ford Fusion was down 18.9 percent, to 86,978, and Focus fell 9.2 percent, to 75,1010.

MKX was Lincoln’s bestseller for the half, at 13,470, off 13.1 percent, and edging out MKC, off 8.7 percent, to 12,289.

Lincoln MKZ dropped 32.5 percent, to 9,675 and Continental plunged 28.3 percent, to 4,478.

3. Toyota Motor Sales: 1,189,312, up 3 percent.

Toyota Division sales for the half rose 3.2 percent, to 1,054,312 as Lexus edged up 0.9 percent, to 135,000.

Toyota says its Camry remains the bestselling car in the U.S., up 1.1 percent, to 178,795. RAV4 sales were stronger, though, up 7.4 percent, to 198,392.

Corolla was off 8.5 percent, to 161,462 and Prius was off 16.2 percent, to 46,171.

Tundra sales for the half was up 4 percent, to 55,792, and Tacoma was up 22.9 percent, to 116,266.

Lexus remains the RX brand, as first-half sales for that SUV rose 7.1 percent, to 50,051, including the new three-row RX L. NX was up 10.2 percent, to 28,672.

Lexus ES was off 8.7 percent, to 19,901, in the midst of a model changeover.

Lexus LS sales surged 135.5 percent with the new model, to 4,369.

4. Fiat Chrysler: 1,115,476, up 5 percent.

Jeep, Jeep, it’s all-Jeep. Sales of the brand jumped 22 percent, to 495,022. Even Ram was off 7 percent for the half, to 260,341.

Dodge fell 4 percent, to 250,933, Chrysler dropped 13 percent, to 88,630, and Fiat plunged 44 percent, to 8,285. Alfa Romeo was up 230 percent, but that was to just 12,265.

Jeep sold 35-percent more Wranglers in the first half of ’18, versus the first half of ’17, to 133,492. Cherokee was up 40 percent, to 113,719 and Grand Cherokee dipped 6 percent, to 109.313.

Jeep Compass was up 240 percent, to 87,510, while Renegade fell 5 percent, to 50,439.

Ram pickup fell 7 percent, to 233,539, in the midst of a model changeover.

Chrysler Pacifica sales rose 6 percent, to 63,024, as 300 was off 13 percent, to 24,707.

Dodge Charger was off 4 percent (see #PonyCarWars under Ford sales for Challenger), to 41,406 and Journey was down 8 percent, to 52,309.

Dodge sold 14 Vipers, down 97 percent.

Fiat 500X was down 19 percent, to 3,225, as 500 fell 70 percent, to 2,262, and 124 Spider dropped 24 percent, to 1,894.

Alfa’s Giulia, up 83 percent, to 6,362, outsold the new Stelvio, which posted 5,769 sales for the first half.

5. American Honda, 787,824, off 0.5 percent.

Honda was off 0.4 percent, to 715,171 and Acura was off 1.6 percent, to 72,653.

Honda CR-V led Accord and Civic, off 4.1 percent, to 179,580.

The expanded Civic lineup was up 0.3 percent, to 176,242.

Accord was down 13.6 percent, to 138,290.

RDX led Acura sales, up 8.1 percent, to 27,322. MDX was off 7 percent, to 21,900. TLX was off 11.4 percent, to 16,890.

6. Nissan Group: 780,695, off 4.8 percent.

Nissan division was off 4.3 percent, to 708,525 and Infiniti was off 8.8 percent, to 72,170.

Rogue was up 10 percent, to 215,202.

Nissan Altima was off 15.4 percent, to 123,792, and Sentra was up 2.8 percent, to 115,676.

Nissan Leaf sales fell 8.1 percent, to 6,659.

QX60 led Infiniti sales, up 21.3 percent, to 22,176, while Q50 was next, off 2.3 percent, to 19,157.

7. Hyundai: 335,048, off 3.3 percent.

Hyundai brand was off 2.6 percent, to 327,786 and Genesis was down 26.7 percent, to 7,262.

The Elantra compact sedan remains Hyundai’s bestseller, by far, though off 0.5 percent, to 99,728.

Tucson was up 35.3 percent, to 69,949. Santa Fe slipped 1.4 percent, to 59,185.

The electrified Ionics had a good half, up 76.2 percent, to 8,599. Hyundai has sold 15,193 Konas, year-to-date.

Genesis G80 was down 26.2 percent, to 5,646, and G90 was off 28.3 percent, to 1,616.

8. Subaru: 322,860, up 5.9 percent.

Outback is bestseller, up 5.5 percent to 90,978.

Forester was off 9.9 percent, to 79,277, while Crosstrek was up 71.1 percent, to 74,475.

WRX/STI was off 7.1 percent, to 15,038. BRZ was down 14.4 percent, to 1,966.

9. Kia: 293,563, off 0.7 percent.

Forte led sales, off 7.4 percent to 54,400, with Sorento up 5 percent, to 52,760.

Soul was off 5.8 percent, to 50,032.

Niro was up 12 percent, to 14,203, and outsold Hyundai Ionics by 5,604.

K900 was down 30.3 percent, to 175, but Kia sold 8,638 of its new Stingers.

10. Mercedes-Benz USA: 176,408, off 1.9 percent.

Slipping sales this year place Mercedes plus vans and smart just 386 units ahead of BMW at the halfway point. The Mercedes brand, excluding vans, was off 1.9 percent, to 158,848.

GLC-Class leads, up 78.2 percent, to 35,145. C-Class sales fell 30.3 percent, to 29,659.

