Volkswagen striving for a comeback
This German automaker has been taking a beating lately. From management scandals to quality issues to losing out the top spot in China to General Motors, the last year has not been too kind to VW. The compay is banking on its 2006 models, released last year, and new offerings such as the Eos, to reinvigorate its image and sales.
Mark Phelan’s report is cautious, though. While the new Jetta has sold well, it did not get the response Volkswagen was hoping for. And pricing of the new Passat apparently is making consumers do a double-take at the dealer. VW is now looking towards its on-a-roll Audi division and the new VW models like the Eos hardtop convertible (pictured), the latest generation Golf and that model's hot hatch alter ego, the Golf GTI, to bring the company back to the front of an increasingly crowded playing field.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ryan 3:48PM (1/11/2006)
A VW that has an electronic folding top, now that is some scarey stuff. I remember when I had my 2001 Jetta, I stressed out about the power windows working just "another week"
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John 4:02PM (1/11/2006)
A lot of people I know who owned Jettas were put off by the 2005 version for one main reason: too big. I think Volkswagen really got away from its roots in the drive to go upmarket with cars like the Phaeton and the Passat w8. In a lot of ways, I think the Skoda brand in Europe is where Volkswagen used to be here, and I sometimes wonder if they wouldn't be more successful sticking VW badges on Skodas and selling them in the US.
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byron 4:21PM (1/11/2006)
I owned a 1987 Jetta GL, bought it brand new. I NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS W / power window / locks cruise or any other electronic component. VW is highly unerrated because the don't play the price game most of the othe automakers play. They package their vechicles competitively and have more standard accessories and supplemental safety devices than their competition. If you don't have passion for the brand DON"T BUY IT.
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Luke 4:48PM (1/11/2006)
Your comments: I purchased a 2006 Passat 2.0T (with Package 2 and 17" wheels) on
12/17/05. After almost a month I can say for sure that I really love
the car and am happy with my choice. I'm excited for VW...the new
Jetta GLI has been getting rave reviews, the new GTI is arriving
soon, and the Eos is a lovely car that will bring a lot of high-end
features to the $30k convertible segment.nnI'm a little
confused by the posting's assertion that the Passat is overpriced.
I think it's a great value for the money, and comes packed with a
ton of standard, high-end features. I shopped for about 2 months
before I made my purchase, and it came down to the Audi A4 2.0T and
the Passat 2.0T. I couldn't justify the extra $6-7K for the A4 over
the Passat...it didn't provide any compelling extra
value.nnThe Accord, Pontiac G6, Mazda 6, Nissan Altima,
Ford Fusion, etc fell into one grouping, while the A4, Passat, Nissan
Maxima, Acura TSX, BMW 3 series, and some others fell into a higher
class. I suppose if you comparison shop the Passat against a Mazda 6
you'd think it was overpriced...until you drive it, that is. The
Passat is sportier, far more refined, uses better materials, has
better build quality, more standard features, and is just plain nicer
to drive. It's a cut above the mainstream sedans from Japan and the
US...which I think is why VW moved the Jetta upmarket a bit.
nnAfter extended test drives of an Audi, a BMW 3, and the
Passat I felt like they all compared very favorably to each other
So, in that sense, I felt like by buying the Passat I was getting a
great deal on a German sports sedan. Why buy a more expensive brand
when the Passat has it all?
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John Nicholas 5:02PM (1/11/2006)
I'm not surprised at poor Jetta sales. Previous Jettas had a definite "look" that was pretty appealing. I drove one and thought seriously about getting it. The new one I have to look twice to tell if it is a Corrola or not except from the front and I don't like the front.
I'm sure it drives better and has a nicer interior but it doesn't have that distinctive European look. And if you are going to play it conservative on looks, you'll just get a Japanese car and get the reliability and affordable maintenance too.
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arthur 5:05PM (1/11/2006)
John (comment #2)
A great comment.
Skodas are great looking. I'm a fan of smaller cars and it would be great to see that European styling in more hatchbacks. At a reasonable price (I'm looking at you Audi A3).
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Dave G. 5:21PM (1/11/2006)
As the owner of five VW'S over the years I think VW has lost it's way in the car business. Why is a Jetta $2500 more than a Civic? Why is a Passat $3000 more than an Accord or Camry? It must be the German Engineering or all the standard features on their cars. Why is a simple oil change on a new Jetta or a Passat $90 at a VW dealer. Oh, the vehicle require special synthetic oil in its new engines or the warranty could be voided. I will agree that all VW'S have a special feel to the driving experience, but the extra cash outlay for their cars and potential quality issues are a huge gamble with all the other very fine vehicles to choose from today.
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Jeff 5:25PM (1/11/2006)
re: #3
I tell this story every time the VW quality issue comes up. I bought a 1995 Golf, a friend bought a 1995 Jetta, and my sister-in-law bought a 2003 Jetta. The two 1995s had severe build quality issues (defined as exterior trim FALLING OFF the first time it got warm outside). All of them suffered from electrical problems, ranging from the annoying (marker and signal light bulbs burning out faster than on any other car I've had) to the terrifying (my steering column just caught fire one day while I was driving, and my sister-in-law's Jetta had a seat heater fire).
