New VWs vs Old (Rant)

I had a 2001 Golf made in Germany and my current 2004 Golf is made in Brazil (or Mexico? I haven't looked that closely). I can't tell the difference between the two, except there have been some minor upgrades over the years (VW is constantly fixing nits)...not in features just in the way things work. For example the magazines complained about the disc brakes being grabby the year I bought the first one, and this has been (silently) fixed since then.

Also the suspension seems better sorted out this time around ... just a little firmer, but very supple. And a slight exhaust drone between

60-80 has been subdued. I was expecting to go to aftermarket dampers right away, and maybe a new muffler, but now there is nothing I want to upgrade to....except a Mark V, but only a few years into its run when most of the nits have been "fixed."

The other thing I have come to grips with, is that it would be nice if VW designed cars and the Japanese built them, but that isn't going to happen, so if you want bragging rights about how bullet-proof your barely ergonomic, non-side curtain air bag car is, you have to buy Japanese, but if you want bragging rights about stability control, regular PLUS side curtain airbags, 4 wheel discs with ABS, etc., not to mention great "driveability", then you're stuck with a less than perfectly well made car.

Reply to
micweb
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Identical except for the headlights and bumper, no? (And the badges, of course. ;-)

-- Mike Smith

Reply to
Mike Smith

Well said, and even if I had the money for a Phaeton or Touareg, I wouldn't touch them. I've found VW mechanicals (engine, transmission, etc.) to be extremely reliable, but the bullshit peripheral electrical stuff tends to break left and right. Phaetons and Touaregs have a rediculous amount of that stuff. The most expensive/fancy car I'd consider is an Audi TT hardtop.

I recently had to replace my 99.5 Jetta due to an accident. I got a 2000 Jetta. But if I had had the choice in the US between a used Jetta and a new Polo (or Pointer!), I would have been all over the Polo/Pointer in a second, even if it meant paying a couple K more. ...Sean.

Reply to
CheetoDust

I'm pretty sure there are Bora variants too and that the different is that the Golf Variants have Golf front sheetmetal (of course) and lower trim lines and the Boras have Bora/Jetta front sheetmetal (duh) and higher trim levels and we get of course the one with the Bora/Jetta nose.

Reply to
Matt B.

"Ron Reyes" wrote in news:9hxTc.39053$js3.13868930 @news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net:

I know a lot of folks buy SUVs who don't need trucks, but many people tow heavy trailers.

In the old days there were station wagons with big engines and heavy duty towing packages -- guys who towed boats and campers bought trucks if they didn't have kids and station wagons if they did.

The fuel economy laws made the station wagons impossible, so the makers went in the only direction they could to serve the demand for vehicles that can tow and have more than two passengers.

You only need to be stuck once in a muddy campground to wish you had 4x4.

Bob

Reply to
bob

"Ron and Tina Reyes" wrote in news:LlrTc.34150$ snipped-for-privacy@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net:

My wife figured out that we spent an average of $450 a month on her 99 Passat in the first 6 months of this year. That figure doesn't count towing it to the dealer, since we have roadside assistance.

Bob

Reply to
bob

Reply to
Rob Guenther

Reply to
Rob Guenther

I'm 100% with you, and I have a solution for you: the days of light, simple, easy-to-fix Volkswagens may be past, but the

*cars* are still around. Do as I did, grab yourself an A2 16V, be good to it, and chances are it'll be good to you back. Mine certainly is. There was a time (even longer ago) when owning a Volkswagen wasn't about keeping up with their latest models, and even the Doyle Dane Bernbach ads said so. Take their advice now, why don't you? It may be old now, but it hasn't gotten any worse over the decades. And neither have the A2s. :-)

Yours, Erik.

Reply to
Erik Meltzer

Both of these could be had- perhaps they need to lead instead of follow trends.

Get folks used to what they offer, not catering to focus groups held at the mall.

What I mean is mechanical simplicity is not going to be so simple in this era of performance vs emissions vs economy but the engineering can be done to help facilitate ease of use, ease of maintenance, and pride in ownership.

Two years ago when the GF went looking for a long term car to replace a Toyota she had kept for 12 years (looking and running NEW) we looked at VWs, the (then new) Mazda offerings, and some others but ended up (happy I might add) with a WRX Subaru.

Demographically speaking we are prime candidates for what VW should be shooting for, not young 1st timers but trailing edge of the Boomers with a decent income and more importantly some influence in others buying decisions.

There is also the next generation coming along, and those with young families who could use something like the Polo (and perhaps the Lupo as a Metro car) for an entry level, high(er) mileage, low expense platform, one that could also appeal to the enthusiast market as a lighter weight chassis to work with. (The Polo is now were the Rabbit/Golf 1 used to be.)

Someone else had recently mentioned how VW is too little too late (well, too late anyway) with following the trends, hence instead of the Bus revamp we get an SUV. Most see the SUV trend morphing into cool station wagon derivatives and real trucks with extended cabs.

This is a real time to lead with functional, affordable, classy but not elitist offerings.

