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Maybe they'll use the new Scirocco as the platform for this?

0611_z+2008_volkswagen_scirocco+front.jpg


http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/0611_2008_volkswagen_scirocco/photo_01.html

Is there even one daily driver orginal Scirocco still on the road? Geez, our local VW dealer was I think the first one in California. He just unloaded the francise. Too many problems with the cars and mad customers. And VW is an arrogant and demanding company that was getting harder for him to deal with.

I would think Apple will work with anyone that pays them, but they should be careful not to be guilty by association.
 
You're completely out of touch, these may have been true in the past, but this doesn't describe recent VWs at all. Reviews are still bad, as are their sales. They are still perceived as trendy, but their reputation for quality is gone. No squeaks? Are you high?

with all due respect: don't be a dick. my post was obviously meant to show the differences between usa and my country of residence. and everything i said was 100% correct as far as finland is concerned.

Spare parts probably were cheap before, but VW has been using more proprietary parts that nobody else uses. Even basic stuff like wiper blades and the damn antifreeze aren't available at regular auto parts stores

i can get those from the gas-station down the street...

And how many of the cars on the road are diesels? Seriously, you have to resort to talking about their diesels to make a case for them?

iirc, about 40% of all vw's are diesel over here. in case you still realize what i was talking bout, let me spell it out for you: I WAS NOT TALKING ABOUT VW'S IN USA! I WAS JUST HIGHLIGHTING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEN USA AND FINLAND.
 
Same in the UK, I'm afraid - Golf TDIs outsell petrol engined models by a factor of 5:1.

I had a 2002 Petrol 1.8T Mk 4 VW Golf GTI for three years and it was solid. Nothing was required except standard variable servicing, and tyres at the right sorts of times. It had no squeaks or rattles after 50,000 miles. I loved it: it was well equipped, comfortable and quiet, looked sharp, ran like a dream and cornered like it was on rails.

https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=2144165#post2144165

Markets are different, and are driven by expectations and culture. Unlike the US, in Europe, people generally drive smaller sized, smaller engined cars, and VWs sell in enormous volumes. Their market perception is as a 'premium' brand compared to their direct market segment competitors GM/Vauxhall and Ford. In common with the other major German brands, Audi (which is now owned by VW anyway) and BMW, they have a reputation for reliability and superior build quality, and they continue to command a resale value to match the market demands, which are high. Also, second hand diesels fetch a higher (+10-15%) resale price than petrol and this is driven in large part, at least in Britain, by the extortionate (80%+) tax element in the price of a litre of fuel. Higher average mileage = lower TCO.
 
Jesus, stop with the bull. You might want to consider that in Europe the reputation for US designed and built cars has always been virtually zero. Not declined to zero; just zero. The reasons? Too big, too ugly, too thirsty, too soft, can't corner, crap materials, terrible build quality. Need I go on? Why do your car companies continue to put five litre engines in family cars? How out of tune with world attitudes towards climate change. Why do American cars have fake wood on the outside? It's horrible!

We don't see many Caddies and Buicks over here. Chrysler even had to buy into a Korean manufacturer and relaunch themselves in the UK with the acquired models because their own had such a dire record for reliability and build quality. But I travel to the US regularly and I do see plenty of Audis, Beemers, VWs, Jags, Mercs, Toyotas, Hondas and Subarus over there. I wonder why?
 
You seem to be the exception and not the rule. Be thankful for your good luck and let's hope you're wise enough not buy vw again.

Look online at the thousands of posts from VW users with problems. Look at the horrible ratings in consumer reports and similar publications. Just to be clear, I'm talking about recent VWs, after about 2002 or so. Before that they were actually pretty good cars, but quality went quickly down the toilet after that.

Look at the number of recalls. Ironically enough, the day this rumor appeared, I got yet another recall notice on the passat, I think it's the fourth so far. Yeah, that's a great car.



