A Closer Look at the 2022 Volkswagen Arteon
When it comes to reliable vehicles that are capable of getting you safely from one point to the next without incorporating a lot of unnecessary amenities that do nothing more than drive the cost up, Volkswagen is probably one of the first automakers that comes to your mind. They’ve had a reputation for developing decent cars for decades and they’ve managed to do it without allowing themselves to fall into the same pit that virtually everyone else has fallen into where they just charge more money without really offering anything of true value. That has never been more true than with the 2022 Volkswagen Arteon. This was a car that a lot of people weren’t sure would even happen, but the truth is it’s here and it’s worth taking a closer look at.
Basic Doesn’t Always Mean Dull
When you first lay eyes on it, this particular car doesn’t really look all that much different than a lot of other modern-day Volkswagen sedans that are on the road. It’s a lot more aerodynamic than its predecessors from several years ago. It’s also a midsize four-door sedan, just like so many other cars that have been developed by Volkswagen over the years. Unfortunately, this is what has caused some people to believe that the car is somewhat dull. Rest assured that nothing could be further from the truth. The reality of the situation is that this is a car that has a relatively small engine, a 2.0 L 4-cylinder to be exact. That said, the rather basic engine is married to a seven-speed automatic transmission that gets power to the wheels very effectively. The end result is a car that’s capable of 300 horsepower. When you consider the relatively lightweight of a midsize sedan like this, 300 horsepower is more than enough to get you the performance you’re looking for (provided you’re actually in the market for a sedan). Truth be told, it’s enough to accomplish the task and have power left over. Unless you’re searching for a sports car, there’s no reason not to be happy with the amount of power that this particular car is capable of offering. It merges into traffic well and it responds nicely to the throttle as well as to driver inputs, making it a good option for driving on busy roadways.
Respect That’s Deserved
There’s little doubt that the respect that this particular vehicle has accumulated thus far is well deserved. Remember that 300 horsepower engine? It’s worth noting that the curb weight of this particular car is just over 3,900 pounds. That means that your 300 horsepower engine is capable of producing torque to the tune of 295 ft-lb at just 2,500 RPM. Better still, the engine is capable of producing a lot more power than that. As a matter of fact, it can be revved up to over 5,000 RPM if need be. At the same time, you’ve got excellent fuel economy. Even if you’re traveling mainly in the city, you can still count on approximately 22 miles per gallon. Get the car out on the highway where you can really stretch it out and you increase that by another 10 miles per gallon. That allows the car to easily compete with virtually any fuel efficient automobile that has been manufactured over the course of the last 15 years. It even gets it in the neighborhood of some of the hybrid vehicles that have been developed which typically use increased fuel economy as their main selling point. As previously mentioned, the car is also more aerodynamic than a lot of its earlier brethren. This is important enough to discuss again because it makes all the difference in the world in the type of fuel economy that you can enjoy with this particular automobile. Gone are the days where Volkswagen used the boxy styling that used to be a hallmark of that particular automaker. They’ve been making cars that look more like this one for quite some time now and it’s been a popular change. Therefore, they’re relying on that particular styling to remain popular with buyers for quite some time. If anything, they’ve doubled down on the styling slightly with this particular car. You won’t notice anything that is obviously different from many of Volkswagen’s other modern-day automobiles, but it is worth noting that the lines are a little bit sleeker. Furthermore, the car sits just slightly lower to the ground than some of the other similar models made by the car company. For good measure, there’s a bit more distance between the wheels as well. All of this helps the car perform better whenever you’re driving around corners as well as during inclement weather.
Economy and Comfort
You might be thinking that there’s not a lot of space in a car this size but that’s not necessarily true. In fact, there’s plenty of legroom in both the front and the back, not to mention more than enough cargo space to haul groceries, bags, and many other items. As a matter of fact, this particular car is considered to have the body styling of a hatchback, meaning that you get more cargo room in the trunk than you would otherwise. Even with the back seats in place, there’s still more than enough room to put virtually everything after a long day of shopping or even when you’re going on a road trip. If you need more cargo space, both back seats easily fold forward, effectively giving you several feet of additional storage space. Unless you plan on trying to buy a piece of furniture or something else that you would need a pickup to haul, there’s no reason to think that you can’t fit it in this car. At the end of the day, every potential car buyer wants the same thing. They want a car that’s reliable, that performs well and that is capable of providing a solid value for the amount of money that has to be spent in order to purchase it. Considering that this car costs just over $39,000, it’s fair to say that there’s quite a bit of value involved for the amount of money you’re spending. If you want to spend a little less, you can even choose the base model which sells for approximately $9,000 less. It doesn’t have as many trim options and it doesn’t offer all-wheel drive, but other than that, it is essentially the same vehicle. Either way, you’re getting plenty of quality that is likely to last for years.