[danham]

C&D is usually quite good, but I don't think they put their best effort into this article. Testing a more "mainstream" car they would have researched the DSG issue and acknowledged that there are various related issues.

My understanding is that there are two issues: some DSGs are defective and don't engage the clutch from a dead stop rapidly enough, leaving you with white knuckles if you are trying to turn left across traffic. This is supposedly repairable. Then there are owners who report a sort of clunky drag as they slow to a stop. Some say this is normal for what is after all a manual transmission with electric clutches; others say it is a design flaw -- you would need to drive and decide for yourself.

But the real head scratcher for me was the mention of turbo lag. What turbo lag? My 200 HP Audi A3 had more lag than my JSW does (and it wasn't much).

As for HP, again that has to be your call. But bear in mind the old saying that people buy horsepower, but drive torque.

-dan

 

[danham]

Obviously I voted with my wallet, but I'm not an uncritical fanboi [g], so I'll agree with the review to the extent that if you're looking for a "sports car" the JSW or sedan is probably the wrong choice.

Having traded my Audi A3 2.0T, which meets most people's definition of a sports car to a T, I will also say that the JSW meets my needs for more space and economy without making me horribly miss the handling and acceleration of the Audi.

If you want a car that keeps pulling harder the higher you go on the tach, do not buy a Diesel. If you want one with low-end grunt (low = rpm, not road speed), then a Diesel is a good choice and offers a very "peppy" feel in many driving situations.

Obviously these are all subjective impressions, including C&D's, so your own seat of the pants experience should be the final determinant. As an enthusiast who wanted a small station wagon, it works for me, but I also admit that when I want to go carve turns and feel strong acceleration I can swing a leg over my motorcycle.

As for rattles and gremlins, VWs definitely suffer these more than some other brands. But having owned a bunch of them over many years, I'd say they are getting much better on this score and offer a lot of other benefits that can offset the minor irritations. And some of the brands that have historically been very good about rattles and gremlins are now showing other unfortunate, well-publicized problems (does the "You asked for it, you got it" ad jingle ring any bells [g]?).

-dan