GLE was off 15.2 percent, to 22,741, and GLA was up 17.4 percent, to 12,162, while E-Class/CLS dropped 5.3 percent, to 23,440.

CLA-Class was up 37.9 percent, to 11,716.

S-Class was up 11.1 percent, to 8,425.

Vans were up 7 percent, to 16,910 and Smart brand plummeted 67.2 percent, to just 650 cars in the first half of the year.

11. BMW Group: 176,022, up 2.8 percent.

BMW brand was up 2.9 percent, to 153,386. Mini was up 1.9 percent, to 22,636.

Three models all were in the 24k range. X3 was up 1.6 percent, to 24,750, X5 was off 0.9 percent, to 24,376 and 3 Series was off 12.7 percent, to 24,180.

The 4 Series, which has outsold 3 Series in certain months, was down 22.6 percent, to 15,758.

Countryman led Mini sales, up 48.6 percent to 9,459. The Cooper/S Hardtop 2 Door was off 10.8 percent, to 4,861.

12. Volkswagen: 172,898, up 7.2 percent.

VW’s second-half of ’18 success is all thanks to the new Tiguan and Atlas SUVs.

VW sold 28,158 Atlases, up from 4,023 as production began early in ’17.

It sold 46,102 of its new Tiguans and 9,293 Tiguan Limiteds, up 226 percent versus the old Tiguans last year.

All major car lines were down. Jetta was off 40.5 percent, to 33,023, Passat fell 36.4 percent, to 22,356, Golf was down 36.6 percent, to 24,257 and Beetle was off 9.7 percent, to 7967.

13. Mazda: 163,924, up 15.7 percent.

The CX-5 compact SUV is a runaway hit, up 40.1 percent for the half, to 81,012. It outsold the VW Atlas and ’18 Tiguan, combined, by 6,752.

MX-5 Miata was off 32.7 percent, to 4,691.

CX-9 was up 21.5 percent, to 14,716, and CX-3 was up 26.5 percent, to 9,627.

Mazda3 was off 10.1 percent, to 35,796.

14. Audi: 107,942, up 4.8 percent.

Q5 was up 12 percent, to 28,951, outselling VW Atlas by 793.

Q7 was up 6 percent to 17,763, and Q3 was up 17 percent, to 10,636.

A4 was off 1 percent to 18,397, while A5 was up 102 percent to 13,592. A3 slipped 22 percent, to 9,731.

15. Mitsubishi: 67,327, up 23.4 percent.

On track to eclipse the 100k mark this year, Mitsubishi is led by Outlander, up 30.6 percent, to 23,506. Outlander Sport was up 48.8 percent, to 22,415.

Mitsubishi sold 2,966 Eclipse Crosses in the first half of the year.

Mirage was off 3.7 percent, to 13,185.

16. Jaguar/Land Rover: 59,566, up 5 percent.

Jaguar is off 28 percent for the year so far, to 14,787, while Land Rover is up 25 percent, to 44,779.

The Land Rover Range Rover is of 2 percent, to 9,438, but 8,812 new Velars were sold in the first half. F-Pace is off 24 percent, to 7,252, while the new E-Pace claimed 1,426 sales.

XE was off 48 percent, to 2,663 and F-Type was off 47 percent, to 1,219.

17. Volvo: 47,622, up 39.6 percent.

The XC90 still leads the marque’s sales, at 15,974, up 32.8 percent.

The XC60 was next, up 66 percent to 14,790, of which 14,551 were the new model.

Volvo sold 5,098 XC40s in the first half.

V90 sales were 182, up 1,200 percent, but the CC version was up 26.9 percent, to 1,131.

18. Porsche: 29,421, up 6.7 percent.

Macan led at 11,650, up 9.5 percent.

Cayenne was of 25.3 percent, to 5,275, while 911 was up 10.8 percent, to 4,871.

Luxury/Premium Marques, YTD:

1.) Mercedes-Benz 158,848 2.) BMW 153,386 3.) Lexus 135,000 4.) Audi 107,942 5.) Cadillac 75,949

Mazda MX-5/Fiat 124 Spider: 6,585 (-30.5%) Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ: 4,254 (-29.5%)

Midsize cars, YTD:

1.) Toyota Camry 178,795 2.) Honda Accord 138,290 2.) Nissan Altima 123,792 4.) Ford Fusion 86,978 5.) Chevrolet Malibu 76,417

Compact CUVs, YTD:

1.) Nissan Rogue 215,202 2.) Toyota RAV4 198,392 3.) Honda CR-V 179,580 4.) Chevrolet Equinox 156,365 5.) Ford Escape 144,627

