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Car Forum / Volkswagen / Water Cooled Volkswagen Cars / January 2007"Volkswagen vindicated by its new Rabbit"
Volkswagen vindicated by its new Rabbit When practically everybody in the car business abandoned hatchbacks as if they were infected with some sort of bird flu, Volkswagen stubbornly stuck to the design with its Golf. at http://www.washtimes.com/autoweekend/20070111-081354-3828r.htm > Volkswagen vindicated by its new Rabbit > When practically everybody in the car business abandoned hatchbacks as > if they were infected with some sort of bird flu, Volkswagen stubbornly > stuck to the design with its Golf. > at http://www.washtimes.com/autoweekend/20070111-081354-3828r.htm Too bad the author didn't do his homework: "It was a puzzle to anyone who remembered the shoddy quality of the Rabbit of the 1970s, when it was built in the United States. The factory eventually closed and production returned to Germany." Not true. The vast majority of 1970s Rabbits did come from Germany until the 1979 model year when non-convertible models for the US and Canada were made in the US for 1979-1984. The factory stayed in production through about 1989 producing the Mk2 Golf starting in late 1984 and when it closed the production was replaced by Puebla production, not German production. That's because the plant wasn't here until, 79. The bottom line is the US Rabbit plant saved VW. Those cars saved VW. They sold every one they made. And a lot of them did rot on out salted roads. The A1 and A2 were the best cars VWs made up to now. And that's still up in the air until these new ones get a few years on them to see if VW learned their lesson yet. Any idiot knows you can't make a killing selling cars in the US made overseas. You cant respond to problems and you cant make them for people different sizes and who drive different on different kinds of roads. You have to make a good car, for the people you are selling it to, in their country. If you aint doing that , you aren't going to do anything but survive at best. >> Volkswagen vindicated by its new Rabbit >> When practically everybody in the car business abandoned hatchbacks as [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > about 1989 producing the Mk2 Golf starting in late 1984 and when it closed > the production was replaced by Puebla production, not German production. > Volkswagen vindicated by its new Rabbit > When practically everybody in the car business abandoned hatchbacks as > if they were infected with some sort of bird flu, Volkswagen stubbornly > stuck to the design with its Golf. > at http://www.washtimes.com/autoweekend/20070111-081354-3828r.htm Everyone else in the car business is abandoning hatchbacks because Americans want big gas guzzlers that can climb mountains, for all the trips they take to the mall. Hatchbacks are still made and sold to the rest of the world. [another] Mike >> Volkswagen vindicated by its new Rabbit >> When practically everybody in the car business abandoned hatchbacks as [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > trips they take to the mall. Hatchbacks are still made and sold to the > rest of the world. Way to paint with a broad brush, there. I guess that's why the Prius is a hatchback, and Honda, Toyota, and Nissan have all released new hatchback models in the US (Fit, Yaris, Versa) - 'cause those guys have no idea at all what they're doing when it comes to selling cars, right? -- Mike Smith > Way to paint with a broad brush, there. I guess that's why the Prius is > a hatchback, and Honda, Toyota, and Nissan have all released new > hatchback models in the US (Fit, Yaris, Versa) - 'cause those guys have > no idea at all what they're doing when it comes to selling cars, right? Honda's been selling hatchbacks since they started, so? What's the number one class of vehicle in sales in the U.S.? Light truck/SUV. I guess all those SUVs I see on the road, and that every car manufacturer now has one (they don't all have hatchback models), and it being the highest selling class of vehicle is because Americans love hatchbacks. To say that Americans are overweight is not to say that all of them are. It is understood that it means "most" or "on average". Americans don't like hatchbacks. They don't sell well. Mike > Americans don't like hatchbacks. They don't sell well. > > Mike Well, I like them, and I am an American. I definitely do NOT like SUVs or 4-wheel drive vehicles of any type. In going to the Mall or making a roadtrip on paved roads, they