Un-Passe Passat

A friend and I were talking over his new car prospects the other day. His 1990-something Geo Prism is about to die... literally.  

"What was it you were test driving not too long ago?" he asked.  

I reminded him it was a Passat TDI.  

"Oh yeah..." he said with a sigh. "THAT was a nice car.  I could get one of those..." 

I could, too.  In a heartbeat. 

I knew all about the crazy ridiculous gas mileage the TDI engine provided, but what else does the new Passat have to offer?  

Let's take a look: 

The Volkswagen Passat was redesigned in 2012 and quickly earned an armful of awards, including Motor Trend Car of the Year and first place in a six-sedan comparison by Car and Driver.

Those awards, plus the new design, resulted in more than 117,000 Passat sedans finding a home in American garages in 2012—an 837 percent increase from the 12,497 Passats VW managed to move in 2010.  Not too shabby, VW. 

VW also backs the Passat with a three-year, 36,000-mile limited warranty and a five-year, 50,000-mile powertrain warranty, plus three years or 36,000 miles of roadside assistance. Cant' beat that! 

Nearly every vehicle in VW's fleet earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). But the 2013 Passat enjoys the particular distinction of earning a Top Safety Pick+ rating, which means it passed the new and challenging small overlap frontal test that assesses how well a vehicle will protect the driver when the front corner of the vehicle collides with a solid object like a tree or utility pole. 

And don't forget, VW offers two turbocharged engines. The 1.8-liter four-cylinder available on the Passat SEL Premium model makes 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque on its way to averaging 24 mpg in the city and 34 on the highway. 

Sound too good to be affordable?  Unbelievably, the least expensive Passat starts under $21,000 and my test 2013 VW Passat S with the Appearance Package was just under $24,000, including a $795 destination charge. So whether you choose an inexpensive Passat S model or the more expensive and fuel-efficient Passat TDI, this car is one of today's best sedans. 

I think I'll haul my friend over to Ken Garff Volkswagen of Orem and see if we can't get him into one of the best cars on the road. 

Volkswagen GTI Wins "Cheap Speed Challenge"

Just one month after arriving in U.S. dealerships, the all-new 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI has been named winner of Cars.com’s first-ever “Cheap Speed Challenge.” The challenge focused on compact coupes, sedans and hatchbacks that cost less than $30,000 and are equipped with features popular among drivers seeking performance in a new car. The 2015 Golf GTI beat out seven contenders in the “Challenge”.

Experts from Cars.com, USA Today, and MotorWeek, as well as an actual car shopper in the market for an affordable performance car, tested the eight contenders over a five-day period. 

Tests included:

• Zero-to-60-mph times and quarter-mile times and speeds
• 60 mph to zero braking distances
• Professional road course testing on a closed track
• 200 miles of driving on varying roads to test each car for real-world fuel economy
• Round-robin driving where each expert evaluated each car on the same street route, back-to-back, to gather overall impressions on drive, features and comfort

Joe Wiesenfelder, Executive Editor at Cars.com was impressed, "Not only does the all-new 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI offer the best performance bang for the buck, it is also one of the most comfortable. The GTI outperformed most cars in just about every test we conducted. Also, unlike some of the other Cheap Speed competitors, the GTI offers an impressively roomy and high-quality interior in addition to being seriously fun-to-drive.”

Gotta love it when we win!  

#TBT The Classic Westfalia

Be still, my heart! I happen to have it on good authority that this little beauty was purchased in New Mexico from one of the prop masters of one of TVs favorite shows.  (Hint: the bumper sticker is a dead give-away!) He wouldn't say whether it was actually used in production, but he sure didn't NOT say it! 

Either way, the Westfalia is just one of the coolest vintage VWs around, don't you think?  

With "optional equipment" that includes: 

• Attached "pop up" tops with canvas/screen sides
• Awnings and side tents
• A portable chemical toilet
• A camping stove
• Various camping equipment
• Child sleeping cot in driver cab
• Storage box which matches interior. Can be placed between front seats by sliding door.
• Rear swing table
• Small map table mounted on dash

Who wouldn't want to go exploring the back roads in one of these bad boys?  Seriously, I need one.  And a road-trip to everywhere. STAT. 

Eyes on the Road

In this brilliant, new ad from Volkswagon, a theater full of people learn the consequences of that quick glance down. 

