I was looking at a few VW products like the Touareg/CC and the Golf GTI.my concerns are that VW does not make a product that is worth investing at least about $35k.The new GTI will be made in Mexico and the Touareg Sport starts out at 50k for the TDI and that includes no leather.I've heard that the timing chain is in the rear of the engine and it needs to be pulled to replace at a cost of 4K.Dealer service I understand is horrible.I love their TDI.The new 2015 Golf R will only be available in a 4 door.Even Audi with the A4 has had problems with a bad batch of piston/rings and excessive oil consumption.It's hard to take the plunge.
VW AG-I looked but I think I might pass
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cost/benefit analysis of many car brands/models eliminates them from my consideration. VW is one among the many I wouldn't look twice at, unfortunately. My friend's Golf does have nice build quality and handles great, though.
I'm not sure I follow. Are you saying that their less-expensive cars are not worth the time? I think a lot of people would disagree -- the Jetta is well under $35k and is an immensely popular vehicle in the US, as is the even cheaper Golf. The Golf is a ubiquitous hatchback across most of Europe, so it can't be THAT bad.
Reliability and maintenance is no better or worse than anything else these days, truthfully. Any car from Hyundai, VW, Ford, Toyota, etc will have its share of problems. Even the once-infallible Toyota is starting to have more and more issues with their cars.
And honestly, who cares if the GTI is made in Mexico.
I'm not sure what it is you want in a car, but I guess VAG just doesn't fit your needs and expectations.
Reliability and maintenance is no better or worse than anything else these days, truthfully. Any car from Hyundai, VW, Ford, Toyota, etc will have its share of problems. Even the once-infallible Toyota is starting to have more and more issues with their cars.
And honestly, who cares if the GTI is made in Mexico.
I'm not sure what it is you want in a car, but I guess VAG just doesn't fit your needs and expectations.
VW suffers from wanting maintance and repairs done "by the book". Take shortcuts and the car suffers. They MIGHT also be more problematic from the get-go; proper diagnosis of actual problems is critical to a happy ownership.
They do seem to have the corrision thing under control. Long lived in a salt climate. Won't say all the sheetmetal stays rust-free, but all the critical bits stand up to the abuse.
They do seem to have the corrision thing under control. Long lived in a salt climate. Won't say all the sheetmetal stays rust-free, but all the critical bits stand up to the abuse.
Originally Posted By: supton
VW suffers from wanting maintance and repairs done "by the book". Take shortcuts and the car suffers. They MIGHT also be more problematic from the get-go; proper diagnosis of actual problems is critical to a happy ownership.
They do seem to have the corrision thing under control. Long lived in a salt climate. Won't say all the sheetmetal stays rust-free, but all the critical bits stand up to the abuse.
The old-school way of thinking that German cars will breakdown if you don't let the dealer do the work is totally false. The dealers love scaring you into thinking it's true, however. While some aspects of the cars are more complex, they are not hard to work on at all and rarely need some bizarre technique or procedure. I always did my own maintenance on my Audis and they ran without complaint. I've taken the same approach on my BMW.
Basic stuff like fluid changes, brakes, belts, etc. are no different than any other car.
Honestly, people who think German cars must go to the dealer are misinformed. I would encourage them to look at a service manual and you will see that there is nothing weird about 95% of the work.
VW suffers from wanting maintance and repairs done "by the book". Take shortcuts and the car suffers. They MIGHT also be more problematic from the get-go; proper diagnosis of actual problems is critical to a happy ownership.
They do seem to have the corrision thing under control. Long lived in a salt climate. Won't say all the sheetmetal stays rust-free, but all the critical bits stand up to the abuse.
The old-school way of thinking that German cars will breakdown if you don't let the dealer do the work is totally false. The dealers love scaring you into thinking it's true, however. While some aspects of the cars are more complex, they are not hard to work on at all and rarely need some bizarre technique or procedure. I always did my own maintenance on my Audis and they ran without complaint. I've taken the same approach on my BMW.
Basic stuff like fluid changes, brakes, belts, etc. are no different than any other car.
Honestly, people who think German cars must go to the dealer are misinformed. I would encourage them to look at a service manual and you will see that there is nothing weird about 95% of the work.
MB has some new CUV stuff in the mid 30's. Not saying its good but ...
