Actually my first VW was a 78 Rabbit Diesel. It had 7 inch round headlights (remember those days?). I put Bosch H4 lamps into it shortly after I got it. I remember the low beams had a sharp cutoff, but the highbeams did not.
Even my 92 and 97 Jettas (which also had combined high and low) didn't have a sharp cutoff on the high beam.
Overall I loved driving the A4 Jettas I had, but the headlights were definitely compromised.
Mike, I owe you an apology for my first comment -- if I had read below your signature, I would have seen that you are a Touareg owner -- I shouldn't have made what looked like a personal insult. My personal take on the Touareg is just continued disappointment in VW's apparent new long-term strategy -- getting away from practical, economical, hard-headed-German-efficient vehicles and getting into what everyone else in the world is doing. Bloated, overpriced, overweight rolling jewelry that's designed to accommodate fashion, not to meet engineering requirements or the needs of a particular use. VW has always appealed to me for its individual character. The vehicles are somewhat quirky, and are little more hard-edged than other brands. I overlook the little problems that have always plagued VWs because I enjoy their character. The Touareg and the Phaeton are at the other end of the scale from the VW character I love, and I wonder where I'll find it in the future. A 6000-pound VW is simply beyond my comprehension, whether it's the Touareg or the Phaeton. There's no reason for it.
If it helps you sleep at night, think of this tho... New, expensive vehicles are often used as technological test-beds; the flagship cars always get the best new technology to see if it can made economically feasable in high production models. With two high end VW's now, the new gen Golfs/Jetta's and Passats may stand to benefit from tested high end technology, and they'll be able to mass produce it cheaper, because they already know how to do it, since they learned on the expensive vehicles with high profit margins on them.
Cant' afford to test new technology on a car that has to be sold at around
1-million copies per year (Golf/Jetta), espeically when it costs, lets say,
H4s usually are managed to have a cutoff on low but not on high. Not sure why 9007s (new Jettas) aren't necessarily that way.
have a sharp cutoff on the high beam.
The A3 Jettas didn't have visually-aimed lamps, so they didn't have a cutoff on either high or low beam.
I had some Bosch rounds in my 67 Beetle. They were great. I have had Hella and Cibie Bobis in the Rabbits. The Bobis were American code and they were misertable. The Hella ecodes has ok highbeam but not the low beam. Daniel Stern says the Cibies are much better. I suspect the 7" round is pretty easy to design a great pattern. The slave to design sort of stinks when you own newer cars. You have to use what is available. That said many folks state that the Ecode headlights for the Jetta are much better.
How off t>> >I know.... Friend of a friend had to pay over $800 for a new Xenon in his >> Infinity.
Jim B.
High beams on the A4 Jettas weren't a problem on flat roads. I'm not complaining about brightness/output, but about a very sharp horizontal cutoff on high beams.
It's a small complaint relative to number of things right about the A4 Jetta.
I was wondering the same thing about buying another VW. I've owned about 15 VW's in as many years but my only new one was/is a 98 New Beetle. The problems that I can quickly remember are: fuel door won't pop (already fixed
3x), crappy radio, broken glove box door (2 mos past warranty expiration), failed cruise control, failed ECM (repaired under warranty), failed MAF, headlight *wiring* burned 2x, broken rear hatch mechanism, P/S hoses bursting, window clips replaced, Etc. -All in less than 70k miles.(!) I've sworn I won't buy another new VW. Which is too bad, because I really do like them. I'm thinking an early-80's Japanese car may have to be the new family vehicle... ? Greg
There's no ground-breaking technology in either one of those vehicles, in fact, VW came very late to each party. But, let's assume that what you're saying is true -- it still doesn't change the fact that VW is no longer the carmaker it once was, the vehicles simply do not have the same personality. They appear to have adopted a long-term vision that will not return them to that same character, and I think that's a shame. If their intent is to become another Toyota/Lexus, then VW will get clobbered, worldwide. The world is full of bland, "me-too" vehicles.
I just want to thank Brian Running for being gracious enough to back off his initial rant reply and understand my post's intention- i am an owner, soliciting owner feedback is all. I feel that in some ways he spoke for some of the rest of the group- thanks, Brian. Having driven VWs forever (Beetle, Squareback, Rabbit (diesel and gasoline), Quantum wagon, 16V GTI, Passat, Jetta TDI and the present T-Reg) and having used help from this newsgroup in the past, please understand my confusion over the initial hostilities. The thread took a nice, new direction toward the +/- s of the Xenon headlights, which i attest are FANTASTIC on E. Shore of VA, deer-riddled back roads- see 'em a mile away!
Regardless of whether their vehicle types are appropriate, if the bloody build quality ain't there, there's no discussion, period.
personality.
They have build quality? Oh yeah, it's just BAD (as in my electrical nightmare, POS '98 Passat GLS).
To help clear up your "confusion over hostilities":
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.