The minimum amount of time it takes to look down and quickly read a text is five seconds. FIVE.  It sounds like nothing, right?  But if you're driving at even a moderate 55 mph, in that five seconds you've driven the entire length of a football field with your eyes away from the road!  And texting while you're driving makes you 23x more likely to crash!

As you may already know, Utah has banned all distracting mobile activities (think: searching the web, checking your status, even dialing).  Robert Hull, the UDot director of traffic and safety said, "the ultimate responsible driving behavior is 100% focus on driving."  At Ken Garff Volkwagon, we couldn't agree more! So remember to keep your eyes on the prize (and the road)!

Volkswagen Nabs Two Spots in Top Ten Best European Cars

When Insider Car News put together its top 10 list of Best European Cars in the US, they couldn't overlook the German engineering of Volkswagen. (Bonus points if you just said, "Das Auto" in your head.)

The roomier US version of the Volkswagen Passat has been incredibly popular.  And was declared to be "a great choice for an upscale sedan."

Also getting a nice nod was the GTI--the original hot hatchback.  "The interior of the GTI is easily the nicest in the performance hatchback market segment, with many elements looking more like something that belongs inside a luxury model." We may have mentioned that in the recent past.

Have you ever driven VW German Engineering?  Let us know what you think!

Throw (waaay!) back with VW

Here at Ken Garff Volkswagon of Orem, we're taking a serious trip down memory lane with this incredible, iconic 1952 Volkswagon Beetle ad. The sunroof limo! Room for three people in the backseat! Space for a car radio!  And do you love the original turn signals?  We sure did!  (it's a far cry from the gorgeous 2014 VW Beetle reboot) Das Auto indeed.

Enjoy!

Not Your Mama's GTI

Clearly, I've been living under a rock.

Why do I say that?

Because yesterday I pulled into a gas station and came nose to nose with a pretty sleek car I’d never seen before. I’m quite sure the guy pumping his gas thought I staring at his hipster style (Kudos on the sweet beard and Wayfarers, man!), but I was admiring his car. I’m a sucker for red, of course, but I was most interested in the fact that it wasn't just another run-the-mill-everyone-already-has-one rides. I took quick notes on whatever branding was clearly visible and finished topping-off.

As it turns out, what turned my head was a new VW GTI. The last one of those I remember well was from high school, circa 199-no-one-needs-to-know. You know the model I'm talking about.

The car I encountered yesterday wasn't even close. It was sleek and cool and pretty. I did a little more homework and let’s just say the reviews are in, and they are glowing. According to Car and Driver, “This latest GTI…is similarly unflappable. Misjudge a decreasing-radius turn? No worries, the GTI has front-end grip for days, and the tail stays planted. And should you have really overcooked it, there’s a stability-control system that you can’t fully turn off anyway. Jab your big dumb right foot into the accelerator too aggressively on corner exit? No sweat. A trick optional electronically controlled, multiplate, limited-slip differential goes to work, guiding the GTI’s faceted nose without interrupting the power delivery. It is a model of decorum.

With the GTI’s quick, new progressive steering rack (2.1 turns lock-to-lock), this car never feels darty or unbalanced, even when pushed hard on the squirrelly hill roads in southern France where we tested European-market versions. The GTI simply says confidently, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this handled.” On the same roads, the Ford Focus ST, the GTI’s most direct competitor, would be hollering, “Woohoo!” and shaking its tail, possibly with its pants off. Which suits you better?

Part of the GTI’s stability comes from its slightly wider front track and a wheelbase 2.1 inches longer than the previous GTI’s, but it’s also simply the product of a company that values dynamic fidelity more than frivolity. The cars we drove were all equipped with adjustable dampers, an option in Europe that won’t be making it to the States (oh, the humanity!). So we’ll have to wait for a final assessment on the finer points of the ride-and-handling picture. Volkswagen has aimed to reduce the body roll, which has always been a part of the GTI’s character. And the company has done a tremendous job of making the GTI feel more planted and agile without sacrificing ride quality. In any of the three damper settings, the GTI is smoother and more compliant than the Focus ST and much more so than the Mazdaspeed 3. This is one hot hatch for adults.”

All I can say is, “Amen.”

But don’t take my word for it. Go see Carlos at Ken Garff Volkswagon of Orem, take a test drive, and fall in love.