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Volkswagen Diesels: Buy, sell, or hold?

Everyone who owns or has remotely considered a Volkswagen diesel over the past 45 days has tried to figure out the right formula. Is it worth buying after the recall? If I own one, should I sell it? How will it perform if I want to keep it? Questions create doubts, and doubts create a stunning lack of activity when it comes to the new and used car market. I seriously doubt Volkswagen will be rolling out its 2016 TDI models anytime soon. The company already failed to create a fix nearly a year ago and has spent an unusually long amount of time trying to get the formula right. There's also the fact that it rescinded its EPA application for 2016 models. I can't provide the ultimate oracle's guide on whether any recalled Volkswagen diesel will fall under the "good value" perceptions of car buyers. But I do believe four factors in particular will be largely independent of the outcome of that recall, and they're what you should pay particular attention to if you plan on buying any Volkswagen diesel – new or used. 1. Demand Creating Bad Supply There are a large number of car buyers who believe that they can zig while the marketplace tells them to zag. Unfortunately, those are the ones that get sent to the slaughter once articles like the one linked above proclaim, "resale values are down 13 percent." These heavily biased write-ups ignore the fact both the supply and demand of new and used recalled Volkswagen diesels are no longer operating in that free market. The supply side is obvious since the EPA has put a stop-sale on all Volkswagen diesels. However, on the demand side, those Volkswagen dealers who have exclusive access to off-lease vehicles and certified pre-owned programs for 2012 and newer VW diesels are now sitting on the sidelines with all those cars. When your best players no longer play, consumers don't come to the ballpark. What exists right now is a lot like a professional sports strike where the talent sits out until a collective agreement is reached. When your best players no longer play, consumers don't come to the ballpark. The marketplace only offers scabs that can play an inferior game. In the wholesale car business, the scabs are salvage vehicles that are wrecked or flood damaged, vehicles that can't be put under a CPO program due to frame damage and lemon law requirements, and the wholesale repossession market. All of these substandard vehicles make up the new supply, the collective underbelly of low-end quality in the used car marketplace.

2019 Hyundai Veloster N vs. hot hatch rivals: How they compare on paper

The highly anticipated top-rung of the Veloster line, the 2019 Hyundai Veloster N, is on the verge of hitting dealers. And the company has finally dropped all the specifications, and perhaps most importantly, the car's official pricing that starts at $27,785. So you know what that means: it's time to see how it stacks up to the competition. The Veloster N falls into an interesting niche in the hot hatch world. It's the most potent of its model line, but it's not as powerful as vehicles such as the Civic Type R, Focus RS and Golf R. But it also doesn't have the price of those cars. As such, we decided to compare it with other sub-$30,000 sport compacts. We examined each car's power, fuel economy, size and pricing. You can see all the vital statistics in the chart below, as well as additional photos and analysis after that. As always, specifications only tell so much, so be sure to check out our detailed reviews of these cars. Also be sure to check out our comparison tool if you want to compare these with other models. Engines, transmissions and performance Three of these cars are impressively close in output, and one is, well, not. The Veloster N Performance Pack is the clear horsepower champion with 275 ponies. Second place for power is almost tied, with the Focus ST's 252 horses edging out the standard Veloster N's 250. The Focus ST also boasts the most torque at 270 pound-feet. The GTI nearly matches both Velosters with its 258 pound-feet, but its 228 horsepower is far behind the Korean and American entries. The Civic Si lags far behind with just 205 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque from the only 1.5-liter engine here. The rest use 2.0-liter engines. 2019 Hyundai Veloster N View 47 Photos Every vehicle here sends its power to the front wheels, and three of the four do so exclusively with 6-speed manual transmissions. That means that if you don't want to work a clutch, your only option is the VW GTI. It offers a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, which, like all VW Group dual-clutch units, is really smooth and fast. While the Civic Si is at the back of the pack in terms of power, it does make up for it somewhat with excellent fuel economy. It's capable of hitting 38 mpg on the highway, and city mileage is rated at a solid 28 mpg. The Veloster N is at the back of the pack here, with its highway mileage the same as the Civic's city economy. Its city fuel economy is just 22 mpg.

Skoda's next concept is a 300-mile electric SUV

If you thought Volkswagen wasn't serious about electric vehicles, think again. Its subsidiary Skoda will reveal an electric SUV concept called the Vision E at the Shanghai auto show in a few weeks. Not only is it the fourth all-electric concept shown by the VW group (following the I.D., I.D. Buzz, and Sedric), but it previews the electrified future of Skoda, which announced that it will have five pure EVs in its lineup by 2025. The Vision E is just as impressive as the company's electric ambitions, too. It boasts a roughly 310-mile range on a charge, and packs a motor that makes about 300 horsepower. The car will be capable of level 3 autonomy, which will allow it to operate autonomously on highways, in stop-and-go traffic, and to find parking spaces. Its top speed isn't amazing at around 111 mph, but it isn't a sports car. Rather, it's an "SUV coupe" similar to the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe. As such it has a more sedan-like back. The styling is also unique with full-width headlights and foglights, and another lighting element that extends from the front fender down the doors. The only obviously Skoda styling cue is the bulge down the center of the hood. The Vision E is also similar to the X6 and GLC Coupe in other ways. Its specs are quite close to those crossovers, particularly the Mercedes. It's a few inches shorter than the GLC Coupe, but it's an inch wider. It also makes the same amount of horsepower as the entry-level X6 and outguns the Mercedes by an impressive 59 horsepower. Of course, these are figures currently only projected and hypothetical since the Vision E is a concept, but it helps us get an idea of what this vehicle is like. So far, Skoda has only released sketches of the concept. We'll have to wait until the Shanghai show to see the real thing. Related Video: