Cory Wolfe

So, I never did grab any pictures and, as predicted, he traded it in. What did he buy? Well, it's orange. I'll get pics once I have the opportunity to get some. 

The turbocharger has probably been the most reliable part in my GTI's engine.

Launch control + Air Conditioning = Unhappy Volkswagen.

I don't think it looks terrible, but it's definitely the least good-looking of the Civic sisters.

I'm more excited about the manual transmission paired with the turbo. I'm eager to drive one to see how the two operate in conjunction with each other. Depending on the result, I am seriously considering a Civic as an eventual GTI replacement. I may just wait for the Si, as well, but even as it is with a CVT, it's not far off from my GTI's performance. At 6.6 seconds to 60 compared with the GTI's 6.1 (both as tested by C/D), It's pretty close, but with far better gas mileage. If the stick improves that, and depending on what the Si ends up with, I could probably make the switch. 

Then again, that damn Miata keeps taunting me...

I would have expected better than that. They likely could have squeezed more range out of it with a slipperier shape. 

Seriously, who in their right mind sees any resemblance between the 300ZX and 944? They couldn't be more different, even the profile is far off. The only similarity here is the red paint and the 4 wheels. You've really got to be mindless or blind to throw those in here. Shame on the MSN editor who did so. I ought to revoke your privilege for writing about cars. 

Otherwise, I'd say that if it's obvious, its a rip off.  A compliment is... well, the equivalent to a kit car. A compliment is not "Hey, we like your design, so we're going to copy it, mass produce it, and try to steal some of your success" as is the case with many of those Chinese products. In the case of the Continental and the Celica, they're bordering on the line of just being heavily inspired by the original not a complete clear-cut copy. Still shameful for the complete lack of creativity. 

Depending on the timing of the blown oil line, that could have be an entire engine replacement under warranty. If you didn't notice it, I'd assume the remaining oil was enough to keep the engine from damaging itself. Still, definitely not a small issue.

Toyota actually had a similar problem with their 3.5L V-6 for the first 5 years of its production. They used a soft rubber hose for a high-pressure oil line, so after a while, it would eventually blow due to stress, age, etc. It was inevitably replaced with a metal part. I wonder if this is a similar issue to Toyotas...

In other words, a V-6 1LE will cost no less than $33,295 assuming its available on a 1LT and doesn't require selecting any other options. 

Absolutely too soon for rust!

Where is his starting to form rust bubbles? I ask because I too have a 2013 Escape and I'm pretty sure I haven't seen any and I do my best to always hand wash it and I'm confident I would have noticed that.

In the ~20,000 miles of ownership I've only had MFT freeze once and crash once as well.. Just stating my personal observation.

I'll have to grab pictures once I'm home from work. It's right at the bottom of the doors on the metal lip–whatever you call it. Same place on the hatch I assume (I haven't had the chance to check out that location. 

Edit: Also, it seems at least one other Escape is having a similar issue: True Delta

So, it is with great concern that I must address this issue publicly. An automaker, who should know better, has a vehicle that is beginning to develop rust bubbles at just three years of age. This automaker is Ford and the vehicle in question is Josh's 2013 Escape. Is it just me or is that not a decade too soon for this sort of thing? 

As for background, the vehicle has obviously lived in the salt-ridden world of Pennsylvania for the majority of its life–as have each and every one of our other vehicles over the years. It should also be stated that, in his ownership, its been washed at least bi-weekly. He takes better care of his vehicles than I do, he's excessively OCD about it. Just to compare to my own GTI, I wash it maybe once or twice a month on average (more often in the summer because of cars and coffee, cruising Woodward, etc.). It's a 2010 with slightly less miles and is spotless underneath. His Escape? Not only is the underneath looking pretty rough, the bottoms of the doors and hatch are developing bubbles! Now, I assume Ford has some sort of corrosion warranty, but that is simply ridiculous in my book.