TBerk

Reply to
T

They are, and always have been. However, on their home market, they've done exceptionally well with every trend they followed, as they usually do, at a distance:

The Golf was not the first transversially-engined small hatchback

-- but it became the most successful. The Transporter (Eurovan) was the last van to go front-engined

-- but it became the most successful. The Sharan was about the last minivan to enter the market

-- but it became the most successful. The Touran was several years behind its microvan competition

-- but it became the most successful. The Caddy was even later in going from a fourgonette body to a real small commercial van with sliding doors and a one-box body

-- but it became the most successful. The Touareg was awfully late as a first try into the SUV market

-- but it became the second most successful only to the BMW X5. Well, you can't win every time. ;-)

History is telling you someting: Being first doesn't always pay. I'd not be surprised at all if their upcoming folding-metal-roof convertible became the most successful too.

Yours, Erik.

Reply to
Erik Meltzer

I think, that's one of the reasons, manufactuers don't sell cars with low fuel consumption, the other one is, that fuel is cheap in the USA in comparasion with for example germany. What car would you buy, if you read these prices (for one litre, approx 03, gallons): regular gas 1,15 Euros (1,43 USD), premium 95: 1,17 Euros (1,46 USD), premium 98: 1,20 Euros (1,50 USD)? Diesel is about 0,95 Euros (1,18 USD. About 70 % of the price are taxes. Now you probably understand, why most of the Golf and Passat Models sold in Germany are sold with diesel-engines, even the Touareg and the Phaeton are offered with diesel-engines (5 and 10 cylinder-engines). The advantage of the diesel engines is low fuel consumption an an very high torque. Even Mercedes, Ford, Opel (GM) and BMW sell very much diesel-driven cars.

In germany other Volkswagen models are offered, the Touran, a Golf A5 based minivan with 5 an 7 seats, the caddy, a simplyfied touran. The Jetta is called "Bora" in germany.

Many former Volkswagen customers buy now Skoda, they are cheaper an are based on Volkswagen technology.

Reply to
Hans-Ulrich Neumann

snip...

In my opinion, there is no or minimal difference in build quality, ie the labor part. The main problem with VWs seems to be in specific componenent failure, usually elctrical stuff. For example, the gas guage reads about 1/4 tank "high" in my daughter's 2003 Jetta 1.8T. Almost certainly a problem in the dash or the sending unit in the tank. Our 2002 Passat has had a bad Monsoon stereo replaced, and has blown two headlight bulbs already. And the armrest is peeling. And then there was the coil problem, of course. These aren't build quality problems, they're component quality problems.

In any event, you don't usually have a choice of where you get your VW built. If you want a Passat, it's built in Germany. If you want a Golf, it's built in Brazil. And it you want a Jetta, it's built in Mexico. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong)

Bill

Reply to
William Maslin

You're right although the Jetta wagon deserves special mention because those come from germany.

Reply to
Matt B.

Reply to
Rob Guenther

The Bora A4 is built in Wolfsburg, too, the station wagon called "Variant", too. The differences beetween Bora and Golf Variant are another nose, other head rests, illuminated fan outlets only for the Bora, other trim parts, the bora isn't available mit the smaller engines, the Golf not with the top engines. I often wondered, why the "Bora" is still called "Jetta" in the USA, maybe some poeple might think "boring" when they hear "Bora". The sedan has the image of an old peoples car in germany, VW wanted to place that model higher than the golf and against BMW 3xx-Models, but it didn't work. So the upcoming new "Jetta" based on the Golf A5 will only be built in Puebla.

Reply to
Hans-Ulrich Neumann

And Canada and Mexico too.

The Jetta has been VW's top selling model in the US ever since the A2s, outselling the Golf. VWoA didn't want to risk losing sales by renaming the car so VWoA specified that the Jetta name be retained. Even though the A3 Vento and A4 Bora were the successors to the A2 Jettas, there would be too much to lose with North American consumers over a name change. VWoA isn't the importer for Mexico, but since Mexico turns out Jettas for the US and Canada, they seemed to retain the same badging for Mexico as well.

And the A3 Vento and A4 Bora were called "Jetta" in South Africa too (presumably for the same reason I guess (that is, sales)).

Reply to
Matt B.

I'd say the question is why the Jetta is called the Bora in Europe. The Jetta has been VW's top selling model in North America for years, and has been sold under that name for 25 model years. It's even called the Jetta in Mexico, where "J" is pronounced completely different. (A very large percentage of the Mexican taxis I've seen are Jettas).

If it wasn't for the Jetta VW wouldn't have a viable presence here. Given that, why would VW discard that "brand identity" of the Jetta? And given the Vento name didn't work out, you have to wonder why they gave it yet another name in Europe...

They probably would.

Reply to
Al Rudderham

Outside NORTH AMERICA, not just the US. There are still LOTS of A2 Jettas on the road in Mexico, which is also a huge market. I'd bet there are more Jettas on the roads in Mexico than in the US. And I still see lots of A2 Jettas here in Canada, although our winters mean they don't last like they do in Mexico.

Reply to
Al Rudderham

ok. sorry.... outside north america.

(I live in Chile, and Jetta down here is informal word for 'bad luck that follows you' )

Reply to
Eduardo Kaftanski

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