Thanks for the comments!

So far 1000 mi, and no problems.

A few other things I found I like:

Normal PRND shifter, pull it back and it goes to sport mode (aggressive shifting points), pull it back again and it goes back to normal drive mode.

I can open and close rear hatch from the inside switch without having to get out of the car. I can also open and close rear with the key fob.

I can have the driver's door open ajar when moving. In my X5, if the door was ajar, it would put transmission into park and grind the gear until the car stopped.

So far my average fuel consumption is about 23.5mpg all around driving, usually 70% city. My X5 was around 20mpg with the 20" wheels, 21.5mpg with the 19" wheels. The VW has 20" wheels....

It feels like it has more pull off the line than my X5d had. The 8-speed transmission does not shift around excessively and is silky smooth.

The fact that it is a VW does not bother me one bit. I really don't care what other people think of the brand of car I am driving.

I found out that for the executive model, I get a loaner when I have mine serviced, and they also offer pick up and drop off service for the vehicle....I don't see myself using this though......

Thanks again for all the comments. Although I am very happy with the VW, I do miss my X5 as well.

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2009 X5 35d