Why 5 cylinders?

Chicago.

As others have pointed out, "it ain't HP that you drive, it's torque". My 93 VW EV has a 5 cylinder 2.5 and it's 15 years old and does not burn a drop of oil. But I sense you want the Ford Focus so go get one! If you want MPG's get a 06 tdi while you can. You'll also get wheel spinning low end grunt with your 50 MPG. My actual fuel consumption for 114k miles in a 99.5 jetta tdi was 49.6 mpg. "Focus" on that.

JoBo

Too bad they don't make the Ford SVT Focus anymore. That was 170hp with a six speed(not sure) and a nice leather(option) Recaro seat interior?

Agree on VWs being heavier.

Jo Bo wrote: : Chicago.

: As others have pointed out, "it ain't HP that you drive, it's torque". My 93 : VW EV has a 5 cylinder 2.5 and it's 15 years old and does not burn a drop of : oil. But I sense you want the Ford Focus so go get one! If you want MPG's : get a 06 tdi while you can. You'll also get wheel spinning low end grunt : with your 50 MPG. My actual fuel consumption for 114k miles in a 99.5 jetta : tdi was 49.6 mpg. "Focus" on that.

Well, as I said, I'm gonna make a trip to the vw dealer and check them out, (there is also a used beetle at my local dealer I wanna check out). I like my vw (even when the clutch went out, I was able to limp home in second gear from work at 3am... got pulled over twice... cops probably thinking drunk driver doing 15/20mph in a 45 zone with hazard lights blinking... as soon as I told them something failed in the clutch but I was able to use various junk to pull the cable tight enough to get into 2nd they just smiled and let me go.

I have 2 Fords, a VW and a Porsche... not sure I want to become a all Ford family, but I haven't had lots of trouble with them...

The biggest obstacle we have to more engine options from VW is not VW AG, it's VW of America in Auburn Hills, MI. They call all the shots as to what we get and what we don't. If you want something that is only available overseas, write to them and say so. They have a new General Manager whom I think is young enough to listen. I still want a Lupo with a 1.3L TDI at 95 MPG. A perfect commuter's car.

Yes and no. This is true to some degree, but there are also other factors beyond even VWoA's control.

Of which your message will go to one of several "VolkTalk" representatives that will give a canned, mostly useless, response.

Doubtful he'll even see the message.

It won't happen because they don't make that model anymore. The Fox (still badged Lupo in some markets) replaced it.

Even if it was still around, the info I'm finding is that the 0-60 figure was nearly 14 seconds. Even by mid-1980s standards that's S-L-O-W. 95mpg would be great but if you felt like you would be run over by a Suburban every time you tried to merge onto the freeway, even the mpg wouldn't override that.

VWoA wasn't the only factor in deciding engines for the US. It was indirectly the EPA. Emissions standards plus our crappy diesel fuel means that cars that even meet tough Euro standards for emissions won't meet ours because of our crappy fuel...couldn't run as clean no matter what because garbage in = garbage out. That may change for 2008 but that's why for '07 there are no new TDIs available in the US from VW...emissions tightened but the requirement for cleaner diesel did not...at least not for another year. Write to VWoA all you want but that won't change.

Buzzzzt. Wrong. It is the federal government. EPA, safety regulations, DOT, etc. EPA is the big problem, it can (does) cost millions to get an engine/drive train certified. And for each model (wagon, 2 door, 4 door, etc.) it is a new certification. Big money.

I'm sure you don't realize what the EPA has done to diesel engines in

2007... Basically a diesel will cost as much as $5K more at the beginning of the year due to EPA regulations and certifications. The reason that many of the domestic diesel vehicles are either not going ot be available after the year end, or will cost much much more, is just this.

Yea, I love diesels too. I'd settle for 45 MPG in a diesel, however.

Holy crap, that's the same performance as my Hummer H1! yes, that is SLOW! Sure in the Hummer you can pull out in front of traffic and not worry, but in a Fox, or other VW? Humm, I don't think so!

I know a guy with an SVT focus. IIRC it was six-speed, but not leather. Funny story - we're over at his house for a barbecue, and he takes some of us out for a ride. Nice car, and everyone's commenting about how it's quick and handles well, and then - up ahead of us, a blue R32 comes flying across the road and makes a high-speed turn into the lane opposite from us, hunkers down, and blasts past us going the other way. Now *that* got everyone's attention.

-- Mike Smith

Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote: : Jo Bo wrote: : : Chicago.

: : As others have pointed out, "it ain't HP that you drive, it's torque". My 93 : : VW EV has a 5 cylinder 2.5 and it's 15 years old and does not burn a drop of : : oil. But I sense you want the Ford Focus so go get one! If you want MPG's : : get a 06 tdi while you can. You'll also get wheel spinning low end grunt : : with your 50 MPG. My actual fuel consumption for 114k miles in a 99.5 jetta : : tdi was 49.6 mpg. "Focus" on that.

: Well, as I said, I'm gonna make a trip to the vw dealer and check them out, : (there is also a used beetle at my local dealer I wanna check out). I like : my vw (even when the clutch went out, I was able to limp home in second gear : from work at 3am... got pulled over twice... cops probably thinking drunk : driver doing 15/20mph in a 45 zone with hazard lights blinking... as soon as : I told them something failed in the clutch but I was able to use various junk : to pull the cable tight enough to get into 2nd they just smiled and let me go.

: I have 2 Fords, a VW and a Porsche... not sure I want to become a all Ford : family, but I haven't had lots of trouble with them...

Went to the dealer today... it was a experience... with all the ads they had been running about their labor day sale there were 8 sales people and me :-O

I took a 2003 GTI and a 2004 Golf for test drives, was afraid to go in the building out of concern I'd never get out without a payment book... The GTI had a terrible whine to it but otherwise was ok... the Golf's clutch was screwed up I think, didn't engage until the very top (annoying)... the cars felt pretty good though otherwise but they didn't have the car I had come in to see (all they had were rabbit automatics)...

I'll wait a few weeks and see what else they get...

Oddly when you remove taxes from the price, Americans pay about 24 cents (US) more per gallon of gasoline then they do in Europe. The higher prices they pay in Europe vs the US is strictly a matter of thier choice. The nations of western Europe are all some form of democracy and the people in those countries if they chose could lower the high taxes on petro products. In short the high prices are self inflicted. So in fact 3-4 dollars per gallon would be an increase in the price to Europeans once you factor out self inflicted price increases.

fundamentalism, fundamentally wrong.

Which means that under hard acceleration you probably want to deliberately upshift when you hit the upper 3Ks...revving it higher will gain nothing but noise. Typical of engines designed for torque though. My Eurovan is the same way...only 140hp but similar torque as the 201hp engine that succeeded it so it feels the same (and very powerful) in most driving but in balls-out accelerating it runs out of breath at higher RPMs.

Test drive the Honda Fit. It is supposed to be better than the Yaris.

If you want a car with a lot more road manners and much more passenger space, test drive the Nissan Versa. It's quiet on the highway, but it doesn't have the unique cargo space of the Fit. I liked the Versa but it ain't no Rabbit.