A slight breeze sweeps through the air as a gentle rain patters against the windshield of your Volkswagen Golf TDI.  Your left hand is placed at 12 o’clock on the leather-wrapped steering wheel with your right firmly grasping the stick.  The low rumble of the turbodiesel engine is soothing, preparing your mental state for what is to come.  As you take a breath, you rev the engine and pop the clutch, accelerating into the great test of a quality car.  

Many drivers who have come to love their Volkswagens were angered by news of the emissions scandal known as “Dieselgate,” which broke in late September.  It turns out that Volkswagen, the second largest automotive company, utilized software in diesel cars manufactured from 2008 to 2015 that manipulated results of emissions tests, causing the engines to appear much cleaner than they actually were.  When the car is not being tested, the software switches off and the engine pollutes the air with more toxic emissions than the legal limit permits.  

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn resigned the day after the story broke, and the company’s stock plummeted by more than 30 percent in just a few days, according to CNN Money.

Some analysts speculate whether it will ever be able to regain its share of the market. But owners and potential buyers should not worry about the company’s nosediving value. Many a Volkswagen owner will admit that driving a Volkswagen brings true happiness. Even knowing that the cars harm the environment, the best solution is to do nothing.  Every gas powered car on the road pollutes the environment.  The Volkswagen TDI’s produce about as many emissions as the popular Chevy Suburban. 

A consumer may have bought a Volkswagen for its fuel efficiency, but fuel efficient cars tend to be fairly bland.  The real reason consumers purchase a Volkswagen is because the cars offer an amazing experience of luxury, sport, and design.  They drive like world-renowned German sports sedans, because technically they are.    

Volkswagen is one of the few automotive manufacturers that makes their cars right.  Yes, Volkswagen duped the public into thinking that their turbodiesel cars were both fuel efficient and sporty.  The problem with making a sporty vehicle, however, it that so far it has almost always meant sacrificing fuel efficiency. It is no wonder the automotive manufacturer tried to create a car that mixed a little bit of both.

Still, since news of the scandal broke, some Volkswagen owners have worried about what to do with their cars.  The company’s market share is crumbling, the resale value of their cars is in a steep decline, and their brand image is plummeting.  It slipped up, and it is going to have to pay the price by taking full responsibility for what it has done. 

It has already initiated a worldwide recall, and, according to the Associated Press, the automaker could face up to $18 billion dollars of fines in the United States alone.  Yahoo! Finance even claims a much larger number, stating that some estimates have anticipated as much as $87 billion. Deiselgate comes as an ironic twist, considering that five years ago Winterkorn declared that by 2018, Volkswagen would be “the world’s most profitable, fascinating and sustainable automobile manufacturer.”  The man was right up until Dieselgate made the news.  

Even though people in the United States have expressed major concerns, many people in Germany think differently.  The market research firm Prophet claims that 65% of German citizens said they still enjoy Volkswagens and believe that the emissions scandal has been exaggerated.

The good news is that all affected Volkswagen diesel engines will now be modified to meet and exceed federal emission regulations.  In the meantime, just take your beloved Volkswagen out for a ride.  Enjoy the autumn air with the windows down while you cruise through town.  Swim through the twists and turns of the area and engulf yourself in the plush, plaid bucket seats.  Ride through the night until you come across the moment when you know why you bought a Volkswagen.