Re: Do the Japanese or Germans make better cars?

First rule of new car buying. Don't buy a car the first year after a 
redesign. You are just asking for it.

Look at consumer reports expected reliability for VW. Its dismal with 
the exception of the Passat.

If the cars weren't so much fun to drive, I doubt they would sell any 
better than Fiat or Pugot. If quality was as important as it is to the 
Japanese, im sure VWs would be just as reliable.

Andrew Martin wrote:
> I quite agree.
>
> I am quite dissapointed with Volkswagen and other German car makers.
> They may be really nice cars, ride really stiff and stable like most people
> who buy german cars prefer.
>
> The dependability of VW has started to scare me, however.  I'm saving up a large
>
> down payment for a 2005 GTI (the new generation).  I know its what I want in a
> car,
> but I'm scared that it may be plagued with problems.  How can you ever know if
> you will have problems?  I mean, I know people who actually have FORD cars that
> aren't crappy.  That's nealry unheard of.  So maybe there is hope for the GTI?
>
> Andrew
>
> Joseph Meehan wrote:
>
>
> >    These reports are interesting, but should be considered carefully as to
> > their meaning.
> >
> >    "... more than 38,000 German vehicle owners were asked how satisfied
> > they were with their car or SUV and the service"
> >
> >    The results do not represent how good, or bad, the cars are, but it
> > represents how well they meet their owners expectations.  Not exactly the
> > same thing.  It may well be that the results also reflect quality, but that
> > should not be assumed.
> >
> > --
> > Joseph E. Meehan
> >
> > 26 + 6 = 1  It's Irish Math
> >
> > "Harry Wilke" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> > news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >
> > > Do the Germans or Japanese Make Better Cars?
> > >
> > > by Trevor Hofmann, auto123.com / Canadian Auto Press (December 1, 2003)
> > >
> > >
> > > German Study Turns Up Unexpected Response
> > >
> > > German cars are better right? While that might hold some credence among
> > > luxury car buyers, according to a consumer satisfaction survey compiled by
> > > German automobile association ADAC, together with the Center for
> >
> > Automotive
> >
> > > Research (CAR), the majority of the fatherland's car owners disagree.
> > >
> > > Altogether more than 38,000 German vehicle owners were asked how satisfied
> > > they were with their car or SUV and the service its dealer provided, with
> > > the results leaving domestic automakers Mercedes-Benz, Opel and Volkswagen
> > > hardly topping the charts.
> > >
> > > Contrarily, Japanese automakers swept one through seventh in owner
> > > satisfaction. The only German automaker to break the top ten was Porsche.
> > > Just like in North America, Japanese carmaker Toyota was the cream of the
> > > crop with Subaru, Honda, Mazda and then Nissan taking the first five
> >
> > spots.
> >
> > > In North America, German and Japanese manufacturers experience similar
> > > results. According to J.D. Powers and Associates 2003 Vehicle
> >
> > Dependability
> >
> > > Study (VDS), the top five positions are held first by Toyota's Lexus
> > > nameplate, second by Nissan's Infiniti, third by GM's Buick division with
> > > fourth held by the first German, once again Porsche. Fifth place goes to
> > > Honda's Acura brand. Other than Porsche no German brands rank in the top
> >
> > 10.
> >
> > > Behind Porsche the highest rated German nameplate is BMW in 13th place,
> >
> > with
> >
> > > Audi next but much farther down the scale in 26th and Mercedes-Benz close
> > > behind in a rather pathetic 27th out of 37 total automakers. Volkswagen, a
> > > name once synonymous with reliability and owner satisfaction, ranks near
> >
> > the
> >
> > > bottom of the barrel in 33rd place.
> > >
> > >
> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > > The results for the local brands weren't favourable when
> > > 38,000 German)vehicle owners were surveryed about   their consumer
> > > satisfaction.
> > > (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > > Just like in North America, Japanese carmaker Toyota was the cream of the
> > > crop with Subaru, Honda, Mazda and then Nissan taking the first five
> >
> > spots.
> >
> > > (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)