I totally WANT to like VWs. I have nothing against the company, and I love the design of the cars, the motors are fine, the interiors are excellent. There just seems to have been some kind of sudden and lasting drop in some areas of design and build quality, especially electrical, around the early '90s.
I would *love* it if someone could tell me truly that VW has figured it out again, and is once more making awesome cars. I'll come back to the fold. These are exciting products, and look like tons of fun. I just can't afford to own another bad one.
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Zel B. 6:03PM (1/11/2006)
VW was car of my childhood. My parents own it from 1965 and I was trying to continue family traditional car. Bought new Jetta 95 - total disaster , exterior trims fell of, bad paint job,transmision problems, constant check engine ligt on (no one can find out why). Bought another one 99 - almost same problems. No improvments at all. Maintenance at dealer - very expencive. Gas - milage - bad. Price not competitive for that quality. Advice to VW - produce and asemble in Germany.
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Chris 7:06PM (1/11/2006)
#8 / Zel
Bingo. You struck gold on one of the big reasons VW quality (especially in the last-gen Jetta) was seriously lacking. Never heard a good thing about any VW to ever come out of Mexico.
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naugahyde 7:56PM (1/11/2006)
Hey VW, here's a good one, maybe you should bring the new GTI to the U.S. Maybe? It's been out in Europe for about 18 months now. I wonder how VW dealers feel about this.
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Dat Nguyen 1:02AM (1/12/2006)
how about a restyled Jetta wagon....
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Tim 4:21AM (1/12/2006)
My sister bought an 81 Rabbit in 1994. She kept it for 4 years, with NO issues. She then bought a 95 Jetta. Beyond the trim pieces falling off, and some paint issues, mechanically it was sound. It was totaled. She traded up for a brand new Passat. (2002) The Passat has stalling issues on the freeway, arcane electrical issues, and has had more recalls than she cares to remember.
I totally agree with #2, the styling has gone in the wrong direction. I've never liked the Eos. It looks bland. The Passat is alright. The Jetta? Repulsive. There's no personality to the car. They've been off-track since the Phaeton. Factor in Audi's brilliant design, and I have to wonder if VW's got the short end of the stick...
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Mike Rolls 9:48AM (1/12/2006)
I do more of a doubletake with the Jetta's pricing instead of the Passats, the 3.6L notwithstanding. A loaded Jetta is north of 30K. Geez...
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rip 3:34PM (1/12/2006)
Well, I sat in an Eos at the autoshow yesterday. Its gonna sell. The only car that competes is the g6 convertible. And the Eos has a far, far better interior and exterior.
btw, other cars I was impressed with:
Audi q7 (very impressive, and I don't like suv's)
Camaro concept (not one single thing wrong with it)
Mercury Milan (trim levels seemed a lot better than the Fusion... but the Fusion was nice too. The Zephyr interior was wrong... its like they dropped an suv interior in there, too big and massive)
Mercury Mountaineer (very cool interior)
Toyota Yaris and tc
Mercedes SLK
Volvo c70 (depending on how the 218hp t5 performs, it might go to the top of the buying list)
The Saturn Sky. I prefer its styling to the Solstice.
The suzuki minivan concept and Lincoln Mxx. Suzuki should build it.
BTW, with very few exceptions, I was turned off by virtually all GM products. Why? The interior materials used were cheap. Design was fine, quality wasn't. Call me crazy, but a Lucerne should have a higher quality interior than a Scion tC.
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roadside observer 10:06PM (1/12/2006)
When did the James Bond movies give "Jaws" his own ragtop?
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Alan 12:47AM (1/17/2006)
A loaded Jetta is north of 30K ... with a navigational system, a 200HP engine, a DSG sequential gearshift transmission (a generation ahead of BMW's SMG), dual-zone climate control, leather seats, self-leveling bi-xenon headlights, and a trunk bigger than an Accord's. Enough with the loaded Jetta vs. the base Civic price comparison. The 30k Jetta isn't a competitor to the Civic, it is a competitor to the Accord and Camry V6 models. Edmunds and C&D each just rated a GLI slightly better than a comparably-equipped TSX. Funny thing is, the Audi A3 is even more expensive but doesn't get the same complaints about price. Those 4 rings on the grille seem to work magic.
Nevertheless, I think VW does need to add the Polo or Fox, add a Value Edition Jetta with the excellent 2.0T engine, and expand some options on the 2.0T Passat. They do need to make more affordable models available now that they have stopped trying to compete with Mercedes Benz.
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DJA 4:32PM (1/23/2006)
http://www.autoblog.com/2006/01/11/volkswagen-striving-for-a-comeback/#c920432
Jeff hit it right on the mark - it's all about quality. I had an 2nd gen GTI and it was so bad, it caused me to swear off this brand for the next 20+ years. I would LOVE to buy VW products; I like the styling and the German design priorities. These cars are intended for enthusiasts. But a car is too much money to throw away on bad engineering and indifferent construction. I'm not alone in this feeling based on VW's lousy repeat buyer ranking. They tried to move upmarket and that's insane unless you keep buyers happy. Poor quality and a poor business plan. The Koreans have already zoomed past VW in terms of US market share (and now quality) after only a very short time in the market.
I hope they get their act together, I really do. But I'm not going to be the one testing their resolve. I'll let others but the cars and wait to hear what they say. I think buying a VW product right now is like being a Guinea pig.
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