The post First-Half U.S. 2018 Auto Sales Are Down Slightly from Last Year appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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The maker are very excited to present you this video about 2019 vw jetta tdi. Proly, you are part of many people that in the need for content about 2019 vw jetta wagon. 2019 vw jetta sunroof maybe one of interesting story to be talked. Do you wondering about 2019 vw jetta gli release date. Firstly, we also wondering about 2019 vw jetta canada. The updated 2019 model, indicated Saturday evening in front of the Detroit automobile expo, is bigger than current models yet as much as 450 pounds lighter. It includes a more extended wheelbase, more inside space and another high-quality steel bed with expanded freight volume and an accessible catalyst down back end that can be worked from the key dandy, an inside catch or by hand.The improvements and weight lessening could enable the 2019 Silverado to assert some authority as the most productive full-estimate pickup in the market wheAs purchasers put their cash on hybrid SUVs instead of cars in the round of new-auto roulette, the 2019 VW Jetta would like to be something other than a smart, calm eyewitness on the sidelines. 1. Completely prepared, it gives some Audis a keep running for the cash. At around $19,400, the base Jetta S is a not too bad esteem. Another $8,000 is not really chump change, yet it purchases significantly more auto. The range-topping Jetta SEL Premium considers as a part of its list of capabilities a large number of wellbeing apparatus, for example, programmed crisis braking and versatile journey control; warmed and cooled front seats wrapped in calfskin, Beats-marked sound; an all encompassing moonroof; movable surrounding lighting; a 8.0-inch touchscreen for infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; and, most astonishingly, a 10.25-inch TFT screen with configurable programming that replaces ordinary checks. 2. It's not exactly a Volkswagen Golf with a trunk. Regardless of whether you can't see it, the Jetta's change to VW's measured design implies it's much more inflexible than the active model. That enormous advance forward is balanced somewhat by its minimized back suspension, a low-tech torsion-bar setup that implies the Jetta does not have the dealing with balance of the delightful Golf. 3. The Jetta is brazenly North American. At the point when the following Olympics move around, don't search for the 2019 Jetta to pull for the Germans. VW fabricates the most recent Jetta in Puebla, Mexico—its biggest get together plant outside of Germany—for North and South America. An alternate adaptation will be gathered in China for that market. 4. There are no mileage loops to hop through. Press its opponents and numerous will admit that their mileage stories change extensively by trim level, motor, and transmission chose. Now and again—like the 2018 Honda Civic—those figures contrast by as much as 4 mpg joined. 5. It's the colossal extraordinary awesome incredible extraordinary grandchild of the first 1979 Jetta. Do you wondering about 2019 vw jetta mexico. The maker are so excited to bring you this youtube content regarding vw jetta turbo. Proly, you are part of many user that searching for vids about 2019 vw jetta interior lighting. 2017 vw jetta gli probably is one of interesting matter to be talked. At first, we also wondering about 2019 vw jetta r line. #carreviewpricetv Car Review Price TV Follow Us ON: https://twitter.com/CarReviewPrice https://ift.tt/2FGRLqk https://ift.tt/2HGRQHa https://ift.tt/2FGRO5u

[carreviewnow]

The maker are so excited to present you this youtube content about 2017 vw jetta gli. Alot of user are searching for 2019 vw jetta s. Do you want to know about 2019 vw jetta gli. Vw jetta 2018 is really interesting to be discussed. Subjectively, we think 2019 vw jetta mexico is some discussion that needed in youtube. It may not exactly have Beetle status, but rather the Jetta is presently mature enough and VW has sufficiently sold models for it to procure its place as a Volkswagen symbol. This German smaller auto has been around since 1979 and more than 17.5 million have been sold, with in excess of 3.2 million Jettas sold in the United States alone. For 2019, the VW Jetta is all new and set to go marked down soon. Presently in its seventh era, the most recent Jetta comes back with the rigid and Teutonic driving behavior appreciated by the individuals who see an auto as in excess of an apparatus, in addition to a solid program of the most recent driver-help and security frameworks. To support its fight against top of the line rivals like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, the most recent Jetta even packs a couple of shocks like discretionary ventilated seats and another association with BeatsAudio. Also, it lands at a beginning cost of $19,395, which VW rushes to bring up is marginally not as much as the active model. Following our underlying audit of the 2019 VW Jetta in model frame at the organization's shrouded Arizona Proving Grounds, Volkswagen welcomed us to Durham, North Carolina, for the principle media dispatch of its new smaller car. Here are our early introductions of the Jetta underway frame from a very short visit to this pure school town. In case you're thinking about purchasing a Jetta, you most likely definitely know – and esteem – something numerous other little auto customers aren't that worried about: driving elements. 2019 vw jetta sel premium is really interesting to be discussed. Do you wondering about 2019 vw jetta suspension. 2019 vw jetta crash test probably is one of fascinating issue to be discussed. Subjectively, we consider 2019 vw jetta sel is a topic that required in the internet. Maybe, you are one of some people that searching for vids about 2019 vw jetta wagon. #carreviewnow Car Review Now https://twitter.com/carreviewnow https://ift.tt/2GOhhag https://ift.tt/2FVUDeY https://ift.tt/2GNBPjo https://ift.tt/2HQEwzM https://ift.tt/2GKU8Wg

[phooll123]

NY International Auto Show puts focus on SUVs, electronic safety aids

The 2018 New York International Auto Show opens next week amid a healthy new vehicle market, a continued shift in tastes toward sport utility vehicles and a growing number of electronic aids intended to make driving easier and safer.

