It seems crazy, but then again, fuel was a lot more expensive when we bought our Golf TDI. If gas/fuel spiked further, most people would have been in a world of hurt. Now, I'm not so sure it makes sense to get a fuel-efficient car, now that I'm not driving much and fuel is cheap, but either of those could change....
After 21 years in Charlotte, I've learned to play native. If the winter weather sounds like it may get bad, stay home. Ok, it's not really that bad but almost. I have a steep driveway that dumps into the middle of a steep hill. If I go down hill, I just have a different hill to climb on the other side. It also helps to have the ability to decide when I don't feel safe and not go into the office.
Due to ground clearance, VW recommends only flat beds for the new beetles. That put me in the habit of requesting only flat beds for any of my VWs.
I don't like AWD because of the extra weight and complexity. Also AWD only helps you get going; it doesn't help with turning and stopping.
Winter tires do all three.
It actually does help with turning if implemented properly.
Great looking car. Glad to see that you got a good deal. It was a wise choice to sit back on the Passat and wait for the buyback. In retrospect, I wish I would have done the same thing
I've parked the Passat until the buyback and got a great deal on a 2016 Nissan Maxima SR. I don't drive anywhere near the miles I used to for work so don't have as much need for the excellent gas mileage any more. Totally different driving experience from the Passat (as per design and purpose) and loving it so far.
My wife had a new Nissan Murano w/CVT several years ago. Her technical savvy and car appreciation didn't extend much beyond the Bose stereo which she loved but I didn't like driving it.
When my wife got her Golf TDI, it had a subwoofer in the trunk on top of the spare tire (which meant no full-sized spare). I am not a fan of subwoofers in general - I make her turn the thing off when I am in her car, and frankly I would rather have the full-sized spare.
. I am not sure, but I think there is still room in the trunk for the spare - I just have to go out and buy one. Believe it or not, the car did come with a jack and a wrench, but without a spare it isn't clear how that is ever going to be useful.
What's missing is a tire plug kit (glue, plug, reamer). You can jack the car up where the flat is and rotate the tire to see where the plug needs to go. I wouldn't use fix-a-flat in a good tire.The Volvo has no spare tire at all - just a can of fix-a-flat and a compressor that you plug into the cigarette lighter
I've got no problems with the CVT in my new Honda Accord. The car is very quiet and smooth. To me, the CVT drives perfectly fine. I honestly don't even hardly notice it's not a typical automatic transmission.
Thanks! I find myself opening the garage door every so often to stare at it. While I was skeptical/concerned about the CVT going into the test drive, I came away very impressed. I had previously driven a 2013 Altima with the CVT as a rental and it was terrible with an annoying whine. They have massively improved it since then and unless you know it's a CVT and really pay attention it behaves just like a traditional auto with no whine. It's no DSG, but is no traditional (previous generations) CVT either, Nissan did a great job tweaking and overhauling it.
We had similar impressions with a rental Corolla last year.
In case nobody else has responded already, it's the S4:
); 2013 Dodge Cummins
I mostly like the DSG, but when I test-drove an Outback a few years ago, the CVT was weird, and only added to the feeling of a slow, sluggish car. It's good to hear that they are improving CVTs. Seems like a good idea, in theory.
anything in particular you reread that's making you pass?
I seriously considered the Volt. Nice car with lots of bells and whistles (though GM dumped HD radio, which I love). However, the lack of space coming from my JSW was a killer. Plus, I've never been in love with GM products (irrational, I know).
