On Oct 21, 9:01 am, "C. E. White" <cewhi...@removemindspring.com>
wrote:

Who writes this tripe?

Further, who actually believes it?

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

Well most in the U.S. don't realize that VW is currently the #3
automaker world wide because VW doesn't sell much in the U.S. any more.

Quality wise, VW has a long way to go, especially in the U.S. where
owners expect their vehicles to endure a lot more abuse in terms of lack
of maintenance. I've owned both VWs and Toyotas. The VWs tended to last
longer, but I am fastidious about maintenance. The Toyotas that my
relatives have owned have been abused to levels that VWs would not
tolerate. Currently I have two Toyotas. Unexciting vehicles to be sure.
I'd much rather have a Passat than a Camry in terms of performance, but
the Passat is much more expensive, gets poorer mileage, and has some
engine and power train issues that I don't want to deal with.

VW seems to want to return in force to the U.S. and they're building a
factory here. VW hasn't built in the U.S. since they closed their
Westmoreland Pennsylvania factory in 1988.

That's right--impossible.

VW?  I wouldn't buy a German car with YOUR money. (Been there, done
that.)

And yes, I "get" German cars. German cars are the expensive, pouty, and
high-maintenance mistresses of the road. Damn, they are a fine, fine
ride...

....but then the maintenance and pouting kicks in.

At some point, without unlimited funds, you are at a decision point:
continue the high-priced, high-maintenance fun, or go back home and
enjoy your reliable Lexus wife of a car, patiently sitting there waiting
for you to get over the midlife crisis.

Oh sure, she's not as sexy as the German car, and she doesn't handle at
the edge like the German car. She's also not as fickle and high
maintenance and pouty, and she agrees with you much more of the time.
She's always there and never complains, and you come to realize there's
more to life than a high-maintenance relationship with a pouty,
high-maintenance woman--no matter how sexy she is or how fun the nights
out with her can be. Because when she lets you down and demands more of
you than you have to give, and treats you like dirt, you're standing
there all alone outside the club, looking and feeling like an idiot.

Your Lexus wife would never, ever do that to you.

And the occasional fun night out isn't worth what you end up paying for
it, both financially and in time wasted while you wait for the German
car mistress to be in the mood to play.

Do this: start paying attention to cars with tail light and headlight
problems. What brands of cars are you seeing? That's right--VW, M-B, and
BMW. And pay attention to how old, or rather how new, those problem cars
are.

The reality of electrical issues with German cars make Lucas electrics
look reliable.

Now *try* to find a Honda or Toyota, either low brand or high brand, no
matter how old, with non-working tail lights. Good luck.

It's a small thing, but it represents the reality of the situation. You
want to buy a German car? Just buy a GM car. At least the money you're
throwing away stays more inside the country--and you get just as
reliable a car.

The latest Consumer Report has Camry in the middle of the pack.
However, differing from JD Power, it has the Scion on top. VW does
have a lot to catch up even to Detroit in terms of quality. But if
they can do it with their Audi marque then they should be able to with
VW.

In general I throw CR in the trash for JD Power. But CR has a lot of
pull with typical buyers. At least in this issue Ford would be a
better bet:

http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081024/AUTO01/810240348/1148

On Oct 21, 6:01 am, "C. E. White" <cewhi...@removemindspring.com>
wrote:

that comment right there is what I find so funny about all the kool-aid
drinking Toyota and Honda evangelists, who say that GM/Ford are stupid for
making trucks.

Looking at the Toyota/Lexus/Scion models shows for May 2008, posted in
(http://groups.google.com/group/alt.autos.gm/msg/5b1b43ec54af0766) that the
automaker does indeed sell a large amount of trucks.

Toyota (Lexus/Scion) makes 35 models of cars/trucks/vans.  

Seven models - 20% - are trucks or vans.
22 models - 62% - are midsize or larger.
Seven models - 20% - are considered compact or smaller.

GM (Buick/Chevy/GMC/Pontiac/Saturn) makes 54 models of cars/trucks/vans.

18 models - 33% are trucks or vans. (Note that six models are work trucks or
full-size vans, which don't exist in Toyota's lineup.)
21 models - 38% - are midsize or larger.
10 models - 18% - are considered compact or smaller.

http://www.perfectreign.com/stuff/2008/car_compare.pdf

So, it would be fair to say that - though Toyota has done a better job of
marketing their stance as a small car maker, the reality is that they're
the same as GM in terms of truck models.

Meanwhile, I'll go back to my 17MPG midsize Avalanche.  :P

On Oct 21, 8:01 am, "C. E. White" <cewhi...@removemindspring.com>
wrote:

What light trucks, I never saw one, all I saw was a tundra, what bs
the camry, corola, prius and small suv are the big ones. VW isnt
taking anybody past.