VW Toys with Giving Up the U.S. Mass Market, and Dealers Fume

Re:VW Toys with Giving Up the U.S. Mass Market, and Dealers ... by ams6110 on Friday March 11, 2016 @03:33PM (#11269282)

I haven't looked at a VW in a long time. I last bought an A2 generation Jetta new in 1991. At that time, I think they were about $11 or $12K, and there was a definite "German" feel to the vehicle compared to similarly priced Asian or American cars. Better handling, better gear changes, a more tight and solid feel, and quieter. A Corolla at the time felt like a beer can on wheels, a Ford or Chevy in that price range felt perhaps more solid than a Corolla but had a very bland, generic, vague driving feel.

No idea if they are still that way but at least at the time a Jetta and a Corolla were not anywhere close to the same thing.

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Re:VW Toys with Giving Up the U.S. Mass Market, and Dealers ... by georgeecollins on Friday March 11, 2016 @03:37PM (#11269312)

I drive a 2015 VW GTI. It is really a very good car. Comfortable, fun to drive, good fuel economy. There is a reason why it is always on the Car and Driver Ten Best list for North America. It just isn't a mass market car. It's a car for people who will pay extra for car just because it is fun to drive but not pretentious or ostentatious in any way.

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Re:VW Toys with Giving Up the U.S. Mass Market, and Dealers ... by dominotw on Friday March 11, 2016 @03:36PM (#11269301)

> there was a definite "German" feel to the vehicle

Could it be placebo effect/confirmation bias? I am not a car enthusiast but I recently bought a new one and test drove both german and asian models and I honestly couldn't tell them apart.

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Re:VW Toys with Giving Up the U.S. Mass Market, and Dealers ... by TheCapn on Friday March 11, 2016 @03:44PM (#11269370)

Anecdotal but, I think for someone who truly enjoys driving and looks for the little things there's enough to notice.

I drove a '99 VW until it got wrecked. I picked up a '99 Acura afterwards and immediately could feel the difference in clutch & gearbox. I now drive an '03 VW, my girlfriend an '04 Honda and I can still feel the same differences. She's mentioned it too and says she prefers the "solid" feel of my car compared to hers. I've driven VWs of every generation from MK3 to current (MK7), I've driven Chevy/Honda/Toyota/Hyundai manual transmission cars and nothing feels as tight as the VWs I've driven.

So I'm a pretty big fanboy, but I definitely feel and believe there's a difference that can be felt.

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