Volkswagen:
Posted by George Peterson on July 30, 2012 at 1:01 pm
AutoPacific’s Ideal Vehicle Award (IVA) recognizes the vehicle that best hits the target its buyers demand. Winning an IVA shows the product planners, engineers and designers of the manufacturer understand what their target customers want and have created the vehicle to best meet their demands.
Passat Edges Out Kia Optima for IVA Win: The all-new 2012 Volkswagen Passat comes closest to the ideal of any Premium Mid-Size Car. The Passat edges out the Kia Optima by six points to win its class. Having eighty-percent or more of owners rating a characteristic ideal is outstanding. Achieving a score of ninety-percent is even more impressive. Ninety-percent or more of Passat owners rate these characteristics ideal: exterior size, passenger roominess and cargo space. Each of these is a size- or space-related attribute showing that Volkswagen aimed the Passat directly at the sweet spot Americans love – lots of space. Eighty-percent or more of Passat owners find these additional characteristics ideal: interior lighting, wheels, driver’s seat comfort, ride and handling, power and acceleration and safety features.
The Volkswagen Passat also was Best In Class in AutoPacific’s 2012 Vehicle Satisfaction Award research.
A Few Shortfalls – Some Could Have Been Corrected by Selecting Available Options: About 32% want more or better infotainment and entertainment technology. About 30% want the Passat to be easier to get into and out of. About 30% want more interior storage compartments than now. About 26% want more daring exterior styling than the Passat presently has. About 26% want more power and acceleration. While the visibility from the Passat is pretty good, 21% of its owners want better driver’s seat visibility.
You can find an Autobytel review of this IVA award winner at http://www.autobytel.com/auto-news/awards/consumer-s-ideal-cars-revealed-in-2012-iva-awards-112116/
For a complete summary of all AutoPacific 2012 Ideal Vehicle Award results contact karin.turner@vehiclevoice.com and title your email “IVA Results”. A copy of the results will be emailed to you within 48-hours.
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Posted by George Peterson on July 30, 2012 at 12:58 pm
AutoPacific’s Ideal Vehicle Award (IVA) recognizes the vehicle that best hits the target its buyers demand. Winning an IVA shows the product planners, engineers and designers of the manufacturer understand what their target customers want and have created the vehicle to best meet their demands.
Golf Edges Kia Forte for IVA Win: The 2012 Volkswagen Golf comes closest to the ideal of any Compact Car. The Golf edges out the second place Kia Forte by 21 rating points to win this highly competitive class. Having eighty-percent or more of owners rating a characteristic ideal is outstanding. Achieving a score of ninety-percent is even more impressive. Ninety-percent or more of Golf owners rate exterior size, interior lighting, passenger roominess, exterior styling, driver’s seat comfort, ride and handling and safety features ideal. Eighty-percent or more of Golf owners find these additional characteristics ideal: cargo space, wheels and tires.
A Few Shortfalls – Most are Related to Size and Style, but Infotainment can be Improved. About 35% of Golf owners want the car to be easier to get into and out of. Going hand-in-hand with ingress/egress, about 26% of the owners want better driver’s seat visibility. This may be due to the Golf’s high mix of 3-door hatchbacks that have a longer door, tougher rear seat access and a thick C-Pillar restricting visibility. About 32% want more interior storage compartments. While 20% want better infotainment technology, about 12% want the technology in the car to be easier to use.
You can find an Autobytel review of this IVA award winner at http://www.autobytel.com/auto-news/awards/consumer-s-ideal-cars-revealed-in-2012-iva-awards-112116/
For a complete summary of all AutoPacific 2012 Ideal Vehicle Award results contact karin.turner@vehiclevoice.com and title your email “IVA Results”. A copy of the results will be emailed to you within 48-hours.
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Posted by George Peterson on June 10, 2012 at 12:10 pm
Best in Class 2012 Premium Compact Car: Volkswagen GTi
2012 Volkswagen GTi Wins AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction Award
Owners of the Volkswagen GTi give the car top satisfaction marks in its class. GTi owners gave the GTi top satisfaction ratings for 29 of the 48 attributes contributing to AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Award research, including: Exterior Size, Seating Capacity, Rear Seat Comfort, Flexible Seating, Cargo Space (GTi is a hatchback), Ease of Loading Cargo, Image, Vehicle’s Reputation, Interior Styling, Feel of Interior Fabrics and Materials, Power and Acceleration, Braking, Handling, Fun to Drive, Reliable/Dependable, Ride, Controls Easy to Understand, Controls Have Quality Feel, Instrument Layout, Cupholder Design and Size, Tire Brand, Size and Appearance, Wheel Size and Style, Infotainment Technology, Feeling Safe While Driving, Safety Features, Safety Rating, Overall Quality, Price, and Collision Avoidance Technology. With a possible high of 5.0 rating points on each of the 48 characteristics, GTi owners rate the car at 4.6 rating points or higher on: Exterior Size, Seating Capacity, Image, Vehicle’s Reputation, Interior Styling, Power and Acceleration, Braking, Handling, Fun to Drive (4.95 – almost perfect), Reliable Dependable, Feeling Safe While Driving, Safety features, Safety Ratings, Overall Quality. The lowest ratings are for Environmental Friendliness, Recyclability and Interior Storage. Clearly owners perceive the GTi to be a very safe car with great dynamics at a reasonable price.