The show opens to the public Friday at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. Carmakers plan to debut at least 60 new or redesigned vehicles either for the first time anywhere or the first time in North America. About a million people usually attend. They will see about 1,000 vehicles in more than 800,000 square feet of exhibit space, according to the event's organizers. Admission is $17, or $7 for children younger than 12. SUVs, especially the smaller, car-based models known as crossovers, dominate the list of new models. "Crossovers and SUVs are the name of the game right now," said Melanie Spare-Oswalt, chief executive of Sayville Ford, Suffolk's largest retailer of the brand. Her most popular model, she said, is the midsize Explorer, followed by the compact Escape. For 2019, Ford has added a smaller SUV, the EcoSport, starting at around $20,000, and has freshened the larger Edge SUV, which starts around $29,000. Sales of SUVs, vans and pickups — collectively called light trucks in industry parlance — accounted for 64.5 percent of new vehicles nationally last year, according to the trade paper Automotive News. The split is about the same in the 12-county downstate area that includes Long Island and is covered by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, sponsors of the Javits show. The split nationally and locally was 50-50 as recently as 2013. However, not everyone expects the shift to continue at the current pace."There are people who still want sedans and coupes and convertibles," says IHS Markit principal auto analyst Stephanie Brinley, based in Michigan. "It's a different driving experience." Lee Certilman, chairman of the Greater New York auto dealers and owner of Nardy Honda in St. James, one the brand's largest Long Island stores, says his Accord sedan, starting at about $24,000 and ubiquitous on Long Island, remains a hot seller."I think there are always going to be people who want cars and don't need SUVs," he said.   New-vehicle registrations in 12 downstate counties including Nassau and Suffolk fell 3.4 percent in 2017 from a healthy 2016 level, according to the dealer association, to about 588,000. The group's figures do not include a relatively small percentage of sales to fleets for groups such as police departments. It would have been worse without light trucks, whose registrations rose by 2.1 percent, while new registrations of passenger cars fell by 12 percent. The dealer group didn't offer a breakdown by county for cars versus trucks, but, in total, Long Islanders registered 229,166 new vehicles last year — 2 percent fewer than a year earlier, the group said. At the 23-store Atlantic Auto Group, Long Island's largest dealership chain, co-owner Michael Brown is optimistic about the market this year, citing new models, especially from Hyundai and Volkswagen, and the expiration this year of a large number of leases written three years ago. "I'm looking for a modest increase, a few percentage points," he said. Last year's car sales were off slightly from 2016, he said. John Rizzo, chief economist for the Long Island Association, the area's largest business group, said he's optimistic about sales of big-ticket items this year, including cars. "The positives are a strong labor market and evidence of growing wages," he said. "There's high consumer confidence, and the most recent data suggests consumer spending is strong on Long Island." At Sunrise Toyota in Oakdale, one of the Island’s largest sellers of the brand, owner Jimmy Berg said he expects another strong year, on top of a 5 percent gain last year over 2016 at the Oakdale store and another Toyota outlet he owns in Middle Island. SUVs account for 60 percent of his sales, and the compact RAV4 has replaced the Camry sedan as his best seller, Berg said. "I think the smaller-SUV market will continue to grow," he said. Toyota is expected to unveil at the Javits show a redesigned RAV4, which starts at about $25,000 and competes against popular models like the Escape and Honda CR-V. Other new or redone SUVs scheduled to be at Javits this year, mostly as 2019 models, include the new BMW X2 subcompact, a smaller addition to the German carmaker's lineup and priced around $36,000. Lexus, Toyota's luxury division, has added an optional three-row version of the RX 350L SUV starting at about $53,000, and Subaru is adding a new three-row SUV, the Ascent, starting at about $32,000. Subaru also is expected to unveil its next-generation Forester SUV,  with prices not yet announced. Lexus plans to show its first compact SUV, the UX, unveiled earlier this month at the Geneva auto show, with prices to be announced. Hyundai, Nissan and Mitsubishi also have added new small SUVs: the Kona, starting at about $20,000;  Kicks, starting at about $19,000; and Eclipse Cross, starting at about $23,000. Redesigned SUVs also include the Jeep Wrangler, the descendant of the famed World War II military scout vehicle. It starts at about $27,500. Also redone is the Hyundai Santa Fe, which starts at about $30,000. Freshened models include the Jeep Cherokee, starting at about $24,000, the Buick Envision starting at about $34,000, and the Lincoln Navigator starting at about $72,000.   Also among luxury-car makers, Cadillac is scheduled to show a new compact SUV, the XT4, at Javits for the first time anywhere, with prices due later. Jaguar is adding its first compact SUVs, the gasoline-powered E-Pace starting at about $39,000 and the electric I-Pace, whose price isn't yet available. Lincoln will unveil its new Aviator three-row SUV at Javits — no price given yet. New passenger cars include the Volvo V60 station wagon going on sale early next year at about $38,000 to start. Another important new sedan is the redesigned Volkswagen Jetta, the brand's U.S. bestseller, starting at about $19,000. VW also will be showing its new flagship sedan, the Arteon, whose price isn't available yet. Also redesigned is Toyota's biggest sedan, the Avalon, which starts at about $34,000. And Audi will show its redesigned A6 luxury sedan, which starts around $50,000 A few of the offerings are just for fun. Ford, for example, is bringing back the Mustang Bullitt edition for another limited run, this time to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Steve McQueen detective film, which contains one of cinema's best-known car-chase sequences. Pricing  is expected to be in the mid-$40,000s. Porsche is expected to display the 500 hp. 911 GT3 RS shown at the Geneva auto show, priced at about $144,000. Somewhere between utility and sporty is the Mercedes-Benz AMG G63, a rugged SUV that's just been redesigned; the price hasn't been disclosed yet. Fully self-driving cars still are believed to be years away from showrooms, with a host of safety issues yet to be worked out. A pedestrian was killed March 19 in Tempe, Arizona, by one of many experimental autonomous cars being tested on the nation's streets. The car was operated by the Uber ride-hailing service, and had an emergency backup driver behind the wheel. But technologies continue to proliferate in vehicles on sale now to assist drivers at staying centered in a lane, maintaining set speeds even when the traffic slows or accelerates, automatically steering around curves or changing lanes, stopping for obstacles and "seeing" other cars in blind spots. Cadillac's "Super Cruise" is available on the 2018 CT6, one item in a $5,000 options package, according to Cadillac. It allows hands-free driving on about 130,000 miles of pre-mapped U.S. and Canadian highways, automatically keeping the car in lane, following curves, accelerating and braking. It uses multiple cameras and sensors and at the same time ensures that the driver stays focused on the road even when not steering the car or even holding onto the steering wheel. The driver will, however, have to take over to change lanes or exit the highway. The pre-mapped limited-access highways include the Long Island Expressway, according to Cadillac's website. Competing systems are offered by Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Tesla. Hyundai's new Santa Fe has two unusual safety systems, one that is designed to prevent children from either locking themselves in the car or being left inadvertently in the vehicle, and the other to prevent a door from being opened if a vehicle, motorcycle or bicycle is approaching from behind on that side of the SUV. The first system works by sensing movement in the rear seat of the vehicle after the driver has exited. If it does, it honks the horn, flashes the headlights and sends an alert to the driver's cellphone that a passenger has been left behind. Information on crash-avoidance systems in specific models is available from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety at https://ift.tt/1Zg1zYq. Most of the new vehicles due at the show are gasoline-powered but carmakers, who are under pressure from federal regulations to improve vehicle fuel economy, continue to show new electric and hybrid gasoline-electric cars and SUVs. New "green" models at Javits this year include the 2019 Honda Insight, an early hybrid gas-electric model returning redesigned after a four-year absence. It goes on sale in summer at a price to be announced. The electric Jaguar I-Pace SUV has a 220-mile range between rechargings and 400 hp. available. The Nissan Leaf pure electric was redesigned and went on sale in January at about $30,000. Also new is the latest version of the Honda Accord hybrid, which starts at about $25,100. A potential cloud on the automotive horizon this year is rising interest rates, which experts think could particularly affect borrowers with weak credit. Local dealers, though, foresee little impact, at least this year. "I think rising interest rates are definitely going to be a factor and people are watching that, but I think there are more positives than negatives when we're talking about the economic landscape," said Brown of Atlantic.