How does a vehicle this new have this sort of problem? This was our first Ford and has otherwise been trouble-free save for the common MFT freezes and various electrical glitches (it will randomly say there is a fault with the ESP, parking/cross traffic sensors, back up camera, electronic power steering...) that fix themselves with a vehicle restart, as well a few rattles (the panoramic sunroof, the doors). I just have to assume that maybe, just maybe this is a first model year sort of issue–perhaps they ran low on the anti-corrosive material–who knows. It should be noted that my GTI is also a first model year, and again, it's perfecto in that department (not-so-much others). 

After he discovered the issue, his first reaction was to look at replacements. His second was to research the most common and least common vehicles to develop rust issues. He was not surprised to find the Escape in a top 10 list someone published (I forget who) and the GTI in a top 10 list of the least from the same article. Despite the list, I have to assume those are older model years as I still can't fathom a vehicle this new having this issue. Regardless, the Escape will probably not stay with us for much longer. He's now hellbent on finding a new ride. 

Thanks, everyone. 

Thanks!

 

 

Very good review, Frisky!

 

My buddy with his MK6 GTI has the SAME EXACT thoughts on the sluggish transmission in "normal" and then it holds gears too long if you put it in "sport". The way you described it couldn't have been any more similar to how my buddy has described his. 

 

As another owner of a DSG-equipped GTI, I can also attest to the programming. At least in Sport mode, which I avoid specifically for those reasons. If I had to guess, I would say Sport is tuned more for ideal track duty than spirited driving on public roads. It works well if you're 100% on it, 100% of the time. When you're just 90%, 60% of the time as you likely would be around town or on a back road (those pesky speed limits, yo) it's just too aggressive. I also wouldn't say Drive is sluggish, per se, but its definitely tuned for fuel economy like most. As it is a hot hatch, perhaps its tuned a bit too far in that direction, but VW likely thought it was ideal to tune it that way for EPA ratings and give you two other options if you so choose. 

 

As far as shuddering, I'll get it every now and then. I've had the mechatronics unit replaced in mine due to a detected failure of the unit by the dealership. Did it change anything? No, not really. Do I care? No, not really. Do I regret settling for a DSG? No, not really. It is certainly a transmission of many quirks. Once you understand its logic versus a torque-converter automatic or your own logic with a manual, it's quite an enjoyable transmission. The only thing I would want to change is the tuning, along with a cpu tune because you can never go wrong with a bit more aggression. 

 

I can also report that after a 14 months and 20k miles, I'm still very much happy with my GTI. No regrets whatsoever, and if you know me, that's a major change from my previous vehicles. 

 

 

How many miles are on your car?

 

I just crossed over 42k. 

Very good review, Frisky!

 

My buddy with his MK6 GTI has the SAME EXACT thoughts on the sluggish transmission in "normal" and then it holds gears too long if you put it in "sport". The way you described it couldn't have been any more similar to how my buddy has described his. 

As another owner of a DSG-equipped GTI, I can also attest to the programming. At least in Sport mode, which I avoid specifically for those reasons. If I had to guess, I would say Sport is tuned more for ideal track duty than spirited driving on public roads. It works well if you're 100% on it, 100% of the time. When you're just 90%, 60% of the time as you likely would be around town or on a back road (those pesky speed limits, yo) it's just too aggressive. I also wouldn't say Drive is sluggish, per se, but its definitely tuned for fuel economy like most. As it is a hot hatch, perhaps its tuned a bit too far in that direction, but VW likely thought it was ideal to tune it that way for EPA ratings and give you two other options if you so choose. 

As far as shuddering, I'll get it every now and then. I've had the mechatronics unit replaced in mine due to a detected failure of the unit by the dealership. Did it change anything? No, not really. Do I care? No, not really. Do I regret settling for a DSG? No, not really. It is certainly a transmission of many quirks. Once you understand its logic versus a torque-converter automatic or your own logic with a manual, it's quite an enjoyable transmission. The only thing I would want to change is the tuning, along with a cpu tune because you can never go wrong with a bit more aggression. 

