regfootball

speaking as an authority on the issue.....here is the deal. The Kizashi is a nice car. Super nice. Did you sit in one with a nav, or no nav? AVOID the nav..... My own personal opinion is the car needs more grunt (but most folks think its fine). I think the chassis could tune out a little bit more of the vibration at times. I think more space would be nice in the back (but that would mean making the car larger). Heated seats and bluetooth should be made available on the lesser trims. The rest of the car is really nice. Its a much more fun car than the old person's car (Legacy). Since those are your only affordable AWD cars in the segment, it's really the better choice of the two. It's a tough sell on a great car that unfortunately can't lease on the same terms as some of the class top sellers or has residual issues. And when loaded up, the price gets up there and is really hard to ask for. The warranty is good, the car is good. So you just would need to plan on keeping the car or buying it with the zero percent or something. But pretty much all your AWD options + GGM (good gas mileage) mean crossovers, and crossovers cost more, and don't get super mileage. At 29 or 30 mpg the Legacy and Kizashi are two of the better GGM options + AWD out there.] That is why the new Impreza i know has serious potential to have the AWD, low price and GGM but my fear is the new IMpreza is a puff cruiser like the Legacy is, only smaller, and there is not any way it will really be much cheaper unless the7 bump up the Legacy in price for 2012. The AWD is really the thing that is tying you up here but its neccessary for you so aside from paying more for crossovers of any size, and not having any confidence that the new Impreza will have a feature and benefit set that has a major advantage over either the Kizashi or Legacy...I would say simply this...first decide if you simply want a crossover or sedan. then proceed. if sedan, do extended loan on the legacy and do one on the kizashi (trust me they will beg you to check one out for a weekend) and just decide which car you like more. that will at least get that issue solved...(the issue of, is a sedan ok, and i have checked out the only midsize affordable AWD cars out there). One of my fave Kizashi color combos is the ice blue / tan interior. Does Albert like Ice Blue? Keep in mind the roof rack cross bars are an easy add if you want something to mount a roof rack to. We just had a guy trade an SRT8 for a zashi recently. People like the car, it needs influencers and enthusiasts like yourself to get it out on the public roads and get the word out. Once you remove AWD as a must have then the spectrum opens up immensely. You could get a new Equinox FWD for cheap. Or, get a new Passat. All sorts of things become possible. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2011/05/08/AFeosk2G_story.html

SAIC-VW makes a version with a 2.0T in mainland China... Was seat comfort an issue for both the SEL Premium and SE? Apparently the SEL Premium gets more supportive "sport" seats. the SEL seats were a little bit nicer......but i did not think by a large amount.

you can't get a passat for 20k either. SE like tested was 25,800....the S automatic is probably 23k. I can tell you with certainty you can buy a new Taurus SEL for 25k. You can buy a new Fusion S for 18k with automatic that has a nicer drivetrain than the pukey 5......

i think the passing power was hindered by the turbo lag a bit and the DSG while very good still was not a master of kickdowns....... anything up to 65 mph or so the car did an ok job but my guess is at say 75mph trying to get some extra kickdown to pass on the interstate may be something that would make the car seem a bit flat footed........ at least the passat is not downright cheap feeling like a lot of the Jetta is.......

i think most folks would be very jiggy with it. its not crude like it is on the Jetta. It's pretty transparent, aside from the short shifting, and the sport mode helped with that a bit. no clatter, rattle, none of that. sales dude suggested the DSG was a far better match for the diesel on this car than the manual and I would take his word for it here........ there is some lag, getting the diesel up and running....but in slow traffic that is probably a moot issue...... I would say the power should meet the needs of most when considering the tradeoff between mpg and such. I would probably want a little more go out of a 34k car....... realize you are not getting a sport sedan, nor a luxury car, and not a hardcore German car. You are sort of getting a bit of a caricature of all three of those plus some generic mid size car aura in with that. There are so many good cars out there, if the diesel is what floats your boat and is the unique selling proposition, then I don't think you'd be remorseful. There is just enough style, panache, etc. here to buy this car for more than just it being the nicest most useful TDI. At the same time the Regal, LaCrosse, Taurus, Chrysler 300............the 2 buicks in particular just seem more buttoned down and such........

turbo four + stick and sport suspension in this car would be a really neat combo........