A selection of new or significantly updated vehicles scheduled to be at the 2018 New York International Auto Show* 2019 Acura RDX: Compact SUV redesigned. On sale summer. 2019 Audi A6: Redesigned sedan, on sale late this year. 2018 BMW X2: new subcompact SUV on sale now 2019 Ford Bullitt Mustang: Limited edition 'Stang commemorates the 50th anniversary of the detective film of the same name.  Has a 475 hp. V-8. On sale summer. 2019 Ford Ranger: Midsize pickup truck returns to North America, redesigned to compete with the likes of the Chevrolet Colorado. On sale early next year with a 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine and a 10-speed automatic transmission. 2019 Ford Edge SUV: Freshened styling and the addition of an ST performance versions with a 335 hp. twin turbocharged V-6 engine and sport suspension.  On sale summer. 2018 Ford Transit Connect: Redesigned passenger or work wagon. Four-cylinder gasoline or diesel engines available. Two wheelbases offered with five- or -seven-passenger capacity, respectively. On sale now. 2018 Ford EcoSport: Small five-passenger SUV available with four-wheel drive and three- or four-cylinder engines. On sale now. 2019 Honda Insight: An early hybrid gasoline electric model returns redesigned after a four-year absence. On sale summer. 2019 Hyundai Kona, compact SUV. On sale spring. 2019 Hyundai Veloster: Sport Coupe redesigned. On sale spring 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe, redesigned midsize SUV, on sale in summer in five- and 7-passenger configurations. 2019 Kia Forte. Compact sedan redesigned. On sale later this year. 2018 Jaguar E-Pace, compact SUV, went on sale in January. Electric version, the 2019 I-Pace, goes on sale in late summer with a claimed 220-mile range and rapid recharging from zero to 80 percent in 45 minutes. 2018 Jeep Wrangler: Redesign of the iconic, original, Jeep. On sale now. 2018 Lexus RX 350L: Three-row version of midsize SUV, on sale next month (April). 2019 Lexus UX: New compact SUV, this brand's first. To be offered in gasoline and gasoline-electric hybrid version. On sale in December. 2019 Lincoln Nautilus: Compact SUV replaces MKX. On sale in summer. 2019 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 4-Door Coupe: Additional model joins two-door brother, with up to 630 hp. available and an automatic transmission with nine forward speeds. 2019 Mercedes-Benz AMG G63. Rugged, iconic SUV also known as the Gelandewagen redesigned. On sale by the end of this year with a 563 HP. V-8 engine. 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross: Compact SUV to compete with Honda CRV and Toyota RAV4. On sale now. 2018 Nissan Kicks: New, inexpensive, subcompact SUV, on sale in June. 2018 Nissan Leaf: Electric car redesigned. On sale now with a 147 hp. motor, an increase of 37 percent from the previous Leaf. Range between recharges: 150 miles. 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Sportscar, with 500 HP. On sale date n/a. 2019 Ram 1500. Full size pickup truck redesigned, made lighter, safer and longer. On sale now. 2019 Range Rover SV Coupe: New model added to lineup, on sale late this year. Subaru Ascent: New three-row SUV. On sale summer. 2019 Toyota Avalon: Redesigned large sedan. On sale late spring. 2019 Volkswagen Arteon: New flagship sedan replaces the smaller CC. Already on sale in Germany, due in the U.S. in the summer. 2019 Volkswagen Jetta: VW's best seller in the U.S., a compact is redesigned, made roomier inside. On sale summer 2019 Volvo V-60: Midsize station wagon redesigned, available with all-wheel drive and up to 316 hp. On sale early next year. *List does not include new models not yet shown publicly and for which photography was unavailable. Sources: Vehicle manufacturers, Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association.

