A High-Mileage Masterpiece says the NYT

I thought this article by Lawrence Ulrich of the New York Times was worth mentioning since it answers a lot of questions about the Jetta TDI.

WHEREVER menfolk gathered for Thanksgiving, before the turkey and after exhausting discussion of that seventh-round draft pick from Clemson, the phrase “What kind of mileage does she get?” was a reliable conversation starter.

Heads would nod sagely, but until recently nobody cared a lot. In surveys of car shoppers, fuel economy often didn’t make the top 10 on the priority list.

So now, with interest in the Prius exceeding that in pickups, you know times have changed. While the recent dip in gas prices has some analysts worried about an S.U.V. sequel — Return to Guzzle Beach? — I suspect that most middle-class consumers aren’t ready to bet five years of car payments that a gallon of unleaded will stay around $2. Many won’t be betting on a new car at all.

That makes the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI a smart hedge play. Read the full article...

Trip to O'ahu, Hawai'i

I saw a couple of oldies in Hawai'i last week. The island is full of old beetles, vans and older cars. It seems people keep their cars running a bit longer there, maybe because of the distance to the mainland. I have to say that Hawai'ians know how to customize their cars. They just drop them a bit and put nice rims on in rather good taste (except maybe for this Beetle). I saw a Tiguan and a Routan, lots of base Jettas and Passats. I drove by Cutter VW by accident when driving to Waikiki. Had a great time in Hawai'i - what a wonderful place on Earth!

From Hawai'i 2008

American Dreams at The Autostadt

My friend Carsten who works for VW in Wolfsburg, Germany brought to my attention that the Autostadt now has the American Dreams weeks from Nov. 29th to Feb. 1st 2009. If you are in Germany and feel like catching the Wizard of Oz on ice, stop at the Autostadt.

"As a platform for the Volkswagen Group, the Autostadt is the interface between the company and society. The main focus is on presenting themes which are relevant to peoples' lives. In this respect, the boundaries between art and presentation are fluid. Culture is understood as a flexible system for orientation and understanding and, together with artistic expression and education, creates new ways of living and learning, thus creating a memory." Dr. Maria Schneider, Autostadt Creative Director (CCO).