We have enjoyed every aspect of this car. Styling, driving, utility, amenities, performance, and fuel economy. Giving it up as part of the TDI buyback is painful, but there are just too many unknowns going forward to keep it. Lifetime mixed-use fuel economy was right around 41mpg, which was just under the EPA highway rating of 42mpg. This car is absolutely stingy with fuel.
I will say that VW (whether they were forced to or not) is definitely making things right. Between the VW gift cards distributed at the end of 2015, and the buyback in 2016, we will have driven this car about 20K miles with no money out of pocket other than fuel and insurance.
The Sportwagen concept is a good one. Plenty of room inside for six-footers front and back and their luggage, good power and economy even in the gas models, and just enough amenities make this a really nice car to live with. Our car was serial number 81, and the fit and finish are terrific.
You're probably wondering why we aren't getting another Sportwagen. Well, VW decided that they didn't need to offer manual transmissions in the non-Alltrack Sportwagen models, so we've gone back to a six-speed GTI.
