VW looking for opinions.

VW lost $1.29 bilion in North America last year and for some reason VW's chairman has a problem with that. There is some group of people that will be traveling around (hopefully in a Toyota) looking for peoples oponings about what people want in cars. (how about aircooled) Article is here.

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I can tell them their new cars are ok, but nothing special, and their dealer service could stand some improvement. VWoA should offer a warranty like Hyundai. If the Koreans are confident enough in their cars, then the guys from Germany should be too. Going upscale might have seemed like a good idea in the boardroom, but they should stick to Golf and Jetta type cars.

Reply to
Bill Berckman
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................They don't have a good marketing strategy that brings in entry level buyers. In North America, their entry level car is the Golf which is overpriced and ugly and has bad survey ratings for quality and reliability. The handful of dealer service departments that I have first knowledge about are below average to terrible in comparison to what you'd expect at Toyota or Honda. I'm actually thinking about getting a Scion TC coupe for my oldest son when he graduates from college next spring as a graduation present and at about $18k, it's pretty nice little car. I test drove one earlier this summer and it was a blast to drive. He'll be very surprised when he opens his graduation card from mom and dad and sees the key and title to one of the nicest looking little 2+2 coupes on the road these days.

Reply to
Tim Rogers

VW lost everywhere. The North American losses are hard to separate from the total company losses. VW Germany has a particular (some would say peculiar) concern for their workers and are loathe to fire them, even when they have factories in Germany full of workers who are sitting on their hands, making busy work, doing anything but making automobiles. (The factories were built for massive production levels that they no longer have to meet.) There is a long-standing relationship between management and workers, a virtual union, a German social situation that most US companies would never understand or tolerate. US companies would fold entire divisions, fire thousands, and cancel their retirements and pensions rather than endure the social promises made decades ago, as VW Germany is doing now.

I'd not be surprised to see that whole paradigm overturned very soon now with VW's new president.

What would you do if you lived in Germany?

Reply to
johnboy

These are pretty sharp-lookin' in my opinion, and they're in the same price range you're talking about:

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Reply to
Shag

On Sat, 13 Aug 2005 14:07:19 -0500, "johnboy" scribbled this interesting note:

Move.

Some of my ancestors did. That's good enough for me.

-- John Willis snipped-for-privacy@airmail.net (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

Reply to
John Willis

The 10 year/100000 mile warranty and the fahrvergnugen campaign is what made me buy a golf in 96.

Reply to
Jeff

VW might also have some other problems to worry about. Article here.

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Reply to
Bill Berckman

IMHO, the title of entry level car passed from the Beetle to the Toyota Corolla sometime in the '70's. I haven't bought a new vehicle in so long I'm not sure who's the entry level car. Isn't the Yugo, that's for sure.

Charles of Kankakee

Reply to
n5hsr

...........Unless you want to settle for a bare bones subcompact, entry level these days is about $15-20K.

Reply to
Tim Rogers

Yes, the VW was 'bare bones' in its day. The '70's Corollas were pretty barebones in their day, too. We owned 2 of those. New cars are so expensive I will probably never be able to buy one again.

Charles of Kankakee

Reply to
n5hsr

...........Adjusting for inflation would make a car that costs $15000 today only $4000 in 1975 dollars.

Reply to
Tim Rogers

I had to scrape and scratch getting 3000 in 1979 dollars to buy my first new car. I'll never be able to get 15000 together for a new car again unless I were to win the lottery.

Charles

Reply to
n5hsr

Hey I had a 1976 Corolla too :) With a "big block" later model 1,4 engine in place of the original 1,2 :D

Jan

Reply to
Jan Andersson

I had to scrape and scratch getting 3000 in 1979 dollars to buy my first new car. I'll never be able to get 15000 together for a new car again unless I were to win the lottery.

Charles

I remember my dad buying a brand new 1978 Chevette for $2800. It came with a 4 speed manual trans, AM Radio and a rear defogger. The clutch in that car was not very good and had to be replaced several time within 50,000 miles.

Reply to
Bill Berckman

Around 1972 the Pinto was $50 less than the new Bug. $1950.

Reply to
johnboy

I would never buy a magical exploding car like the Pinto. In 1979 it was

3200, the Toyota I bought was 3748, plus taxes, title, fees, etc.

Charles of Kankakee

Reply to
n5hsr

In the US, Corollas 75 and after were sold with the 2T-C 1.6 liter engine and the 3K-C 1.2 liter engine. If I'm not mistaken the 1.4 liter was a T series engine. They introduced the 1.6 2T on the 72 Carina, if I'm not mistaken.

Charles of Kankakee

Reply to
n5hsr

"johnboy" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@news.supernews.com... | "Bill Berckman" wrote in message | news: snipped-for-privacy@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com... | > VW lost $1.29 bilion in North America last year | | VW lost everywhere. The North American losses are hard to separate from the | total company losses. VW Germany has a particular (some would say peculiar) | concern for their workers and are loathe to fire them, even when they have | factories in Germany full of workers who are sitting on their hands, making | busy work, doing anything but making automobiles. (The factories were built | for massive production levels that they no longer have to meet.) There is a | long-standing relationship between management and workers, a virtual union, | a German social situation that most US companies would never understand or | tolerate. US companies would fold entire divisions, fire thousands, and | cancel their retirements and pensions rather than endure the social promises | made decades ago, as VW Germany is doing now. | | I'd not be surprised to see that whole paradigm overturned very soon now | with VW's new president. | | What would you do if you lived in Germany?

Have you noticed how many car companies from Europe have moved or built factories here in the US? Nobody points out the insourcing, but the Europeans are doing it a lot. The social contract in the US says that I sell my skills to you for a good price, and you look for good employees without paying too much. Employers compete in the US for employees, and employees compete in the US for employers. When one changes their mind, they are free to go. No contract, but the way it is, and has worked fine for awhile. Old Europe is learning the hard way, while "New" Europe is itching to make some of that money and has those socialists running scared. I'm sitting back with a smile on my face waiting for the Croats and neighbors to come out with a fine automobile at rock bottom prices, just like VW did when they started out, too. You compete on price and quality, and Europe isn't able to compete on price, and frankly, the quality is starting to slip a lot as well.

Reply to
carl mciver

Of course, but there was a social contract regarding pensions and the law that once supported them is remiss because it allows a company to break the pensions, ruining workers who lived that contract for their entire worklives. Sometimes, regardless of the lawyering and technicalities the support pure theft, a corporation or public company has to be held accountable to What is Right and Ethical. Theft is theft. Period.

Funny, but one of my regular suppliers of photographic film is in Croatia. They are struggling to maintain quality control, and I can only pray that they don't get worse because their market is less competitive than ever before.

I personally would welcome a small, no-nonsense, bare-bones new automobile, but most Americans would require a lobotomy to get over their penchant for unreasonable luxury. Maybe gasoline at $6 a gallon will do the trick.

Reply to
johnboy

On Mon, 15 Aug 2005 07:27:21 -0500, "johnboy" scribbled this interesting note:

Judging by what most either currently drive, or wish they could drive, it seems they've already undergone that particular elective surgery...

-- John Willis snipped-for-privacy@airmail.net (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

Reply to
John Willis

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