And far more often. :eek:



You're completely out of touch, these may have been true in the past, but this doesn't describe recent VWs at all. Reviews are still bad, as are their sales. They are still perceived as trendy, but their reputation for quality is gone. No squeaks? Are you high? Our passat has squeaked since we got it, and after many attempts they were never able to fix it. Cheap to own? Have you looked at the vw manual and seen what they recommend for maintanance? Tons more than most cars, and many mechanics don't bother working on VWs so you're stuck going to the dealer. Spare parts probably were cheap before, but VW has been using more proprietary parts that nobody else uses. Even basic stuff like wiper blades and the damn antifreeze aren't available at regular auto parts stores. And how many of the cars on the road are diesels? Seriously, you have to resort to talking about their diesels to make a case for them?

i dont know what these problems are youre speaking of. i own a 2002 gti 1.8t.
the coilpack problem was minor, if yout car didnt start, all you had to do was open the hood and push the coilpack in. it was recalled, but your average driver would much rather throw a fit than research a problem before firing off at dealerships and surveys.
the other problem was the window regulators would break and the window would fall into the door
again, another stupid inconvenience and easily replaced at the dealer
nothing like some ford trucks and nissan altimas catching fire in the middle of parking lots.

oh and if youre giong to the dealership for maintenance, you deserve to get screwed out of your money lol
thers plenty of vw trained techs that run their own shops

and some of the problems in dealerships also happen to be with these stupid kids, that get their car chipped, dont know how to drive, screw up the car, and expect to have a complete engine overhaul under warranty. cant blame the dealer for that.

ps. my cars 113000 miles today, changed the clutch about 5k back, still running on original timing belt [knock on wood]
 
For those of you denying VW is the Apple of automakers - you're living in a bubble!

I'm not a huge VW fan myself, and I'm sure that there's Mac users that dislike the other four, but whether you like it or not, Apple, The Gap, VW, Starbucks and Nintendo (and maybe JetBlue) are all in the same branch of the corporate branding/marketing tree.

In the minds of most people, all us Mac users park our Jettas in the airport lot, grab the next flight to San Francisco on JetBlue and pass the time alternating between our Nintendo DS and iPod while wearing our latest Gap kakis, all the while looking forward to our first glimpse of Starbucks when we land...

I hate to say it, but that's life.

(And Toyota is SO the Sony of automakers!)

Either I'm not a Mac user or "most people" are clueless. Personally I've never been in a Jetta, a JetBlue, San Francisco, Starbucks or know what a Nintendo DS is and I've never owned a stitch from GAP.
 
Is there even one daily driver orginal Scirocco still on the road?

Occasionally you see one on the road, usually a Scirocco II (16v DOHC engine.) Never in too great of shape though. Which could mean they didn't hold up well enough for anyone to worry about taking good care of them.

There are probably more Corrados floating around though, even though the bulk of them are only a couple years newer than the last Sciroccos imported to the U.S.

There are at least a couple really nice Corrados here on Kauai which is pretty surprising given the relative rareness of the vehicle coupled with the fact that they were never sold here (no VW dealer on island.) It is a car that is of interest to many tuners, presumably because of the ability to squeeze even more performance out of an already well-performing vehicle.

Plus, totally subjective here, but personally I think the Corrado is just a nice looking ride. Of course, I feel the same way about many imported sports cars from the mid-80s to early 90s.
 
With absolutely zero respect, you need to learn the concept of pot/kettle.

I mean seriously: you completely ignore the point I was making. you went as far to remove that particular part from my post (here's a reminder: "Looking at these comments, I can't help but feel how good we have things over here."), and then took my other comments out of context and said I'm "out of touch" and "high". Seriously: what kind of answer were you expecting?

I'm well aware that for some reason VW has some "issues" in their US-models. And what I said is that they do not have those problem over here. You then proceed to basically say "OMG, you are so wrong because this and this and this!" when you were talking about entirely different thing than I was! I could not care less about your family's Passat, and I don't really care that much about problems VW has in USA. What I DO care about what's the situation over here, and I merely mentioned some examples how things are different here when compared to USA. And everything I said is totally, 100% true.

