For 12-27-92 
Boycott Baseball? Ok, Fine -- But You Go First 
It Doesn't Seem So Long Ago That Kirby Puckett Created A Fuss By Becoming The 
First Baseball Player To Collect A $3 Million Salary.

What About 
Those Raises?

Monday, December 21, 1992 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





FOR AUTO, 12/21 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 VW tries to get back in minivan driver's seat hile Chrysler usually gets
credit for having invented the minivan, there were &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Volkswagen passenger vans rolling around America's highways more than four
decades agoTheir popularity probably reached its peak back in the flower-power
days of the late 1960s and early '70s, when these odd-looking vehicles
actually became a cultural icon. Volkswagen Microbuses filled with hippies and
sporting psychedelic paint jobs were as much a symbol of that era as Vietnam
war protests and bell-bottom jeans. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But like those jeans and war protests, the popularity of Volkswagen's bus
faded. So now, two decades later, the company's new EuroVan faces a ferocious
fight to win market share in an automotive segment its builder invented. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Because the competition is so fierce, Volkswagen is trying to position its
EuroVan as distinctively different from the competition. Even the name is
intended to differentiate Volkswagen's offering as the only minivan of
European origin sold in this country. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The EuroVan's other major distinction -- and Volkswagen's big selling point
-- is that it is much more roomy than its competitors. Volkswagen, in fact,
goes so far as to state that its model is not a minivan, but rather a compact
passenger van. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Not that it really matters what it's called. If a vehicle has room for up
to seven passengers in three rows of seats, has a sliding side door and
lift-up tailgate and is versatile enough to haul some cargo, the average
person is going to consider it a minivan. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 EuroVan meets those criteria. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Its most striking attribute is its roominess. Volkswagen has somehow
figured out a way to pack a tremendous amount of room into a not-so-large
package. In that respect, it's reminiscent of another famous Volkswagen model:
the tiny Beetle that manages to accommodate 20 circus clowns. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But it took some serious engineering, not clowning around, to create the
EuroVan's roominess. An in-line, sideways-mounted engine with movable radiator
for simplified motor maintenance made possible a very small engine bay.
Front-wheel drive eliminated the need for a driveshaft or rear differential,
permitting a low, flat floor. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The EuroVan's four-wheel independent suspension components were designed to
be very flat, thereby reducing the size of the wheel-well humps usually found
inside minivans. And while Volkswagen stylists wanted to limit length and
width, they weren't shy about raising the roof, giving the EuroVan more
headroom and higher door openings than others. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 All of which resulted in a minivan that has noticeably more interior room
than anything the competition offers, without being significantly longer or
wider. For example, the EuroVan's total cargo volume of 201 cubic feet is 31
more than the next-largest minivan. And it's nearly double the space found in
its smallest competitor. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Yet the EuroVan measures just 186.6 feet from tip to tail. To put that in
perspective, it was only a few inches longer than a Saturn sitting next to it
in a department store parking lot. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This makes the EuroVan easy to maneuver in traffic despite feeling like
it's huge. A fairly small turning radius of around 38 feet contributes to its
maneuverability. Yet its height (the top of the aforementioned Saturn barely
reached the bottom of the EuroVan's side windows) gives the driver a
commanding view of the road. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 While cruising that road, the EuroVan provides a solid, quiet, comfortable
ride. As might be expected from a German vehicle, the power-assisted
rack-and-pinion steering provides plenty of road feel and there isn't a lot of
body roll in sharp turns despite the vehicle's height. Responsiveness to
steering input is also good. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Engine responsiveness isn't always as impressive. Although the EuroVan is
powered by a five-cylinder engine specifically designed to produce usable
power, it doesn't feel as quick or responsive as the engines in some of its
competitors. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The problem may be that the 2.5-liter engine is capable of only 109
horsepower and the EuroVan weighs over 3,800 pounds. My test vehicle, equipped
with a four-speed automatic transmission, felt sluggish while trying to sprint
away from a stoplight. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 When it's not being pushed, however, the Volkswagen offering feels
responsive enough. The EuroVan engine's greatest attribute is its ability to
produce maximum torque (140 foot-pounds) at just 2,200 rpm and maintain close
to that output right up to 4,000 rpm. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Since torque is pretty much what makes an engine feel strong, the EuroVan
feels powerful enough during normal driving. It has no trouble climbing hills,
doesn't seem overworked when carrying seven adults and can even tow 4,400
pounds. Just don't expect it to outrun many competitors in a drag race. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Most minivan buyers are less interested in drag racing than hauling people
and packages, and the EuroVan performs wonderfully in that regard. All of its
seats (there are a two- and three-passenger bench seat behind the front
buckets) are roomy enough for average-size adults. Even legroom is plentiful,
which isn't always the case in minivans. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Compared to most other minivans, the cargo space behind the third seat
seems cavernous. And if you've got something really large to carry -- like say
a 27-inch color television console -- the middle and rear seats fold or can be
fairly easily removed. Then the EuroVan will even gobble up 4x8 sheets of
plywood. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In addition to its roominess and versatility, I liked the Eurovan's low
step-in height, large door openings and traveling range of over 400 miles with
its standard 21.1-gallon gas tank. I also liked the GL model's long list of
standard features, which included front and rear heating/air conditioning
systems (quite useful on a vehicle with such a huge interior). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Those are features potential minivan buyers will appreciate. What most
won't like about the EuroVan is that it feels less car-like than the majority
of its competitors. The main reason for this is a steering wheel that is
radically tilted away from the driver, the way it is in trucks and buses. The
EuroVan's height also makes it feel less like a car and more like a bus. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Since car-like driveability and feel are generally considered big selling
points in the minivan marketplace, Volkswagen's EuroVan could lose a lot of
potential customers after their first test drive. But those who look beyond
their driving position might discover a versatile and incredibly roomy people-
and cargo-hauler that gives them much more of what they want a minivan for. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Scott Wasser is sports editor of The Times Leader. His auto column appears
on Monday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 FOR YUPPIES, NOT HIPPIES -- &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Volkswagen's newest passenger van is aimed at mainstream America

For Auto, 12/21 
Vw Tries To Get Back In Minivan Driver's Seat 
Hile Chrysler Usually Gets Credit For Having Invented The Minivan, There Were 
Volkswagen Passenger Vans Rolling Around America's Highways More Than Four 
Decades Ago.

For Auto, 12/21 Vw Tries To Get Back In Minivan Driver's Seat Hile Chrysler Usually Gets Credit For Having Invented The Minivan, There Were Volkswagen Passenger Vans Rolling Around America's Highways More Than Four Decades Ago.