Volkswagen Golf named Car of the Year

CNN Money ^ | November 13, 2014 | Peter Valdes-Dapena

[Paladin2]

Owning two of the exact same vehicle helps too. As long as you like one, you’ll like the other.....

[Paladin2]

[Fresh Wind]

Car of the Year:

2015 Volkswagen Golf
2014 Cadillac CTS
2013 Tesla Model S
2012 Volkswagen Passat
2011 Chevrolet Volt[11]
2010 Ford Fusion[12]
2009 Nissan GT-R
2008 Cadillac CTS
2007 Toyota Camry
2006 Honda Civic
2005 Chrysler 300
2004 Toyota Prius
2003 Infiniti G35
2002 Ford Thunderbird
2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser
2000 Lincoln LS
1999 Chrysler 300M
1998 Chevrolet Corvette
1997 Chevrolet Malibu
1996 Dodge Caravan
1995 Chrysler Cirrus
1994 Ford Mustang
1993 Ford Probe GT
1992 Cadillac Seville Touring Sedan
1991 Chevrolet Caprice Classic LTZ
1990 Lincoln Town Car
1989 Ford Thunderbird SC
1988 Pontiac Grand Prix
1987 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
1986 Ford Taurus LX
1985 Volkswagen GTI (eligible due to it being built in VW’s now-defunct Pennsylvania plant)
1984 Chevrolet Corvette
1983 AMC / Renault Alliance
1982 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
1981 Chrysler K Cars, Dodge Aries and Plymouth Reliant
1980 Chevrolet Citation
1979 Buick Riviera S
1978 Chrysler, Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon
1977 Chevrolet Caprice
1976 Chrysler, Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volare
1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2
1974 Ford Mustang II
1973 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
1972 Citroën SM (an imported vehicle that was selected overall “Car of the Year”)
1971 Chevrolet Vega
1970 Ford Torino
1969 Plymouth Road Runner
1968 Pontiac GTO
1967 Mercury Cougar
1966 Oldsmobile Toronado
1965 Pontiac Motor Division
1964 Ford Motor Company (not for the Mustang)
1963 American Motors (AMC) Rambler (all models: American, Classic, and Ambassador)
1962 Buick Special
1961 Pontiac Tempest
1960 Chevrolet Corvair
1959 Pontiac Motor Division
1958 Ford Thunderbird
1957 Chrysler Corporation (all makes: Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto, Chrysler, and Imperial)
1956 Ford Motor Company
1955 Chevrolet Motor Division
1954 No award
1953 No award
1952 Cadillac Motor Division
1951 Chrysler Corporation
1950 No award
1949 Cadillac Motor Division

Import Car of the Year:

1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
1998 Lexus GS
1997 BMW 5-Series
1996 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
1995 Nissan Maxima
1994 Honda Accord
1993 Mazda RX-7
1992 Lexus SC 400
1991 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4
1990 Nissan 300ZX Turbo
1989 Mitsubishi Galant GS
1988 Honda CRX Si
1987 Acura Legend Coupe
1986 Mazda RX-7
1985 Toyota MR2
1984 Honda Civic CRX
1983 Mazda 626
1982 Toyota Celica Supra
1981 Mercedes-Benz 300SD
1980 Honda Civic
1979 Datsun 280ZX
1978 Toyota Celica
1977 Mercedes-Benz 280E
1976 Toyota Celica Liftback
1971-1975 no award
1970 Porsche 914

Truck of the Year:

2014 Ram 1500
2013 Ram 1500[13]
2012 Ford F-150
2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD [14]
2010 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty [15]
2009 Ford F-150
2008 Toyota Tundra
2007 Chevrolet Silverado
2006 Honda Ridgeline
2005 Toyota Tacoma
2004 Ford F-150
2003 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty
2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
2001 Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty
2000 Toyota Tundra
1999 Chevrolet Silverado
1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
1997 Ford F-150
1996 Chevrolet Tahoe
1995 Chevrolet Blazer
1994 Dodge Ram
1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee[16]
1992 Ford Van Chateau Club Wagon
1991 Mazda Navajo
1990 Ford Aerostar
1989 Toyota Truck Xtracab SR5
1980-1988 No award
1979 Chevrolet LUV

SUV of the year:

2015 Honda CR-V
2014 Subaru Forester
2013 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
2012 Range Rover Evoque
2011 Porsche Cayenne
2010 Subaru Outback
2009 Subaru Forester
2008 Mazda CX-9
2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
2006 Nissan Xterra
2005 Land Rover LR3
2004 Volkswagen Touareg
2003 Volvo XC90
2002 GMC Envoy
2001 Acura MDX
2000 Nissan Xterra
1999 Lexus RX300

[Gen.Blather]

“A TDI but only 34mpg highway. Doesn’t seem like much.”

