2011 Volkswagen Golf

Specifications prices Modifications and Image 2011 Volkswagen Golf
Getting more for your money is elusive no matter what you happen to be purchasing. Imagine your Starbucks barista saying, "Thanks for your order. Here's some gold bullion as a token of our gratitude." Or, "Here's your new 2011 Volkswagen Golf; we decided to upgrade you to an Audi free of charge." That latter buying fantasy may not be so far-fetched, however, as the Golf delivers Audi-like refinement, style and versatility without breaking the bank.
Compared to other vehicles in its class, the VW Golf feels positively upscale. Its interior puts others to shame (including VW's own 2011 Jetta) thanks to a sophisticated design, top-notch materials and all-around comfort. Add in optional niceties like a premium Dynaudio stereo and a navigation system and the fairly economical Golf can begin to feel like a near luxury car.
The advantages continue under the hood, with a choice of a punchy 2.5-liter inline-5 engine or a highly fuel-efficient turbodiesel rated at 42 mpg on the highway. The rest of the Golf is up to the task as well, with a solid on-road feel, precise steering and confidence-inspiring handling. Much of the Golf's goodness comes courtesy of a redesign last year.
If you're shopping in this segment, you'll find that the Mazda 3 offers sharper handling and more cargo capacity, but its interior can't match the Golf in either design or quality. The more affordable Hyundai Elantra Touring is also worthy of consideration given its space, features and sporty leanings, as is the personable Mini Cooper, though its higher price and lack of space are difficult to ignore. In the end, the 2011 Volkswagen Golf rises to the top by exceeding expectations and delivering that all-so-elusive impression, "more for the money."

 INTERIOR
Inside, the Volkswagen Golf shows a Teutonic dedication to austere functionality. Brightwork is confined to touches on steering wheel spokes, around air registers, door handles and tasteful outlines on various knobs and the shifting gear. Textures give good touch. A contrasting silver ish strip separates top and bottom dash sections and dresses the uppermost element of the door trim panels. Completing the Bauhaus-ian theme is the cloth upholstery, to which the Golf offers no option.
The Golf feels roomier than it looks, and it is, actually, equaling or at least competitive with the other major players in its niche. This includes the Chevrolet Cobalt, which it betters everywhere, including trunk space by 1 cubic foot. About the same holds true for the Focus, while the Civic's trunk holds three fewer foot-square boxes. However, the Ford Focus offers a half inch more rear-seat legroom than the Golf. The Honda Civic coupe trails the Golf 2-door in rear-seat headroom by more than three inches, a huge difference.
The front seats are comfortable. Getting in and out of the car is easy, in spite of sporty seat bolstering. That bolstering is welcome when exploring the Golf's relatively high handling limits, as is the grippy cloth upholstery. The eight way adjustable driver's seat works well with the tilt and telescope steering wheel to allow all but the tallest and the most stout drivers a nearly perfect triangulation with steering wheel, pedals and shift lever. Even the front seat passenger gets eight way adjustability for the seat.
Air conditioning and sound system controls are comfortably basic in shape, size and duty. Knobs and buttons handle the essential operations.
Selections the navigation system's touch screen permits while the car is in motion appear in large, finger friendly, virtual buttons that require only a glance by the driver to identify their assigned duties and then can be manipulated in the driver's peripheral field of vision. Or better yet, the passenger can press them.
Outward visibility is excellent, unimpeded except for the large C-pillars (the rearmost roof supports).

EXTERIOR
Redesigned for 2010, this is the sixth-generation Golf. Over the years, body proportions have remained stoically the same, making the Golf instantly recognizable.
The stylists did a good job of giving the C pillar (the body panel behind the rearmost side window) a consistent shape and proportion on the 2 door and 4 door, given the reality of both cars sharing the same wheelbase and being equal in overall length. A clearly defined character line tracks rearward from the top of the front fender blister all the way to the upper taillight element, giving the rear fenders a hint of a shoulder. Wheelwells encircle the tires leaving the barest of gaps, visually pulling the car down onto the pavement. Minimalist door handles are snug for hands wearing anything larger than medium size gloves. Gaps between body panels are pencil thin, which suggest high-quality construction.
Taillight housings mirror the ovoid shape of the headlights, boosting the rear fenders' shoulder look the aforementioned side body panel character line establishes. The wraparound rear window glass fills the top of the lift gate. An outsized, round VW logo parked in the middle between the taillights doubles as the lever for opening the liftgate.
The TDI is distinguished from the 2.5-liter gas model by an eponymous chrome logo beneath the right taillight, balancing the chrome GOLF logo both cars wear below the left taillight.