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[robertkstone]

Volkswagen Jetta GLI Confirmed, New Passat and Tiguan Coming

It does not come as a surprise, but there will be a Jetta GLI, Hinrich Woebcken, CEO of VW North America region, confirmed in a roundtable at the Chicago Auto Show where the automaker unveiled the North American version of the new Arteon midsize hatchback that replaces the CC in the lineup.

It is a natural must for Jetta, Woebcken said. “It fits well to the product and it will happen.”

VW introduced the larger seventh-generation 2019 Jetta last month in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show. It rides on the high-volume MQB platform, is designed to appeal more to families, and is built in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The outgoing A6-generation Jetta soldiered on for seven long model years, largely because of the challenges of launching numerous MQB-based vehicles during the time window when a replacement should have been expected.

Design boss Klaus Bischoff reports that his team is already at work on the next Jetta, which will resume a more normal product cadence. He also noted that the new A7 Jetta neither mimics the current Golf nor does it preview the look of the next Golf. Bischoff assures us the days of a Jetta being a Golf with a trunk are over. This is partially because the two cars have different geographical appeals, with the new sedan selling primarily in China and the Americas, while the hatchback and wagon are tailored to suit European sensibilities.

The regular Jetta has a 1.4-liter turbocharged TSI engine that generates 147 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque and it has an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The expectation is the Volkswagen Jetta GLI would have the automaker’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that is in the Jetta GTI but engineered for more output. It could bring back a six-speed manual as well as offer a dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Woebcken said the automaker is looking at different options for performance models across the lineup but there have been no decisions yet and no confirmation of a Jetta R at this point. Should it be approved in the future, it would be a first for the Jetta.

The executive also talked about the new Passat coming in 2019 that will sport a new look, distinct from the outgoing model and the Jetta. It will continue to be built in Chattanooga.

Also among the reported 56 products being prepared for launch globally by 2025 are two more crossovers bound for North America: a compact and a midsize to double down on the success of the Tiguan and Atlas. One will be a five-passenger, two-row version of the Atlas due in the coming year and the other could be a variant of the Tiguan. The Atlas is built in Chattanooga and the Tiguan is made in Puebla, Mexico.

A new Touareg will be shown in April at the Beijing auto show in China, but as we previously reported, that model has been discontinued in the U.S.

There are no plans to add a pickup. The big volume is in full-size trucks and “we don’t have anything in our toolbox to go after it,” said Woebcken. VW has platforms that could be used for a compact pickup but the smaller volumes in this segment do not make a strong business case. “The numbers are small, not convincing. We could do it but it’s not a priority.”

Nor are there plans to bring back the Beetle, an emotional car but not practical with only two doors. If it did come back, it could reinvent itself as a fully electric car.

As it works to transform its lineup and get past the diesel scandal, VW has promised at least two new products a year. In 2017 it was the all-new Atlas and repositioned Tiguan with third-row seating. This year it is the Jetta and Arteon.

Overall, Woebcken thinks the VW portfolio is complete for the short- and mid-term.

VW has said its goal is to be the largest manufacturer of electric vehicles by 2025, and its strategy involves the return of the Microbus on the new MEB platform designed for EVs. Woebcken thinks 10 percent of industry car sales will be electric by 2025. And he says the electric vehicles will make money in their first generation.

Sales are on the rise. While industry sales in the U.S. were down 1.8 percent in 2017, VW sales were up 5.2 percent. Given that sales increases are in the double digits in other parts of the world, Woebcken sees North America as ripe with potential to gain sales and market share.

Even the aftermath of the diesel scandal, which came to light in the fall of 2015 and has cost the automaker about $30 billion to date, is ahead of schedule. Woebcken said the target was to fix or buy back 85 percent of affected vehicles by the end of this year and the efforts have already exceeded that. The fixed vehicles are being resold, but are being released slowly so there is not a glut of them on the market which would damage their residual value. Some older models are just being scrapped.

Frank Markus contributed to this post

The post Volkswagen Jetta GLI Confirmed, New Passat and Tiguan Coming appeared first on Motor Trend.

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[savetopnow]

2018-03-09 05 CAR now

CAR

Auto Spies

#GIMS: BMW Executive Lets The Cat Out Of The Bag For The Next i Model

Ferrari SUV To Be First Proper Hybrid For Automaker

Which Is More Important To You, The Dealer Or The Brand?

#GIMS: BMW Says Customer Demand Spurred Revival Of 8 Series

Mercedes And BMW Using Fat Profits From Performance Cars To Fund EV Push

Autoblog

2018 Geneva Motor Show Editors' Picks

Jaguar I-Pace vs. Tesla Model X and Model S: How they compare on paper

Dodge Challenger Shaker cars get Shakedown package stripes

Goodyear rolls out moss-filled tire that releases oxygen

VW Jetta fuel economy improves for 2019, same with manual or automatic

Car Throttle

The Alpine A110 Has Morphed Into A GT4 Racer

Watch A BMW M4 CS Receive A Good Spanking In The Name Of Advertising

Here's A Rare Chance To Buy A VW Beetle RSI

This Rant About The "Truly Terrible" Mercedes Metris Is Incredibly Thorough

Expect A Straight-Six But No Manual In The New Toyota Supra

Electrek

Elon Musk takes Donald Trump to task on US-China car trade as Tesla eyes factory in China

Green Deals: 2-pack Sengled LED Flood Lights w/ Motion Detection $17 (Reg. $30), more

Tesla Autopilot appears to be getting closer to ‘On-ramp to Off-ramp’ feature, handles ‘curve of death’

