Originally Posted By: surfstar
One more bump up for input.
Test drove one this weekend. Local dealer had two 2015 manuals left, going for ~$18.6. One sold. I wanted them to come down another $1k because its a 2015 leftover, and the 2016s get better infotainment, backup camera, and cloth seats (I did find the leatherette to be a bit warm).
Car drove nicely. It seems smaller than the specs indicate, as far as cargo room.
On paper, it is basically a low-slung version of my Vue. Wheelbase is less than 3 inches shorter, all other dims are within an inch and cargo capacity lists almost identical. Crazy, but I always knew my CUV was just a lifted station wagon.
Searching the itnernets, I find deals on 2016s in the color I want... only 2,000 miles away
I also drove this car today at the dealer on Chapala (red with beige interior). It's quite nice, and a lot more refined than my Focus wagon--more like my A3, just slower...
For me, the 2015 is really the only option--bike grease, dogs and cloth just doesn't work. Evidently they have one with black plastic interior (also red) which would work better.
Things I like: handles well, steering is weighted well, pulls nicely, is more than powerful enough. Things I don't like: seats don't fold quite flat, cargo space isn't as tall as the Focus (this could be the deal-breaker), and it's a VW. I'd love to trust this engine, but...
Things I love: tall gearing! why oh why is this so hard for other companies?
I almost feel compelled to support VW though for selling a MT wagon, and it seems like a pretty good deal. If I could by a Mazda6 wagon I've be driving it now, but sadly that's not an option. This car is almost there for me.