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'Clean Diesel' leaves dirty taste for green-minded VW owners

Volkswagen developed the advertising campaigns for its "Clean Diesel" cars far better than the actual technology. In dozens of complaints filed with the Federal Trade Commission in September, green-minded consumers said they were enticed into buying diesels by the company's advertising, which touted the environmental benefits of new diesel technology. Those alleged benefits convinced many to buy cars they otherwise would not have considered. In actuality, Volkswagen installed secret software in its cars that allowed the company's diesels to brazenly circumvent emissions standards. For environmentally conscious consumers, those decisions backfired. Instead of helping the environment, they drove cars that polluted at up to 40 times beyond the legal threshold for certain emissions. Now, those consumers are angry. They've asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Volkswagen for alleged deceptive advertising, and are hoping the federal agency can intervene and force Volkswagen to either buy back their compromised cars or negotiate trade-ins on favorable terms. An FTC spokesperson confirmed the agency is investigating. Many of those who wrote or called the agency said they felt like they had nowhere else to turn. For green-friendly drivers, it wasn't only about the money. It was also about the betrayal. "I am ashamed to drive this car on the road, as doing so is evidence that I have been taken for a fool." "It's awful for the environment," wrote one consumer from Shreveport, Louisiana, on September 24, days after the diesel scandal unfolded. "It's caused me anxiety thinking about the amount of emissions I have been producing." The motorist's comments echoed others filed with the FTC. Many owners felt trapped with cars they couldn't sell and cars they felt they could no longer drive in good conscience, knowing they spew nitrogen oxide at levels that violate the Clean Air Act. "I do not see how I can drive it knowing highly toxic pollutants are being produced," wrote another driver from Middletown, Rhode Island. "I have not driven the car since this news came to light." The two statements were among the 89 filed with the FTC's Consumer Sentinel Network in the week following the Environmental Protection Agency's announcement that Volkswagen had admitted rigging approximately 482,000 cars in America with software that allowed them to cheat emissions testing.

8 new cars that are selling below MSRP

Car shopping has been a frustrating activity for many people in recent years, as strained new car inventories have led to markups and elevated prices across the board. It’s been difficult to find vehicles at anywhere near a reasonable price, and some in-demand models are still listed at a premium today. iSeeCarsÂ’ most recent study looked at several aspects of the new and used vehicle markets and found a handful of models that are selling at a discount – a rarity in todayÂ’s world. Most of the vehicles selling below MSRP in October were electric, though the Nissan Armada and Infiniti QX80 made the top eight. To be clear, weÂ’re not talking about huge discounts here – the Kia EV6 was selling with the largest discount of 3.1%. The other models on the list include: Kia EV6: -3.1 percent off MSRP Ford F-150 hybrid: -2.8% Hyundai Ioniq 6: -2.7% Nissan Armada: -1.8% Hyundai Ioniq 5: -0.9% VW ID.4: -0.6% Kia Niro EV: -0.3% Infiniti QX80: -0.2% Electric and hybrid vehicles like the Kia and Ford have been selling at a premium for a long time, as they experienced stronger than expected demand and had challenging early production runs. That theyÂ’re now selling at a discount could indicate wavering buyer demand, but itÂ’s too early to start sounding any serious alarm bells. Though some models are getting cheaper, the industry average is still heading in the wrong direction. The average MSRP of new cars sold last month was $42,510, while the average sales price was $46,077. That 8.4% overage is surprising to see so many months after the worst of the pandemic has passed. iSeeCarsÂ’ executive analyst Karl Brauer had a few words of encouragement, however, saying, “There are still very few ‘dealsÂ’ in the new car market. Shoppers looking to pay below MSRP for a new car will have to do their research, but a small number of models can be bought below sticker price.” Green Ford Hyundai Infiniti Kia Nissan Volkswagen Car Buying cheap cars

2022 VW GTI, Golf R and Ford's electric future | Autoblog Podcast #680

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. They start off discussing their drives in the 2022 VW GTI and 2022 VW Golf R. They then discuss the news, which is jam-packed this week. The Mazda6 and CX-3 are going away, and Alfa is reportedly mulling a new GTV and Duetto. Plus, Ford teased an electric Bronco, confirmed a future electric Explorer and fully revealed the work truck version of the 2022 F-150 Lightning named the "Pro." They end by turning to the mailbag and responding to another listener's Spend My Money question. Autoblog Podcast #680 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving 2022 Volkswagen GTI 2022 Volkswagen Golf R News Mazda6 and Mazda CX-3 officially discontinued for 2022 Alfa Romeo's new CEO sees room to bring back the GTV and the Duetto Electric Ford Bronco could be coming, electric Explorer is confirmed F-150 Lightning Pro revealed as Ford's sub-$40K electric work truck Opinion We need to legalize adaptive driving beams already, for safety's sake Mailbag Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes 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: Podcasts Alfa Romeo Ford Mazda Porsche Volkswagen Hatchback Performance