Volkswagen 2009 Passat Houston Texas

Reader’s Question:

I’ve always had a compact and now I feel like moving up in size. I’m thinking of whether I should go Japanese or German. If I visit a VW dealer in Texas, would the price tags there be enough to give me a heart attack?

Woody
Houston, TX

Hey there, Woody! That’s a hard decision. Turn Japanese or go German. Both smack of brilliant engineering and both will give you value for your money. To answer your question -No, the VW shop in Texas should not give you a heart attack. After all, if you read the VW ads, they claim that you get luxury and German engineering without the hefty luxury car price tag. One car that should interest you is the 2009 VW Passat.

So, what is the Passat all about? The Passat’s looks just smack of European design but with kindness to your wallet in mind. The current Passat model already comes ready for action with its 200 horsepower Turbo 4 -cylinder engine. That should be enough to get you to 60 mph under 8 seconds. As standards, you’ll enjoy the interiors that include free satellite radio for three months and heated front seats. I also think that you’ll get a kick out of having as a tempting option, a 12-way power seat for the driver. That’s to get you snug behind the wheel and enjoy the ride. After all, Passat’s suspension is tuned to provide comfort and give you that luxurious European car feel without a feeling of guilt for breaking your bank.

Volkswagen Beetle Houston Texas

Reader’s Question:

My daughter, Angela, had been bugging me about getting a bug for her to drive here in Texas. I haven’t read up on it, and she’s bugging me to go to the dealer next week! Can anyone volunteer some info?

Nick

Houston, TX

Hey there, Nick. Obviously, you’re getting “bugged” enough. So before you “bug-off” to look at a bug at a Texas VW dealer, let’s get you equipped, alright? Let’s not get Angela disappointed by daddy. But I’m sure you’d like to find out really what’s under the hood and would your daughter be safe when she drives this around?

Key points when you check out the new Bug. The engine is now a 2.5 liter 5-cylinder i, and I hope you won’t try to look for the old Beetle sound. In terms of fuel economy, it does a comfortable 28 miles per gallon on the highway and 20 miles per gallon in the city. I’ll also bet that Angela loves a good tune in the car, so she’ll enjoy the great sound system in the new Beetle. It has an in-dash CD player that can also play mp3s, perfect for hours of driving fun for your daughter. And to put your mind at ease in terms of safety, VW also has standard seat belts and airbags for driver and passenger. There’s also Anti-lock Brakes and traction control for the Beetle. Better to be in control. Personally, I wouldn’t want to test if the Side Intrusion Beams work in a real collision. Let it stay looking good on paper without any of us having to find out first hand.