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2015 Volkswagen Golf: Green Car of the Year?

As you may recall, VW's compact Golf was voted 2015 North American Car of the Year by a jury of 57 veteran automotive journalists (including this one) and named Car of the Year by Motor Trend and Yahoo Autos and Best Car to Buy 2015 by Green Car Reports. "The range of green options in the 2015 Volkswagen Golf range is hard to beat," says Green Car Reports editor John Voelcker. "With more fuel-efficient gasoline engines, a new TDI diesel option that comes close to real-world hybrid mileage levels, and the all-electric VW e-Golf, the 2015 Golf gives buyers a good-better-best menu of options for driving green." The car was also a finalist for Green Car Journal's "Green Car of the Year," but ultimately lost to the BMW i3 EV. When I saw GCJ editor Ron Cogan at last November's Los Angeles Auto Show, he asked me to guess which finalist would win. Based on its efficiency and versatility, I guessed the Golf. He smiled but the next day, he named the i3 the winner. Okay, the technically impressive, carbon-fiber-bodied i3 is a formidable green machine wearing a prestige German label at a semi-affordable ($43,000) price. But it comes in just one (somewhat odd-looking) body style with a choice of all-electric or range-extending electric powertrains, and its EPA-official ranges are 81 miles for the former and just 150 for the latter, costlier version, which totes a tiny (647cc) 34-hp two-cylinder BMW motorbike engine in its tail. By contrast, the 2015 Golf comes in 3- and 5-door hatchback and even more practical Sportwagen body styles and offers a wide range of eager yet fuel-thrifty turbocharged gas and clean-diesel engines, most with a choice of manual or automatic transmission. An all-electric e-Golf, one of the best EVs we've yet driven, is also available in some areas, and that will be followed, VW says, by a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid and even a CNG-powered model. No question this all-new seventh-generation 2015 VW Golf is easily the best ever. A bit larger, roomier, aerodynamically slicker and more fuel efficient than the Gen VI Golf it replaces, it's built on an all-new modular platform and boasts an amazing range of models, powertrains and features.

VW Golf Sportsvan succeeds Golf Plus in Frankfurt

Just ahead of this week's Frankfurt Motor Show, Volkswagen has announced the world premiere of its Golf Sportsvan, a near-production concept that succeeds its Golf Plus. VW describes this compact family car as "one of the most versatile vehicles of the compact class," noting that it offers a mix of hatchback and minivan features in a sporty package.
That sportiness comes from the Sportsvan's styling (perhaps more sleek wagon than minivan) and performance features it shares with the Golf GTI - including the XDS+ electronic differential lock, which is integrated into the Electronic Stability Control system to improve agility. At the same time, the Sportsvan's six engine options, which include a turbodiesel, are up to 19-percent more fuel-efficient than their predecessors.

2018 Buick Regal TourX vs. wagon competitors: How it compares on paper

To the great joy of auto enthusiasts nationwide, wagons are back! Well, at least there's a few more of them. The latest is the 2018 Buick Regal TourX, which we just had our first drive of and found to actually be quite good with pleasant handling, solid power and plenty of space. But, how does the TourX compare to other cladded wagons? Well, let's dive into the specs and fire up the ol' spreadsheet maker for Buick Regal TourX vs Subaru Outback vs Audi A4 Allroad vs VW Alltrack vs Volvo V60 Cross Country. True, some are from mainstream brands and others are from luxury marques, but Buick straddles both realms, so it's appropriate to look at them all. Of course, there's more to these cars than just the numbers, but they're still important, and in the case of this class of crossover-aping wagons, can vary more than you'd expect. So check out the specs in the chart below, which are followed by more analysis and photos of each. Discover and compare other wagons and crossovers with our Car Finder and Compare tools. Engines and Transmissions When comparing powertrains, the Buick is far-and-away the winner as far as torque is concerned, and is in a nearly three-way tie for horsepower. Its 295 pound-feet of torque is 22 lb-ft more twist than the next-most-grunty Audi A4 Allroad. And in regards to power, the Buick's 250-horsepower engine is only down 6 hp to the most-powerful Subaru and its optional naturally aspirated flat-six, and just 2 hp less than the Audi. At the bottom of the pack is the Subaru Outback with the standard naturally aspirated flat-four, which only makes 174 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque. That may not seem too bad compared with the VW Golf Alltrack, which only makes 170 hp and 199 lb-ft of torque, but the VW is much lighter by between 200 and 300 pounds. Transmission-wise, there's quite a bit of variation in the group. The Regal TourX and the Volvo V60 Cross Country rely on eight-speed automatics, all Outbacks use CVTs, and the Alltrack and Allroad have dual-clutch automated manual transmissions with six and seven gears, respectively. But for people that want to shift for themselves, the only option is the Volkswagen, which offers a traditional six-speed manual transmission on the Golf Alltrack. Cargo and Interior Space One of the main reasons to buy a wagon is for the body style's large cargo capacity. And for the most space for things and stuff, you'll want to check out the Subaru and the Buick.