ENGINE
Volkswagen will offer its 2.5-liter five cylinder engine that the Golf/Rabbit shares with the Jetta and Beetle as well as the 2.0-liter 4-cylinder diesel that is currently in the U.S. Jetta and Jetta Sportwagen. The updated five cylinder powerplant is good for 157 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque while the diesel makes only 137 hp but an amazing 236 lb-ft of torque.

VW is expecting the diesel powered Golf to account for 30 percent of all sales of the hatchback in the U.S. Volkswagen is posturing the diesel as a sportier model and it will come equipped with a sport-tuned suspension and 17-inch wheels as standard fare. The diesel Golf should be good for 48 mpg or more on the freeway.

 SAFETY
The 2011 VW Golf's standard safety features include antilock disc brakes, stability control, front-seat side airbags and full-length head curtain airbags. Rear-seat side airbags are unavailable on two-door models, but are optional on four-door models. In government crash tests, the four-door Golf with the optional rear side airbags received four stars out of five for frontal impact protection and a perfect five stars for side impacts. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the Golf with its highest score of "Good" in its frontal-offset, side and roof strength tests.
reference:www.leftlanenews.com,autos.aol.com,www.edmunds.com

2012 Volkswagen Passat

Specifications prices Modifications and Image 2012 Volkswagen Passat
If you've always wanted to drive a classy European sedan but have been put off by that nagging voice in your head telling you it's your patriotic duty to buy something built in America, you'll want to check out the 2012 Volkswagen Passat.
This all-new midsize sedan combines many of the qualities that likely drew you to German cars in the first place, including elegant styling and a more sporting driving character. But it's also the first vehicle to roll out from VW's brand-new assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Compared to the previous Passat (which, incidentally, continues to be sold elsewhere in the world), it's meant to better appeal to American tastes, with a roomier interior, a new selection of engines and (most important) a significantly lower price.
As for the engine lineup, last year's gutsy 2.0-liter turbocharged engine is no more. Instead, VW gives you a choice of three engines: a 2.5-liter inline-5 we've come to know in the Jetta, a 2.0-liter inline-4 diesel (the TDI, also from the Jetta and Golf) or a 280-horsepower 3.6-liter V6. All of them offer some form of six-speed automatic transmission, while the two smaller engines are offered with manual gearboxes as well. The TDI diesel is certainly the most interesting, as it promises more than 40 mpg on the highway and a maximum cruising range of nearly 800 miles.
We suspect some prior owners of VW's mainstream sedan will lament the change in direction for the Passat, as it used to be a distinct bridge between regular family sedans and entry-level luxury cars. But the fact is VW's entry in the crowded family sedan category is now a better fit for the majority of consumers. It's priced right, drives well and finally holds a family of five comfortably. And thankfully, it still has its German roots.
There are some minor downsides to the new Passat package, notably the underachieving base engine. And given the state of the midsize segment, we certainly recommend buyers compare the Passat back-to-back with top choices like the Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima. Those interested in a somewhat sportier driving experience may also want to consider the Mazda 6 and Nissan Altima. But for all that, the 2012 Volkswagen Passat remains uniquely positioned to satisfy your desire to drive European and own American.

 INTERIOR
I've been critical of Volkswagen's decision to remove some of the upscale cabin niceties in its redesigned Jetta compact sedan in order to price the car more competitively. Likewise, the new Passat goes without some features that VW enthusiasts might appreciate, like a height-adjustable front armrest, but the overall materials quality, attention to detail and standard features — like one-touch up/down power windows for front and rear occupants, Bluetooth cell phone connectivity and dual-zone automatic air conditioning — make the Passat competitive with the best the family sedan segment has to offer.

