In sure you could. I've been to a few euro car shows in the past and it seems like someone always has a laptop. $15-30 seems like the private rate in these settings. Only takes a few minutes.

Some dealers apparently will activate it as well but you likely have to pay at least an hour shop rate.

We have a Golf TDI and the JSW TDI with snows on separate rims (Golf stock 17", JSW on take off factory 16"). I just changed them over to the snows and the Golf is so loud it sounds like it has flat tires. Pirelli Sottozero Series 2. They're great in snow, they have better feel in the dry (to me that means firm, not squishy, but then I tend to run higher pressures in my bike tires also, although the car is way more agile than the JSW) but not that great in terms of noise. I wouldn't buy them again.

Golf - This is driving up to Maine 3 years ago. We got hit with snow in Portland, it snowed for the rest of the drive, about 9 more hours of driving (should have been 4 hours in normal weather). I-95 not really plowed, maybe 3-5" most of the time in one lane, secondary roads not plowed. Our cruising speed was 45 mph, give or take. Took picture next day I think.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oj16mPDJ61...-06-03_601.jpg

When the tires were new we got hit with a really bad storm, knocked the power out for 2 weeks in most of the town, a week for most of the state. This is us going out to pick up my generators, which were at a friend's house. You can see the grade of the hill from the wall on the right. It takes me a good 400-600w to climb this, 39x21 or 23. Car had no problems:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.n...dd04529b00f7d3


The Jetta has… some kind of Contis. Got them in 2011 I think, after one winter on the OEM tires. Missus got stuck in a bowl type depression next to our mailbox, when she finally got out she drove to the local garage (friend of a friend) and bought a set of snows on separate rims. Got them in about 90 min, including rims delivered from the dealership (friend of friend of friend), TireRack is 5 min away, they put whatever tire on. Ends up they were Contis. 16" so more air, but the tire feels really soft. These feel like they will roll up into a ball, the Golf tires feel like they'll slide before they curl up. Total rank amateur driver, I wouldn't even call me a Cat 5 driver because I've never competed (took racing course, did drive some Mazda sponsored event), but I do observe and record my driving.

Recently went to Maine (same spot, 4 hours north of Portlan). We overnighted at my brother's place near Portland where they got only about 3-4 inches while we were driving on Sunday. The place up north got another 10-15" but we drove there on cleared roads. The 3-4" bit was tough because it was the absolute worst conditions, warm ground, very slippery slush for an inch or two and then snow. Much worse than the dry, cold snow from the Golf picture above. On the 3rd season the Contis worked well even in those terrible conditions.

From that trip - car with all seasons that we (or rather I) helped push back on the road. Once out the car wanted to slide to the right curb due to the crown of the road. It was bad. After this we had to stop while a crew pulled a Prius out of the woods. When we got going again after 20-30 minutes the car behind us couldn't get moving due to lack of traction, this on a similar grade road with a similar crown (it was a mile or two down the same road):
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.n...92c7c858efdbb8

^ Note how the car was inching along on the road and just slid to the right? After pushing the car out it was painfully apparent that the car had barely enough traction to move. The driver turned off a couple hundred yards down the road.

Tires after the trip, in relatively warm CT, for informational purposes (tread, name, etc). Super quiet tires and great in snow, this is the fourth season for the tires. We'll leave them on over the summer since they're more all seasons than snows and get new snows in the fall of 2015:
https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/...1c&oe=5515AC1B

Having said all that AWD/4WD does accelerate in snow like nothing else. Driving our 4WD Expedition in a heavy snow storm, it was great being able to accelerate like mad. Because it had (and has) four virtually brand new snows (Bridgestone Blizzak VM-D1 according to my TireRack history) it handled as well as expected in corners and under braking.

Tires when I picked them up:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.n...a07a20db5d1573

Those tires were quiet, btw, quieter than the Wranglers we took off. Soft also, but I don't mind that on the Expedition.

I typically use 2WD since it doesn't kill the drivetrain but also it gets me going in all but the worst stuff.

