Mid-sized car with full-sized allure: Passat named Most Appealing Midsize Car by J.D. Power and Associates

 

"At Volkswagen, driver satisfaction is a huge priority for us. That’s why we we’re excited that awarded the Volkswagen Passat the most appealing midsize car in their 2012 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, which looks at how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive.

The APEAL Study gauges satisfaction based on owner evaluations of almost 100 vehicle attributes that range from fuel economy to vehicle interior to engine to driving experience and more. The Passat TDI boasts a single-tank range of 795 miles, and with best-in-class rear legroom, passengers can enjoy every mile in comfort. The Passat wasn’t the only Volkswagen recognized in the study. The GTI, Tiguan, Touareg, and Golf all placed second in their categories, while the Beetle and Jetta placed fourth and sixth respectively. If you parked them all together, you’d have one of the world’s most gratifying garages (as well as our eternal gratitude)." [Read more]

Fast Jetta GLI vs Speed Guitarist John Taylor

Driving across America in a Beetle TDI

"We love seeing friends bond over a long drive in a Volkswagen; it’s a part of our DNA. So when childhood friends Tim Bennett and John Nash, co-hosts of The Focus Group on Sirius XM satellite radio, decided to embark on a cross-country road trip from Philadelphia to Las Vegas (with a surprise stop farther west), we thought of the perfect car for them. You see, when they were 16, Tim taught John to drive in an old Volkswagen Beetle that, according to John, featured a Flintstone-esque hole in the floorboard. In honor of that experience, we sent them a 2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI manual six-speed turbo diesel (complete with a brand new floorboard).

This wasn’t John’s first experience with a TDI. In fact, his daily driver is a Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen TDI. Even so, he found the 2013 Beetle experience to be “pretty phenomenal.” John explained that the Beetle TDI “drove beautifully and the manual was a delight.” And both Tim and John—who are over six feet tall—found the diminutive Bug to be “as comfortable as a car can be for 10 hours a day.” John added, “When you see pictures of me leaning against the Beetle, I’m taller than the car. But when you’re in it, it felt completely like the cockpit of my Jetta Sportwagen.” [Read more]

See the 2012 Volkswagen Waterwerks on the Green Car Show in North Bend, WA

The Beetle Collection from Volkswagen

 

"Few car enthusiasts can hold a candle to Beetle fans—they just can’t get enough of their beloved Bugs. Since they can only drive one at a time, we’re always trying to come up with ways to help them incorporate even more Beetle into their lives. Enter the Beetle Collection from DriverGear, the only officially licensed Volkswagen merchandise supplier." [Read more]

2012 Volkswagen Beetle on Comedy Bang! Bang!

Volkswagen Jetta GLI vs. Speed Talker

Volkswagen to Take Over Porsche Brand in Accelerated Deal

"Volkswagen AG said Wednesday it will take over in August the remaining 50.1% stake in Porsche Automobil Holding SE's sportscar unit it doesn't already own for 4.46 billion euros in cash plus one common share, as the two German auto makers hammered out an accelerated deal to reap more cost synergies faster.

"The unique Porsche brand will now become an integral part of the Volkswagen Group--that is good for Volkswagen, good for Porsche and good for Germany as an industrial location," Volkswagen Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn said in a statement.

The final agreement to add Porsche to Volkswagen's stable of 10 car and truck brands draws a line under one of the most spectacular takeover bids in the European car industry in recent years, which eventually backfired badly.

Porsche initially acquired a minority stake in Volkswagen to benefit from better economies of scale, but then bypassed disclosure rules through a complex set of stock options to acquire additional voting stock in Volkswagen. When Porsche revealed in October 2008 that it had direct and indirect access to almost 75% of Volkswagen's voting stock, VW's common stock skyrocketed above EUR1,000 per share and temporarily made the Wolfsburg, Germany, firm the world's most valuable company.

Mr. Winterkorn also became CEO of Porsche's holding company after Porsche's ill-fated attempt to take over the much larger Volkswagen finally collapsed in 2009. After a fierce power struggle that raged for more than two years, Porsche had to finally agreed to a deal under Volkswagen's leadership as its debt ballooned in the wake of the financial crisis." [Read more]

Happy 4th of July!

 

From our family to yours we would like to wish you a very safe and fun 4th of July!