I’ve got a 2010 Jetta “Sportwagen.” It gets an honest 40 mpg but I never drive over the speed limit and I don’t race around. The car and the six speed transmission performs like a sprightly gas car. However, the company over-sells repairs that you do not need. The rep told me that my rear brake pads needed replacement. It was an expensive repair as the pads alone cost $89 at the dealer. I bought them at Advance. It turns out they were only worn 1/16th of an inch. They also tried to sell me other stuff I was able to determine I didn’t need.

My complaint about the car is that it is too small for the cockpit interior and needs a bench seat and no center console. But you can’t find a bench seat no matter how tiny the car.

I recently transported 14 cases of tile with 300 pounds of additional stuff that must have weighed in at over 1,000 pounds. It didn’t affect the mileage or handling. The VW TDI cars do not require Bluetec (urea.) Once somebody uses a few gallons of Bluetec to make a terrorist bomb you won’t be able to buy it for your diesel anymore.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

This is a case where the sticker ratings are well UNDER actual performance, per my anecdotal experience w/friends who own Diesel Golfs, they get much closer to 45-50 mpg. And really, really like them. Just relating a story or three, I have no direct experience.

[cuban leaf]

When I hypermile my FR-S I get 39-40 mpg.

[husky ed]

Motor Trend; we'll announce our Car/Truck/SUV of the Year just as soon as the check clears ;)

Ed

[cuban leaf]

When I went to Seattle I visited the Tesla dealership. I’ve been very against electric cars until I saw it and got the full tour. With my 140 mile round trip commute the car would be a no brainer IF I was in a location where they have the free power up stations. I’m in one of the rare power deserts for that car.

Give it a couple years. I may yet go electric.

[cuban leaf]

[SMARTY]

In my entire driving career, I have seen two cars in open flames.

One was a VW on the highway.... huge flames and black smoke 40’ in the air....

The other car was a .....VW! Also burning up on the HW

[truth_seeker]

“This is a case where the sticker ratings are well UNDER actual performance, per my anecdotal experience w/friends who own Diesel Golfs, they get much closer to 45-50 mpg. And really, really like them. Just relating a story or three, I have no direct experience.”

I have asked every TDI owner about mileage, and got the same answer you did. About 35 mpg city, about 45 mpg highway.

[nascarnation]

Fleet standardization, as they say in the biz.

[Mariner]

A buddy has one and he did 52mpg from Seattle to Sacramento.

Claims he was never under 75mph and had the power to do 100mph.

Car felt stable and was quiet at high speed.

New Golf TDI.

[doorgunner69]

I am drawing a complete blank on that car?

[xp38]

And then there was this infamous almost million dollar Porsche 918. Also part of the VW auto group.

[neocon1984]

but I never drive over the speed limit and I don’t race around

Obviously your car will never work for me. Speed limits are advisory. If you are in the passing lane and see me in your rearview mirror ... :-))

[Gen.Blather]

“Speed limits are advisory.”

I live in Florida. The various agencies are self-funded. That means they’re out there writing code enforcement violations (fines.) The local government has over $500k budgeted as income that is from code violations. So, you might ask, what if nobody violates the law? They’ve lowered the speed limits on short sections of roads where it is easy to set up traps. (I have lost all respect for “law” enforcement. They are just one short step from uniformed robbers.)

[nascarnation]

An unincorporated village near me lowered speed limits from 50 to 25 on a stretch of road that had been 55 forever.

Now their patrol force is driving new Tahoes instead of 12 yr old Ford Crown Vics.

I suspect the boys in blue benefitted from the “incentive” program.

[cuban leaf]

The joke is that the reason Volkswagen named the car the “411” is because that’s how many they sold.

Same with the “412”.

[GreenHornet]

It also beat out the Ford Flex and Honda Fit for “Most Idiotic Model Name.”