I feel confident that the jsw will get me where I need to go without awd. That said, the montero sport I sold to buy it would get me places I shouldn't have gone. It was slightly lifted up front and had a killer set of 32in all terain tires. Between the ground clearance, tires, and relatively small size, it was a blast. It's too bad you can't get a proper mid sized SUV anymore. It jsit seems to be crossovers with the same ground clearance as a sedan or half ton based SUVs.

I've owned lots of VWs but I traded my AWD pickup for a new 2014 JSW TDI 6M roof/nav. We'll see how things go on the OEM tires. I have been looking since the spring when I bought it for a used set of winter wheels and tires, but no luck.

I have a genuine Vag-Com. Some of the things I can remember that I have done with it:

5-blink lane change
teardrop wiper
gauge celebration
LED running lights
disabled a few nagging warning tones
probably a few more

I'm still on the factory maintenance. Once that runs out I'll use it to prime the fuel filter after a change and all sorts of other useful maintenance stuff. I do most of my own work.

One of the first things I did was add an auto dimming Homelink rear mirror. The car is really low with a large rear window and is vulnerable to glare. It really helps. I won't have another vehicle without one.

Here in Portland OR we don't often have to deal with snowy roads. Our biggest problem is freezing rain/freezing fog. I'd MUCH prefer snow! I'm on the fence about installing studded rubber but the constant sound as well as the damage they do to the road surface drives me crazy. My wife drives an awd Element with studs for the winter season which works incredibly well.

Fortunately, if and when the weather gets wintry, I can park the JSW, hop in my '89 Montero/Dodge Raider aka "BIG RED" and deal with any and all snow...
[IMG]https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5534/...3fa81de3_c.jpgIMG_1098 by KRhea FrzFrmFoto, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ps08c9200a.jpg[/IMG]

This was one of the main reasons we got a JSW; our greyhound loves it back there.

Proper mid-sized frame-on-body SUV's are all but gone. 1998 4Runner was my last true mid-sized SUV, which was a fun vehicle (supercharged!). Surprisingly, our Subaru has the same (stock) ground clearance and better road manners, but obviously not the same off-road prowess.

That's a cool rig. I wish they would bring the Jimny over to the US. Fun little trucks.

It was a main consideration point for us too.

At least in North America. Ford gives us a taller fusion (edge) but others get this
http://resources.carsguide.com.au/st...r-SUV-(18).jpg
Body on frame, solid rear axle, locking diff, manual transmission, diesel...

I would love to replace or fusion with the Everest or a VW amarok.

The Golf R wagon is coming for those who want a touch more power...

http://jalopnik.com/the-hot-volkswag...ing-1660045142

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/...zn5jww9csz.jpg

one more great reason to play Powerball.;) oh mama, that would be fun.

< swoon >

Man, I was all gung-ho about the 2015 GSW, but the more I read, I think the '14 JSW would be a better buy for me. No wait, more ground clearance, "last production year" reliability, maybe better pricing, etc. I do like the looks of the GSW slightly more, though.

We bought a Mazda 3 sedan in June and it is a delightful car to drive and glitch-free so far while averaging 30+ MPG on regular. It has fold-down rear seats that allows bikes to fit with front wheels removed. The hatchback might be better.

More in line with this discussion about wagons I'll suggest giving consideration to the CX-5 that has the same driveline choices as our 3. We chose the 2.5 liter engine and 6 speed automatic. This is my first non-stick shift since 1984 but the auto w/paddle shift is so good I may have bought my last stick. You can also get a 2 liter engine with an excellent 6 speed manual. A neighbor just got a CX-5 and it looks like a winner. They reportedly drive like a slightly taller 3 and they come in either FWD or all-wheel drive and can be had nicely-equipped in the mid $20s.

In my area diesel costs as much as $.50 more per gallon than regular gas so diesels don't make ECONOMIC sense but folks may buy them for their other attributes like extreme range between fill-ups.