2012 Passat SEL TDI 33,+/- MSRP and 2012 Passat SE 5 cylinder, 25,8xx MSRP HIGHS -stately exterior, looks more expensive than class competitors -large car -classy interior (see commentary) -simply laid out and functional interior -huge inside, by all metrics...leg, head, shoulders, it's all good. -big trunk -nice feeling controls -well organized under the hood (including insulation on battery) -SE trim level better than expected, on par with class -SEL has decent plood and nice seat accents, even SE interior in black is alright with pleather -TDI has some snort (see comments) -TDI, DSG functions pretty well -TDI, you really have little idea you are driving a diesel -TDI 30/40 mpg -something slightly akin to what a large German car MAY feel like -like an A8-, at an Ikea price -good visibility, its not a complete bunker inside -i think a lot of drivers will like the driving position (see comments) -nice padded dashtop, nice headliner -standard bluetooth with standard bluetooth streaming -standard touchscreen audio interface -nice cubbies in the console for phones etc -better size steering wheel than the jetta -cruises well -a certain level of quiet inside -good tires and wheels -some steering feel in certain situations -overall, should be a big hit for VW.....a much better fit for the USA than before LOWS -five cylinder is just wrong.....lacks grunt, not even smooth like the good fours these days, will have to see how it works with a stick -both cars desperately aim to short shift all the time. Sport mode helps some, but really, it's ridiculous. -AT in the SE is not as good as the DSG, not that that either is top drawer -TDI has gusto but seems to run out of steam earlier. It's adequate and smoother but not above average. -Rear seats are flat, lack shape, headrest too far back, seat bottom not deep enough -lower part of dash is cheap plastic (door plastics are probably passable) -I had trouble getting the front seat bottom adjusted the way I wanted it. I could not get it high enough or get the angle i wanted. However I think others won't have that same problem. Shorter women especially may have trouble in this car. -Shape of the front seats and the support were very problematic. Seemed unsupportive and cheaper than they should be. -Bumps on bad roads are felt too much and there is too much noise from tire and suspension thumping. Car as a whole is not as bank vault solid as you may expect. Car is not really pedigreed as a autobahn burner...... -Steering should be quicker and have more feel on a VW. The hydraulic system of the SE felt a little better I think, but the SEL was quieter inside. I expected better ride, handling, agility, road feel, heft, and quietness. -Some folks may not like how big the car is, actually -Some folks may not like the more stately styling -yeah there could be some nicer plastics in spots -power mirror controls are really in a stupid spot and the mirrors themselves are not big or shaped well for actually, you know, seeing stuff off of -yeah, the trunk is trimmed a little cheaply.... -the handbrake really could have been, you know, integrated into the design..... -did i mention the five cylinder is just plain wrong? what a joke. SUMMARY Depending on your feeling and what you expect of a VW moving forward into history, your acceptance level of this radically revised Passat will vary. I do not come at this from the perspective of a VDubophile, or a German car buff in general. But neither am I a bland Asian car lover. It is with great curiosity I was eager to see the result of this new cross-pollination of VW with its next Americanization project. VW aims to squarely address every item of its previous entry into this class of car and remove the objections...cost, size, design.......that kept it in the past from being a volume player. It would really be wasting time to repeat what a lot of other articles have said about the Americanization of the Passat. Because VW is so blatant about how they have changed this car. And from my perspective, it's all better, and an almost complete success in doing so. Partially this works because the Jetta and CC can bridge the gap of the sporty German VW car. The new Passat has a long way to go to be considered sporty or classically a Germanic car. It might be a fantastic car if they ever take it there. Right now, its a puff cruiser, and that's what a lot of folks want. The really big flaws on this car, IMO, are the five cylinder engine, the tendency for the car in either form to want badly to short shift, some of the seating issues (which maybe not everyone agrees with), lack of solidity, and lastly, I think they still have work to do on the steering, suspension, bump and noise isolation, and overall refinement of the drive. Don't get me wrong! It's better than a Camry or Accord! But I think it's still not up to par. OK, you CAN buy a CC to have fun...... but why should an 010 Passat be a more pleasing drive? A Taurus is more solid, comfortable and quieter and smoother. On the bottom end, a Kizashi (shameless plug, I know) is sharper, quicker, smoother, more fun, and has better seats. I am certain a lot of Fusion drivers would probably like a Fusion far before the 5 cylinder Passat. A LaCrosse is a much smoother and sharper solution. The Regal even is so much more refined and feeling of value and solidity. An Impala will save you a bunch of money. I would say in SE trim, a Passat is a bangup deal and a super car, except with the five cylinder its a bit of a fail. The five cylinder is always a fuss until you wind it out, and even then its not really anything to speak of. The TDI is a nice powertrain, but now the price is getting up there. For what VW has done, they deserve big praise. They sat down and said, "what do we need to do to sell a buttload more of these"? They were laser sharp in deciding conceptually what the car needs to be to have a raised profile here in the US. Larger, cheaper, softer. For many, the style or size of the car alone will seal the deal. What's left is to put just a little bit more of the VW mojo back into the car.....it's really not far off though. No wonder why VW is so optimistic. Would I buy one? Good question, I would balk with the 5 +AT, I think. The rest of the car is nice enough that a cheap lease may nail me though because I like the size, packaging, and value. As it stands, its on par or better than most of the cars in the class, it just doesn't put it all together just yet into a knockout punch. The TDI IMO it depends on how much you admire the diesel, because you pay for it. I would give the car an A- if they had powertrains sorted out. I want to give it a B but I should be nice and give it a B+ because for VW to make this paradigm shift alone is praiseworthy and notable and a great canvas for them to improve this car year after year. It's a great start. I'm extremely curious how the V6 drives.

