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My dealer got in their demo and called me in for a test drive today. I had the car for about 1 hour and here are my observations that stood out. I have recently driven a Tesla Model Y Standard Range (no longer available). First, let's start off by saying OK it is not as quick as the Tesla Model Y. Now that is out of the way here are my thoughts that I think are worth noting:
1) It is $13,500 dollars cheaper than the current available Tesla Model Y with the federal tax credit. Is the Tesla worth that much more than the VW? Not IMO. There is a lot one can do with the savings.
2) It drives exceptionally well. Is quick enough to take on any normal driving situation. Very quiet no wind noise at 65 mph. Some tire noise noted on concrete pavement, but not on asphalt roads at 70 mph. Suspect it is from the type of tread pattern on the Bridgestone tires. The suspension is well tuned for the type of car it is. Sport mode does change pedal response, acceleration and steering to satisfy your fun factor.
3) Build quality, fit, finish and paint work is exceptional. German high standards and workmanship shows.
4) It is truly an SUV that is capable of hauling the family, tow a trailer, load the kayak, take the dogs out, put the kids in the back and still have fun driving it. Very open feel with lots of room inside.
5) Interior is cool, sleek and very modern. Has a great simple, clean look about it. The seats are super comfy for long trips. Love the massage function in the seats. White steering wheel and white accents I think give it a very modern look for sure, maybe too modern for some. But, but for me I really liked the look with the Lunar Grey and it is not $1K option!
6. Travel assist, lane assist and adaptive speed control worked flawlessly. Not one issue during the entire drive. Love the Blind Spot indicators coupled with the vehicle locators showing on the pod screen while in Travel Assist. Makes one very aware of what is around them at all times.
7) The infotainment screen is high resolution and super clear, bright colors and easy to see. Once you "scroll" through the functions everything is fairly intuitive to set up.....Iphone like in many ways.
8) Software update 2.1 seems to have solved the lag issues noted earlier. I had no lag when using the icons on the screen. Navigation was quick to come up and "Hello ID" worked every time and responded quickly once I learned and stated the correct commands.
9) Haptic controls were pretty straight forward, but one has to learn the sequences and functions unique to VW. The controls worked easily and had no problems. I liked not having to go to the "screen" to work basic everyday functions.
10) You will love the retractable roof screen for those extremely hot summer days!
11) Sound system is clean, crisp and clear with good highs and mid-range. Could use more bass, but can be solved by adding an aftermarket underseat sub-woofer.
12) Range. I think the engineers have sand bagged the range capabilities and more is available with a tweak or two through an OTA. That said, I started with Range showing 214 miles, the car had already been driven 98 miles today from other demos starting from a full charge. It was 74 degrees today.
So there you have it. IMO this is for sure a "best value" car given all the features and capabilities it offers. Everything I tried the car did really well and surprised me given the price point of the car. Is it perfect, no but it is a really, really good car and I have had a bunch that were certainly not so good for sure!
1) It is $13,500 dollars cheaper than the current available Tesla Model Y with the federal tax credit. Is the Tesla worth that much more than the VW? Not IMO. There is a lot one can do with the savings.
2) It drives exceptionally well. Is quick enough to take on any normal driving situation. Very quiet no wind noise at 65 mph. Some tire noise noted on concrete pavement, but not on asphalt roads at 70 mph. Suspect it is from the type of tread pattern on the Bridgestone tires. The suspension is well tuned for the type of car it is. Sport mode does change pedal response, acceleration and steering to satisfy your fun factor.
3) Build quality, fit, finish and paint work is exceptional. German high standards and workmanship shows.
4) It is truly an SUV that is capable of hauling the family, tow a trailer, load the kayak, take the dogs out, put the kids in the back and still have fun driving it. Very open feel with lots of room inside.
5) Interior is cool, sleek and very modern. Has a great simple, clean look about it. The seats are super comfy for long trips. Love the massage function in the seats. White steering wheel and white accents I think give it a very modern look for sure, maybe too modern for some. But, but for me I really liked the look with the Lunar Grey and it is not $1K option!
6. Travel assist, lane assist and adaptive speed control worked flawlessly. Not one issue during the entire drive. Love the Blind Spot indicators coupled with the vehicle locators showing on the pod screen while in Travel Assist. Makes one very aware of what is around them at all times.
7) The infotainment screen is high resolution and super clear, bright colors and easy to see. Once you "scroll" through the functions everything is fairly intuitive to set up.....Iphone like in many ways.
8) Software update 2.1 seems to have solved the lag issues noted earlier. I had no lag when using the icons on the screen. Navigation was quick to come up and "Hello ID" worked every time and responded quickly once I learned and stated the correct commands.
9) Haptic controls were pretty straight forward, but one has to learn the sequences and functions unique to VW. The controls worked easily and had no problems. I liked not having to go to the "screen" to work basic everyday functions.
10) You will love the retractable roof screen for those extremely hot summer days!
11) Sound system is clean, crisp and clear with good highs and mid-range. Could use more bass, but can be solved by adding an aftermarket underseat sub-woofer.
12) Range. I think the engineers have sand bagged the range capabilities and more is available with a tweak or two through an OTA. That said, I started with Range showing 214 miles, the car had already been driven 98 miles today from other demos starting from a full charge. It was 74 degrees today.
So there you have it. IMO this is for sure a "best value" car given all the features and capabilities it offers. Everything I tried the car did really well and surprised me given the price point of the car. Is it perfect, no but it is a really, really good car and I have had a bunch that were certainly not so good for sure!
