Just Another Car Review

First a little history. Yes, it gets a little dark… Volkswagen started in 1937 under the Nazi party. No way around that one, so lets get it out of the way first. The Volkswagen Beetle was an early idea for an affordable sensible family car. Or as I like to see it, a fun car to putt around town in on the weekends and enjoy a scoop or two of ice cream with my family. Or at least some day it will be. I recently bought a 1972 super beetle and… it needs some work.. The car came in many many pieces, some of which actually go to the car and I plan on giving it a light restoration with my son. He is a year and a half old so I do have some time however he is full of ambition already and shows signs of being a gear head which makes me incredibly happy.

Volkswagen has always been a car that you seem to get some good German quality ( when taken care of ) for a good price and still stand out. My wife and I have had a total of 6 Volkswagens so far. Three Jettas, two Tiguans and now the super beetle. Why do we keep going back to the Volkswagen dealer to buy a new car? It seems that the little VW badge on the cars sits in front of the smile of the person or people inside of it. We have taken so many road trips in ours, to destinations we have never been to, with people we like to spend time with.We even brought our son home from hospital in one. The cars have always gotten us there and home without too many problems if any at all.

Now I will admit, I seem to find all of the potholes fairly easily. In fact if there was a “ highest amount of potholes hit” award, I’d probably be in the running for it. It’s like their stylish aluminum alloy wheels are made of paper mache. I can’t tell you how many times I have used the tire and wheel protection to get back on the road. But then again, I didn’t just buy the Jetta.. No, I had to get the fun and exciting GLI with the wheels that have rubber bands for tires.

I have a 2017 GLI. I like to think of it as the GTI’s more refined sedan brother. It has the same 2.0 liter turbocharged four cylinder that somehow makes less power and gets overlooked. It has the same six speed manual or DSG automatic gearbox. It comes in all of the same boring colors and none of the exciting ones that are offered to the GTI. If I didn’t know any better, I would think that it is an after thought or something VW used to fill a space. Never the less, it has been a fantastic car. I have driven it over 120,000 miles and I have zero intention of ever letting it go. It brings me joy to get back in the seat after a week or so of not driving it. The handling is great, I feel the power is adequate enough for what I need, and I think that it’s over all a good looking car. It may not have Porsche styling or the history of the beetle but maybe that’s the point. It kind of blends in. I can drive my one hour commute and see several Jettas just like mine. And that’s why I think it’s a proven car that people love. Will it ever be a collectors item? I’ll let you know some day because it’ll still be in my garage.

The VW auto group as a whole has had it’s fair share of challenges.   Some of which were brought on by themselves. One that comes to mind would be the infamous TDI… dare I say it? SCANDAL.

At the time, I just happened to own a 2012 Jetta with the 2 liter diesel engine. It may be one of my biggest regrets. Getting rid of it that is.. That car was truly perfect in every way. It has the same interior that the 2017 GLI and my wife’s Tiguan has. It had the same transmission, the same fender audio system. The only difference was that it seemed that I never stopped to fuel the car. How can you argue with nearing 50 miles to a gallon? Well, a lot of people did. Call it what you will. Maybe Volkswagen “Lied” to their customers. Maybe it took a group of non car enthusiasts to catch VW cheating emissions testing. I understand laws and regulations, but it certainly wasn’t hurting my feelings. The only problem with the car that I could see is that VW offered me more than I paid for it to take it back. This is how the GLI was introduced into my life and in many ways this may be the reason that I won’t let it go. Maybe I’m holding onto something that I never should have let go of in the first place.

US emissions regulations is what drives a lot of automakers vehicle production. It’s the baseline of what can be sold here and what can’t. The US misses out on a lot of cool cars that are sold around the wolds just to save a tree or two.

Volkswagen has launched their EV lineup with the ID4, the ID Buzz and for the European markets, the new ID7. I have never driven an EV except for on the golf course. So I am not entirely sure what to think about them. I suppose they have their spot in society and there are many people that love them. To me they don’t come without the hassle and worry of where you can get your next charge if you do not have one available at home. In north east Ohio I see a lot of electric vehicles but I don’t see the charging infrastructure that the west has where emissions regulations are a little more strict. I’m sure that one day I will get to experience the sheer power of instant torque accompanied by silence. But for today, I’ll take the few horses under the hood galloping out of the tail pipe.

If you’re thinking about getting a Volkswagen, I highly recommend one. It’s a great car. An affordable one much like the goal of the original beetle. I see it as a safe vehicle for a new inexperienced driver. I don’t believe the maintenance is as bad as it’s made out to be. Other than tire and wheel replacements, my Jetta has had very little over the almost 8 years I have owned it. The Tiguan has plenty of room in it for our family of three plus our two dogs for all of our road trip adventures and all the lumber yard trips I have made to check off the infinite home projects. If you’d like to have a great car with an incredible community and culture, I wouldn’t think twice about putting one in your driveway.