Generally the Kizashi is a more interesting drive than the Legacy. quicker / better handling/way better seats. inline motor smoother than the boxer four. 7/100 powertain. Kizashi SE AWD with memory seat, USB, and dual zone climate control for 22k OTD, can add the heated seats. Kizashi S, 20,600 +/-....29/30 mpg. Wait a couple months and it may be another grand or two sweeter.......

joke, it is. glad this never made the market.

is an A3 too expensive?

x-type is a reliability nightmare.

a lot of manufs still bury heated seats in expensive option packs. a rather $h!ty thing to do.

countryman?

I can set u up.....but maybe not for much longer...... You know the new edge if not too lavish is a nice choice......excellent resale......so popular.....gas mileage is quite nice on the new version....... taurus sedan awd? actually, a 4 cyl awd equinox wouldnt that be a decent option? captiva sport! lol

new elantra is available in Canada equipped as a GLS manual with what appears to be cloth heated front and rear seats, bluetooth, moonroof............ grrrrrrrrrr

had a customer lately, the lesabre was not big enough (tall family members well over 6 feet). the Impalas of early 00's were the only vehicles that seemed to work for them. I would imagine the Lucerne might work also. In that regard, I hardly find something like a DTS or a Lucerne being commodious being a liability. i am anxiously awaiting a drive in the new Passat. It's huge inside but does not look like a huge car physically. width is a nice thing. cruze vs. cobalt is like 4 inches wider and more recline in the rear seat. not really any more leg room. grand prixs with the wider is better feel more spacious than other w cars.

stuff has shot up big time again since earlier this year. Once gas shot up, it gave license to jack everything else up. so effing sick of this economy.

tons of validity to all you list. cruze eco in particular is a real gem. i wish chevy could get their act together on an auto version of the eco that can really mash the mpg like the stick. ford has overshot on purpose the mark and have remade the focus into a hipster ride and gone way too far with the yet to be simplified tech. i actually really do love the focus but my big gripes about it are (I still need to drive it so these are just from other impressions) -cabin claustrophobia and lack of space -bland styling sometimes (including the egglike hatchback), lack of definition that the Cruze has -tech overload -price -no 6 speed manual -dual clutch tranny sounds like its not figured out yet (maybe a traditional 8 sp auto is on the way) been seeing several new elantras, jettas, and civics now. Still see a few Cruze, see a lot of Focus. i've actually warmed to the new civic's body shape now....it looks sleeker. still dull, but it is cleaned up over last version (interior still sucks ass). every instance i've seen the new jetta now it looks bland except for the one time i saw it in bright red. It's an all new design and it says 'tonight we're gonna party like its 1999'. shame. i think the elantra still is not on the buyers' radar yet. i think once a few already in circulation get noticed plus a more overt ad campaign kicks in + people web shopping, I think the Elantra will start to bust the doors open, but i also think it will take more sales from toyota and honda than anything.

c30 is a nice car, at least whenever volvo gets around to putting a dash in the car that doesn't look so sparse and inexpensive

i thought a different grille, red gauge lights, and optional 'denali' was all

cheap cheap as long as it runs (but it still has to be perfect) is primarily all the traffic i am seeing these days. 5 grand is too much!!!!!!!!!! even 4 grand is too much!!!!!!!! Once especially when gas topped 3.50 again. Everyone by necessity or just mood is being tight. I appreciate that, because i am tight too..... but at the same time, we have a culture right now where everyone thinks they can 'drive for free'..or close to it...it's just putting off the inevitable. Pay now a little more, or prepare to get bent over later. A few extra bucks now will save the sticker shock a year or two from now when they again will be looking because they dumped a huge amount of money in something they likely should not have now and really should have shelled out a few more bucks. starving the new car cycle and late model used just is going to push prices up across the board even more. of course it's also often people with no work, or faith in job security or faith in the state of the nation...the future beyond the next 18 mo......and that all goes into a whole nother conversation. If Fred Sanford sold cars today he could make a nice living off selling -already experienced- autos.....

i can always assume my wazukis will at least outsell one brand...........saab LOL

cruze is easily my fave here but its is amazing how the cruze has more space numerically yet the jetta has enough leg room for real adults in the back.

I had my first Prius experience today. After that, pretty much anything in the compact class is way more fun in comparison.

Someone visited our shop this morning with a new Focus hatch. EGG.