Next time: when you reply to a message, at least try to understand what the other person is saying.
 
No matter is this rumor true or not, I know for certain one thing - I'll *never* drive a VW. Even if they give it for free, I'll refuse it. To drive a VW in Croatia is just not acceptable as the image of the brand here is awful among educated population. Associations that comes to mind with VW here are nothing to be proud of. I don't say that the cars are that bad (probably mechanicaly more or less the same as other in that price range), but the image of population that drives VW here is so bad that there are jokes about it - notorious "White VW Golf driver" jokes... Only Skoda and Opel may have worse reputation than VW.

Apple, please, please, make a deal with some decent car maker, not VW!
 
Cars still don't put out as much greenhouse gas as cattle does, and plus, cars today are both able to be much faster and much cleaner than the cars of the past. You couldn't buy your Lamborghini in California if it didn't fit their emissions laws.

Computer enthusiasts and gadget enthusiasts use a lot of electricity, and aside from solar panels, they don't have a lot of say in the type of power that is delivered to their house (and don't get me started on carbon credits, because those are a scam)

First, the limits set on California automobiles aren't nearly stringent enough to make a positive impact on lessening greenhouse emissions. Second, the myth that cattle is the leading cause is ludicrous, there are far more humans who emit more greenhouse gases in this world than cattle, so blaming animals for global warming is about as logical as blaming the sun (another myth the "right" seems bent on distributing). Third, carbon credits are not a scam. Simply put, they allow people to invest money into alternative energy sources. As you correctly stated, there are no other alternatives to conventional energy sources for homes other than local power companies. Carbon credits have gotten bad press from political spin, mostly millions paid by oil companies and their political counterparts/lobbyists, however the concept is to empower a free market for solar, wind and hydro power. People want to make money, so by logic creating investment opportunities in green energy will propel that industry. By determining how much energy a household consumes (along with doing everyone's part to limit energy waste), buying "credits" is simply a way of investing in wind, solar, hydro and other energy sources, with the end result being an established future alternative to current antiquated power companies.

Lastly, hydrogen fuel cell automobiles are already being tested and used through Honda by families in California. Using solar power to harness the hydrogen from water, these vehicles fuel in designated hydrogen stations that do not transfer the harnessing of hydrogen onto conventional power sources, thus staying "green". As of today, these vehicles produced by Honda (and GM, with the thanks of Senator Hillary Clinton in pushing for military vehicles in upstate NY to use strictly hydrogen) are obtaining 400 miles per tank, are just as safe if not safer in combustibility than traditional gasoline and produce only water vapor and/or pure H2O after the chemical reaction between the released hydrogen and oxygen that is naturally occurring in the atmosphere.

The truth is, now with nations such as China becoming the worlds biggest contributor next to the U.S. in the burning of fossil fuels and pollution, automobiles are the biggest contributor to greenhouse emissions coupled with the reality that overpopulation is taxing our natural resources and creating more dilemma's for the future. There are plenty of alternatives to coal and oil, if it were not for the control oil companies currently have the global warming and man's contribution to such would be greatly lessened.

Pick up a few books, read up on the issue, and don't just rely on information from Faux News or even CNN and MSNBC. Keep in mind who controls the media, individuals such as Rupert Murdoch and other billionaire philanthropists with personal vested interest in money making and political ties. Keep in mind the U.S. spent millions to convince American's that global warming is a myth, with this current administration forcing scientists to remain silent, as the current economy is dependent on oil. This administration, as any administration I suppose, wants to keep their numbers up within its current office. If politicians really cared about the people there would be a Pres. that would actively seek out alternative energy sources while ceasing the dependency on gasoline, but that would result in a drop in the current economical growth and stock market during their term. However, as time marches on the economy would surely rebound (as the pendulum often sways) to support a greener economy. It starts with each of us. I replaced all our appliances with new energy star compliant devices, such as dishdrawers that use less water and energy, and front loaded HE washers and dryers. Using timers and yes, even researching and investing in alternative energy sources through carbon credits (I would also like to know how that is a scam, as it has been proven that money invested through carbon credits goes directly to researching and funding alternative energy), is a good start, but not the only solution.