After owning 3 VAG vehicles in the dreaded 2000-2004 year ranges (2000 Jetta, 2004 A4, 2000 A6) I have experienced no major issues other than a purge valve ($35) and a window regulator ($150). I know there are those with negative experiences, but I am certainly not one. In fact, the repairs required by my Odyssey under warranty and my old Mazda3 were more major than my VAG cars.
Just test drove a 14 Passat TDI a month ago... really sweet sedan. I personally wouldn't hesitate to buy one, but to each his own.
Just test drove a 14 Passat TDI a month ago... really sweet sedan. I personally wouldn't hesitate to buy one, but to each his own.
Originally Posted By: dparm
The old-school way of thinking that German cars will breakdown if you don't let the dealer do the work is totally false. The dealers love scaring you into thinking it's true, however. While some aspects of the cars are more complex, they are not hard to work on at all and rarely need some bizarre technique or procedure. I always did my own maintenance on my Audis and they ran without complaint. I've taken the same approach on my BMW.
Basic stuff like fluid changes, brakes, belts, etc. are no different than any other car.
Honestly, people who think German cars must go to the dealer are misinformed. I would encourage them to look at a service manual and you will see that there is nothing weird about 95% of the work.
That's funny, when I bought my TDi the word was to NEVER go to the dealer, or the work would be done wrong. I found that out quickly, when I wanted to buy a single quart of oil, "just in case" it used some. They were content to sell me the wrong one (that whole 505.00 vs 505.01 debacle--I wanted 505.01, and at the time it was required). Later on I had EGR repair at a different dealer, and the first time it lasted one month before the intake manifold fell off. The second time made it a year, then when a good independent repaired it he showed me the hack job that was done.
Looking at a Bentley about half the bolts indicate they are one-time use fasteners. Less than half appear to be stretch though. But some of the critical ones (engine mount, which is touched on every timing belt job) certainly are. And a number of people have had serious damage result from bolt reuse.
The old-school way of thinking that German cars will breakdown if you don't let the dealer do the work is totally false. The dealers love scaring you into thinking it's true, however. While some aspects of the cars are more complex, they are not hard to work on at all and rarely need some bizarre technique or procedure. I always did my own maintenance on my Audis and they ran without complaint. I've taken the same approach on my BMW.
Basic stuff like fluid changes, brakes, belts, etc. are no different than any other car.
Honestly, people who think German cars must go to the dealer are misinformed. I would encourage them to look at a service manual and you will see that there is nothing weird about 95% of the work.
That's funny, when I bought my TDi the word was to NEVER go to the dealer, or the work would be done wrong. I found that out quickly, when I wanted to buy a single quart of oil, "just in case" it used some. They were content to sell me the wrong one (that whole 505.00 vs 505.01 debacle--I wanted 505.01, and at the time it was required). Later on I had EGR repair at a different dealer, and the first time it lasted one month before the intake manifold fell off. The second time made it a year, then when a good independent repaired it he showed me the hack job that was done.
Looking at a Bentley about half the bolts indicate they are one-time use fasteners. Less than half appear to be stretch though. But some of the critical ones (engine mount, which is touched on every timing belt job) certainly are. And a number of people have had serious damage result from bolt reuse.
I was nervous about getting my GTI when I did due to VW's online reputation, but at the time it was the best fit for my needs and wants. I'm happy I went for it though, because over 80k miles it has been the best car I've ever owned out of the 13 that have passed through my hands.
Originally Posted By: dparm
And honestly, who cares if the GTI is made in Mexico.
There is good reason to care. Most MKIV Jettas were made in Mexico, and the Passat B5/B5.5 was made in from Germany, and the number of MKIV Jettas I had to repair exceeded Passats disproportionally.
How can we prove that the MKVII GTI doesn't suffer the same problem? The only real way to know a car's reliability is to somehow travel into the future.
And honestly, who cares if the GTI is made in Mexico.
There is good reason to care. Most MKIV Jettas were made in Mexico, and the Passat B5/B5.5 was made in from Germany, and the number of MKIV Jettas I had to repair exceeded Passats disproportionally.
How can we prove that the MKVII GTI doesn't suffer the same problem? The only real way to know a car's reliability is to somehow travel into the future.
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