Editor’s Note: Be aware that photos are larger than the usual format.
When I told friends that my European vacation would give me the opportunity to test a few European cars, their reactions fit a certain pattern: “So you’re going to be running around Europe in Porsches and Audis?” they asked. “Can I have your job?”
“No such luck,” I replied. “I’ve got a Hyundai station wagon and a VW minivan lined up.”
And though my friends may have been disappointed, I certainly wasn’t. After all, I expected great things from the Hyundai i40 I had during my first week, and I was actually quite excited to have secured a VW Sharan for week two. After all, I have something of a history with minivans (I drove a Grand Caravan in High School, the only vehicle I’ve ever crashed), and I was looking forward to comparing VW’s new Euro-MPV to its US “counterpart,” the Chrysler-rebadge VW Routan. If VW would rather sell a rebadged Town & Country than the slick little MPV I received straight from Wolfsburg with only 3,500 km on the clock, surely there was a reason. And I was determined to find it out.
Tagged as 2012, BlueMotion, Diesel, Europe, Minivan, Review, Road Test, Sharan, TDI, Volkswagen, VW
Recent Comments
Landcrusher - I don’t know how cramped they are, but I am not obese, I met the shortness standards for a Kiowa helicopter (barely), and I don’t...
danio3834 - “For the 90s? 15/14 is still pretty much the standard even today without reaching for luxury sports cars.” 14s/15s are...
RobertRyan - China could be a nightmare for both GM and Ford. Economic reports for the last 12months suggest economic production is going backwards, as a result of...
RobertRyan - No not all changing vehicle tastes the move to SUV’s, Pickups and to a lesser extent smaller cars has killed e Falcon. Not that long ago it was...
RobertRyan - Agreed. Instead they are abandoning sedans for SUV’s and Pickups. Makes it hard for any manufacturer to sell to a fickle public. The fact that...
RobertRyan - @CJinSD Glad you could see that, unfortunately the Dearborn executives who forced Ford Australia to build the AU Falcon did not. Local protests saying...
Compaq Deskpro - This review was terrible. You never explained anything about how the car handled, or the seat comfort, or legroom, or the convertible...
Xeranar - For the 90s? 15/14 is still pretty much the standard even today without reaching for luxury sports cars. I was surprised when I flipped to...
Keith_93 - I love the look of a classic Rolls. But… from the front… that is a seriously ugly car. Hideous.
Kyree S. Williams - Question: Do you, after however many months of ownership, feel the XJL is worth the additional length over the XJ? I’d think that heavily-sloped...