The Passat has grown some with its redesign — 4 inches in length, half an inch in width and half an inch in height — but the cabin feels substantially roomier than the outgoing Passat. Legroom and shoulder room have increased — considerably in some instances. I'm 6-foot-1, and even with the front seat adjusted for me, the backseat has nearly as much legroom as a long-wheelbase full-size sedan, which the Passat isn't. This is the kind of car four tall adults could take on a long road trip and arrive no worse for wear — even those sitting in back.

The cavernous passenger area doesn't come at the expense of cargo room, as the trunk measures a competitive 15.9 cubic feet. It's very deep and rectangular, with few intrusions. A 60/40-split folding backseat is standard, and lowering the rear backrests reveals a large opening between the trunk and the cabin.

 EXTERIOR

One of the Passat's most impressive qualities is its forgiving suspension, which translates into comfortable highway cruising. The four-wheel independent suspension yields ride quality that's nearly as soft as a Toyota Camry's, but with better body control over big dips and rises. It's a departure from the previous-generation Passat's firmer ride, but the move makes a lot of sense for this car class, where comfort is more important than sportiness.

As with other Volkswagens, the Passat has light-effort steering whether you get the gas engine, which uses hydraulic power steering, or the diesel, which has electric power assist. The steering wheel provides virtually no road feel — typical for this class — but good precision makes it easy to steer on winding country roads.

Despite the comfy suspension tuning, the Passat doesn't turn into a wallowing mess on serpentine roads. For a big sedan, body roll is well-controlled. All versions of the Passat have the same suspension tuning, but wheel sizes range from 16 to 18 inches.

 ENGINE

As such, it's impossible to avoid the term "out of date" when considering the new 2012 Volkswagen Passat VR6, even though its narrow-angle, 280-horsepower, 258 pound-foot 3.6-liter engine is the one that will make enthusiasts' hearts palpitate most -- even more so than the 140-horsepower, 236 pound-foot 2.0-liter TDI Clean Diesel. VW is chasing Honda with its new midsize car, and the Accord, after being a V-6 holdout in the '90s, is now the biggest overall-length car in this segment, offered in four-cylinder and V-6 iterations.

In case you haven't kept up, the '12 Passat, exclusive to the North American market, though likely to be a model for China, is a couple of inches longer than a Toyota Camry, 2.5 inches shorter than the Accord, but with a wheelbase 0.2 inches longer than Accord's. It shows in the commodious rear seat's sumptuous legroom and headroom.

VW promises extensive use of high-strength steel, emphasized by the manufacturer's estimated weight. These estimates typically fall short of ours, in which we fill the fuel tanks, but the Passat VR6 comes in at 3,446 pounds, just 49 pounds heavier than a similarly equipped TDI model and 225 heavier than a five-cylinder model with automatic transmission.

SAFETY

The 2012 Volkswagen Passat's list of standard safety features includes antilock brakes, traction and stability control, front side airbags and side curtain airbags. In the event of a crash, a new feature called Intelligent Crash Response automatically cuts off the fuel supply, unlocks the doors and turns on the hazard flashers.

Driving Impressions

On the road, the 2012 Volkswagen Passat's character depends a great deal on which engine is under the hood. Performance from the 2.5-liter five-cylinder is adequate and should be an acceptable choice for most buyers, but fuel economy and performance are nowhere near best-in-class. The alternative, the 2.0-liter turbodiesel in TDI models, offers significantly better fuel economy and livelier low-end power, but highway passing can be a challenge due to its modest horsepower output.
For those not satisfied with the above, the 3.6-liter V6 engine delivers much more enthusiastic acceleration. The DSG automated manual transmission that's available with the turbodiesel engine and standard with the V6 works very well, and its regular and manual-shift modes mean the Passat is well suited both for commuting and more spirited driving.
On the move, the Passat is an engaging sedan to drive thanks to its well-sorted suspension tuning, precise steering feel and strong brakes. The car also manages to earn high marks for ride comfort, which is ultimately more important considering the fact that most buyers will be far more concerned with schlepping kids to school or co-workers to lunch than burning up winding back roads.
reference:www.motortrend.com,www.edmunds.com,www.cars.com