By Jim Bray Saturday, February 11, 2012
It’s a Beetle you probably won’t want to stomp on, unless you’re only referring to what your foot does to the accelerator pedal.
VW Tiguan a Fine Choice in a Crowded MarketBy Jim Bray Saturday, December 10, 2011
VW’s entry into the “Cute Ute” segment is a little more cute for 2012, while still being a good ute.
VW Jetta Diesel – Cheap on Fuel, Big on TorqueBy Jim Bray Sunday, June 12, 2011
Pump pain. It’s the ache you feel at the sight of your bank account being depleted of vital resources by the vital resources your vehicle burns if it’s to be of any use to you.
The quest to minimize pump pain is one of the great pastimes these days. How do you stretch that fuel dollar so you can afford other necessities of life, like groceries?
VW Touareg Diesel Rocks (and we take a second look at the new Ford Explorer)By Jim Bray Saturday, May 7, 2011
High gas prices may make you want to think about a hybrid as a way to save some fuel, but there’s another way to do it: Go diesel.
Diesels have had a reputation for being stinky and slow, but that was then and this is now. According to Sergio Stiberman, CEO and founder of LeaseTrader.com, “The diesel cars of today are clearly not your father’s diesel.” Stiberman, whose company matches shoppers with “shoppees” who want to get out of their auto leases, says “More people today are searching for diesels because of the improved mileage they can get.”
VW Touareg Ups Its Own Ante for ‘11By Jim Bray Saturday, January 29, 2011
It’s bigger, more graceful and more efficient than the previous generation and you can get it in a hybrid if that’s important to you. It’s also comfortable and luxurious, kind of a “less well-heeled man’s” Porsche Cayenne.
The difficult to spell Touareg is Volkswagen’s full-sized SUV and it’s a fine one. And for 2011 the Touareg, promoted as the second generation of the vehicle, there are substantial changes from the original model.
Golf GTI: A little Rocket
By Jim Bray Sunday, August 15, 2010
When the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada named the GTI as its 2010 Canadian Car of the year, I didn’t agree. I thought it should have gone to the Porsche Panamera, because it was a completely new car – as opposed to the GTI’s being merely another generation of a long-running vehicle – and it had represented a bigger risk for its company.
Car Wars, Episode Diesel: Return of the JettaBy Jim Bray Friday, April 30, 2010
My love affair with Volkswagen’s current product line continues with the 2010 Jetta sedan and wagon. Heck, if I were French, I’d simply look at the car’s flanks, say “Jetta door!” and be done with it.
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI Named 2010 Canadian Car of the YearBy Online Thursday, February 11, 2010
In an early morning press conference at the opening of the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, the Volkswagen Golf GTI was declared the 2010 Canadian Car of the Year (CCOTY) by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).
VW New Beetle and Golf City – Reasonably Sublime to Downright RidiculousBy Jim Bray Saturday, October 10, 2009
Then there’s the New Beetle convertible.
I got to drive both vehicles back to back, spending about three weeks with them in total – mostly (fortunately) puttering around in the Golf, no pun intended. Well, okay; I did make the pun deliberately. The Golf City restored the good taste for Volkswagens that I’d had before I was infected by the nasty bug.
VW Jumps into “Cute Ute” segment with TiguanBy Jim Bray Thursday, July 16, 2009
It’s cute and it’s a ute – and Volkswagen is hoping to score a share of the popular small SUV market with its new Tiguan.
A “Non-Coupe” is Volkswagen’s Latest Scoop
By Jim Bray Monday, April 20, 2009
Who’d have thought a Volkswagen sedan could be sexy, an object of automotive lust?
VW “Dodges” Minivan MarketBy Jim Bray Monday, January 19, 2009
From the company whose microbus became legendary among travelers and hippies comes the 2009 Routan, Volkswagen’s first honest-to-goodness “garden variety” minivan.
VW Jetta Diesel – TDI, not TD-ous
By Jim Bray Monday, December 8, 2008
In a time of unstable gasoline prices, one might think a hybrid is the best way to go. But there’s a proven alternative that offers the gas mileage you want without requiring a hybrid’s premium price.
It’s the diesel, an engine that has been around forever but which has also been dumped upon nearly forever for such things as emissions and noise. But today’s diesel can be different from days gone by, if Volkswagen’s “clean diesel” technology is any indication.
Volkswagen GTI – Upgrades Your “Zip” CodeBy Jim Bray Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Volkswagen’s zippy little GTI is back, a sporty hatchback that’s fun to drive yet practical as well.
