Volkswagen Promotes Jetta's Solid Door Thunk and Passat's Safety Credentials in New Ads

At some point or another, most German automakers have advertised the fact that their vehicles' doors close with a solid "thump" as a sign of quality engineering – which through the years may or may not be accompanied by numerous other sounds such as falling windows, but that is another story.

Volkswagen is the latest company to promote this aspect through a humorous commercial for its Jetta compact sedan in the States.

The German carmaker also released a separate ad to highlight the U.S.-made 2012 Passat's safety ratings from the IIHS, called 'Crash' featuring a young man who just smashed his father's car. You can watch both ads in the videos after the break.

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Volkswagen Jetta CC Highly Unlikely to be Sold in North America, Say Sources

Last month, it was reported that Volkswagen is mulling the development of a sporty looking compact sedan in the likes of the Passat CC (pictured above) based on the running gear of the next Jetta saloon.

Today we learn via a new report from Car&Driver magazine that even though Volkswagen's top brass is positive about the idea and could soon reach a final decision, company sources from Europe reportedly said, "It is highly unlikely that the car will make it to U.S. dealers".

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2001 VW Jetta 1.8T Receives an Autopsy After Hitting the 500,000 Mile Mark

While covering 500,000 miles (804,500 kilometers) with the same engine is not something unheard of these days, it is not common either. Welcome to the world of Matt Marion, deputy editor at Men’s Health magazine, who recently hit the half-million mile mark with his 2001 Volkswagen Jetta 1.8T.

Marion began blogging about his car on a dedicated section at Men’s Health website called "The Half-Million Mile Man" on March 2010, when his turbocharged Jetta reached 400,000 miles (643,000 km). The purpose was to detail his efforts to reach the half million-a-mile landmark.

“The purpose of my blog ‘The Half-Million Mile Man’ was not only to chronicle my journey toward 500,000 miles, but also to share what I learned along the way about automotive maintenance with other drivers,” Marion explains. “When I neared 500K, I realized that the most valuable lessons of all were probably hiding inside the Jetta’s engine.”

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