VW Microbus 2008

Does anyone know when this vehicle will be available for sale? Edmunds says in 2005... does that mean early or late? Also, does anyone have any idea about pricing of this vehicle and how it will be equipped? The VW site leads you to believe that it will be in the mid 30's, but is not definitive. I'm wondering if there will be several trim levels... the lower of which will start in the mid 20's to compete with other van's. Any ideas?
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If VW prices the Microbus too high nobody will buy it. For 40K, I could buy an Expedition FX4. (Not that I would, but that I could) (And it wouldn't be the most environmentally friendly choice, but you'd probably look more "hip" behind the wheel of a $40K SUV rather than a $40K Minivan)
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-SFD
ALL OF THIS JIMO>>>
Now is their chance to show that they can apply what they learned. Wonder if they'll wow us with their insight from past hurts? VW, just in case you forgot, here are a few suggestions: Keep the pricing amenable to the real world consumer. Realize that outside of the few outliers with disposable income and "must have that car" mentality, most families willing to consider the Micro will walk away from a $35-40,000 underpowered unit when compared with a fully laden, leather slathered, DVD sporting, cubby hole clad, drink holding Ody, Sienna or Quest (face it, U.S. auto makers struggle with any vehicle not based on a truck chassis).
As a potential van customer, I consider the VW a possibility. I love driving the GTI. I Have enjoyed the New Beetles I've driven and think the Passat is easily the standard by which all affordable passenger sedans should be graded before being offered to the general public. Will I ever go back to VW if they think I am stupid enough to pay much above the low $30k mark for their fully loaded van? Hardly. And if the public does, then shame on us for allowing them to sucker us.
I too was taken aback by the pricing suggestion of mid thirties. I had just gotten into needing a minivan mode and was expecting VW to be somewhat premium on its base vehicle. The only cars I have bought new have been VWs so I am used to paying a premium for them, but its been a couple of thousand dollars, not 10k (an Ody LX was around 23 at the time). I have always been happy with my purchase and felt the premium was worth it in my overall satisfaction with driving and interior quality of my VWs.
I really wanted a Bus, but they took too long to get it out so I am now ordering a Sienna LE 8 with package 7 (the safety package). Unless the Bus is really remarkable or the Sienna turns out to be junk, I expect I will not likely be getting Bus.
Now if they would bring the Touran to the US so I could replace my Golf with a roomier hatchback VW I would be all set.
Working power windows would be a big plus too (my sister has an '00 New Beetle that's seems great, except for the windows).
Steve, Host
Seems generally people want a VW van that can compete in price and features with the less hip Toyota and Honda minivan versions. And there is a preference not to go the SUV route. This is at least what I'm looking for. I drive a 2000 Jetta V6 and that's what I would like out of the microbus.
It seems VW may have at least originally aimed for a higher end van market with the new microbus--a market which may not exist. Hopefully VW will do its homework and get it right. Seems they are taking their time. Seems also questionable to me, and to a dealer I talked to, that VW came out with the Phaeton first--not many consumers out there can dish out 80-90K for a VW.
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Terraza: no clue, but it looks somewhere in between wood and plood. (trust me, I had a 97' Accord that had optional dealer plood, but it looked like wood and was called "genuine wood trim") The dealer gave it to me for free, as I didn't want it.
I haven't seen anything on pricing, but I may be able to dig up the article for additional information - although most info at this point is vague.
3007. sorry, couldn't help myself. i've been waiting so long for this thing to come out it's like the head of the turtle (don't ask). i'm sure it'll be priced above the touareg if VW ever gets off their buns and makes it. there's always tomorrow. sigh.
i'm afraid the base model VW microvan will be priced at a premium because they know the only people who will choose it over let's say, a honda odyssey, will often be buying it for largely sentimental (read nostalgic) or prestige-related reasons, and not for simply pragmatic reasons.
to put it another way, what other minvan offered in north america right now is not japanese or a domestic? the microvan is in a class of its own, and VW must know that.
i believe they will NOT be introducing it to compete with the Quest, Odyssey, Sienna, Freestar, Caravan, Town and Country, and Venture. They're definitely going upscale with this one.
even that toyota you mentioned would probably be loaded up with the kind of extras you don't want. when i was in europe, many of the mercedes on the road including taxis were pretty bare-bone. they deluxe a lot of these cars up for our shores cuz we smell like money. sorry about your frustrating lack of choice in that department cousin!
4motion; Turbo 4cyl gasoline, Vr6 & Torque blessed TDI in a 5cyl versions would be keeping in line with the original microbus economic way. FWD, of course as a base. ABS, ESP and Airbags gallore for family safety. Will have to handle with awesome dynamics and negative roll ratio. Audio and video options would have to be had for competing with all the rest. Kids would climb in in the Microbuses and say WAY cooler than all the Japanese and Domestic choices. Sky-roof too since the QUEST has a frickin Quad moon roof deal. Economics and price point will be needed to sell in serious volume. Look at what the New Beetle has done for VW of America. I would think that the New Microbus would be built in Germany and Mexico and marketed in Europe first as is the Golf/Jetta IV series.
True, but the VW Multivan, which is currently only available only in Europe, with the 2.5L TDI gets 22.3 city/35.6 hwy (if I'm doing my math correctly). I assume this is the platform on which the 'bus will be based. Why no TDI option?
Because the CAFE requirement for trucks in the US is still only 21 mpg. VW can get away with selling lower technology with higher profit margins. And, we don't say a word about it...
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I think VW will look to aim at Soccer DAD's too with more pull in the decision of a Mini purchase towards a New MicroBus instead of a lookalike Japanese Mini. You also got that Retrothing Going in a fashion that is very well accepted and desired just as in the New Beetle.
Its stupid not to continue the euro van until the microbus. like they did with the vanagon and the eurovan. its going to hurt sales
prices are going to be outrageous
andy
http://www.hvwc.net/postnuke/html/modules.php?op=modload&name- =News&file=article&sid=96&mode=thread&order=0&- ;thold=0
Seems the Euro still sells well in Europe. Probably would sell well here to with a TDI and manual, like the Europeans get.
I used to daydream about the Microbus; I wanted Edmunds to hookup with VW and get a nice blue prototype one added to their fleet, paint a big logo on the side and let my wife and I drive it cross-country for a few months handing out VW brochures and Edmunds t-shirts and logging in on the boards with our adventures every day or so.
Oh well....
Steve, Host
See what you want in a vw minivan is exactly the way Americans envision a minivan, and exactly NOT what the Europeans want. All that expensive DVD - screens, game ports and others gimmicks are what your average German buyer is looking for, because kids over there grow up on cell-phones with built-in supergismos from age four, and they spend 18-hrs a day playing with them. And if you are shocked by the 35K stripped-down sticker price, the vw-executives were just as schocked that that's too high for the American market /that's why it got cancelled/ Just to compare: the Eurovan was selling for 45K Euros (!) in Germany. We are the poor relation now...
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=9&ObjectID=10116677
Anyone seen any similar reports ?