So putting it all together, here's what we have. VW for a long time made Diesel-engine cars that were pretty much the best Diesel cars you could buy in America. they were powerful (torque-wise), efficient, and long-lasting, and had a lot of very happy and loyal owners.
Then it turns out that VW was cheating on the emissions tests through a secret feature in their engine-management software. In short, when the car sensed that it was being tested, the engine was programmed to adjust various functions so that it would pass the emissions test. Otherwise, it reverted to a more-polluting mode, which resulted in BETTER performance than occurred during the test. Accordingly, the fuel economy that was recorded by, for example, the EPA was the MINIMUM that VW owners could expect, but their experience was NORMALLY BETTER than the EPA ratings.
So VW-Diesel drivers were generating more harmful pollution with their cars than (a) they knew, and (b) the law allowed.
So VW gets fined and offers to fix and/or buy back all affected cars, which include both four-banger cars and 3L V6 SUV's, like the Touareg and the Audi Q5. This costs VW tens of billions of US$, and similar amounts overseas. Further, VW announces that it will NEVER sell another Diesel in the U.S. (Some used Diesels are still available on VW car lots; I don't know whether this is an anomaly or not).
So is this not a great time to buy a used VW Diesel? If it is "fixed" then, worst case, it performs as advertised, and if not fixed, it will likely perform better.
I note that on Edmund's website, the consumer comments on Audi Q5 Diesels, Touaregs, and also on the various VW auto-Diesels are effusively positive.
NOTE: GM recently introduced 4 and 6 cylinder Diesels for Chevy Cruze, and Colorado, and they obviously used the VW engines as benchmarks, as the VW's were industry-leading engines.
Then it turns out that VW was cheating on the emissions tests through a secret feature in their engine-management software. In short, when the car sensed that it was being tested, the engine was programmed to adjust various functions so that it would pass the emissions test. Otherwise, it reverted to a more-polluting mode, which resulted in BETTER performance than occurred during the test. Accordingly, the fuel economy that was recorded by, for example, the EPA was the MINIMUM that VW owners could expect, but their experience was NORMALLY BETTER than the EPA ratings.
So VW-Diesel drivers were generating more harmful pollution with their cars than (a) they knew, and (b) the law allowed.
So VW gets fined and offers to fix and/or buy back all affected cars, which include both four-banger cars and 3L V6 SUV's, like the Touareg and the Audi Q5. This costs VW tens of billions of US$, and similar amounts overseas. Further, VW announces that it will NEVER sell another Diesel in the U.S. (Some used Diesels are still available on VW car lots; I don't know whether this is an anomaly or not).
So is this not a great time to buy a used VW Diesel? If it is "fixed" then, worst case, it performs as advertised, and if not fixed, it will likely perform better.
I note that on Edmund's website, the consumer comments on Audi Q5 Diesels, Touaregs, and also on the various VW auto-Diesels are effusively positive.
NOTE: GM recently introduced 4 and 6 cylinder Diesels for Chevy Cruze, and Colorado, and they obviously used the VW engines as benchmarks, as the VW's were industry-leading engines.
