The Only 5 Things You Need to Know about Volkswagen: A Peek at The 2015 Models
Scotty Reiss
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Design, fuel efficiency and fun to drive are the earmarks of the 2015 VW lineup
There are only five things you need to know about Volkswagen: The car’s interiors are nicely edited so controls and information don’t overwhelm you; the brand’s German engineering means there’s attention to detail in both the things you see and the things you don’t; this attention to detail is squarely focused on fuel efficiency, they are priced for comfort in your budget, and they are tons of fun to drive.
Within those five points is a whole world of fabulous to drive cars that run the spectrum of sophisticated elegance to perky personalities and everything in between. We recently—and yes I do mean we: Nicole Wakelin, Carissa Rogers (who fell in love with the car maker’s diesel models) and I— had a chance to drive the auto maker’s full line of 2015 models at the Salamander Resort in Virginia; here’s a rundown of what we saw and thought.
We took test drives in the 2015 Beetle, e-Golf, Jetta TDI, Golf TSI, Golf GTI, CC, Tiguan and Eos.
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- VW 2015 Beetle
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- If you love the Beetle’s candy apple red (they call it Tornado Red) exterior, you’ll love it even more inside the car
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- The Beetle’s attention to detail includes Fender speakers tucked into the door panel
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- The VW logo tips in to unlatch and open the trunk
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- A nice little tray for your necessities
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- VW 2015 Beetle: tons of space with the seats folded down
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- The Beetle’s sun roof shifts back to let the sun in.
Beetle: Cute as a Bug
The iconic VW, this little bug has become sportier and is a driver spoiler: fun, colorful and pampering, with lots of sweet little touches. Even though back seat passengers have to push the front seat forward to get into the car, once in it’s comfortable due to the shape of the cabin. And, rear seats fold down to create flexible cargo space. Price of the model we saw: $27,015.
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- 2015 VW e-Golf
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- The e-Golf’s name plate
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- How the e-Golf gets its juice
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- The e-Golf’s dials show you when you’re charging and the distance you’ve driven (or left on the current charge)
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- 2015 VW e-Golf
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- The information console lets you see objects around the car
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- The e-Golf comes equipped with an emergency marker that expands into a pop-up triangle, just in case
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- Rear legroom in the e-Golf gives enough space for a tall passenger and a tall driver
e-Golf: Putting the EEE in Wheeeee
Maybe the most popular car we drove, among everyone: This fully electric car has seating for five, flexible cargo space and VW’s engineers gave painful consideration to ways to maximize interior space–no compromising passenger space for battery needs. Add to that the fact that you’d never know it’s electric while driving: It’s peppy, zippy and as much fun as any gas guzzler and its navigation system finds all the local charging spots for you. Price of the model we saw: $34,445.
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- 2015 VW Jetta TDI
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- A view of the Jetta TDI from the driver’s seat: controls and driver information, all in your line of sight
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- The Jetta TDI’s charm: A stick shift and climate and music, at your fingertips
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- Plenty of room for passengers in the Jetta TDI
Jetta TDI: 45MPG, and that’s just for starters
It’s hard to find this much WOW in a small sedan. But there it is: The manual transmission we test drove might have been the most fun to drive car all day: it’s smallish and responsive, so it handled the road’s curves well; the engine is a turbo, which adds power for hills and passing, and a stick shift? Well, that’s just plain old fun. Add to that the clean diesel engine— TDI means turbo diesel —that gets 45MPG on the highway and I’m in love. The car was elegant, nicely appointed and quite comfortable, all for $24,895.
2015 VW Golf TSI: Small, sporty, fun to drive and full of flexible space
Golf TSI: A fun little hatchback
The Golf has proven quite popular for VW: A great car for the single driver, but also great for the urban family or for the driver who wants a fun drive experience but occasionally needs to be a soccer parent, too: the fold down rear row and nicely sized cargo space offer plenty of flexibility. TSI—similar to TDI—is VW’s way of expressing that this small car packs a lot of power into its smallish engine, giving it more than enough zip and still offering a gas engine. Price of the model we saw: $25,315
The TSI nameplate indicates a turbo-charged engine but with good fuel efficiency
Nice touch: Fender speakers to pump up the jamz
View from behind the wheel; everything you need is just a quick glance away
Already in love with the GTI
Golf GTI: An ever funner little hatchback
The right car can make dull driving bearable, and good driving absolutely joyous, which must be what VW was thinking when they designed the Golf GTI. This car is best driven as a manual (though automatic is available) because that’s where the fun lives. It’s right there in the shifter knob that looks like a dimpled golf ball. This hot little hatchback looks good, is comfortable, handles beautifully, and on a warm summer day with the sunroof wide open, it’ll make you’ll want to keep driving until you run out of road. Price starts at $24,395.
The GTI’s dash
2015 VW CC
CC: Seriously sophisticated
Think of the CC as the Passat’s elegant, more sophisticated sister: CC stands for comfort coupe, and it takes that moniker seriously: outfitted with leather seats, a panoramic sunroof and a nicely edited interior, it’s spacious, peppy and fun to drive. But its real appeal is in its delicious lines and lineage: the exterior of the car is distinct and beautiful, lines you’ll also see in the pricier Audi A7, with which it shares DNA and a manufacturing plant. Price of the model we saw: $44,005.
2015 VW CC has elegant details like LED running lights
The VW CC’s rear view mirror has lights and an elegant painted finish
Nothing says sophistication like a smart key keyless start system
2015 VW CC’s elegant tail fin caps the curve of the roofline
Sunshine, anyone?
Another elegant CC detail: The rear view mirror is rimed in white
2015 VW CC’s center stack, controls, and gear shift
Tiguan: An elegant but capable crossover
The only crossover in the line, the Tiguan offers all the benefits of an SUV like it’s larger sibling the Touareg—a higher stance so you can see over traffic, all wheel drive, rugged capability, but with a refined interior to keep its occupants safe from the indignities of the road. Foldable second row seats give you all the utility of an SUV, but the crossover’s smallish size means it’s easy to drive and maneuver in traffic or tight parking situations. Price of the model we saw: $40,100.
2015 VW Tiguan
Wow: Tiguan’s panoramic sunroof
Second row seats fold flat for added cargo capacity
2015 VW Tiguan: rear view
Nice touch: Fender speakers in the Tiguan
More than enough leg room in the Tiguan’s back seat; notice also the climate control, charge port, and a little nook for stuff
The Tiguan’s front seat cabin
Eos: Keeping the sun on your shoulders all year long
2015 VW Eos Convertible
Sadly, VW is discontinuing this model. The hard topped convertible was an absolute delight, especially if you need a convertible (and yeah, need) that can comfortably seat four passengers. In fact, this convertible keeps the sun on your shoulders all year long: it has a sunroof, perfect for cooler sunny days when having the top down isn’t comfortable. We also loved the leather interior, the spacious cabin and roomy trunk. Priced from $35,795.
White upholstery in a convertible? Brilliant. The sun makes you boil in a black interior, but white is fresh and refreshing
The Eos’s nice size means comfort for passengers and room for luggage
The elegantly stitched and contrasting Eos leather seats
The sun streams in with the top down