just seem like overkill and a big waste of resources. > Well, I like them, and I am an American. I definitely do NOT like SUVs or > 4-wheel drive vehicles of any type. In going to the Mall or making a > roadtrip on paved roads, they just seem like overkill and a big waste of > resources. Yes, I like them too and I think they're a waste for the same reasons you do. My point was not that ALL Americans don't like them, but that the most don't. SUVs are a larger market. Sad, but true. Mike >> Well, I like them, and I am an American. I definitely do NOT like SUVs or >> 4-wheel drive vehicles of any type. In going to the Mall or making a [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Mike Got it, and yes - it is sad. I owned 2 of them a 75 and 77 2 dr rabbits the only bad design was the fusebox some circuits would burn up due the small gauge wiring electric fan and fresh air fan easly fixed it was quicker then any honda of that era 1.5-1.7 cc class 2040lbs imagine now with a 1.8 t or 2.0 t mod or syncro it . A 77 tricked out euro is the dookie >>> Well, I like them, and I am an American. I definitely do NOT like SUVs >>> or [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Got it, and yes - it is sad. >> Well, I like them, and I am an American. I definitely do NOT like SUVs or >> 4-wheel drive vehicles of any type. In going to the Mall or making a [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >you do. My point was not that ALL Americans don't like them, but that >the most don't. SUVs are a larger market. Sad, but true. Aren't most tail gates in SUVs a variation on the hatch back design. I have one (SUV) for the 'no liftover' effect I get when trying to put heavy items in and out plus the fact I can fit several adults comfortably in it on a longish trip. Same reason I have a Jetta Wagon (TDi), fewer worries about the old back with regard the liftover. The problem with most earlier hatch backs is that they offer so little to the consumer v a standard trunk. Even the Golf still has a back wall of several inches you have to lean over to lift a box out of the back. That's just asking people to pull a muscle lifting stuff out of the car. Regarding the light truck, keep in mind mini-vans (kid/grocery haulers) also fall into the catagory as do pick-up trucks used in business and light vans ussed in business like fedx and ups. So while there is no question the American consumer loves trucks, the truck covers a broad spectrum. >Mike fundamentalism, fundamentally wrong. >> Volkswagen vindicated by its new Rabbit >> When practically everybody in the car business abandoned hatchbacks as [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > [another] Mike I have the only "big" hatchback made my a major American car company, a Chevy Malibu Maxx. It works well for daily driving, and for transporting R/C model airplanes. As might be expected, there will not be a hatchback version of the next Malibu. I'm hoping there will again be a Passat TDI wagon by the time I am ready to replace my Malibu. I get OK mileage, but would get 50% better with a TDI. Before you start flaming me for talking about a Chevy on this group, I have a VW, an '86 Cabriolet, which is why I am here. The Cabriolets were made in Germany in '86, while the Mk II Golfs were made in Pennsylvania at the time. hey do you know the size of the golf hatchback/trunk size. im looking to buy one but not sure howbig the trunk is. thanks, Jordan > hey do you know the size of the golf hatchback/trunk size. im looking > to buy one but not sure howbig the trunk is. > > thanks, > > Jordan You could probably get the specs with a little web searching. Or you could go and measure one yourself. Check out http://www.autotrader.com/research/compare/index.jsp It may tell you the size of the hatch with the rear seats up. When you fold them down, the hatch is much bigger, of course. I like hatchback cars. I've had three Saab hatchbacks. My wife has had several Honda Civic hatchbacks. The cargo area is much more useful than trunks in sedans. I currently have a Passat station wagon which is basically a long hatchback. I don't like SUV's because they're unnecessarily big for me. For all that extra size, you don't get a heck of a lot of extra interior space. Tom Reingold Noo Joizy > hey do you know the size of the golf hatchback/trunk size. im looking to > buy one but not sure howbig the trunk is. for started you should tell us if you're looking at a mk2, mk3, or mk4 Golf (what year?). |
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