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2015 Volkswagen GTI: Driving into spring with just one regret [w/video]

If you only notice one thing in the video above, it should be this: that GTI is filthy. Yes, the grossness of winter took its toll on our long-term 2015 Volkswagen GTI, covering the Carbon Steel hatch in a mess of salt-and-slush-streaked grime. The GTI was a champ during the cold months With 225/40R18 Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires offering sure-footed grip, the hatch became a dear companion to editors slogging through unsavory weather. Front-wheel-drive cars are already pretty solid for wintertime driving, and with the added traction of these tires, the GTI plowed forward without any drama. Our biggest gripe about snowy driving involved the car's Driver Assistance Package – a $695 option that, knowing what we know now, we wouldn't have ordered. First, this option positions the front camera right in the middle of the lower grille, which looks pretty terrible. But more importantly, the system can't tell the difference between slush/snow and an actual obstacle, so it constantly feels the need to warn us that we might hit something when the camera is covered in grime. Clearing the camera off isn't a problem, but the practice grew more annoying as the season continued. The Driver Assistance Package gets you front and rear parking sensors that, honestly, we find to be a bit too sensitive. It's activated in any low-speed situation, so the car freaks out whenever you take it through a car wash, and beeps if you walk up to the rear (to, say, open the hatch) while the engine is running. And because the GTI S model doesn't get you a rear-view camera, there's no real added benefit to the noise-makers. Yes, they help while parking in tight places, but if you struggle to park a vehicle the size of a Golf with its already excellent sight lines, you've got larger problems to overcome. We have other issues with the system, too – like how the forward sensors will blink in the instrument panel to tell you you're too close to the vehicle in front of you on the road, even with a four-car-length separation between vehicles. In all, these issues just don't seem to outweigh the benefits of the safety system. To us, it's not $695 well spent. But enough complaining. Really, the Driver Assistance Package has been the only issue we've had with the GTI since its arrival in January. Now that winter has finally melted away, we've enjoyed nice, warm temperatures here in Detroit – just last week, we were took the winter tires off.

VW Diesel Scandal Wrap-up: Time for bullet points

Here we go again. If you were not pegged to your RSS reader yesterday, scoping out all of the VW diesel scandal news, here's a brief rundown of what happened: Just how much extra pollution did VW's little problem cause in the US? New estimates suggest it's as bad as having an additional 19 million cars on the road, or "12,000 additional tons of nitrogen oxide pollutants per year." NOx can create smog and acid rain. The diesel scandal is also reshaping some online ads. Sponsored content in WIRED that talked about clean diesel has been taken down. The advertisement was a partnership between Volkswagen and the Wired Brand Lab and claimed to have, "created an experience that will inform, educate, surprise, and change the way you think about diesel." Canada says it might start up its own governmental investigation and that "enforcement action will be taken," if the automaker is found to have broken the law. The German government says it did not know about VW's subterfuge until recently, and is going to start a fact-finding process this week. It turns out that the first hints of this scandal were discovered by independent researchers in 2012 and 2013. Whatever happened, Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said that it's hard to hide something like this. Following CEO Martin Winterkorn's departure yesterday, speculation is running rampant to see who will replace him. Automotive News says it should be current Porsche CEO Matthias Mueller. Don't feel too bad for Winterkorn, though, as he's still likely to get his $32 million pension, Bloomberg says. Oh, and this isn't even the first time VW has tried to cheat the EPA. It's a problem in the auto industry. We'll see how many bullet points we have tomorrow. Government/Legal Green Volkswagen Emissions Diesel Vehicles vw diesel scandal martin winterkorn matthias mueller pension

Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale revealed, Dodge Challenger Black Ghost driven | Autoblog Podcast #796

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor John Beltz Snyder. John has been driving the 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392, while Greg has been making noise in another last call from Dodge, the 2023 Challenger Black Ghost. John, along with Associate Editor Byron Hurd, recently tested the 2023 Honda CR-V and Kia Sportage hybrids for an upcoming comparison review. In the news, Felipe Massa seeks to overturn the 2008 F1 Championship in his favor through legal means; Ford might return to the street-performance truck scene with the F-150 Lobo; Volkswagen has been hinting at something interesting at the Munich show by tweeting a mysterious video of a rabbit (the animal); and while the podcast recording was underway, Alfa Romeo unveiled its beautiful 33 Stradale supercar. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #796 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 2023 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost Additional reading: 1970 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost hammers for $975,000 at Mecum Spring Classic 2023 Honda CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid vs. 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige Massa vows to fight for Hamilton's 2008 Formula 1 title Ford F-150 Lobo reportedly coming as street-oriented performance truck Volkswagen teases Rabbit in mysterious video Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale supercar revealed with gas and EV versions, gorgeous either way Additional reading: Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is a fast Alfa, developed fast Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: Green Podcasts Alfa Romeo Dodge Ford Honda Jeep Kia Volkswagen Truck Coupe Crossover SUV Electric Hybrid Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Supercars