Except as enthusiasts and arguably a massive part of the endorsement-bestowing force that recommends the car companies that we love to the masses that will BUY the volume selling models (see Porsche Cayenne, Panamera, Macan), we should fault them for chasing the money on an already premium priced car that’s meant to…

Praise you for keeping that thing on the road.

Ironically that was actually a keyboard slip-up (or autocorrect slip up?).

True! They’re excellent for the region and Coloradan hobbies. Had multiple amigos attempt to convert me by tossing me the keys to theirs. And I had a blast driving them.

Ironically that was actually a keyboard slip-up (or autocorrect slip up?).

For pure driving fun, hell yeah.

Sorry... you’re right, that point is worth clarifying: what I should have said was “a different packaging of the exact same powertrain...”

Man... I was so eager to read about this update and learn it was everything I had hoped it would be. But I let out an audible expletive and my heart sank when I got to the part about 3-pedals not being offered on one of MINI’s highest performance products.

Yep. This tracks. Now that we’ve reached critic mass with Android Auto and Apple Carplay, of course someone’s going to ruin the party for consumers. Your argument about the relative cost withstanding, on principal this is salt in the wound.

This.

The Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel had a solid following out here in the Rockies but, we can’t have nice things because FCA a bunch of lying ninny muggins. So.

Yeah, A. Totally agreed on the price. It’s as if they want to NOT sell so they can turn around and go, “well we offered a diesel to the US market and no one bought it sooooo, we definitely shouldn’t offer that engine in any of our other cars...”

Growing up in VT we had two brands that shared one smushed together dealership in our tiny town: Chevrolet and Voklswagen. Chevy fulfilled the needs of large families who “needed” to rotate into a new Suburban every 5 years and the actual working man who actually needed a fully-kitted-out 3500 for plowing and…

Ill admit, first couple of emails in and I was laughing to myself, thinking about these troglodytes being put on blast and hoping, PRAYING they feel an ounce of humility knowing their vitriol was broadcast for the masses to see.

I sympathize with this. So much.

And this is EXACTLY my issue with the VW group right now.

“Two engines are available at launch: a 2.0-liter turbo four, or a 48-volt mild hybrid version of the same. Those engines are good for 246 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque, or 296 HP and 295 lb-ft of torque, respectively.”

Yeah, sort of confirming the indicated trend here: as a long-time VW enthusiast, I’ve wanted to believe in ECS and the potential they held for years. But time and again they’ve disappointed me. The real doozy came when I wrote an honest review about the inexcusably poor quality of their “auto” hatch-pop kit that they…

Gaaah!!

It is, at risk of understatement, cocking brisk.