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Posted by George Peterson on June 10, 2012 at 11:25 am
Best In Class 2012 Compact Crossover SUV: Volkswagen Tiguan
2012 VW Tiguan Wins AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction Award
Owners of the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan Compact Crossover SUV give the vehicle top ratings in sixteen of forty-eight categories in AutoPacific’s 2012 Vehicle Satisfaction Award research. Owners give the Tiguan top ratings for: Seating Capacity, Flexible Seating, Vehicle’s Reputation, Interior Styling, Interior Materials, Quality Feeling of Controls, Brand of Audio System, Visibility, Cupholders, Tire Size/Brand/Appearance, Environmental Friendliness, Infotainment Technology, Feeling Safe While Driving, Safety Features, Safety Ratings, Overall Quality and Durability. With a maximum score of 5.0 satisfaction rating points, a score of 4.5 or higher is considered very good. Tiguan owners rated their vehicle at 4.5 or higher in: Overall Satisfaction, Seating Capacity, Vehicle’s Reputation, Brand’s Reputation, Exterior Color, Exterior Styling, Interior Styling, Interior Materials, Handling, Fun to Drive, Reliability, Visibility, Feeling Safe While Driving, Safety Features, Safety Ratings and Overall Quality. There are five ratings under 4.0 satisfaction rating points: Cargo Space, Fuel Economy, Cruising Range, Recyclability and Collision Avoidance Technology. This is a very strong performance by Tiguan showing VW’s strengths in interior and exterior styling and materials selection are clearly appreciated by its owner group.
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Posted by Dave Sullivan on March 25, 2012 at 8:50 am
When was the last time you can honestly say that you’ve driven a full-size car with 140 horsepower and it has been more than adequate? Maybe the 1986 Ford Taurus with the venerable Vulcan V6? Well, I was given the opportunity for some seat time with a 2012 Passat TDI clean diesel and it is Volkswagen’s newest sedan to hit American soil, err, actually be built on American soil. While the styling may not be anything to get excited about at first glance; like a jelly donut, it’s what is inside that counts.
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Posted by Dave Sullivan on December 11, 2011 at 11:13 pm
There are a few Volkswagen models that seem to resonate highly with women. One was the ‘New Beetle’ that was an instant hit. Maybe it was the flower pot? Maybe it was the cartoonish styling? The second was the Volkswagen Cabrio. I hate to stereotype here but I’m going to. The Cabrio was a chick’s car. An anemic powertrain and powder puff looks had me thinking back to the last time I rode in one in college. Oh and that picnic basket look was just a major eyesore. Urban Dictionary even calls the Cabrio the Bitch Basket. It was embarrassing, noisy, and not something I wanted an encore of. So, is the Eos an improvement over the defunct Cabrio with better styling, powertrain, and design or is the Eos still the flagship for the feminist movement? Let’s find out…
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Posted by Ed Kim on August 17, 2011 at 7:31 pm
It’s almost become cliche. How many automakers have tried to tell you that their four-door mid-size sedans are sleek, sporty, and stylish? In the end, most of them are plain, boring, and eminently forgettable, at least in terms of looks. That’s where the Volkswagen CC truly stands out.
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Posted by Ty Michael on August 16, 2011 at 4:45 am
The Tiguan wins the Compact XSUV category based on owner ratings in AutoPacific’s 2011 Ideal Vehicle Research. Even while winning top spot, Tiguan owners have some significant wants. Almost 45% want more cargo room and 25% want better interior storage. About 15% want a softer ride. While passenger roominess is not a problem, Tiguan needs more cargo space and thoughtful places to store stuff in the interior. The Tiguan handily won over second place Suzuki Grand Vitara.
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Posted by Dave Sullivan on May 12, 2011 at 3:03 am
Volkswagen is excited with the work they have completed thus far on the Golf blue-e-motion battery electric vehicle. So excited, in fact, that I was recently able to drive one in Germany.
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Posted by Stephanie Brinley on May 26, 2010 at 9:29 am
Retaking its claim as top Premium Compact Car, the Volkswagen GTI, a 2008 VSA winner, is once again top rated by owners in satisfaction.
The GTI came out tops in this segment over some strong competition, including the MINI Cooper and Volvo C30. As might be expected, the GTI scored an impressive 4.9 out of a possible 5.0 with respect to being fun to drive. Looking for a compact car that’s quiet, comfortable and innovative? The GTI rated highest with consumers in driver’s seat comfort, interior quietness and innovative technology. Other strong attributes include ride, handling, interior styling and ease of getting in and out.
For a complete list of winners and description of the Awards, click here.
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