Hyundai unveils electric dune buggy concept that converts into a jet ski

Goodyear unveils new tire for electric cars to reduce wear from powerful instant torque

Inside EVs

Musk Urges Trump To Push For Fair Auto Trade Policies With China

PG&E Will Install 7,500 Charging Stations In California

Meet Venere – The 1,000 HP All-Electric Limousine

2018 February US Plug-In EV Sales Charted: Market Up 33%, 1.3% Share

Elon Musk Versus Jeff Bezos: Visionaries For Our Future

Jalopnik

Meet Torako, The Lamborghini Cat In Tokyo

The 39 New York City Bridges That Matter, Ranked

The Mercedes-AMG GT Four-Door Is Not A Four-Door AMG GT

This Is What Ford's USPS Mail Truck Prototype Looks Like

Wait, Did F1 Driver Daniel Ricciardo’s Parents Help Fake Finding That 131 Year Old Message In A Bottle?

Motortrend

Dodge’s New Shakedown Package Channels the 2016 SEMA Concept

Tesla Semi Makes First Cargo Trip

2017 Mini Clubman Cooper S All4 Long-Term Verdict: The Cool Tax

Jaguar Restomodded This 1984 XJ6 for Iron Maiden Drummer Nicko McBrain

Nissan Adds a Smoker, Makes the Titan Way Cooler

Reddit Cars

Here’s a Tour of a Perfect Jeep Wrangler ... From 1993 - Doug DeMuro

Inspired by the other dealership stories here’s my amazingly positive experience buying from Acura

Car Salesman Confidential: How We Get Paid - Motor Trend

A quite interesting 1974 Rolls Royce that popped up for sale in Norway

Land Cruiser - Everything You Need To Know | Up To Speed

Sunday Times Driving

Take two: new Rimac C-Two hypercar pokes fun at Richard Hammond

Toyota to stop selling new diesel cars in Britain this year

Careless Ferrari driver Matthew Cobden found guilty over boy’s death

Judge’s sorrow as vintage tractor row splits family

Updated: the best new cars at the 2018 Geneva motor show

The Car Connection

2018 Chevrolet Traverse

2018 Chevrolet Equinox

2018 Chevrolet Impala

2018 Chevrolet Volt

2018 Chevrolet Corvette

The CarGurus Blog

Geneva motor show: Five great cars, five years on

The 10 Most Popular Used Cars in the UK

Top Headlines From February 24 – March 2

Half Price Hot Hatch: Renaultsport Clio 200

Beast from the East: How to drive in snow and ice

The Torque Report

2019 VW Jetta gets 40 mpg on the highway

Jaguar might build a four-door F-Type

Volkswagen confirms the death of the Beetle

2019 Nissan Altima teased in a new sketch

2019 Ram 1500 Tradesman revealed

The Truth About Cars

Tesla’s New Strategy of ‘Not Paying’ Elon Musk Costs $2.6 Billion

Rare Rides: The DKW Wagon From 1962 – History Time (Part I)

Bark’s Bites: The Ethics of Driving a Murder Machine

Nissan’s Next-gen Altima Is Just Weeks Away, So Here’s a Preview

One Does Not Simply Tell Rolls-Royce How to Sell a Car

[jeffrey2garner]

Clearing the Air: TDI Aside, VW Still Builds Great Cars

Years ago, a good friend was in the market for a car, and despite trying my best to sell her on a Honda Fit, she was smitten with one particular Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen, which she’d eventually buy and name Gretta. As much as I tried to sway her to the little Honda (It’s great in the city! Fantastic fuel economy! Honda reliability!), I was always greeted with the same answer, spoken in her best German accent: “But Matt… Das Auto!”

For decades, Volkswagen has carried a special little something in its back pocket—a je ne sais quoi built around the idea that anyone with the desire could drive a little piece of European style and sophistication. A bit of German craftsmanship for your driveway. Das Auto.

And then, not quite two years ago, Volkswagen suffered one of the worst public-relations nightmares in automotive history. Known to most as “Dieselgate,” VW’s emissions scandal changed the company’s image from clean and sophisticated to dirty and pretentious. Diesel cars were bought back from customers, sales dropped, and “Das Auto” was terminated.

You won’t hear any words defending Volkswagen’s cheating diesels from me, but what has been lost amid the company’s troubles is that VW still has great products. Although a Jetta TDI might not be a wise investment, anyone looking for an exciting hatchback can still default comfortably to the GTI—what Chris Wardlaw described as “akin to attending the University of Torque.” Growing families can look forward to the all-new Atlas crossover, and anyone living north of the 40th parallel can rely on the Golf Alltrack.

Thanks to good handling and an impressive interior, the Alltrack was awarded the New England Motor Press Association’s Winter Vehicle Award for the Compact All-Wheel-Drive Sedan/Wagon category. In accepting the award for Volkswagen, Product Communications Senior Specialist William Gock remarked that he “loved this car from the minute we took the covers off of it… and it’s nice to know I’m not just drinking the Kool-Aid.”

Internal discussion can lead even the most objective product experts to hyperbole, and this is rarely as apparent as it is in the auto business. Every car company is likely to have a few duds (which the public relations team is still responsible for representing positively), but in cases where the product is actually as good as the marketing team declares, it can be a relief to know you haven’t simply been drinking the company’s Kool-Aid.

Volkswagen still has an uphill battle to earn back the public’s trust and support after its emissions scandal, but cars like the GTI, Atlas, and Golf Alltrack prove that the company responsible for “the people’s car” may still have something for everyone. After all, Gretta is still holding strong.

