The cars and bikes thread!

[Raza]

I had 8 years of Volkswagens, and if you add up every single small problem that I had in those 8 years, it wouldn't come close to even a fifth of the amount of problems I had in two years as a Mercedes owner. And even when the worst happened to either of my cars (intake issue in the Jetta 2.0T), the car was still drivable. Whereas three out of my family's last four Benzes have left their drivers stranded at some point or another.

Perhaps I've never owned a truly trouble-free car, but to me, Volkswagens are pretty damn good in reliability. And whatever you give up to a comparable Toyota, you gain in refinement and driving experience.

[Raza]

I can only speak as I find but there a reason why my last car was a VW Tiguan and my next one is a Passat.

The newer Passats are pretty comfortable, for my tastes. I told my friend to check it out when he was buying a car and he and his wife loved it, so they bought it. He drove me to lunch one day, maybe about a two mile drive. I damn near fell asleep. It was like being driven on a mattress on a cloud. Coming from a Z4, which is known for its harsh ride, it was very unexpected, and even compared to my B5 Passat from years back, it was much softer. Nothing against them, but they don't drive quite like the last few Passats.

Oh, wait though.....not sure if the UK model is different from the US model. I think it might be.

[gnuyork]

I have driven Audi's (VW) since 2000. Mostly problem free, but the occasional issue that pops up does cost more money than an American or Japanese car. For my last two, I seemed to have always had trouble with tie rods breaking, not sure why. My current one is still under warranty so we'll see.

He drove me to lunch one day, maybe about a two mile drive. I damn near fell asleep. It was like being driven on a mattress on a cloud.

Same with the new Audis. I thought I was driving a marshmallow (and not in a good way). Now Cadillac does comfort - they have a secret sauce that I can't describe. But it's different and better than other cars that do the comfort thing.

[scottjc]

My impression of the new Passat R Line is that it does comfort nicely when you want it too but the ride is stiff enough to have a bit of fun too. Don't get it until March but will report back once I have done a decent number of miles in it.

[93EXCivic]

I guess I am the only one who has had tons of issues with VWs...

Helping friends with cars I have seen a blown transmission (TDi Jetta), dead ECU (new Beetle), collapsing door panels (Jetta), almost constant blowing taillights (Jetta and new Beetle), seemingly unfixable check engine light (both A4 and Jetta)...



Only reliable VW I have ever dealt with was an '84 Scirocco which had seen many many hillclimbs, autocrosses, time trials and rallycrosses.

Maybe it is me. Or maybe it is the early to mid '00s VW/Audis and they have improved a lot but I won't be buying to find out. Heck just working on a new Beetle once was enough to make me never want to buy a VW.

[scottjc]

I guess I am the only one who has had tons of issues with VWs...

Sadly that's often the way it goes.

[Mikecfromli]

My rides

[scottjc]

Geoff will be so jealous.

[geoffbot]

I bloody am! But more of the classic stang - more pics required please!

[GaryF]

I guess I am the only one who has had tons of issues with VWs...

Helping friends with cars I have seen a blown transmission (TDi Jetta), dead ECU (new Beetle), collapsing door panels (Jetta), almost constant blowing taillights (Jetta and new Beetle), seemingly unfixable check engine light (both A4 and Jetta)...



Only reliable VW I have ever dealt with was an '84 Scirocco which had seen many many hillclimbs, autocrosses, time trials and rallycrosses.

Maybe it is me. Or maybe it is the early to mid '00s VW/Audis and they have improved a lot but I won't be buying to find out. Heck just working on a new Beetle once was enough to make me never want to buy a VW.

Not just you. I bought a mark IV GTi new. At first it was small stuff. The targa lights both cracked and fell out within a few weeks of ownership and both of the seat-release chords snapped at around the same time. I don't know how the electrics were done but I was replacing lightbulbs constantly though out the life of the car.
More expensive was the big end and a replacement of the aircon system (a known problem- VW changed suppliers because of it - though we unfortunately had issue a year after they stopped replacing them for free). The icing on the cake was a 4K engine rebuild after an oil pump failed. That was fun. The was the end.
I think it's been generally suspected for a while that VW put the money into the things you see in the showroom (switchgear, dash materials, the famous door "thunk" etc) or the things which earn points in a two-day trial for a motoring magazine. The stuff that's going to get the cars out of the door. This kind of fits with how I imagine a company which fakes emissions test results might go about things.

There was a lot I liked about it and I wouldn't say I'll never buy another but I'd never buy another for its reliability.

Similar things are said about Mercedes and BMWs of recent years so maybe the days of bulletproof German engineering are passing. Twenty or thirty years ago, all three marques were building their rep's. Maybe they're now at the exploiting stage.