Again, educating oneself on facts and not propaganda is paramount in making a change. It starts with you.
 
No matter is this rumor true or not, I know for certain one thing - I'll *never* drive a VW. Even if they give it for free, I'll refuse it. To drive a VW in Croatia is just not acceptable as the image of the brand here is awful among educated population. Associations that comes to mind with VW here are nothing to be proud of. I don't say that the cars are that bad (probably mechanicaly more or less the same as other in that price range), but the image of population that drives VW here is so bad that there are jokes about it - notorious "White VW Golf driver" jokes... Only Skoda and Opel may have worse reputation than VW.

Apple, please, please, make a deal with some decent car maker, not VW!

so they're educated but immature?

a little confused here.
 
Is there even one daily driver orginal Scirocco still on the road? Geez, our local VW dealer was I think the first one in California. He just unloaded the francise. Too many problems with the cars and mad customers. And VW is an arrogant and demanding company that was getting harder for him to deal with.

I would think Apple will work with anyone that pays them, but they should be careful not to be guilty by association.

Apple? Arrogant and demanding? Never!
 
Maybe the MacBook Pro page from Apple is foreshadowing something...
 

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It wouldn't be the first time that a car manufacturer & retail brand joined forces. The smart car is a co-operation with Swatch watches & Mercedes Benz
 
I've been using a Denison Gateway 500 iPod interface for my current car and I'm mostly happy. Even if Apple and the automakers don't work together well the aftermarket will close the gap as best as it can. The only real regret I have is that nobody makes user interfaces like Apple. While I may have 90% functionality through the Denison device, it's still through my factory stereo system which is a lesson in bad UI design.

It's enough to see track names on the display and get to my playlists, though, which is more than enough to make me happy.
 
Not to throw a downer to this discussion, but I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the fact that VW might pull its operations out of North America entirely because of poor business.

That's right. VW might pull out of N. America entirely after 2008.

http://news.windingroad.com/earningsfinancials/are-things-so-bad-at-vw-usa-that-a-pullout-is-being-considered/

Key point from the article:

This was an enormous factor in my decision not to purchase a GTI this year, which I think is a fantastic car. Several of my friends have also reevaluated their purchasing plans because of this, and we're all waiting to see what happens.


I really hope they stay in N. America.


Actually, um VW has just announced that it's moving it's US company HQ from Detroit to Herndon, VA near Washington, DC and that it is looking into opening a vehicle assembly plant somewhere in the southeastern US. There is also a buzz going around that they might bring back a form of the EuroVan to be built under contract by Chrysler Corporation. (talk about a piece of junk)

I just found out about his forum on tdiclub.com (user group for owners of VW diesels) I've owned two VW's (one gas and one diesel) for about six years now and I worked at a VW dealership parts dept for a year. I have to agree, VW cars aren't what they used to be.

Anyway, I'm glad I found this place and look forward to learning more about Macs. I love my mac.
 
Could this be it? From the article:

On its up! concept car, Volkswagen is presenting some completely new solutions when it comes to operator controls. Klaus Bischoff, Chief Designer for the Volkswagen Brand, comments on this: “Another reason the up! is so fascinating is because everything, every detail, was thought out anew. In the interior we have a touchscreen with new proximity sensor technology for controlling the navigation, radio, trip computer and climate control systems. It is operated absolutely intuitively. As a result, the most complicated functions can be controlled like child’s play.”

The up! has two central displays. In the cockpit, a 8-inch monitor shows the driver key information such as vehicle speed, fuel level and range, as well as momentary CO2 emissions.
 
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