Are any Volkswagens on your shopping list this summer?

-Matt Smith

Find Certified Pre-Owned Cars and Used Cars in your area at CarGurus.

Shopping for a new vehicle? Bring along CarGurus’ mobile app to help check prices, find good deals, and research cars on your smartphone.

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[smoothshift]

We just bought a 2017 VW and I must say, i'm super impressed! via /r/cars

We just bought a 2017 VW and I must say, i'm super impressed!

TL;DR

The SO and I were in the market for a new car. We ended up with a 1 owner, 15k mile 2017 VW Sportwagen 4motion with the 1.8t and DSG transmission. The car came with 3 years of remaining factory warranty and 2 more years of CPO warranty on top of that. We paid $17,500 and got tint and all-weather mats thrown in. It is an incredible amount of car for the money, and from an enthusiasts' perspective, it ticks way more boxes than it should. We are both incredibly stoked for all of the wagon adventures in our future.

Some Background:

The SO had a 2006 AWD 4cyl Ford Escape with 170k miles that was really starting to fall apart, so we decided that it was time for something new. We were initially looking to spend about 15k or so and our 4 most important requirements were AWD, wagon or a hatch, decent refinement, and at least some sort of fun-factor.

The Search:

I have been working for BMW for about 5 years now and I have a lot of experience with the brand (plus discounts on parts, etc), so I started looking for some E91 3-series wagons. A majority of them in our area were just too high of mileage and weren't in the greatest shape for the price they were asking (wagons hold big value in the PNW). At this point I started looking at newer options from cheaper brands, but I came to the conclusion that not many manufacturers really make what we were looking for.

Honda has the Civic hatch, which we both like, but was boring to drive with the CVT and isn't offered with AWD.

Any Subaru option just felt incredibly cheap on the interior and the price points were far too high for what you get (PNW Subaru tax). CVT was also a drag.

Volvos didn't have any middle ground. It was either a 120k+ mile V60 for 7k or a 3-4 year old V70/90 for 25k+.

This led us to the VW group. We both REALLY liked the VW Alltrack but unfortunately it was a little too new to slot into our budget. Due to this I started looking for some 3-4 year old Jetta Sport wagons, which weren't available in AWD but did have the appeal of the TDI option with DSG. After finding one online, we made an appointment at a local dealer with a sales guy who just happened to work at my dealer before, and we went to check the car out.

Upon first reaction, the MK6 Jetta Sportwagen isn't exactly a looker. Its a little bubbly and kinda weirdly designed, though we gave it the benefit of the doubt and continued to check out the interior. The inside was meh and nothing to write home about. Though. the idea of 40+ MPG from the TDI and the low asking price did keep us mildly interested... UNTIL I was told that this dealer had a Golf Sportwagen in stock that was newer and only a little bit outside of our price range.

The Decision:

Our sales guy pulled the car around and my SO and I were immediately impressed just by the looks alone. The car was a 2017 Golf Sportwagen with 4-motion and the 1.8t motor. It was a single owner with 15k miles on the clock. The car also had 3 years of factory warranty left, with an additional 2 years of CPO on top of that. The interior was not only worlds better than the Jetta, but it also completely blew away anything that Toyota, Honda, Subaru, Hyundai, etc had to offer for the 2017 model year. Everything was soft to the touch with no hard and brittle plastics to be found. The steering wheel was a nice soft leather with a flat bottom, the cloth seats felt supportive and comfortable for long trips, and the infotainment display with Apple carplay/Android auto was crisp, smooth, and easy to use.

We immediately wanted to go for a test drive, so my SO hopped in the driver seat and we took off. The first thing I noticed was the refinement of the ride. There were zero rattles, very limited road noise (even with cheaper OEM tires), and the drivetrain felt incredibly smooth. I told my SO to get on the gas after coming out of a corner and I immediately saw her light up into a huge grin. She has always driven older SUVs and only has had the experience of riding in performance cars with me, so she was absolutely loving the handling and power. On the way back to the dealer, I hopped in the driver seat to see how the car felt. I was also incredibly impressed by the smoothness and crispness of the drivetrain combo. The 1.8t had plenty of torque at low RPMs and the DSG transmission was super quick and smooth to shift. As far as performance goes, the car felt a bit faster and more nimble than a new BMW 320i, and honestly the interior fit and finish was almost about on par with the 320i as well.

Once back, we decided that the $17,800 asking price was well worth going a few thousand over our budget for a car we both loved with a 5 year factory warranty. Every single VW Alltrack I had seen in the same condition/mileage had asking prices of 22k+.With the 4 motion on this Golf Sportwagen, the only difference between the two was the more rugged bodykit on the Alltrack. With this car being the only one optioned with 4motion in our area, and the already low asking price, we decided to pull the trigger and ended up buying the car for $17,500 with the inclusion of all-weather mats and all (9!) windows tinted. We were both incredibly happy with the deal.

Conclusion

Its been about a month now, and my SO has not kept quiet about how much she loves the car (which makes me so stoked as a car guy). I just picked up some 16" Blizzaks for the stock wheels and plan to surprise her with those as an early Christmas present. Come Spring, I think we will have to find some 17" or 18" wheels and wrap them in some Conti DWS'.

With all the smack talk on r/cars about the VW group and their new car issues, I was honestly hesitant at first with looking into a VW product. Though, now I can't sing this car's praises enough. It is an incredible amount of car for the money and for an enthusiast it ticks way more boxes than it should for a cheaper new car. We hope to have may of memories going on wagon adventures in this thing!