I can also report that after a 14 months and 20k miles, I'm still very much happy with my GTI. No regrets whatsoever, and if you know me, that's a major change from my previous vehicles. 

It certainly raises an eyebrow. I'll be curious to try it out to see whether its typical Hyundai or if its something special for once. 

How's the motor pathetic? It's right in line with the Fiesta, the Veloster Turbo and VW's GTI...

I'm not sure I'd go as far as pathetic, but Hyundai's turbo engines have been underwhelming. They have a history of putting out competitive numbers, but without competitive results. The current 2.0 turbo is a prime example. The 1.6 seems to deliver more of its promise, so perhaps it won't be so bad. I just don't see it actually competing with the likes of a VW GLI, especially when that engine is well documented as being underrated by VW. Not to mention Hyundai's so-so reputation of suspension tuning.

Wow, that's super cool you ran into a photoshoot aaaaand found the release with said pictures! 

 

So all of those are pictures taken by you?? 

Of course. 

With all the cars I see on a daily basis, I figure it's worth putting into a collection (again). So, here's a short gallery of what I've seen in 2016. As the year is still young, I hope to continuously update this with new material. Also, just as a forewarning, not all of these are of the highest quality. When I'm out and about sometimes a quick shot is all I can capture. Some shots are... highly cropped and edited, but the cars are worth showing. Enjoy!

Okay so that last one is a tractor...

Also, I wanted to share this photo with you guys. I just happened to stumble upon this photoshoot. 

Here's a link to the shot Cadillac published from that shoot: Cadillac ATS-V and CTS-V Carbon Black Sport Package Image

I opted for a rental to go home for mother's day. I figured I'd rather put the 700 miles on something other than my GTI since it's a little needy.

After another brief vacation from the forums, I might be back to posting. Maybe... You never know with me, afterall. For now, though, I'm here after a few months of hell getting ready for a move, working overtime, and dealing with an awful dealership.

For those who don't know, I'm moved back to Michigan to do the same job I did the last time. I'm even literally just down the street from where I was last time. Hopefully, I'll make this move a little more permanent than the last try. If you weren't aware of what I was doing previously, it probably isn't very hard to figure out if you search. So, I'll be doing that as well as a few other side projects involving the industry. 

Also, as I described previously, I've finally begun to face the inevitable with VW's reputation. That hasn't been the biggest problem, though, as the dealership experience has been the worst. Somehow, I've gone from having a CPO car to a possibly not CPO car. I keep getting mixed answers when dealing with that dealership, so I've gotten VW of America involved to sort things out for me and set things straight with that hell-hole. Afterall, if I wanted to buy a car without some sort of warranty. I wouldn't have purchased a VW. Meanwhile, my last trip there was to repair a scratch they left after the car was in for service. I wasn't very happy about that experience. 

So yeah... Hello.

So, I've contemplated putting my own deposit down. It's one of those cars where the product exceeds expectations. The biggest problem I see, is how Tesla is going to deliver on each pre-order. Without a breakthrough, its been estimated that many people won't see their car until 2020. In fact, best case seems to indicate late 2019 for anyone who isn't a current Tesla owner. That is what keeps me from throwing my own $1k in (that and an imminent move).

By all accounts, Tesla has hit a homerun as a product, and as a business model. The sheer fact that any car can garner this many pre-orders is unheard of. People don't just line up down the sidewalk for a new Prius or a Camaro, nor the forthcoming Bolt for that matter. But, Chevy is still going to beat Tesla to production by at least a full year. Who's to say that GM can't match the Model 3's specs by that point? Would that even make a difference when the Tesla is something to behold, rather than just something to get you from point A to point B? This is where the original Volt concept could have really been the differentiator. 

Not really a diverse choice, but clearly I'd go with the Golf R. 

Well, Honda just cemented the Civic's status as king of the compacts with that announcement. No other car can (currently) touch it.